Smith and Wesson 442 Review!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 มิ.ย. 2024
- My review of the Smith and Wesson 442 in .38 Special. This is the version without the ridiculous safety lock. All in all a solid option for concealed carry.
Note: since this video I've sent in the LCP II to Ruger to have it fixed, and it's been 100% reliable since (they replaced the extractor, magazine release, and the barrel). - กีฬา
Great video. In June 2014 I purchased a 442 (no lock) for summertime carry, intending to go back to my 9 mm M & P Shield when the weather got cold. That was over six years ago, and I still have not returned to the semi-auto world. There's nothing wrong with the Shield. It's excellent. But I found the 442 to be much more satisfactory for concealed carry. Now my carry rotation is the 442, the Rock island Armory m 206, and the Taurus 856. And I also wasn't happy with the grips the gun came with. I replaced them with a set of the classic wood panel grips (really old-school, huh?). It took me about 200 to 300 rounds to figure out how to shoot it, but now I'm combat accurate.
I have the Smith & Wesson 642 version and it's wonderful
How’s the 856 should I pay the extra money and get a 442
@@JuanMontoya-vb4ll Only you can make that determination. I wouldn't, and I've had both. The only advantage to the 442 that I can see is it's a bit easier to conceal. If you want a smaller, more concealable 5 shot revolver, I'd suggest Charter Arms. I think their equivalent to a 442 is the Off Duty. Their Undercover is available with a bobbed hammer, but not fully enclosed. I have an Undercover that I like so much, I got a Police Undercover too.
Judt bought a 442 a week ago for $400. Its becoming a fast favorite of mine.
When I first bought the sw 422. The trigger pull would make my trigger finger go numb due to the heavy pull. I bought snap caps and just dry fire everyday for like a month. Now my trigger finger doesn’t go numb and from dry firing it the trigger itself is smooth like butter now. So those with weaker fingers, prepare to practice like hell with it.
I have an original S&W 649 and I swap the wood grips out with the Uncle Mike's grips, I love them. Makes the speed loaders slide right in the cylinder, with NO hang ups. Brought the gun and grips back in 93.
Great video, to the point and spoken slowly enough so I could follow it without having to ‘rewind’ . Thank you for making and uploading 👍
Good review. Glad Ruger took care of the issue and restored your faith in the LCP II. They are both fine firearms.
I had the same problem with my Kahr P380. Ended up with a S&W 360PD. It's larger and a little heavier, but 100% reliable! Nice video. Thanks for sharing!
nice job on the video. I have one for five years now and it’s my favorite to pocket carry.
Good video. Covered the important points including holster options. I have a .357 Ruger LCR which I use with a Galco holster similar to you Hornet, a Remora holster, and a Crossbreed SuperTuck. Very useful primary EDC. I also have a fourth series 6 shot .38 Special Colt Detective Special. Use a DeSantis OWB thumb break leather. Like the Ruger, I had to spend the time, ammo, and effort going to the range to get it dialed in. Also wanting a S&W 442, 638, or maybe the 649 as well. Most important is to remember these are close in self defense guns 3-10 yards primarily and you will not be disappointed. Still love the small revolvers often instead of my P938 Legion or the S&W Shield Plus.
Very good video. Practical with lots of good info. Good job.
Thank you
I really wanted to expand my ccw choices beyond my 442 and 686.I have had my 442 for 3 years now and I love it. I was looking at the M&P Shield. I love those however can never get over the fact that I have seen so many shots fail on the range when others have malfunctions. It could be bad ammo, poor maintenance, incorrect ammo, too many spring adjustments, magazine failures, after market accessories and so forth. During qualification I have seen semi's fail many times. I am honestly over anything but my current choice of ccw. To that speil, THANK YOU for this video. Excellent info.
Very helpful review. Thanks!
The 642 (exactly like the 442, only silver aluminum alloy, not black aluminum alloy frame). My on-duty back up gun for the last 27 years and a 640 for 5 years before that! Quality, reliability, dependability and life saving.
There’s no better back-up gun to depend one’s life upon.
A great video on the S&W 442 in black the rubber grips are just too small I would replace them with much better ones
I really wanted to love my original LCP. I had problems with feed jamming, so I sent it back to Ruger and they fixed it, now it jams when ejecting. I found this video because I too am going to get a revolver for daily concealed carry.
The one thing I'm not sure you mentioned when comparing the 442 vs the LCP2 is that yes you may have one more round in the CLP2 but no matter what round you put into that LCP2 it's going to still be a .380 round compared to 38 Special. The worst 38 Special round will always hit harder and do more damage than the very best .380 round. Also one thing many people fail to consider with the little revolvers is that if you are in close contact with someone trying to hurt/kill you and you pull out ANY semi-auto pistol there is a very good chance you won't be able to get a single shot off, or you might get only one shot off. If there is any pressure pushing back on that barrel it'll go out of battery and will not shoot, a revolver does not have this problem and you can contact shoot the entire cylinder. Also, if you do get one shot off with a semi-auto close to your body or someone else, there is a very good chance clothing will get caught in the slide and now it's once again no longer working, and again, this is a non-issue with a revolver. So besides the much bigger and hotter round coming out of the 442, especially if you are smart and are using 38 +P rounds, you also get a self defense option that will work every time, in just about any condition.
I don’t agree with you on your “worst 38 special is better than the best 380acp” statement. I just picked up a few boxes of Underwood extreme defender, at 1,400fps it’s hitting harder than most 38 special! Buffalo bore has super hot hardcast 380 you can hunt with! Ofcourse bullet diameter is basically the same…Those two rounds are closer than you’d think.
@@ripcanadams I agree you can get some sweet 380 ammo, I currently have the Buffalo Bore 380 rounds in my Sig P238 and they are amazing.
@@8654ZuluFoxtrot how is that to shoot recoil wise? I just picked up a LCP max and was thinking about selling my G42 if the LCP max can handle the hottest 380 loads?🤔
@@ripcanadams If you have a rock solid grip the recoil isn't too bad. But the Buffalo Bore rounds are 80gr +P rounds at 1275 FPS.....so make sure whatever you get can handle that. It certainly has more felt recoil and is much louder, but it's well worth the tradeoff IMHO as long as your grip is rock solid and you can control it.
@@ripcanadamsyou want Federal hydrashok deep. Not to be co fused with the old hydrashok. It’s the first JHP to meet the FBI requirements for penetration and expansion out of a small barrel.
Nice video man. Snubby’s are my favorite for concealing also. Just put this piece on lay-a-way today.
This is definitely my favorite hammerless snubnose revolver - I recommend finding the version without the safety lock though
What Ammo you carry in this 38@@nickoetken1122
I have the very early original Ruger LCP and 642-1. Love both for different circumstances. Love the Ruger LCP long heavy trigger. To me it makes perfect sense for a pocket gun. No SA pocket guns for me.
Never had a single malfunction with either gun.
It took me a minute to figure out what ukkamike grips were. haha Nice video, THANKS!
Really like my 442….it WORKS…..EVERY TIME !
Bought a Ruger LCR in 9mm. Tossed the moon clips out the window. Can’t stand them….
As it turns out, it functions just fine without them. Extracting, on occasion, will require a poke with a small dowl……but 9 out of 10 times, if I put my thumb on the cylinder and just a bit of “torque” on the ejection rod, all the rounds pop out without any problem.
The LCR’s smooth trigger allows for an amazingly accurate 2” revolver.
I was absolutely amazed the first time I got about a 5” group at about 15’
Both good guns, but the trigger on the LCR is far smoother.
Contact Ruger about your LCP2, they’ll repair it at no cost to you, then sell it if you’re still uncomfortable w/it.
Jerry Burnett I sent my LCPII back for stovepiping issues. They had it back w/i 10 days and I’ve never had a problem since.
I took your advice and sent it back to them. They replaced the barrel, extractor, guide rod/spring, and the magazine release and the gun now functions flawlessly (200 rounds no jams - hesitant to shoot more because of the ammo shortage). My faith in the gun has been restored and I'm now carrying it again. I'm guessing the original parts in the gun were out of spec - Ruger has a reputation for building quality firearms after all.
@@nickoetken1122 My other often carried gun is the 340PD and I use the Galco pocket holster too. I’ve had that holster for about 10 years and it’s still servicable.
@@nickoetken1122 You should make an annotation in your video saying that Ruger fixed the issue and that the gun is now reliable, so future viewers don't leave thinking Ruger guns are crap.
@@nickoetken1122 Good to hear Nick. Ruger makes excellent firearms and the LCP II is no exception. I have both as well and with 500 rounds down range with both the LCP II and 442 I can report zero problems. I am extremely comfortable carrying both but do prefer the LCP II due to size and round capacity.
Love my 442!
I have them both, love my j frame 642 and carry it often (summer time mostly). My LCP II had several issues with the extractor which Ruger later replaced the entire slide with a new pinned and longer extractor. Not saying that is your problem but worth looking into. Great review, very factual. Thank you!
I just got the upgraded upper/extractor last week. (Free) Huge improvement. Now I feel confident using the LCP II for self defense again. I was about to replace it with the LCP Max. But the upgraded upper uses the LCP Max design. So happy!!!
@@scott2228 awesome! IMHO it makes it 100% reliable. I have shot close to 500 rounds no problem.
Just a excellent video about how he explained the 380 automatic pistol and the smitten Weston 442-38 + p special that is a fantastic gun the new ones don't come with any internal lock they did away with that only on this model and it comes in a blue plastic box it's not cheap they're little over 500 you may get it for under $500 but it's still a great deal I just recommend to change the rubber grip go on eBay they have a whole bunch of them for under $20 you could put your whole hand around them it's a wonderful gun very accurate Police use them as a backup gun I got this video five stars
⭐⭐⭐⭐💯
Nice review! The 442 is really a great concealed carry gun. It's one of my favorites. Didn't know that they no longer have the Uncle Mike's grips. Those grips are really decent. I also use the same Galco pocket holster that you shown. What is the belt holster? Galco definitely produces quality holsters.
Subscribed as soon as I watched your excellent video. My first ccw revolver was a 442 no lock, which replaced a Shield 9 mm. It took me about 2 boxes of ammo to figure out how to shoot it accurately. That was bout 8-10 years ago. I also could not stand the grips! They're made for people with microscopic hands. I replaced them with the classic wood stocks I got at a gun show, and the improvement in how I could shoot my 442 was indescribable. If you like the 442, you'll LOVE the Charter Arms Undercover even more. Much better factory grips, incredibly better sights and trigger, slightly smaller and lighter, and lower purchase price.
Also, if you disliked your Ruger LCP, try a Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380, aka Jamomatic nightmare. The safest place to be when that thing is being fired between jams, is about 6 - 12 inches directly in front of the muzzle. The "gun" is so horrible, a mugger will take pity on you and give you their money. Seriously.
Pick up mine today. I bought the "We the People" limited edition model.
Great choice
Good vid Sir. Just subbed!☝🏻
Good info. Also, I was wondering why my 442 grips didn’t have the S&W logo on them. Now I know. They are Uncle Mike’s grips. Like you, I believe these grips are great. Mark
Thank you for your video it was very helpful!
Uncle Mike’s boot grips are great on J frames. Totally agree. Sorry they stopped making their grips.
Good vid did you try getting new magazines?
Man I'm on the same path. I have an LCP (1) that jammed terribly, brand new! I polished & sanded the heck out of it, & it got a little better but still cannot get through a magazine. I'm looking at revolvers now, specifically an air weight j frame. I was trying to avoid the 5 round capacity, but at least it's 5 you can count on going bang. Besides +P has more power than 380, and can be fired from a jacket pocket if need be, no problem
Send it in to Ruger first to see if that fixes it. For a 6-shot CCW revolver I'd take a look at the Colt Cobra.
I installed "Hideout Grips" from Precision Gun Specialties on my 642-1.
Great gun❤
Agreed
I know this vid is old but, have u requested Ruger fix your LCP II? They upgraded the extractor. It now uses the same one as the LCP Max. Ruger sent me a new upper free of charge. It’s extremely reliable now.
That said, I still carry my S&W J frame as well. 2 great options for pocket carry. I also use Galco holsters for both guns.
I did! They replaced the extractor, guide rod, spring, barrel, and mag release. Basically everything but the original slide and frame. It has functioned like a dream since. I still favor the 442 for CCW…there’s just one thing about a snubnose revolver I’m drawn to.
my ec9s had similar probs, i sent it back and now works, i wouldnt say flawlessly. have to hold w/death-grip to prevenf jams
Funny how everybody has different feelings on grips. I have tried them all on my j frame and found no stand outs. The Uncle mikes felt just like the factory grips to me. After about 10 tries I gave up on the perfect feel and went for the cool factor. With that said I got some Chiefs Special grips love the look! Are they comfortable to shoot not really but none I tried were but these just look right on this gun so I gave up my search and stuck with these. The one good thing is they are really compact and small which helps it hide in the pocket.
I'm actually moving from a ruger Ec9s to a j frame soon. Haven't had any issues with my handgun but I have bought 2 factory magazines and both have had issues that I had to return them for. I have lost trust in semi autos and im probably never going back
Which hogue grip did you try? 6000? Did it make the gun harder to conceal?
The boot grips didn't work for me. I would get a blister, every time I fired it. I switched to bigger Hogue grip, and it's a pleasure to shoot. I been carrying it for the last twelve years as a backup and off duty. It has over 1500 rounds through it, without a problem.
@Jerry Burnett I don't remember changing the pin.
Just bought mine with the crimson laser. Can you do a vid with this gun with this laser option? Thank you in advance
It is all you will ever need in this life time-- I have the 360 pd
Good video. I have the original LCP that’s never had a malfunction (400 + rounds) but the LCP2 was not nearly as reliable. That said my EDC is the 340PD b/c when I was forced to use my .38 revolver during my career it did the job.
Great response, I'm 41 years old and grew up in the north end of Kansas City, when I was a kid everyone had a .38 revolver, my grandfather taught me how to shoot by making wax bullets for his .38 Snubnose and I'd target practice in the alley behind his house, to this day outta all the guns I own Glocks Sigs whatever, I usually carry a model 15 combat masterpiece stoked with FBI load.
@@jasonashley4579 Great carry piece. I was forced to use my issued Model 15, loaded w/department issued FBI hollow points, in the early ‘80s. Those rounds allowed me to drop the suspect & the victim escaped unhurt.
@Old Cop Well I've never had to do anything like that with it, I just keep it handy because I shoot it well and I really enjoy the weight and balance of the model 15, I did shoot a 20lb block of modeling clay with some FBI load out of it once and it looked really horrific, I would imagine that it probably would drop someone.
.380 has less recoil. Agree on the spotty reliability of the LCPs. I have the Max and it has the spontaneous magazine eject issue.... Yeah..... Not great. The deal is, snubbies technically aren't perfectly reliable either. You can short stroke a revolver. Cylinders can freeze if you don't clean your gun. They are trickier to shoot well. And .38 special out of an airweight revolver feels like hitting your hand with a hammer after a box of 50.
I have a smith 642 and 637. My 637 broke and I had to pay for repairs. Warranty would not cover it. "these are not meant to be shot a lot" 2 customer service reps said that. The Ruger LCR is a better gun IMO. More durable. The frame and barrel are metal. The polymer portion helps mitigate recoil.
They did some improvements on the new LCP Max to make it more reliable apparently.
I carry the 442 at 3 o'clock and the 43c at the 9 o'clock cross draw for a new York reload. Love em both on a clip draw because I wear basketball shorts 90% of the time including winter in Texas
Did you talk with Ruger about your reliability issues with your LCP?
Yeah I gave them a call and they said they'd send in a box to ship it out in but it never arrived. Honestly though it has had so many problems I don't want to carry it and will stick with other guns I have (like the 442) - even if it were fixed just the knowledge that it was jamming multiple times every magazine before is enough for me to not carry it anymore.
Update: They replaced the barrel, extractor, guide rod/spring, and the magazine release and the gun now functions flawlessly (200 rounds no jams - hesitant to shoot more because of the ammo shortage). My faith in the gun has been restored and I'm now carrying it again. I'm guessing the original parts in the gun were out of spec - Ruger has a reputation for building quality firearms after all.
I bought a used 442 before the craziness started. I went through two boxes of ammo before it started having light primer strikes and misfires. I gave it to the gunsmith and he said the trigger pin was broken. He had another 442 with the same problem. He sent them to S&W for repairs. I have not got it back yet. Doubt I will ever see it again.
Damn. Good thing mine has worked just fine. Maybe you and your gunsmith had lemons.
Why do you doubt you’ll see it again?
Sounds more like someone put aftermarket springs or messed with the hammer.
I just picked mine up today, can’t wait to shoot it
If u go auto go with Seecamp or Rohrbaugh. Like the 442.
Quick question weight difference between the three grips, since you have all three, thanks.
I didn't notice much of a weight difference
@@nickoetken1122 all three on scale, one once, half once, one third once ?,difference just wondered, thanks, would probably make a nice video.
Did you do anything to the trigger?
Nope
Dry Fire, snap caps! ✔
Wait wait wait, so that jammin ass rugar better not be in rotation, what have you done with it
In my opinion there’s zero comparison. One will fire every time with everything you put through it to include lead round nose ammo, hollow points, wadcutters, etc. and the other might fire with just the right ammo…maybe! People can say what they want, but the good ole J-Frame is still a very relevant CCW option, even in todays world of “wonder 9’s”
That speed strip loader sure looked like it didn't save much time, lol
Usually carry the S&W .380 Bodyguard. Picked up the 442-1, love it. It’s Anti-Antifa
I love my J frames. I have 4. I’ve never thought they kicked that hard. I guess everything is relative though.
I also like the no lock versions too.
Yeah I finally picked up a 642 pro series (no lock) after saying for years I’d never carry a jframe revolver now it looks like I might do that. 🤷♂️👌
FTF is probably a magazine issue. Could be an extraction and magazine issue. Should have called ruger
I’d carry both. 👍🏻😏
I’m so glad I’m not the only that hates the Hilary hole.. man if they didn’t make the lock less version I’d stop buying smith & wessons
Same. I also have a Model 63 .22 that's a pre-lock version. If I were to get another S&W revolver I'd just get an older one in good condition.
I suggest trying the J-Clips from Zeta6. The J-Clips are a good alternative to the more expensive speed loaders.
I went with the 642-1, no lock as well. And I searched for a more satisfactory set of grips.
The Uncle Mike's are great if you can find them.
Just put boot grip on a 37. Its a beast to shoot now.i can hide it anywhere. I like the combat grip for shooting.
I found the Guardian Grips from Pachmayr to be very comfortable.
The best are the Hogue # 60020 that is made for the centennial 442. Perfect three finger grip.
I also have a set of Hogue batam grips which are great for deep concealment. Virtually zero printing.
even the ruger are most of the time reliable the small 380 or 22lr are just not 100% i would always want the revolver for such cases
This gun is in no way was the "hard to shoot" for me even with +p ammo thanks to the excellent stock grip. I out shot everyone in the CA CCW qualifications. I also own a Sig p365 and I can't even keep my hands on the tiny grip and require an extended mag. I am 6'4 with large hands, this gun is sick right out the box. Light, compact, very easy to conceal.
Remember, you can talk all day about stats, but if you buy a gun that too big, uncomfortable or too heavy to carry and your dont carry every single day, your voice doesnt matter. Buy a gun that you will carry every day without hesitation regardless of the caliber, brand, etc. Whatever fits you best. Hope that helps. All the best to the pro gun community. Stand strong for our rights to bear arms.
I'm sorry to hear about your problems with the LCP II. However, I've had mine for several years and have not had a single issue/malfunction with it after 700-800 rounds. My son has one as well and has had zero problems. Maybe your is just a rare exception.
Did you just say four-forty-ta-two and six-forty-ta-two with huncle Mike’s grips?
Ambas armas belíssimas....
I have this model myself. I carry it daily in my front pocket in a Sticky holster. I bought it after I traded in my utterly unreliable Glock 42. Apparently .380 is just a crap caliber
Your probably having issues with the ruger because its not “single action only” lol
Send it back to ruger...my experience is that they stand behind their products
Yeah, I sent it back to Ruger a few months ago and they replaced a few parts and now it functions flawlessly.
@@nickoetken1122 yes I've had good experience with them...I was hoping not to hear otherwise.
So now that the ruger is "flawless " which do you carry the most?
@@flaco5581 I alternate between multiple guns: Walther PPQ, Walther P99, Walther P99c, Walther PPS, Walther PPK/S, Smith & Wesson 442, and Ruger LCP II
@@nickoetken1122 I see thanks for the reply
Send the Ruger back to Ruger they will fix it for free and pay for shipping absolutely no cost to you.
Yep I did - they replaced the barrel, extractor, guide rod/spring, and the magazine release and the gun now functions flawlessly. I'm guessing the original parts in the gun were out of spec.
You should have got one with the lock, comes in handy
Some of us actually like to shoot and carry our guns.
Only rely on a reliable firearm, wheel guns.
I've been having one for 16 years. Still not a fun gun to shoot at all.
Or Moon clips. The 442 is cut for Moon clips but the 642 doesn't.
Con....seals very nicely
Jerk
Ah, what mean um “deep concealment “? How deep can you go really? Not so much…
Very deep 🌊