If used as a pocket gun, I appreciate the difference in weight. However, once it's in a good holster, on a good belt, the weight just doesn't make any difference to me.

When it comes to concealment, I'm generally more affected by dimensions than weight.

 

For pocket carry, at least for me anyway, there is a noticable difference in the two. I do prefer steel over aluminum. But for the pocket, I really prefer the lighter gun.

 

I agree with Glockman10mm on this. In a belt holster, I will go with my 640 every time, but for a pocket holster the 642 gets the nod.

 

I prefer the weight and heft of a steel frame revolver especially combined with a good belt and holster. The only problem I see is that you are wearing Levi's and you love you gun rights because Levi Strauss and Dockers want to take them away. Remember when you bought a pair of Levis and they were heavy??? Now they take the extra money and instead of putting it their product they use it to take your guns!!! Levi Strauss Supporting Gun Prohibitionists

 

The only problem I see is that you are wearing Levi's and you love you gun rights because Levi Strauss and Dockers want to take them away. Remember when you bought a pair of Levis and they were heavy??? Now they take the extra money and instead of putting it their product they use it to take your guns!!! Levi Strauss Supporting Gun Prohibitionists

Thanks for posting this. There are certainly other makers of jeans and docker style pants & shirts. I will use them.

 

I prefer the alloy snubbies for carry, but not owning one currently, I make due with an old Dick Special or a Model 60. :wink:

 

I'm a one of each guy. The 640 usually gets carried in a Burns-Martin repro on my belt and the 642 goes in the pocket. I really can tell the difference in weight. They both wear smooth, slightly oversized grips and I don't use a pocket holster. As far as the pants thing goes, I believe after a certain age men shouldn't be allowed to wear jeans. They're for youngsters and cowboys and chicks. I love big khakis (not dockers) as they are the most well thought out multi-functional j-frame holster ever invented. The Carrharts are nice in the Fall but not in Summer (AZ or Iraq). If I carry IWB I just use the Barami hip grip along with a Tyler T-Grip and I am one old school hipster..............

 

Carhartt jeans have similar fit to Levis, but I do admit that they aren't the same. The sad thing is that nothing feels better, with that said I refuse to give them any more of my hard earned money, so I will pick out a pair at the thrift store, but I wont give money to them. I hope I am still young enough to wear jeans forever and I still wear converse all-stars as well. I hate that we have hi-jacked this thread, so I will say that I love my steel framed Taurus 605 tucked away neatly in a Thunderwear knock off holster in my jeans and I don't notice the extra weight:wink:

 

Carry a Star Firestar. Every other gun you'll ever see will seem light compared to it! I personally prefer the all steel Walther PPK/S, Ruger SP101, Taurus 908, and the Firestar for my regular carry. The aluminum guns just seem flimsy to me. One advantage to carrying the Firestar, if you run out of bullets you can drop the gun on the bad guy's foot -- that would incapacitate him for life!!

 

I agree with many of the other posters that for pocket carry an aluminum Smith shines over steel framed revos, not so much on the belt or with recoil in +P loads.

I laughed when I saw you mention 550's, I was an athlete growing up (Lacrosse, Football, Track, Basketball), and my legs were more muscular than average to the point I couldn't comfortably wear Levi's 501's. I didn't own a pair of jeans until the 550's came out sometime in the late 80's early 90's when I was in High School. The were loose enough that I could move in them.

Try Lucky Brand or Big Star Jeans, They have several different fits. I don't like baggy, but the loose fit sits perfect on my frame. I am not sure what their politics are though.

 

I have an exceptionally nice pair of J-frames; a 649 and a 640. At the time I acquired them, my employing agency prohibited Airweights and mandated approved snubs be loaded with +P's, before S&W formally endorsed the use of them in their J-frames. I'm retired now, and use Federal Nyclads in my snubs, so maybe I ought to try out an airweight. I just might like them after all for pocket holster carry.
:eureka:

 

I have an Airweight 638 that loves to ride in my front pocket. I put Crimson Trace 405 grips on it which reduces felt recoil, and the gun is a pleasure to shoot. I am still working on mastering the double action trigger pull, but I am much more accurate with that than with my Keltec 380.