mhl6493

My pictures never turn out that great. Just your basic 442, without an internal lock. That part was a nice added benefit. [URL=http://s1284.photobucket.com/user/mhlittleton/media/100_0714_zps93fa8434.jpg.html][/URL]

Couldn't resist - bought a 442 today.  It was different enough from my 640 that I could justify it in my own mind.  To my wife, may be a different story...  :D

  Definitely.  640s are pretty hard to find right now.  It's not going anywhere, no matter what I eventually decide about adding the 642.

  Well, I can shoot a few.  Wouldn't want to do it all day long...  :D

And as far as the recoil of a 642 is concerned, I've actually never shot one.  I've read a lot about it, but I have no personal experience.  Definitely not bad with the 640 - even manageable with .357 loads.

Thanks, Patton. I spend a lot of time sitting during the day as well, either at my desk or in my car. That's one of the reasons I went with ankle carry. I definitely like an all-steel revolver, and I love my 640. May just have to tough it out and get used to it, while I keep my eyes open for a fairly cheap alternative.

  The only downside of the 642 to me is the cost -- having to buy it when I already have a j-frame that I can make work with ankle carry.  Selling the 640 is certainly a possibility, and would take care of the cost factor -- but I'm kinda partial to Smith and Wesson revolvers myself  :D I really want to keep it -- even though it wouldn't have a specific carry purpose any longer if the 642 was on my ankle.  Lots of things to think about...

Not too long ago (thanks to Patton for pointing me in the right direction), I purchased a Smith and Wesson 640-3.  I'm very happy with it.  My primary means of carrying it is in a Galco Ankle Glove.  Long story short, ankle carry works well for me given my circumstances.  The only difficulty I'm experiencing so far is the weight of the 640.  It's all steel, and by the end of the day, it gets pretty heavy.  It's doable, but I know it's there.   I'm considering trying to find a good deal on a 642 no lock model - a little smaller, and a lot lighter.  However, there are so many other guns I'd like to get, and money doesn't grow on trees -- it's hard in some ways for me to justify buying another J-frame when I already have one that I like just fine and that I can make work in my given situation.   Have any of y'all been in my position (or a similar one) before?  Did you spring for the 642?  Did it make a big difference in your ankle carry comfort level?     I don't really want to get into the merits/demerits of ankle carry here.  I know that it has limitations -- believe me.  But as things stand right now, it works best for me (at least when I'm not carrying my LCP in a Bulldog PDA Holster or my pocket).   Thanks!

I've read of a lot of people who have had the same experience on their XDs post-recall.  Most of what I've read seems to indicate, though,  that with a lot of dry firing/actual firing, the trigger eventually gets better.  

Welcome from up the road a bit in Athens!

  That's some willpower right there, my friend!

Very nice! "Need" certainly doesn't come into play when it comes to another 686. :D I have a Ruger GP100 and a S&W 640, but no 686 yet. A 686 plus, however, is on my wish list to acquire one of these days. I've been trying to convince my wife that my gun purchases -- revolvers in particular -- are a wise investment strategy. She's not buying it...

  If you don't mind my asking, how do you carry your .45?  I'd love to be able to pocket carry it, but it looks like it's a bit too big for that.

Tonight after church, I was able to hold a couple of my friends' guns -- a Springfield XDs .45, and an XD 9mm.  First time ever holding any of the XD line.  Oh my, I absolutely loved how both of them felt in my hand - like they were made just for me.   Anybody have either of these pistols, or even an XDm?  Just wondering what y'alls experience with them has been, good and bad.  I think I might have to add them to my ever-growing wish list... :D

Yeah, I'm going to start seriously looking into buying bulk.  Seems like the way to go under the circumstances.  In the meantime, a friend of mine was in a lgs this morning, and they just happened to have 3 boxes, so he picked one up for me.  I could have gotten all 3, but I'd rather leave some for others to use.  So if y'all are anywhere near Fugate's in Calhoun and are looking for .380, Carmen should still have a couple of boxes left.  She'll open again on Thursday.

  Wow, the shipping would be more than the ammo!  I guess it's a good option, though, if I can't find anything locally.  

  Garufa, I'm new to shooting, and I'm wondering, what are the downsides of steel cased ammo?  Is there a reason that some people might not use it?  

  Yeah, I'm keeping the LCP.  If I traded it, I'm sure I'd eventually regret it.  I actually already have a S&W 640, and I love it.  It's just a little too heavy for pocket carry (I'm still trying to carry it as BUG on my ankle -- getting more used to it).  So I'll probably save up for the 642.

  Thanks, I'll check there tomorrow.  

Thanks, hipower.  Good advice from you, as always.  That's why I've come to appreciate this forum so much in the short time I've been here.  Y'all are a great source of info for a newbie, and a great "sounding board" to bounce ideas off of.  I really do appreciate it.

  It would be a lgs deal.  And you're right, I'd probably take a beating on the LCP.  It only has 56 rounds through it, but they couldn't re-sell it for what they sold it to me.  So I'd probably get somewhere in the neighborhood of $100 less that I paid for it, potentially.  Quick and easy way to get it done, but not the most cost-effective.  Maybe I should just hold on to it and save up for the 642.

Thanks for the additional suggestions.  I'll check them out.  I'm actually considering the the moment (subject to quick change  :D) trading the LCP in an a Smith and Wesson 642.  I like revolvers, and even though the Bulldog PDA thing wouldn't work, I think pocket carrying the Airweight might be possible.     So what do y'all think?  A good trade, or one I'd regret later?

  I haven't, Leroy.  Didn't know about them.  Thanks - I'll check.

Thanks hipower and joe45.  I'll check with freedom ammunition, and I'll also check out a Shield.  I've heard good things about it, just figured I couldn't carry it like I do the LCP (in a Bulldog PDA case most of the time).  I looked at Gander Mountain in Knoxville last Friday - they had some defense .380, but no target.  My lgs hasn't had any for a while -- since they sold me the LCP.  I think I bought their last box.

I bought an LCP a few months ago, and am pleased with the pistol overall.  Nothing beats it for versatility when it comes to concealability.  My biggest disappointment is with ammo.  When I bought the gun, I also bought a box of cheap Blazer target ammo.  I immediately plowed through all 50 rounds.  The problem is, I can't find any more.  Granted, I have bought some Hornady Critical Defense for carry purposes, but I can't practice with that -- too expensive.  So the bottom line is, I have a carry gun that I can't practice with.  That is extremely frustrating, and I wish I had known that before I bought it.  Might have gone the 9mm route.   My question is, does anybody know where to find target .380?  Should I hold on to the pistol and wait this thing out, or should I be looking for something I can actually practice with?  Unfortunately, none of the 9mm options were as small as the LCP.  Thanks for your input!