New BUG

**121Traffic** · #1 08-10-08, 06:28 PM

Got my last check from my old PD. Two weeks of work, plus vacation, sick, etc. $5800

Sold my old BUG. My new PD requires we carry one. I am happy to oblige.

Just picked her up today. S&W Airweight snubby in .38 (+P) Walked out the door with it brand new for about $400. I don't even know if I got a good deal because I know VERY little of the revolver market/pricing, etc. Who cares. I was happy, and I love the feeling of getting home with a new gun. Got some Gold Dot +Ps to go with it.

I'll get some better pics later...left the digital camera at a friend's house. Crappy cell phone pic will suffice for now.

**Five-0** · #2 08-10-08, 07:02 PM

I likey. I have given serious thought to getting one of those myself. Well two actually. One for me and one for the wife. Personally I would have gone hammerless.

**drunkhunter** · #3 08-10-08, 07:16 PM

I held off buying a 642 for years because "It's a lot of money for five shots". I finally broke down and bought one. I'm very happy that I did so. It's a great deep cover gun.

**121Traffic** · #4 08-10-08, 07:36 PM

So far I'm loving it. I am a 100% supporter of HOLSTERING weapons at all times when working in an official capacity or for carrying for long periods. This baby, however, fits into any jeans or jacket pocket for those quick trips to the store when you're in sweats, etc. Something like a Glock 27 is too fat to do that. While this thing's cylinder is bulky, the rest of the gun is very thin. All that prints is the cylinder bulge. The Glock, for example, is fat all over, and prints VERY clearly through a pocket, and you can discern a "gun" type shape.

I also thought about going hammerless or shrouded hammer. I dunno...I just like the old school look of an exposed hammer I guess.

**121Traffic** · #5 08-10-08, 07:54 PM

Here's another cell phone pic to show the relative size of the gun. And while it is only 5 shots, they are 5 shots that are almost impervious to malfunctions. Point and shoot, and bad guy is going to have five rounds of .38+P in his gut, because let's face it. If I'm shooting someone with it, they are close enough to have just taken my primary, or they're on top of me and preventing me from drawing my primary. If it's the latter case, I'm shoving the muzzle into his torso for five contact shots as fast as I can pull the trigger, which is a no no for lots of semi-autos. That's all I'm going to care about if the day has gotten so bad that I'm pulling my BUG out on duty.

**Darin** · #6 08-10-08, 08:00 PM

You got paid for your sick time???? Lucky....I'll "lose" about 280 hours of sick time.

I'll get 198 hours of vacation tho.....M4 here I come!!!!

I like the revolver. I bet it's a handful with +P.

**Darin** · #7 08-10-08, 08:02 PM

BTW....where do you carry it as a BUG?

**Ender** · #8 08-10-08, 08:04 PM

I bought a 642 off OXCOPS a while back. Neat little gun...fits into any pocket and is truly a 'go anywhere' piece.

The only complain I have is that I had to sanitize it after buying it from OX.

LawnMM · #9 08-10-08, 08:07 PM

Nice weapon dude. I have the hammerless version and love it. Been through several foot chases with it and haven't had issues with it moving around.

**121Traffic** · #10 08-10-08, 08:18 PM

Lawn, you are actually one of my influences on the purchase. I remembered you posting about it a while back and looked into them over a semi-auto.

And Darin, I got paid for half my sick time, which came out to about 115 hours, plus a couple hundred vacation hours. It would have been over six grand, but they deducted the couple hundred bucks I still owed on a gun loan balance.

**depusm12** · #11 08-10-08, 08:32 PM

121Traffic

I'm assuming it's the Airweight version (lightweight allow frame). I got the 642 hammerless version . Waiting to go to the range and shoot it. I heard from lots of other buddies that it's the perfect carry/off duty gun. I got mine on sale for $399 out the door.

LawnMM · #12 08-10-08, 09:09 PM

Its a good carry gun, though I dunno if I'd call it fun to shoot. It kicks like a mule and its pretty inaccurate at distance, at least the DAO version. Could I shoot it better with practice, no doubt, its just kinda painful to shoot and the trigger weight is up there. So meh...its an oh shit gun anyway.

**depusm12** · #13 08-10-08, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LawnMM

Its a good carry gun, though I dunno if I'd call it fun to shoot. It kicks like a mule and its pretty inaccurate at distance, at least the DAO version. Could I shoot it better with practice, no doubt, its just kinda painful to shoot and the trigger weight is up there. So meh...its an oh shit gun anyway.

I got it to carry off duty anyway especially during the summer here. I used to own a S&W model 60 and shot it pretty well.

oldtrooper · #14 08-10-08, 09:36 PM

I've been carrying a S&W 342 +P Jacketed both on and off duty for quite a while. It is completely hammerless. One important consideration is if that hammer spur grabs any cloth coming out of a pocket you're up S-Creek and behind the curve. We used to carry Model 60' and before that chief's specials but we always took the hammer out and ground it down smooth. A good part of the time I carry mine in a Galco ankle holster and it is so light I sometimes have to move my off leg over enough to feel it and make sure it has not fallen out.

It's not fun to shoot but it's not a target pistol either. It called a belly gun or a nose gun for good reason. It would be rare in the real world to use it much further that powder burn distance. If you are far enough away to try to cock it and use the sights you most likely will be far enough away to try to go find a bigger and better firearm.

Cutting the hammer down eliminates the chance of the spur catching on the cloth during the draw but it creates other problems. It collects lint like a bitch. Another point in favor of the hammerless versions are that if you have to fire it from a pocket when fully engaged with a perp at contact distance the hammer nose can grab the cloth as it goes forward and that's all folks.

**depusm12** · #15 08-10-08, 09:38 PM

Good points oldtrooper. LawnMM do you still have the factory rubber grips on yours?

**Reca** · #16 08-10-08, 09:39 PM

I also have a similar gun but mine is hammer less. You may want to check Bluegrass Holsters out for an off duty holster. I ordered one off of them and it is due here on Wednesday. I will let you know what I think about it.

**depusm12** · #17 08-10-08, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reca

I also have a similar gun but mine is hammer less. You may want to check Bluegrass Holsters out for an off duty holster. I ordered one off of them and it is due here on Wednesday. I will let you know what I think about it.

Reca does yours look like this?

**Reca** · #18 08-10-08, 09:51 PM

Mine is the 38 cal. Air Lite Titanium Looks just like that. I currently have an ankle rig for it and I can not wait to get my holster from bluegrass

LawnMM · #19 08-10-08, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by depusm12

Good points oldtrooper. LawnMM do you still have the factory rubber grips on yours?

Yup. I thought about putting longer grips on so I could rest my pinky on something but again, its an oh shit gun. I want it to be small and light, not comfortable and big.

**depusm12** · #20 08-10-08, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reca

Mine is the 38 cal. Air Lite Titanium Looks just like that. I currently have an ankle rig for it and I can not wait to get my holster from bluegrass

So you spent the bucks on the Ti version. It have the same kinda grips on it? I'm looking at getting the same type of grip but in checkered wood instead of the rubber.