My "new" revolver.......
 

This older S&W 442 is a no lock version and I can't find much out there on the web about it. Anything searched under "442" gets the newer black airweights. I figured it was a somewhat rare gun, so I bought it from a local guy I know that has had it for years. This is a no lock version.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...s/DSCN3139.jpg
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...s/DSCN3140.jpg

Re: My "new" revolver.......
 

I've seen a couple of dealers on GunsAmerica describe this revolver. The descriptions I saw went to great lengths to point out that this was a pre-lock version. You might want to try a search there.

Re: My "new" revolver.......
 

I guess they are scarce, but the blued version is more rare.
It's a keeper!

Why anyone would want the lock version, I have no idea?

But if you do have a lock, here's what to do.

Re: My "new" revolver.......
 

How much does it weigh?

Looks good. I have the Black one that works for front pocket very well.

E-A

Re: My "new" revolver.......
 

MC,

The REASON it's rare is because it's .38 special DAO. Probably mid seventies to early eighties manufacture.

Because the .357 mag has long since replaced the .38 spl as the cartridge of choice, most folks don't purchase just a .38 spl.

If you can hang on to it, it will be a very special piece, especially twenty years from now.

Re: My "new" revolver.......
 

I'm attaching a couple pics of my S&W442, exactly the same model as yours. Your pistol's s/n looks like it starts with BPD, while mine starts with BSY. I bought mine brand new in 1995.

I believe that Ruprick also has one of these same revolvers.

Note that this generation of the 442 should NOT be fired on a regular basis with +P ammo. It is only rated for .38 Special (as per barrel markings & the owner's manual). That being said, I keep mine loaded with +P ammo. If the frame gets munged after the weapon is used for a "social occasion", such is life - it will be worth it.

My revolver weighs 397g, unloaded, with Barami Hip Grips attached.

Re: My "new" revolver.......
 

You are absolutely right; .357 vs .38 rarity in the future. I never gave that a thought but .38s can be cheap and may be good to hold.

E-A

Re: My "new" revolver.......
 

I don't think the .38 Special cartridge is going away, I still see it stocked in equal amounts to .357 Mag (that is, when anything is stocked!). When there were good deals on ammo to be had, you could buy .38 Special fairly cheap and I'm glad I did, in WWB and Magtech. I hold about the same amount of .38 Spcl as .357 Mag. To me, its real value will come when I buy the Marlin 1894C in .38 Spcl/.357 Mag. I believe you can load 11 cartridges of .38 in the tube magazine and get improved performance of the cartridge out of a rifle vs a revolver.

Re: My "new" revolver.......
 

The weight on it is 15.2 ounces empty. Does that make it an airweight? It doesn't actually say airweight on it like the one posted above though. I know it isn't rated for +p loads, but if I actually carry it, it will have +P loads in it, I can deal with any problems afterwards if I actually need to fire them. When I practice I won't put them through it though. I already have a 642 and 637 for shooting +P loads.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...s/DSCN3145.jpg

On another note, what can I use to polish it up a little? The cylinder is a little discolored and I'd love to bring out a good looking finish on it.

Re: My "new" revolver.......
 

I think you should put some nice grips on the pretty piece.
I never cared for the ugly rubber grips. Maybe some nice stag grips.
I've carved a nice set out of curly maple for my old J-frame.
I made them thicker to give me a better grip. They came out very nice.
I'll take a picture when i get around to it.
http://www.collinscraftgrips.com/smi...ps+%28S%26W%29

Re: My "new" revolver.......
 

That is an older M442 with the nickel finish on the barrel and cylinder and a clear anodized finish on the frame. Those were discontinued sometime in the 1990's after S&W's "Gun of the Week" fad. Not really rare,but not popular as many people did not want the increased wear and corrosion resistance of nickel at the cost of the silver finish. The stocks are not original as the original grips would be the smooth "banana" type grips with S&W medallions inset into each grip.

For a shooter, it is a good choice. I would limit the amount of +P ammo as the frame can and do stretch. The first sign of trouble is intermittent ignition issues as the firing pin ends up being too short to reliably fire the round.

Re: My "new" revolver.......
 

This is my S&W Mod. 442. I can't remember.....I think those were the factory grips.....but it may have come with wood grips and I may have replaced them with these grips which may be Hogues.

I bought mine new in the early 1990's perhaps about 1995. Notice no "Airweight" text on the gun.

They did not make many in matte nickel finish.

For reference, my SN is BPM06??

I'm loaded with +P....and have a speed loader with 5 more to slip in my pocket if I think something might be going down. This is our primary house gun.

These little snubbies are made for 38 Spl.....357 is way too much - and you gain very little due to just 2 in bbl - and the 357 has a very price for marginal power increase: crazy flash (bad for night vision) and crazy loud (will take away your most important night fighting tool - hearing). If I had one of these guns in 357.....I'd still carry 38 Spl loads for the stated reasons.

I can think of no better snubby pocket gun or primary home gun for a woman that may not know much about guns. Hard to take away due to short bbl....no hammer to accidentaly get cocked = DAO is a very long, hard pull - no accidents. Easy to load and unload for a gal......not saying it is a girly gun....just simple for folks that know very little about guns. When I'm away - I know the wife has the last resort solution and can easily use it without any training.

In the winter, when i have a coat with big pockets....I'll take it with us.....or if we go on vacation.....but I 100% carry a Kel Tec 380 ACP.

Also - a home gun should easily fit into a pocket....you may be outside checking something out.....a pocket gun is good....nobody knows you have a gun in your shorts/pants/night coat/etc.....this is important when I walk out and perhaps a cop or perp comes up......and it does not freak out your neighbor.....you are packing and you are the only one that knows for sure.

Great choice.

Re: My "new" revolver.......
 

The grips on ruprick's M442 are Uncle Mike's. The BPM06 serial number prefix suggests production in late 1994 or early 1995. On that gun, Uncle Mike's boot grips would be factory issue. The nickel finish was discontinued in 1997. The BPD serial number prefix should be from the early 1992 or 1993, when S&W was in the midst of switching from wood grips to the Uncle Mike's grips. That being the case, my comments about the original poster's stocks may be incorrect. I apologize for any confusion.

Re: My "new" revolver.......
 

Here I was, reading the posts on this thread and nodding my head. THEN... I read your post and the first thing to come into my mind was:

"Great minds thing alike!"

:565: :ok:

P.S. I think the Hornady XTP/JHP in 158 grain will hold their value even better than "plain vanilla" .38 ammo... and though a bit more robust on recoil, much more effective! And, undoubtedly, out of a Marlin 1894C or cowboy... definitely a winner. JMHO. :)

Re: My "new" revolver.......
 

Here's a set of grips I made for my model 60 years ago.
I tried the Uncle Mikes and didn't like them, so I custom made/matched these thicker then the standard grips. They work very well and I like the look. (40 yr. old curly maple)

http://i721.photobucket.com/albums/w...E/IMG_0922.jpg
http://i721.photobucket.com/albums/w...E/IMG_0923.jpg
http://i721.photobucket.com/albums/w...E/IMG_0926.jpg

Re: My "new" revolver.......
 

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Not only was that video informative, it was one of the best made and easiest to follow of the gun videos around.

Last night I stumbled upon a great video on disassembling/reassembling the Ruger 10/22 trigger assembly... and it froze and vanished when I put it on "pause" to go get a drink... before I could save it... sigh! You wouldn't happen to know of a good one around on that subject, would you? *hint* (BTW, the video in question was over 30 minutes long... which is why I decided to go get a drink before sitting down to watch and listen to the entire thing... the pictures were clear, the voice was clear... and I BLEW IT!)

Since I'm considering picking up an airweight or a 686 (or both) down the road... this video will come in mighty handy for me.

Once again: THANKS!!!! :36_3_12:

Re: My "new" revolver.......
 

Stunning grips, and a talented job on them!!!

Re: My "new" revolver.......
 

Unc, the thing I love about GIM, is the prevalence of good common sense (excepting the odd screwball post, of course!). I will look into the Hornady XTP 158 gr, thanx! :coolbeer:

Re: My "new" revolver.......
 

Thanks, the horizontal lines you see in the wood are like sun rays or looking at a cats eye. They change as you tilt the gun.
It's hard to get old maple like that today.

Re: My "new" revolver.......
 

If I were lucky enough to have something like an old model 15-3 S&W with a 4-inch barrel, I'd probably want to have 4 speedloaders for it... oh well, wishful thinking! And, besides, that kind of gun wouldn't lend itself to concealed carry!

When I get my Ruger Charger squared away, these are what I have on my wish list (unless the powers-that-be cut me off at the knees... or elsewhere):

A Marlin 1894C or 1894 Cowboy in 38/357, an S&W 686 (7-shot model); and as icing on the cake... an Airweight!

Hey! We can dream, can't we? :wink:

P.S. I'd probably stick with 158 grain .38 hollowpoints on all those guns... minimal to nonexistent wear-and-tear... and "effective" enough IMHO. After all, the 38's and 357's were designed around a 158 grain bullet... that's their sweet spot.

Re: My "new" revolver.......
 

Maybe this will help.
http://www.alpharubicon.com/leo/triggerruger1022.htm
http://www.heypete.com/pete/shooting/rugermag.html
I've worked my 10/22 over pretty nice, polished all important surfaces, upgraded all the springs, claw type extractor, trued the sear, bolt release, extended mag release, recoil buffer, williams peep sights. Bought a bunch of the Ruger clear rotory 10rd mags.
Big improvment!

Re: My "new" revolver.......
 

Much thanks, EE!

The first post was bit too basic for my purposes, but I'm sure other 10/22 owners will benefit from it.

I really appreciated the magazine "maintenance" post... that was on my list of things to research... you just saved me the trouble! :553:

If I find that spiffy 30-min video I referred to again, I'll be sure to post it here. It was so well and clearly recorded, that it was just like being in the room with the guy... and he was an excellent teacher/explainer... let's keep our fingers crossed I find it again.

BTW, mine is a Charger, not the 10/22. I've been slowly polishing it up, and getting it set up to be a "keeper" But that's "another" and a "long" story...! (I started a thread about my Charger... lots of folks seem to read it, but minimal contributions... huh???)

The clear mags are a temptation for me. And here's the reason why....

There's someone selling these do-dads that enable you to join 3 mags together (he also sells them on Ebay), and from what digging around I've done, they sound like a good "solution" as opposed to those doublers and quad combiners. And they look cool on the gun!!! The clear mags would be a perfect compliment to that configuration.

As I implied, I tempted and thinking about getting the adapter(s) and clear mags to use with it!

http://s184.photobucket.com/albums/x...w&t=1239663869

Here's his Ebay listing:

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-TriMag-Ruger...3A1%7C294%3A50

Lemme know what YOU think!

Laters! :coolbeer:

P.S. Yea, "massaged" the bolt release, doing the bolt stop/buffer... gonna polish internals... then.... MORE!!!!

Re: My "new" revolver.......
 

I agree, the integral lock is a corruption of an otherwise beautiful piece of machinery....As an alternative to the procedure in the video EE posted, you can also disable the integral lock by just sanding or grinding down the locking lug, which sits atop the locking flag....see below...not sure what the advantage to this method is, other than that it might be easier for someone like me that lacks the technical finesse to properly disassemble and re-assemble all the pieces involved..

EDIT: I just watched that video again and removing the integral lock is not realy the hardest part, so I would recommend just removing the entire locking mechanism rather than trying mess with grinding down the locking lug, might as well do it right.

http://www.snubnose.info/docs/model60-15.htm#lock

Re: My "new" revolver.......
 

I only see ONE problem, and I could be wrong or off-base...

So, you "shave" off the locking lug... fine... no external "control." What happens if internally (through force of recoil or whatever) the lock engages? Then you're up the creek...etc....

I think implementing the instructions in EE's video are the way to go. If you think it's over your pay grade, DON'T ROCK THE BOAT... and deal with the situation... which is OK if you wanna live with it.

Re: My "new" revolver.......
 

Sweet wheel gun you have there.

Re: My "new" revolver.......
 

Sweet gun, I have the PD340, the blued airweight everyone is talking about.

I. Want. Your. Recoil! The recoil on the airweight is rough.

EE, thank you for posting the best S&W takedown I've seen to date.