Smith & Wesson 638 .38spl +P

[roo_ster]

Picked up my replacement snubby this afternoon, after my wife took a shine to my Taurus titanium snubby and claimed it for herself.

Here is S&W's page on the 638
http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product4_750001_750051_764944_-1_757768_757767_757751_ProductDisplayErrorView_Y

Bought it from Becky at Sporting Arms.  Becky is good people and I do not hesitate to send folk to her.
http://www.sportingarms.com/

===============

I gotta say that my initial impressions are quite favorable. 

Fit & finish are outstanding. 
Better than my Taurus and better than my FIL's Ruger SP101.  The former is just not as slick/tight/smooth and the latter, while robust and of high quality, lacked in the finished product.  Better than my early 1980's SW629, too.  Truly, better than most S&W's I have seen, save those produced during the heyday of S&W hand-finished guns.  S&W is doing something right.  Maybe with just this gun, maybe in general.  I would have to examine more newly produced S&W hardware.  I will take donations of new S&W hardware in the interests of science.

Trigger
Really smooth, both DA and SA.  So smooth, it doesn't need my usual several thousand dry-fires while watching teevee(a) and doesn't need a gunsmith to smooth it up. I am really happy with how smooth it is.  Trigger weight is good, but not great.  Stupid easy to stage.  It doesn't stack, but if you ease your trigger squeeze after you've gone into it, you sorta fall naturally into the stage and then can tip it over.  Pulling right through is smooth and as I wrote, no stacking.  My Taurus snubby with Wolff spring kit is lighter and I have already ordered a Wolff spring kit for the SW638.  But, it really is pretty good and much better than I expected on a snubby.  For instance, back when I bought the Taurus, it had a smoother and lighter trigger than its SW642 neighbor (ten years ago or so).  Trigger is not as light as the Ruger LCR revolvers I have dry fired.  Those are awfully good, light triggers if you can abide their LONG travel.

Thumb Latch and cylinder
Again, smooth in action.  Smoother than my Taurus and makes me want to disassemble Da Bull and take an emery cloth and dremel w/ jeweler's rouge to the steel bits.  Lock up is tighttighttight and no end shake.  Cylinder/forcing cone gap is not what I would have had a gunsmith set for me, being overly generous for maximizing velocity.  But, it will likely never foul and bind after even the vilest cartridges.

Sights
Fixed, but pretty decent.  All orthogonal & straight edges in the sight picture.  Any angles or curves in the sight picture make a snubby harder to shoot.

At $396 ($429 with tax) this is a lot of value in a firearm. 

That's about it for the preliminaries.  Of course none of it means diddly if it doesn't work on the range, can't shoot straight, or has dispersion measured in feet.

Plans
1. Take it to the range.  Shoot Fed Gold Match 148gr HBWC, Rem 158gr +P LSWCHP FBI load, Underwood 150gr HCWC,  Fiocchi match 148gr HBWC, and Hornady 158gr std pressure XTP.  Those are the preferred social loads for the roo_ster clan.  Test for reliability and look to see if POA~POI.  Shoot other range fodder.

2. Play with the Wolff spring kit, remove The Lock, and replace The Lock with The Plug(b).  Lube innards.

3. Shoot preferred social ammo again to see if reliable.  Crawfish if not.

4. Keep eyes peeled for Crimson Trace LG105 grips after mad money account built back up.





(a) Might still do it anyways.  And have the kiddos work it, too, to strengthen their grip and trigger fingers.  Will fish out my .38spl snap caps.

(b) http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-revolvers-1980-present/102217-plug-s-w-j-frame.html  & http://smith-wessonforum.com/accessories-misc-sale-trade/460110-plug-lock-replacement-new-prices.html?highlight=plug

[lee n. field]

Cool

finish

My 642 has some kind of plastic-y layer over the frame, that can wear and sometimes flake away.  You see people online complain of this.  (Mine does it, but I'm not complaining.)

You might want to watch for that.

[K Frame]

I have always wanted a humpback to add to my stable of S&W revolvers, but have never found one at the junction between me having money at the time I find one in good condition for a decent price.

Some years ago I bought an 042 Centennial hammerless, and it's been one of my primary CCW guns since then.

[roo_ster]

Played hooky* today and took the 638 to the range.

It lit off everything I fed it, to include all the social ammo.  And for Remington 158gr +P LSWCHP, POA was POI at 25 yards.  Sweetness.  An inch or two high at 15 yards.  Still sweetness.

Shot very well.  The FBI Load was spunky, but not hurtful at all.  Burned through what I brought and could have taken more.  It did not like the Monarch 158gr SJHP.  That patterned like a 12ga.  My son has shot a bunch of it, but this was the first time I shot it and paid attention to dispersion.  It also was low pressure enough the brass did not bump up to seal the chamber, what with the powder residue going up the case toward the rim.Will try it in my 4" bbl 686 and see if it still sucks rocks. 

Very happy with it.

Next steps:
1. Install skate board tape on the backside of the grip frame.
2. Wolff spring swap right before the next time I hit the range.
3. Replace The Lock with The Plug (Plug now on order).







*  "Hooky" defined as work my ass off earlier in the week to get in all the hours and make sure all my projects are on sked so I can hit the range.

[Andiron]

I've carried a 638 for the past 10 or so years.  Aside from the finish that flakes off and looks like ass,  it's a decent little revolver.  If I get a min tomorrow, I'll post a pic of what said gun looks like after a decade of summers in a pocket holster.

[roo_ster]

Replaced the hammer spring and trigger return spring with the reduced power Wolff springs.  Also removed The Lock and replaced it with The Plug.

Took it to the range and it lit off all my social ammo preferences.  Also lit off every other .38spl brand, to include Magtech and Monarch.

I could not use the included spring clip that came with The Plug, so I used some of the internal lock bits to hold it in place, which they do securely.  The two parts I removed were the lock and the keyed bit.

Will get the Crimson Trace Lasergrip for Christmas.
















Links to larger images:

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[lee n. field]

Will get the Crimson Trace Lasergrip for Christmas.

Was just going to say, yes, you still need to get some tolerable grips.

Also removed The Lock and replaced it with The Plug.

Maybe some day.

[roo_ster]

Was just going to say, yes, you still need to get some tolerable grips.

Maybe some day.

The factory grips are fine by me.  I just want a low-light option and Crimson Trace grips manage that.  The model CT grips I ordered are essentially factory grips with a laser.
http://www.lensandlasers.com/lasergrip-s-w-j-round-butt-defender
http://www.crimsontrace.com/products/manufacturer/smith-wesson/01-1870

The Plug cost me $35.

[K Frame]

Not sure if I mentioned or not, but a few months ago Mtnbkr alerted me to a Humpback Airweight at our local gunstore.  I called and sight unseen had them hold it for me. In overall decent condition, but the cylinder bolt is a bit undersized, so I may need to replace it.

Still haven't had the chance to shoot it yet.

[HankB]

For those folks replacing springs . . . do so with caution. Over the years I've read about a significant number of instances where reduced power springs hurt J-frame reliability.

If you have the smarts to open up the gun and replace a spring, you can probably do a basic trigger job yourself - the Jerry Miculek video titled Trigger Job (which I recommend highly) explains the basic procedure and demonstrates how to polish up a K-frame Smith's internals; the J-frame is a little different, but if you can't figure out what minor changes need to be made, you probably shouldn't be working on the gun yourself anyway.

[roo_ster]

For those folks replacing springs . . . do so with caution. Over the years I've read about a significant number of instances where reduced power springs hurt J-frame reliability.

If you have the smarts to open up the gun and replace a spring, you can probably do a basic trigger job yourself - the Jerry Miculek video titled Trigger Job (which I recommend highly) explains the basic procedure and demonstrates how to polish up a K-frame Smith's internals; the J-frame is a little different, but if you can't figure out what minor changes need to be made, you probably shouldn't be working on the gun yourself anyway.

Had to go back to factory springs on my k frame.  1 of 20 light strikes on social ammo is not good enough.

Have not polished internal matey bits my own self.  Maybe in the future.

[Mannlicher]

good choice.  :)

[mtnbkr]

Had to go back to factory springs on my k frame.  1 of 20 light strikes on social ammo is not good enough.

Have not polished internal matey bits my own self.  Maybe in the future.

I won't touch the hammer spring on a revolver.  I will put a step or too lighter trigger return spring in, but only if I can't outrun said spring with my trigger finger in fast DA operation.  Between that and some appropriate lubrication, I get the action I want for good DA operation.  I've not felt a need to polish anything.  I think folks get too worked over DA triggers and use action jobs to offset poor trigger control and practice.  Cleaned and lubed, they're good enough for most uses.

Chris

[BryanP]

 Used to carry a 638 and it always functioned perfectly. I sold it when I bought a 649 to replace it. The 649 is heavier, which helps soak up the recoil my arthritic hands don't handle so well.

[T.O.M.]

Used to carry a 638 and it always functioned perfectly. I sold it when I bought a 649 to replace it. The 649 is heavier, which helps soak up the recoil my arthritic hands don't handle so well.

I also have the 649.  It was my go to court gun for years when I was a prosecutor.  God, it just dawned on me that 22 years ago today, Dad gave me that 649 as a Christmas gift.  Don't carry it as much these days. Maybe I should...

[roo_ster]

I also have the 649.  It was my go to court gun for years when I was a prosecutor.  God, it just dawned on me that 22 years ago today, Dad gave me that 649 as a Christmas gift.  Don't carry it as much these days. Maybe I should...

Don hume makes a nifty little holster for it called the JIT.  Cheap and effective.

While my daughter was sighting in her crickett, i was shooting at reduced quarter scale zombie targets at 25 yards.  Not easy to hit...i hit zombie half the time.  I gotta take the time to sandbag this and see what it can do.  Snubbies are hard to shoot but this bugger is giving signs of being pretty accurate if you take my shaky self outta the picture.

[lee n. field]

For those folks replacing springs . . . do so with caution. Over the years I've read about a significant number of instances where reduced power springs hurt J-frame reliability.

Never been tempted.  I've had 3 snubbies, a Taurus 605, a Charter Undercover that broke too many times, and the 642 I replaced it with.  Triggers on each I've thought were heavy, but smooth and controllable. 

[K Frame]

I've done spring jobs on at least 50 S&W revolvers, of those probably 15 have been J frames.

I've only had two that didn't like the new spring choice.

Virtually all of my S&Ws have Wolffe rebound slide and power rib mainsprings in them.