Starting to shop for a snubby.
- Thread starter RobertFBurnett
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RobertFBurnett
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^ Yeah!, ya got one in S&W for sale for less than $400? 
The .44Special does intrigue me as a SD round, with the right load it could have many of the benefits rgs1975 mentioned about the .38:
PLUS I git a box of Hornady .44Spec JHPs just sitting there doing nothing because my .44M is on its way back to Ruger.
RFB
The .44Special does intrigue me as a SD round, with the right load it could have many of the benefits rgs1975 mentioned about the .38:
PLUS I git a box of Hornady .44Spec JHPs just sitting there doing nothing because my .44M is on its way back to Ruger.
RFB
Gator
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Oh no! The anniversary flat-top you just bought? What's wrong with it?
Stainz
Member
Correction re the S&W 442 - it weighs the same as a 642. It differs in blued CS instead of SS for the barrel and cylinder, with essentially a black coated Al frame. I believe the 342 had the Ti cylinder, reducing it's mass by a bit. Of course, the 242 isn't part of the family - it's a 7-shot .357M L-frame Airlite that looks similar to my 296 5-shot .44 Special shown top below.
The 342 shares a 'jacketed only' warning with the 296, which also has a 200gr max bullet weight. Both are intended to lessen the probability of an unshot bullet jumping the crimp and jamming the cylinder. I like 158gr .38 Spcl +P LHPSWCs (as shown next to the 642 below), so I will stick with a 642/442. My preference in .44 Special is the Speer #4427 200gr thin walled/pre-stressed (Made for low speeds - 800fps+.) .44 Special bullet, like Speer loads in brass, their CCI Blazers in Al, and Georgia Arms loads in new Starline brass, all making ~805 fps from my 296.
Stainz
The 342 shares a 'jacketed only' warning with the 296, which also has a 200gr max bullet weight. Both are intended to lessen the probability of an unshot bullet jumping the crimp and jamming the cylinder. I like 158gr .38 Spcl +P LHPSWCs (as shown next to the 642 below), so I will stick with a 642/442. My preference in .44 Special is the Speer #4427 200gr thin walled/pre-stressed (Made for low speeds - 800fps+.) .44 Special bullet, like Speer loads in brass, their CCI Blazers in Al, and Georgia Arms loads in new Starline brass, all making ~805 fps from my 296.
Stainz
RobertFBurnett
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Heya Gator,
Yeah my 50th Flattop is a bit of a lemon, the hammer won't pull back even when the base pin is fully seated. Several times I have got it to work, and it locks right back up. So they want to take a look at it, and are supposedly sending me UPS labels.
Have not even fired a round through it, except for snap-caps. But its a simple single action, Ruger will make it right so I'm not too worried. It does make me smile that my Evil S&W 686-6 with "MIM" parts and a IL "that can lock up on you at any time" has not given me any trouble, where the Ruger has. But I'm a bit subversive like that. 
Se La Vie (I do not speak French, let me know if thats misspelled),
RFB
Yeah my 50th Flattop is a bit of a lemon, the hammer won't pull back even when the base pin is fully seated. Several times I have got it to work, and it locks right back up. So they want to take a look at it, and are supposedly sending me UPS labels.
Have not even fired a round through it, except for snap-caps. But its a simple single action, Ruger will make it right so I'm not too worried. It does make me smile that my Evil S&W 686-6 with "MIM" parts and a IL "that can lock up on you at any time" has not given me any trouble, where the Ruger has. But I'm a bit subversive like that.
Se La Vie (I do not speak French, let me know if thats misspelled),
RFB
SwampWolf
Member
Nice looking Agent, jetman. A while back, I sold a 642 (I still have two steel-framed, non-lock J frames) and bought a 1966 era Cobra for pocket carry. Weighs the same as the 642, carries 20% more ammo on board and a decent speciman can be had for $400.00 or so with some judicious shopping.
sixgunner455
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Yes, and the blued steel parts on the 442 are not stainless, as on the 642. For a close to the body, concealed piece, the 642 makes more sense to me. I've had little guns carried in pockets and so forth rust on me, and I don't like that. So when I went to buy a new snubbie (still have my Colt DS), I made certain to get a stainless one. 642 for me.
rdrancher
Member
If pocket carry is your intent you really can't go wrong with a 642. Light, easy to pocket, and plenty comforting with SWCHC's.
On the other hand, if you're going to belt carry, the Ruger SP101 is pretty hard to beat, smaller than a K-frame and can handle magnum loads all day. My 2.25" model shoots POA with Buffalo Bore 158gr low flash Gold Dots. Quick follow up shots are a snap.
rd
On the other hand, if you're going to belt carry, the Ruger SP101 is pretty hard to beat, smaller than a K-frame and can handle magnum loads all day. My 2.25" model shoots POA with Buffalo Bore 158gr low flash Gold Dots. Quick follow up shots are a snap.
rd
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