is that a grip safety on the back?

 

Yes. Just like the old lemon squeezers.

 

Just wondering what would be the advantage of buying it over the 442?
Wood grips and safety for an extra $200 plus?

 

No lock and a grip safety - perfect for Barami Hip Grip carry.

and it's a classic.

 

They're a pretty little gun, but a bit queer. I gotta think there was a reason they were gone from the catalog so long. I played with one at the gun store last month, and had trouble making the grip saftey engage. Strange as I carry and shoot a 640 a bunch. And I have a Commander and an Officer's with the factory grip safety. I have never needed one of those grip safeties with the tumor on them with my Colts.

I sense a bit of DejaVu again. It takes the perfect Centennial J frame, and cuts an opening in the sealed frame, plus adds extra parts it doesn't need to go bang. Or not go bang. Seems like Smith repeated history with the lock, and brought the 42 back to remind us.

 

More "No Locks" from S&W as I stated would be coming from them in another thread and was bashed by peeps that thought they knew more than me.........

Nice pistol!

 

More "No Locks" from S&W as I stated would be coming from them in another thread and was bashed by peeps that thought they knew more than me.........

I remember that other thread . I didn’t see anyone bashing you. What I did see, (then & now) was the absence of any verifiable documentation from you to support your claim that S&W has any future plans of dumping their horrendous internal locks.

Many other people, and myself, have been told by S&W employees that this new batch of no lock guns were a onetime run made from a batch of 4000 old-stock, PRE-LOCK, aluminum, Centennial, Airweight frames that were misplaced several years ago. S&W employees state that there will be no more production runs of the no-lock guns. All 4000 of them went out the door. There will be no more.

When pressed for facts all you could offer was that the people who work for S&W “have no clue about what S&W is doing or what they are going to do.”

So how is it that you claim to know more about that company and their future manufacturing plans than the people that work there? Do you have a crystal ball, or are you just clairvoyant? I would like to see some facts instead of unsubstantiated rumor.

 

I played with one of these at the gun shop too. I wouldn't use one for CC, like ICTsnub I couldn't always get the grip safety to release. It's not like a 1911 where a normal hold presses the lever down, you have to really squeeze and the shape of the grip doesn't make that a natural movement, at least not for my hands. It may work better for someone with shorter fingers. Other than that it's a very nicely finished little gun, it could well work as a CC piece if it fits your hands. Just be sure to hold one before putting down your money.

 

My favorite shop has one but it's the bright ss/nickle finish that makes it look like a pimp gun. I'd be tempted to buy one in the case hardened finish though, just as a collection piece.
Jack

 

You're referring to the Model 40-1 here, which is a steel frame revolver in blue, nickle or case hardened finishes. The re-issued Classic Model 42 has a black alloy frame and blued carbon steel barrel & cylinder.

 

Thanks for the explanation Cap, I must've missed this model release. I'm curious how well the finish would hold up to repeated use and/or carry. It looks to me like the typical thermal cured spray 'n bake coating. Looks great new but how long will it stay looking that way?

I guess for that much coin I'd just rather go with the aforementioned 40-1.
Jack

 

I must've missed this model release.

Well, so did I and just about everybody else in the shooting community. I don't know why S&W isn't marketing the M42 more aggressively. Nothing in the 2009 catalog, nothing at the SHOT Show, no press releases. This thing should sell like hotcakes, no internal lock, airweight, +P rated, what's not to like?

The grip safety, carried over from the originals, shouldn't be a deal breaker. Any gunsmith can disable it in 10 minutes or less.

 

Beautiful

Wow..a Model 40 ON A DIET!! Looks like Smith got the message about NO-Locks. 642,442 and now the 42 "Airweight lemon Squeezer".............NICE!!!:smile: Good Luck with it!!

 

I love the gun. I had planned on getting the 442 as a next gun, bit I will have to look at this one a little closer.

 

I wonder if adding a Tyler T-grip would change the ergonomics enough to make the grip safety disengagement more reliable. Seems like it'd fill the palm more and possibly solve the "problem."
Jack

 

I don't think the 42 is a standard production item, it's intended more for the collector market, which might explain why there's not a lot of advertising. My distributor lists them in the "Classic" section, which is a group of reissued models (at least an attempt at reissue -- like the 4" N-Frame in nickel). The 442 is regular production.
Having said all that, I'd just buy whatever one I liked.