Help with revolver carry

Revolver? Smith & Wesson? Oooh, two of my favorites...

1) Practice point shooting at 5 - 7 yards.

2) Get a set of grips that works best for you. Any will do with practice, but you may find that some allow you to "point" more naturally. I have found that there is more variety to grips with revolvers than with semi's.
2A) Your 640, if new, will come with the nice tactical rubber grip that covers the backstrap and extends beyond the frame to give your pinky real estate. Because you are not going to pocket carry, you may just want to go with that. It's a good stock grip.
2B) I have found I "point" better with boot grips - the backstrap is exposed and the grip comes down only to the bottom of the frame. Boot grips are slightly better for cc, but not really a big difference if you have a good OWB or IWB holster.
2C) You may want to go with wood grips becasue they tend to not grab you clothing as much.

3) Learn the trigger pull. I know you said this was obvious, but I'm a lousy listener. The j-frames have stout triggers due to their size and springs. I think they come with an 18 pound rebound spring (the spring that resets the trigger) and a 8.5 pound mainspring. Dry fire it a lot to smooth out the burrs. If, after about 500 rounds and 1000 dry fires, you want a smoother pull, you can install wolf springs. If you do that, get an arkansas stone and polish the internals. It's surprisingly easy - just stay away from the sear. Most of my smiths have smooth triggers but one of my 640's was rough due to the front of the trigger that engages the cylinder stop having a burr. I stoned it away and it smoothed out a lot. EDIT - TEST the gun if you replace the main spring - put the mainspring back in if you are wary of ignition

4) Buy The S&W Revolver A Shop Manual: by Jerry Kuhnhausen - A great book that will help you understand the in's and out's of your revolver.

5) Start using antiquated terms and phrases, like "fella," "dame," and "That's the Bee's Knees."

bgusty said:

Don't worry Rollo, I plan to stick with a steel revolver. I have no interest in shooting an airweight.
PEF- Thanks for the suggestion on the book, Ill be sure to look into it.
As for the trigger pull, I am planning on having a smith either swap out the springs, or just file them down a bit to have a lighter, smoother trigger. As it is now it is a 12 lb trigger pull, after several hundred dry fires. I was thinking I might have it reduced to around 7-8 lbs. Any suggestions as if that is a reasonable trigger pull, or reasons to not have the trigger worked on by a smith?

Click to expand...

You can certainly have a gunsmith do a trigger job, but I don't know if you will get it down to 7 - 8 pounds. Even with the wolf kit and stoning, mine are 9+. That's just the moments and forces at work given the geometry of the small innards of a j-frame.

I recommend you buy a wolf kit for the install and leave the factory originals alone and not trim them. If you decided you do not like revolvers, you can always put the originals back in so the new buyer won't have any "spring" concerns. The wolf kits are only 9 bucks or so.

Test out the trigger first. Most of my j-frames have been smooth to start - only one had a rough trigger that some stoning took care of (learn the difference between polishing and filing, too, if you don't already know).

If you are adventurous, and marginally mechanically inclined, you can do it yourself. Stripping a SW j frame down to the bones is surprising easy - and this tool makes it much easier: Gunsmither Smithmaster Rebound Tool S&W Revolvers

You can google the website and find a video that shows you how to remove the rebound slide. Google: yoda g airweight trigger job and you'll find a video that decribes the basics. Will you get a target trigger as tuned by a professional? No. But if you have a rough trigger you can smooth it out a great deal. If you do reduce the main spring, test the gun thoroughly for ignition. I've yet to have ignition problems with the 8 pound mainspring, but some say it is a possibility.

By the way, the springs will only lighten the trigger - if the trigger is rough, and dry firing doesn't fix it, then some stoning is required.

But shoot the heck out of it first and you may be satisfied with it as is. I'm a middle aged lawyer and I have whimpy hands now, so I decided to go with a reduced power spring set. There are HE-MEN on this forum that can probably claim a P-64 Makarov has a soft trigger, but I'm not that guy....

I often carry a S&W 442 IWB or in a pocket holster while wearing t-shirt and shorts in the beach or for a quick errand around town. Here's my advice:

1) Concealed Carry. The gun is very easy to conceal under a t-shirt, but make sure to get a good IWB/OWB holster that distributes the weight of the gun around your belt. The perfect attire I recommend is shorts, a tucked in t-shirt or tank top and an unbuttoned and untucked shirt (Hawaiian, Habanera or Tommy Bahama for summer wear). This will allow you to have a thin layer of protection between the gun and your skin/sweat and the unbuttoned shirt will help you conceal the firearm better (especially with OWB). Plus you will look great! :wink:

2) Speed loaders. I initially bought the HKS speedloaders and they are surely the fastest, but they are also very uncomfortable to carry due to their round shape. I find that speed strips are a bit slower for reloading, but it is definitely much easier to carry 1 - 2 reloads in your pants' or shirt's pocket as they are flat. I recommend the Bianchi speed strips.

3) Practice. The recoil on a snub nose revolver is considerable in comparison to a 1911, so make sure you get lots of practice. This is more of a short distance defensive weapon, but you can get very accurate at larger distances with practice or with the aid of a crimson trace laser grip.

4) Grips. Mine came with a rubber Hogue grip and I immediately replaced it with a set of Cocobolo grips by Esmeralda, since the Hogue grip stuck to my clothes' when drawing from the pocket. I find that the best grips are made by Altamont and Esmeralda.

Finally, I just wanted to command you on your excellent choice for a summer carry! You will start loving your snub nose revolver more every day and more often than not, you will find yourself carrying it as your primary weapon due to how easily it conceals. Plus, it is fun as hell to shoot!