38spl & 38spl-p

[s rosenthal]

New to guns. Purchasing a S&W 642 38spl for home protection for wife and I. Can someone give me a lesson in difference between 38spl and 38spl-p and difference in types of cartridges (power vs "kick" vs ability of wife to shoot vs stopping an intruder at max 20ft)

[nathangdad]

The +P loadings are more powerful than the .38 special and should
not be used in a gun specifically chambered for the .38 special.
They are perfectly safe to use in a gun chambered for the .357 mag.

[Triggerjerk]

I looked on the Smith web site and the 642 is rated for +p ammo. s rosenthal, the .38 + p is more powerful than the .38 Special, but less powerful than a 9 mm or a .357 magnum. They go up the scale in that order.

I carry a Model 442, which is not +p rated, so I shoot .38 Specials in mine. The weakest load in .38 is the wadcutter, which is a target load. Then there are the standard .38 loads, then the +p's. Buy some of each and see how you both do. Of course, the +p's will hit hardest and have more stopping power.

I confess that I carry the wadcutters in my 442. The gun, like yours, is an airweight, so the lower recoil is fine by me. I am also a bit concerned about overpenetration. Fully jacketed bullets from a .38 can easily shoot through walls and people. So do not carry full metal jacket (or Ball as it is called) ammo.

My 442 is basically the same as your 642, and I love mine. If you find the recoil from +p objectionable, use regular .38's. If that is too stiff, use the wadcutter ammo. Do not carry reloaded ammo in the gun. The target stuff is underpowered, and the other reloads can cause you trouble in court if there is a shooting. Carry factory ammo.

By the way...if you Google Handgun Stopping Power there is a lot of information out there to study. You may also want to browse the magazine stands for gun magazines that have articles you may enjoy.

[Taurus Fan]

Putting some +P through your airweight isn't goint to hurt it. They're not anywhere near as delicate as some claim.

[Triggerjerk]

Well, I know that. Maasad Ayoob torture tested an Airweight with +p's years ago. It failed after a lot of shooting. Basically, the gun just loosened up to the point where it was no longer functional. There was no catastrophic failure.

I am older now, and I confess that I do not like recoil. So +p's are fine in a heavy barrel Model 10 (this is for me, now) but I carry lower recoil ammo in an Airweight.

I just have a suspicion that all of those snubbies that I see used in my dealer's case were bought by folks that had not shot handguns before and they were surprised by the recoil and blast. They got scared and sold the gun back to the dealer. The 642 is an airweight, and I think that s rosenthal should know that there are other options in ammo.

By the way...I shot "low recoil" Hydra-Shoks and they are NOT low recoil by any stretch of the imagination. They have ballistics that match +p ammo. I fired them in a Model 37 Airweight and thought that I had blown my hand off!

[s rosenthal]

Thank you for ammo answers. If I only want to put one type of cartridge in gun for that hopefully "once in a lifetime" in-home real threat, what specific grain/type/mfg cartridge w/low recoil should I have available in the S&W 642 airweight?

[Taurus Fan]

Originally Posted by s rosenthal

Thank you for ammo answers. If I only want to put one type of cartridge in gun for that hopefully "once in a lifetime" in-home real threat, what specific grain/type/mfg cartridge w/low recoil should I have available in the S&W 642 airweight?

Now you've done it. Wait for the flood of opinions, each more impassioned and authoritative than the last.

I'd say you can't go wrong with the Federal 125 grain JHP in +p, others may be as good, but nothings better. Stay away from bullets lighter than that. CCI/Speer Red Dot hollowpoints are supposed to be great too. In reality there's precious little difference in stopping power between the good .38+P loads out there, just pick whatever company has a hollow point with a name that turns you on the most, all kinds of "magic" super-dooper hollow points out there that each company says is the best.

[Triggerjerk]

You may be on the wrong track, here. The 642 is a gun that is designed to be carried comfortably all day. If you are not going to carry this gun, I would recommend a larger frame revolver. They are easier to shoot accurately, and can absorb recoil much better than an Airweight snubby.

I carry an Airweight snubby. But for home defense I reach for a larger, steel frame revolver. If you go to Home Page - Smith & Wesson they have a Handgun Selection Guide on the left hand side. Go on that and then go to Personal Protection. Look under Home/Business Defense. The guns there are all heftier than the 642.

I do not want to rain on your parade, but snubbies are really not all that easy to hit with. They have a short barrel and the distance between the front and rear sights is limited, so they are harder to aim. Also, the 642 does not have a hammer that you can cock. You have to run the trigger through a complete double action stroke, and the trigger springs on these are a bit stiff. A medium frame revolver will be easier to hit with, especially if you are not a dedicated shooter who practices a lot.

I encourage you to pursue this quest. I would like everybody to have a gun in the home. But an Airweight is a compromise of size and weight vs. ease of shooting and felt recoil. You should consider a larger gun.

[big boomer]

I go with the 125 gr. or other choices like the specialty 38 ammo, like glasser or mag safe they are designed to break up when hitting something so as not to over penetrate. There are many styles, go to your nearest gun shop and ask what they have.

[rfc357]

Any of the .38 JHP factory rounds will perform (or not perform) about the same. Don't count on expansion, it just may not happen. If you are not going to tote the gun around, Triggerjerk is correct, get a bigger gun. Bigger guns are easier to shoot. While you are at it, get a bigger caliber. Even the .44 Special and the .45 ACP from a revolver will be more effective than the .38. In a gun with some weight, they even kick less.

I am a pistol and personal protection instructor, and I instruct a lot of non-shooters. There is a psychological block against large revolvers. Women want something small and light. It takes a considerable amount of shooting to convince someone that gun weight is your friend, unless you have to carry it around in your pocket all day. It's a little unnatural to carry two pounds of anything at the end of your arms, but it can be learned.

[TXplt]

New Smith 642's/442's are +P rated and fine with +P ammo (I'd stay away from so-called +p+ though in them). For defensive rounds, I'd recommend the Cor-Bon DPX (or Glazer Silver if you're worried about overpenetration) and the buffalo-Bore 158 Gr Lead SWC Hollow point.:

Product Line Listing

They also have a standard pressure short barrel load as well--you could shoot both and see which is best controllable for you. I alternate the DPX and Buffalo bore in my Smith new model 40.

As far as the snubby/non snubby thing, you need a gun that you'll carry. Snubbies are "expert" guns -- they take practice to score acceptable hits at longer ranges--this isn't due to inaccuracy but to a short sight radius and rudimentary sights. If it comes down to the snubby on your person vice the large frame revolver in the car, you want the snubby on your person (first rule of gunfighting: have a gun).