My Week – So…how did it go?
The week started with a qualification. I took the 442 for a shooting session to work it out. I started with 158 gr .38 Sp. lead round nose loads. The impact was lower than my aiming point by about 4 inches at about 5 yards. I moved on to my carry load, Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel Personal Protection .38 Sp. +P 135 gr. Gold Dot Hollow Point, and the point of aim and point of impact matched up much better.
These sights on the 442 are not like semi-auto sights. The front sight is a serrated blade that’s integral with the barrel, while the rear sight is a trough built into the top strap. The sights are not high visibility as both are the same blued / black finish of the metal of the gun. But for a firearm that is really an up close and “get off me” weapon they can work. Prior to carrying the gun, I painted the front sight with white, then bright red to make it more visible. This made a vast improvement and really helped in catching the sight on the draw.
The lightweight revolver hid easily in the Harry’s Holsters Icon 2 IWB holster. I carried it appendix and could almost forget it was on. I thought the added width of the revolver cylinder would make it more noticeable, but I was wrong. It concealed better than my P365 due to its shape. The rounded silhouette of the J Frame makes for a naturally concealable gun. I tried a DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster in cargo pockets, but found the AIWB carry much more comfortable. For over a week, that revolver went everywhere with me. It was comfortable and stayed well hidden.
One note on carrying the 442 with the stock grips. I found the draw from the holster did have to be a more deliberate motion to get a proper shooting grip from the holster. This model comes with the diminutive rubber Smith and Wesson grips that are for concealment first, and comfort second. A larger set of grips, such as the Pachmayr Diamond Pro Series would help and I eventually added them. They were able to conceal just as well as the others but gave me a much better draw and shooting grip.
A revolver does cause you to be very conscious of the fact you only have five shots at your disposal before you need to reload. It caused me to be much more defensive in how I looked at things. But that is what my role is as a CCW holder…my gun is for my defense. While the gun is mechanically accurate to make longer shots, the sights (and my aging eyes) would make me really think hard about shooing out beyond 15 yards.
Am I under-gunned with the 442. No, in most situations. It’s lighter and easier to conceal, which is your greatest advantage with this gun. No one should know you have it, so if, God forbid, you do need it, surprise will be on your side. Another thing I found was the ammo I chose was made for the short barrel of the J Frame which should give me a better chance at a round that will do what it’s designed to do and stop the threat. It’s been noted that many 9mm defensive loads don’t perform optimally from a short barrel pistol like the S&W Shield or Sig P365, needing a barrel of at least four inches to get the intended results.
The Down Side…
OK, one of the best sides to this revolver is it is so light. That does, however, cut both ways…especially with recoil. The recoil was punishing for my somewhat arthritic hands, and a day or two after shooting the 442 my hand ached considerably. It took about 2 weeks to get back to normal. It has often been said these guns are to be carried often, but shot infrequently. The 158 grain loads I was using were stout for me. I did find the Gold Dots to be less harsh with recoil, even though they were +P loads.
There is still the nagging issue with capacity. On my first night carrying the 442, I was at home with a circling police helicopter who was warning us of an armed suspect in the area with the usual admonition to stay inside, lock our doors, etc… I will say this was when I felt one of the bigger shortcomings of the J – frame. I want more than a 5-shot gun when I have a recognized threat on the horizon. Luckily for me, my at home gun is a bit…well more capable for these types of situations. As we evaluate our personal carry and the threats we face, and my biggest or most likely threat is something like an active shooter, I would choose a small auto like a P365 at a minimum. That’s assuming I cannot avoid that area in the first place.
There is also the matter of the gripping of a revolver. Many shooters (myself included, shoot with a “thumbs forward” grip. This is a problem for revolvers. The space between your cylinder and the forcing cone of the barrel can be a source of muzzle flash, or even bullet fragments that get shaven off in the transition from cylinder to the barrel. A thumbs-forward grip will put your forward thumb right under or to the side of this gap, potentially exposing you to at least a mild flash burn but possibly far worse depending on the caliber. I adapted by moving my thumbs back a bit, about 1 inch behind the front of the cylinder.
But as far as downsides, these are mitigatable. I plan to reload wadcutter ammunition for practice and use the Gold Dots for carry. The 158 Gr. rounds can be used with bigger and heavier guns.
Where to go from here…
So, is the 442 J-Frame my main carry gun? Should it be? If I’m going somewhere I need to be as discrete as possible, or I need something lighter than a semi auto, then yes. It has a definite and necessary place in the weapons I carry for CCW. As a backup or ankle gun, it is a perfect solution. It’s durable, reliable, and will work whenever you pull the trigger. It also is legal in every state, without the hassle of determining if it has too high a capacity, or is somehow banned in a that state you’re visiting or just traveling through.
However, the revolver has some drawbacks. Shooting it, even with the new Apex Duty Trigger kit in it, is not as easy as a semi-auto due to trigger pull, sights, and for me, my own physical limitations. If you have arthritis in your hands, and especially in your finger joints, the 442 will not be fun to shoot. My 640-1 soaks up the recoil far better than the Airweight, but it weighs considerably more.
Revolvers are dependable, can be perceived as less “offensive” in an anti-2A environment, and still fire a potent round. With the more realistic 1-3 shots fired in a real-world defensive gun use, their capacity is within your needs. (However you must evaluate your threat environment…). They are a viable and capable option, with the caveat that they need practice and some real work to be truly proficient with. They are truly a more civilized weapon in a world of flashy choices. If you meet a shooter who is a proficient revolver carrier, you have met a true and cultured master of the gun. (And no…I’m not there yet either…)