S&W Airweight vs LC9

[bcsw1985]

Im having difficulty deciding which weapon to get for carry. I love them both but of course the each have their cons.

With the airweight, I've heard people say its murder on your hands to use at the range for practice. Also the 38 +p doesn't have much velocity and stopping power, the 9mm beats it.

With the LC9, I haven't heard much about it. Even thought about a SR9. Does anyone have any experience with these weapons, what do you like/dislike about them?

THANKS!

 

[Super Sneaky Steve]

The Smith is more reliable and has a better trigger. .38 special can and has killed people just fine but I don't want to start another debate on stopping power.

 

[BossHogg]

The grips on an Airweight are so easy to change. Get the Airweight and a set of Pachmayr Compac grips to get in practice time and go with the smaller grips for carry.

I have the Pachmayr for when I shoot 100 or more rounds and go back to the CT lasers for carry.

I have a S&W 638 and this set up serves me well.

The 38 spl is an awesome round and should have a lot of respect.

 

[SorenityNow]

I purchased my airweight 642 for a fair price of $335 NIB. I had to change the boot grip for a classic wood style grip. The wood gave me more "underbite" on the gun, so i can get a full grip on it. The rubber boot grip did not allow for my pinky to grip the gun. Pros are changing the grip made it a better ccw for me. The con is that its much more painfull to shoot at the range. Thats not a big deal for me to feel a lil pain at the range, I know that I wont feel thing in a self defense situation because of all the adrenaline.

 

[19-3Ben]

I'm a revolver guy but HATE the airweight snubs. I had a 642. Hated shooting it.
The recoil was terrible for me. Worse than my SP101 3" with full blast dino-killing .357mag loads.

Recoil is totally subjective and most people disagree with me about the 642/442.

I much prefer shooting the little autos like my LCP and like the LC9. That'd be my vote.

 

[bcsw1985]

Thanks soo far for the advice guys. I should say the .38 is and must be a good bullet since it's been used for 100 years. I will look up those grips though, thanks

 

[Mr.Blue]

I have a 637 and don't think the recoil is that punishing with .38spl +p. In fact, I thought the recoil on the Ruger LCP was worse. I'm sure the recoil on the LC9 loaded with good rounds will be no picnic either. Either way, both are great concealed carry guns.

 

[Carne Frio]

I have both, a Model 38 and LC9. I pocket carried
the M38 for years, but not with +p. The LC9 holds
more ammo, is easier on the hand to shoot and is
easier to conceal in a pocket. It has been just as
reliable, so far (200 rounds).

 

[orionengnr]

Also the 38 +p doesn't have much velocity and stopping power, the 9mm beats it.

Wherever you got that data, I would be very circumspect about future information from that source.

 

[thebaldguy]

My S & W 642 with the rubber grips isn't too bad for recoil. However, I'm not sure I'd want to fire hundreds and hundreds of .38 Special +P rounds through it in a short period of time.

My neighbor just got the Ruger LC9. I have to admit I liked shooting it and the recoil wasn't too bad either. I guess I was surprised at how good it felt. If I was shooting a lot I'd take the LC9 over the 642. But both are great pocket CCW pistols. I don't think you can go wrong with either one.

 

[SorenityNow]

An airweight isnt the best range gun. Its a great ccw. Ill take the 642 and shoot a box of rounds in it. Two boxes if im really trying to prove something. But it takes concentration and focus. This kinda takes the fun outof shooting for me. If i want a fun range gun then I bring my Glock19.

 

[SorenityNow]

 

[carbuncle]

My practice regimen when I carried a snub was: while at the range to shoot one of my other guns I'd pull out the 85, fire a cylinder and a reload from one of my speedloaders out of it, call it good. It's a snub, it isn't supposed to be fun to shoot just effective for concealment and defense, and they are.

 

[M2 Carbine]

I have two LC9 and a bunch of S&W J Frames and a couple Colt Cobra light weights.
I'm a big fan of small revolvers but I'm not a fan of light weight J Frames.

The LC9 has been building up a reputation for accuracy and reliability. Mine has over 1,700 trouble free rounds.
Of course the revolvers are quite reliable.

As far as shooting either one, both are accurate and can be shot well, with practice.

I give the edge to the LC9 because of it's 8 shots, decent sights and thinness compared to the revolver's wide cylinder and 5 shots.




.

 

[Shamus MacD]

I carry my s&w 637-2 most of the time lately. I've fired my friends lcp (i know not a lc9) and my huge issue with it is its trigger...I say go with the smith

 

[M2 Carbine]

and my huge issue with it is its trigger...I say go with the smith

The LC9 trigger gets a bad rap but actually it is much better than the average J Frame.
Many of the same people that think the J Frame trigger is fine say the LC9 trigger is too hard.


Last week I used a Lyman trigger gage to compare.

New (unfired) LC9 trigger = 6 lbs, 9 oz.

Old LC9 (1,700 rounds) = 6 lbs, 7 oz.

S&W Mod 36 (DA) = 10 lbs, 13 oz.

S&W Mod 36 (DA) = no reading because the gage was maxed out at 12 lbs.

Makarov = 10 lbs, 9 oz.


When I shot the LC9 after testing the triggers I thought the LC9 trigger isn't really all that bad.

 

[Mike1234567]

For a carry firearm, all else equal, thinner is usually better.

 

[InkEd]

I prefer the j-frame between the two choice. People make WAY TOO BIG a deal ot of the recoil unless they are all shooting Buffalo Bore .357mag or some other ultra hot loads from a scandium frame model. Standard .38spcl from an aluminum airweight is not a problem. Shooting +P isn't super fun but most people don't shoot tons of it at the range.

The biggest problem is the grips are too small for most people. This is common on most small handguns. It is an easy fix. Change the grips. Hogue makes a 3-finger Bantam grip, Pachmyr makes their Presentation grip and many people make wood grips to give a more solid and palm-filling feel to the gun.

I don't care for the LC9. I found the trigger too heavy and the other controls took alot of pressure to operate. If you are looking for an autoloader of that size, checkout the Kahr CW9. IMHO it's much nicer than the Ruger. Conversely, if you want a revolver but don't like the S&W trigger try the Ruger LCR.

 

[Tony_the_tiger]

9mm + P rounds and .38 special + P rounds offer remarkably similar ballistics.

Generally, 9mm factory rounds are loaded 100 ft/s faster than .38 special rounds from the same manufacturer. You'll find 9mm loads running 900 - 1300 ft/s and .38 special loads running 850 - 1150 ft/s. The size of both bullets tends to range from 110 to 158 grain. However, some .38 special loads are hotter than their brand name counterparts.

Therefore, it is not entirely true to state that 9mm is ballistically superior to the .38 special.

However, it would be true to state that the .357 is ballistically superior to the 9mm

Check out what .44 special can do and you might be pleasantly surprised.

 

[Remllez]

You could wander over to rugerforum.net and ask them fine folks for their opinions on the
LC-9. I'm a fan of and shoot/carry J-frame Smiths for many years and don't consider the .38 Special round underpowered especially with the new + P loadings, they pack a good wallop with a heavier slug than many 9 mm offerings.

I'm just expressing my opinion, I'm not trying to spark a caliber debate! The two choices you're considering are good options but in reality very different platforms. Both calibers are easy to find at the LGS with the price edge to the 9mm. The short barrel offerings from BB and other companies seem to be very stout and should fit your revolver requirement quite well.

 

[451 Detonics]

For pocket carry the 642/442 draws easier due to the slope of the rear of the frame. Other than that it is about a toss-up. I have a PF-9 whose trigger while a bit longer is every bit as smooth and light, it also holds 3 more rounds. The revolver can be fired through a jacket pocket if necessary, both have pluses and minus. If at all possible shoot both and then decide...

 

[SorenityNow]

View attachment 1
this is a photo of my 642 with wooden grip . I think the puc is small cuz i did it from my cell phone. But if you click on the pic it will blow up in size

 

[Quoheleth]

If you don't mind an alternative suggestion, look at the Ruger LCR. Super light; super smooth trigger. The spongy grips tame the recoil quite well. Choke up on the grips, too - get the web of your hand up high on the grips and the recoil comes straight back.

Q

 

[dprice3844444]

get one them snubbies like the 649 only in stainless 357.you can load it with the speer 135 grainers

 

[Mr.Blue]

The newer J frames have superlative triggers. Personally I like having the exposed hammer which gives me the option of DA or SA. Either way, the trigger is great, much like the LCR. If the LC9 trigger is anything like the LCP trigger, I'll pass.