Post by TBT on Mar 5, 2008 18:46:38 GMT -5
Smith and Wesson Model 442, .38 Special +p
I was tossed up between this and the M&P340 in .357 for the longest time. My objective was to commandeer a smaller handgun that would serve as a backup to my daily carry (currently a Glock model 19) and an alternative when packing a mid sized service weapon wasn’t ideal.
I decided against the .357 magnum rather than against the M&P340. After an untold amount of research I became convinced that the .38+p is a viable defensive round. While the .357 is superior in just about every way, it wasn’t practical for me to practice with that round due to comfort and lol, health issues that might arise from such a venture. It’s a known punishing round and the more and more I thought about it the more and more I couldn’t shake the desire to practice with what I was going to carry. I’ve always made it a habit to practice with my carry rounds extensively if not exclusively.
The above narration and my belief that the .38+p is adequate lead me to the Smith and Wesson 442. It’s the popular x42 line’s black sheep of the family. Stainless offers many advantages over carbon steel but I like my carry firearms blued/black. So the 442 it was.
Initially I was unimpressed. A small thing indeed, but the grips didn’t fit the frame very well. The left side grip panel pulled away about 1/16” at the bottom. I simply took the grip off and bent it a bit and it fits okay now, but not perfect. IMHO this speaks to quality issues. Maybe it’s nothing, but you always like to see the “little things” done well so as to inspire confidence in the “bigger things” like reliability.
Other than that it was dirty. The dirties new pistol I’ve ever bought actually. After it was cleaned I bought crapload of ammunition to decide on a carry load. Bought were the Double Tap 125g +p, Speer Gold Dot 135gr. Short Barrel +p, and the old faithful Rem FBI load.
The 135 grain Speer Gold Dot’s just felt right. More expensive by far than the other rounds, I decided to bite the bullet so to speak and go with what felt right. This thing kicks pretty good with those +p rounds though. I wouldn’t want to try a magnum in this weight class to be honest. Not painful, but enough to let you know the gun went off. A 2-300 rounds range session while not overly pleasant, is no problem at all.
The gun is accurate. Well, staging the trigger or taking my time I’m accurate. Pulling through that long and heavy pull rapidly however, is another story altogether. That’s going to take some practice. After two trips to the range I can keep all of my shots in a paper plate sized area at 10 yards. There’s still work to do but I was expecting it to be much worse. I do however believe that this gun is as inherently accurate as any of my autos. It just doesn’t lend itself to accurate shots via its size.
I decided on Bianchi Speed Strips for spare ammunition. While not as fast as a speed loader (and not even in the same area code as a magazine in an auto) it’s quick enough for my liking and the intended purpose of the gun. Where these neat little offering s shine is in comfort. Two reloads and you barely know you’re packing them.
The other mention that I want to make is the DeSantis Nemisis pocket holster which I bought from MidWay USA for $14. What a fantastic little pocket holster. Fits the gun well, stays in the pocket, barely adds any bulk at all to the weapon, and well made to boot. I couldn’t be happier. I can’t justify a $75-$150 pocket holster. That kind of quality just isn’t needed in a pocket holster and in many ways can be a detriment. Those nice leather pocket holsters add more weight and width, thus working against the whole idea of pocket carry.
Pictures will follow but I’m very happy with the setup and would recommend all of the above to anyone looking for a pocket carry option as either a primary or backup.
I was tossed up between this and the M&P340 in .357 for the longest time. My objective was to commandeer a smaller handgun that would serve as a backup to my daily carry (currently a Glock model 19) and an alternative when packing a mid sized service weapon wasn’t ideal.
I decided against the .357 magnum rather than against the M&P340. After an untold amount of research I became convinced that the .38+p is a viable defensive round. While the .357 is superior in just about every way, it wasn’t practical for me to practice with that round due to comfort and lol, health issues that might arise from such a venture. It’s a known punishing round and the more and more I thought about it the more and more I couldn’t shake the desire to practice with what I was going to carry. I’ve always made it a habit to practice with my carry rounds extensively if not exclusively.
The above narration and my belief that the .38+p is adequate lead me to the Smith and Wesson 442. It’s the popular x42 line’s black sheep of the family. Stainless offers many advantages over carbon steel but I like my carry firearms blued/black. So the 442 it was.
Initially I was unimpressed. A small thing indeed, but the grips didn’t fit the frame very well. The left side grip panel pulled away about 1/16” at the bottom. I simply took the grip off and bent it a bit and it fits okay now, but not perfect. IMHO this speaks to quality issues. Maybe it’s nothing, but you always like to see the “little things” done well so as to inspire confidence in the “bigger things” like reliability.
Other than that it was dirty. The dirties new pistol I’ve ever bought actually. After it was cleaned I bought crapload of ammunition to decide on a carry load. Bought were the Double Tap 125g +p, Speer Gold Dot 135gr. Short Barrel +p, and the old faithful Rem FBI load.
The 135 grain Speer Gold Dot’s just felt right. More expensive by far than the other rounds, I decided to bite the bullet so to speak and go with what felt right. This thing kicks pretty good with those +p rounds though. I wouldn’t want to try a magnum in this weight class to be honest. Not painful, but enough to let you know the gun went off. A 2-300 rounds range session while not overly pleasant, is no problem at all.
The gun is accurate. Well, staging the trigger or taking my time I’m accurate. Pulling through that long and heavy pull rapidly however, is another story altogether. That’s going to take some practice. After two trips to the range I can keep all of my shots in a paper plate sized area at 10 yards. There’s still work to do but I was expecting it to be much worse. I do however believe that this gun is as inherently accurate as any of my autos. It just doesn’t lend itself to accurate shots via its size.
I decided on Bianchi Speed Strips for spare ammunition. While not as fast as a speed loader (and not even in the same area code as a magazine in an auto) it’s quick enough for my liking and the intended purpose of the gun. Where these neat little offering s shine is in comfort. Two reloads and you barely know you’re packing them.
The other mention that I want to make is the DeSantis Nemisis pocket holster which I bought from MidWay USA for $14. What a fantastic little pocket holster. Fits the gun well, stays in the pocket, barely adds any bulk at all to the weapon, and well made to boot. I couldn’t be happier. I can’t justify a $75-$150 pocket holster. That kind of quality just isn’t needed in a pocket holster and in many ways can be a detriment. Those nice leather pocket holsters add more weight and width, thus working against the whole idea of pocket carry.
Pictures will follow but I’m very happy with the setup and would recommend all of the above to anyone looking for a pocket carry option as either a primary or backup.
