Smith & Wesson 642

So, I bought a new revolver today. It's a Smith & Wesson model 642 airweight revolver in 38 special. I bought it to be a reliable every-day conceal carry gun. I currently have a Taurus PT-22 that I carry when I need something small, and this revolver will take its place. I would have traded the PT-22 in at the gun shop, but the trade in price wasn't worth it, so I'll hold onto it a bit longer. I'll probably try to see what I can get for it at the next gun show.

So, the S&W revolver is only 15 ounces unloaded. It has an alluminum alloy frame, with a stainless steel barrel and cylender. It can shoot both 38 special and the 38 special +P rounds. +P ammo means that it uses a special "overpressure" type of gunpowder that gives the bullets more velocity, and thus more power. Remember kids: F=MA. If you want more stopping power, you've gotta add either more mass or more acceleration.

Anyways, here is what it looks like:



The silver bullet on the left is a Federal Hydra-Shok 38 special +P, it's what I'll be carrying in the gun when I take it with me. The bullet on the right is a standard 38 special full metal jacket round that I'll use for practice.

Here is another shot of the gun:



As you can see, it is a "hammerless" revolver, in that the hammer that strikes the cartridge is totally concealed; it's internal, so that it can't snag on any fabric when you pull it out of your pocket. Which is where I'll be keeping it most of the time, although it fits well both inside my pants along the belt line or in the small of my back. Again, I can carry this concealed legally in Virginia because I have a Concealed Carry Permit. Conceal carry permits are great in that they allow honest citizens to conceal a weapon on them for protection against whatever may come. Some people keep fire extinguishers in their cars or homes, I keep guns.

Moving right along, here is what the revolver looks with the cylender extended for loading:



Again notice that it only holds 5 rounds. 5 shots is enough for personal protection in most situations, although if I know that I'll be going into a really bad neighborhood, I'll take the Taurus PT-111 with me instead, because it can hold 13 rounds of 9mm in the magazine & chamber.

This last pic is a comparison of 38 special bullets to 9mm bullets just so that you can see that the bullet width is about the same, but the 38 special cartridge holds more gunpowder, so it has more power overall.