I have a no lock 642 that is beat up as heck with a trigger job on it. it's now one of my favorite guns. I'm thinking of buying another one especially given the prices on grabagun. my question is whether or not the Performance Center Enhanced Action model 642 is worth the extra $100. comments or suggestions? thanks in advance.
I would buy a 442/642 no lock that i could inspect in person.
Install the Apex spring and firing pin kit.
Smooth the trigger rebound slide (bottom only) on 800-1500 grit wet/dry. Lightly oil everything.
Probably have a better trigger than the PC then.
Selecting one you can inspect is the most important. I would not order a current S&W or Ruger revolver I could not inspect before i bought.
Neither would I order a revolver that I could not inspect. If you must order one, the extra $100 for a PC gun is a good deal. One reason is that if you choose to have it worked on, you will spend more than $100 before you're finished. Another good reason is that if you are not satisfied with the action, you can require that S&W does it correctly the 2nd time around. Several well known(and smarter than I)shooters recommend certain aftermarket replacement parts for J frames. I do not. My experience has been that with use or after having been lightly polished, the J frame revolvers become smooth. By not replacing factory parts you do not run the risk of reducing reliability. Reflect on the specimen that you are so fond of. My guess is that little can be done to improve it. Some cut or replace the rebound spring. I don't. The revolver is small with a short space between trigger and grip. This dimension can create a situation where the trigger finger can more easily over ride the rebound spring that acts as a trigger return spring. The result is that there is no reset. Pulling the trigger then turns the cylinder but does not cock the hammer. Unless the factory changed the spec, J, K, L, and N frame guns use the same rebound spring having 17 coils. There is a reason that Smith uses it in the much smaller J frame. I'm not a gunsmith and have no credentials. I can't take credit for being an original thinker. Much of what I wrote was information passed on to me by factory trained armorers and from conversations with factory employees.
Last edited by willie; 04-13-2018 at 01:49 PM.
I think the PC version is cut for moon clips.
Correct.Originally Posted by HopetonBrown
My PC 642 has a slightly nicer action than the standard 642 but not as nice as the Apex kit I put in my 340M&P. The moonclips end up being more trouble than their worth. One of my PC 642s had to go back for a clocked barrel - 8" left @25yds. I do like the smooth polished trigger and the polished thumb latch tends to not make me bleed like the regular one does.
Adam
What should a person look for when inspecting? I recently picked one up off grabagun and am wondering what I should look for?
I check for: action roughness evidenced by hitches or hesitation when trigger is pulled; for clearance between front of cylinder and rear of barrel; hand alignment indicated by clicking sound from hand touching ratchets when cylinder is spun when trigger is pulled back slightly. Absence of this singing means that the hand is not forward and touching ratchets. I check barrel alignment by using front sight to detect that barrel is not "clocked" to one side or the other as can occur during installation. I swing out cylinder and look at firewall area of frame where firing pin passes through to make certain that the bushing where it does pass is not protruding or loose. I check to see if firing pin is not stuck in a forward position which can happen for a couple different reasons. When working the action, I notice if trigger is returning smoothly and without hesitation to forward reset position. I look in the barrel to detect existence of a normal bore without missing segments of rifling or sewer pipe appearance. I check end of muzzle for dents or scratches in crown.
I described checks that I can conduct in a couple minutes or less. After having spent a lifetime collecting and shooting revolvers, I've seen all of the above defects. Once I saw a new revolver with a bore so rough that a patch would not pass. A friend who had been a distributor once received from the factory a revolver having a .357 mag barrel and a .44 mag cylinder! But let me emphasize that most likely you or I can buy a new firearm that functions correctly. Premium handguns that we here own and shoot are stronger and will out shoot and outlast their counter parts from the past. Some of the newer ones are not as pretty and for a variety of reasons having to do with manufacturing, do not satisfy purists.
Last edited by willie; 04-21-2018 at 02:42 PM.
I think they are worth it. FACTORY. I spoke to the rep last year at NRA he was telling me the PC guns are honed and polished. The pro series just have enhanced springs. Mine was a tack driver.
Why not buy a used, older one?
Likes pretty much everything in every caliber.
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