Very nice indeed. The wife has a M60 in 357. But she prefers her 638 between the two of them. Those grips are worth a lot. Take care of them. Congratulations on the acquisition. I’m sure she will like it! Regards,

 

Those lady smiths are not just for ladies.

It is nice to see S&W making stuff I am interested in again. The hillary hole was a huge detractor for me.

 

Nice pistola.

Sorry, I can't keep from cringing every time I hear "Hillary hole". Ugh.

 

 

Very nice. S&W really missed the mark with the name on that model which indicated it was a ladies-only weapon. Despite the dumb name I would have no problem owning one of those. Good on you for upgrading her gun. I have never owned a S&W with the lock and never will. I don't carry these much anymore but have a pair of Airweight models including a 638-2 and a well-worn 642-1. Both are quick to draw from a pocket and weigh almost nothing.

 

Very nice. S&W really missed the mark with the name on that model which indicated it was a ladies-only weapon. Despite the dumb name I would have no problem owning one of those. Good on you for upgrading her gun. I have never owned a S&W with the lock and never will.

I don't have an issue with the Lady Smith name; I have been carrying a model 65-5 Lady Smith for years. Ha, the perps not going to care what model my fire breathing 357 Mag is. The 642is is the only Smith I have with a lock and its heading to the next gun show.
Here is my pair of Lady Smiths, they both have really smooth actions

 

I bought my wife a model 10 and a model 60 before we were married. 45 years ago.
She still has both , and still carries the model 60.

 

Nice pistol OP.

I never use the lock on the few pistols that I have with them, but it doesn't bother me either. It's simply there. I've never had a malfunction because of one.

The 642 that you are replacing is one of my favorites for CC. I prefer the enclosed hammer and less interference (potentially).

 

Good choice. Old traditional me likes blued J frames for my carry guns, but same idea. My late 80s Model 36 and Model 49 with banana grips. Arthritis in my hands can make it a problem to deal with autoloaders, now, but not a problem with these.

 

Those are some nice bananas. Source?

 

So I desire some opinions. I live on a farm in a very rural area. Crime here is very low. I typically carry a handgun for pest control when working. If it's dirty and or dusty work I wear a Glock. If not so dirty or dusty I wear a Ruger GP100 or S&W 686+. This is all fine. The problem is going to town and having the mission change. When I go town, I get out a small auto like a S&W Shield Plus or a S&W 649 along with a pocket holster. The Shield is a much easier gun to shoot well. Excellent sights, trigger, ergonomics and completely reliable. The 649 has a decent trigger and is of course completely reliable. The 649 has to be twice as fast out of the pocket. I don't want to hear about your super duper pocket holster for your auto as I have tried a ton of them. I don't want this to turn into a gear discussion.

What I do want is your opinion on the following. I figure that being an older guy, my problem is probably going to be robbery. Does the speed of the draw seem more important than the fine shooting qualities of the Shield?

 

So I desire some opinions. I live on a farm in a very rural area. Crime here is very low. I typically carry a handgun for pest control when working. If it's dirty and or dusty work I wear a Glock. If not so dirty or dusty I wear a Ruger GP100 or S&W 686+. This is all fine. The problem is going to town and having the mission change. When I go town, I get out a small auto like a S&W Shield Plus or a S&W 649 along with a pocket holster. The Shield is a much easier gun to shoot well. Excellent sights, trigger, ergonomics and completely reliable. The 649 has a decent trigger and is of course completely reliable. The 649 has to be twice as fast out of the pocket. I don't want to hear about your super duper pocket holster for your auto as I have tried a ton of them. I don't want this to turn into a gear discussion.

What I do want is your opinion on the following. I figure that being an older guy, my problem is probably going to be robbery. Does the speed of the draw seem more important than the fine shooting qualities of the Shield?

This is a great question and something you should probably ask in your own thread. FWIW I think faster draw matters more than anything in that situation but you are limited to only 5 shots in a J-frame. I have owned nearly a dozen J frames but rarely carry them anymore. I have carried a P365 since they came out and prefer 13 rounds of 9mm in a small package that is just as fast.

 

You going for that gun if the robber has a gun on you? You want smooth forget about the old west.

 

I personally rate being able to access the gun smoothly and easily without snagging a top priority. How you do that as far as your carry rig is up to you, but I don't see much sense in carrying a gun if you can't get it when you need it. Not saying you have to be lightning fast on the draw, but you don't want to be fumbling around, either.

 

Thanks for your opinions. I carried the 649 for years. It doesn't take up much space, excels at a pocket gun and the draw is very fast for me. I have had two episodes in town where sticking my hand in my pocket and blading off convinced someone to leave me alone. I think I am going back to the 649 during the summer. When it cools off and I can appendix carry most of the time, I will go back to the Shield.

 

. When it cools off and I can appendix carry most of the time, I will go back to the Shield.

I carry appendix position year round. During the summer months (that's ~8mos/year here in Florida LOL) I use a "Remora" sticky holster with a full sweat shield. IMO, appendix carry is a SIGNIFICANTLY faster presentation than any other carry method besides "gun in hand" or open carry, and a Remora holster completely protects even your most "safe queen" firearms like my old S&W 36.

Luis

 

Nice looking gun. I moved up to the larger Tamer grips as I wasn't good or comfortable with the original or Bantam Hogue's on my early 642. Happy camper now.

 

The Model 49 came with them when I found it. Liked them so much, I found another set on -bay for the Model 36. They can be pricey, though.

 

I wish my wife had a positive attitude toward firearms. I'd love to get her one of those beauties!

 

I like the feel/weight of that little thing. Thought to get one, give my mod 36 a well-deserved retirement. Still trying to warm up, get that warm and fuzzy with my Kimber Ultra. Then again, got my eye on a P365. .............all over the map.

 

Smith & Wesson for your wife? Not a bad trade!

 

Picked up this Lady Smith model 60-9 357 Mag for my wife to replace her 642 38spl with the Hillary hole. View attachment 1010081
View attachment 1010083
Temporarily slapped on these combat grips I had laying around for comfort.
Ordered some purple rubber Hogues for her today, she loved them on her 642. Should make a nice nightstand gun.

Nice acquisition!

I have been thinking about something for my better half as well. The S&W 632 and 432 have been tempting. A 6 shot 32 H&R Mag in the J frame makes for a good option. Especially when loaded with the Lehigh Defense 75 gr for more FPS without additional recoil.

 

Curious, has she shot it yet? If she has and likes it, outstanding.

Asking because I've been painfully through the light/small, I can't cycle thst slide thing, only to arrive at a single range trip resulting in OMG!, that hurts!. That's rediculous! But it's OK, I like the way it looks/feels. Anyway, I'll just have to show it and they'll run away.