S&W 442 Failure

[LSP972]

I love happy endings.

If you haven't already, look into Ahrends stocks. To me, they feel almost as good as issue magnas with a Tyler T-Grip, but are thinner and hide better in a pocket. Plenty of s/l clearance; I too use Comp 1s and HKS when I do speedloaders on a J frame. I carry Speed Strips, though, so that's what I usually practice with.

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[ST911]

Threw the left stock panel in the freezer, then hit it with a light sanding wheel on the dremel, and trimmed and rounded the edges. There is now plenty of clearance for a speed loader, and a good interim fix until I make up my mind on wood. Pics of the work, and comparison to the original:

[JDM]

What's the idea putting it in the freezer first?

[EricP]

What's the idea putting it in the freezer first?

Rubber is difficult to machine or sand while at room temperature. Freezing it allows you to cut it without the surface melting, smearing, or loading your tool/paper.

[TR675]

Probably same/same as tossing a tenderloin in the freezer before trying to slice it really, really thin - the freezer firms up the material and makes it much easier to sand (grips) or cut (steak).

[ST911]

What's the idea putting it in the freezer first?

What EricP and TR675 said. Makes the material more rigid and even as it's sanded.

[JDM]

Excellent. Thanks guys!

[MGW]

What EricP and TR675 said. Makes the material more rigid and even as it's sanded.

Never would of thought of that.

[LSP972]

It also works on open-cell foam, if you're trying to customize a hard case liner.

Once its "frozen", use a bread knife for the cleanest cuts.

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[ST911]

267 fired to date. Gun shoots most loads to POA at 7-10yds with some minor variations thereafter. They are pretty minimal so far, and unlikely to be produced by most casual shooters. There's not a lot of any single load, but enough for a snapshot of what to expect from them. Loads fired:

Federal RTP 130 RTP
Federal AE 130 FMJ
Federal AE 158 RNL
Speer 135 GDHP +P
Hornady 110 Critical Defense (standard pressure)
Corbon 110 DPX +P
Corbon 125 JHP +P
Black Hills Ammo 125 GDHP +P
Black Hills Ammo 125 JHP-XTP +P

I shot combinations of these loads in 5^5 drills, and all gave me at least a 4/5. While not optimal, it's a good start on a tough little gun and I'll continue to put work in. See the standard here: https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/5-5/

BUG quals were a breeze. My F.A.S.Ts suck.

The stock relief cut (discussed above) is enough for all HKS and Comp 1 speed loaders to clear with any of those listed rounds. The XTPs, Critical Defense, and Barnes (DPX) are good feeders. The longer Critical Defense bullets don't seem to miss.

About 150rds in, I decided to give an Apex duty/carry kit a try despite a GTG factory trigger. Curiously, it produced (or revealed?) a slight but noticeable hitch/hesitation early in trigger travel as the cylinder unlocked. If present with the OEM springs, it wasn't detectable presumably due to trigger weight. The reset was also a little softer than felt right. Factory springs are now back in the gun for the time being.

It was the spring swap that produced the next item of note: a busted yoke screw assembly. After re-installing the OEM springs and replacing the slide plate, I tightened the yoke screw to first resistance. Another wee bit to snug, and the head turned free. After a slight panic subsided, I removed the head and found the first couple threads intact along with the spring and plunger still attached. The lower hollow of the screw was still in the threads in the frame and I was able to remove it without any damage. Examination of the screw shows that it broke at mid-point, and bits flaked off the ends with my fingernail. I initially thought it was a case of gorilla-hands, but I've not had that occur in dozens of previous re-assemblies, much less on a new gun. Verdict: pot metal screw. A replacement screw went in without issue.

The search continues for wood stocks I like. What wood, what finish.

I'm liking this 442 a lot.