Question For airweight J-frame shooters

[KrampusArms]

Hey you guys!image.jpg

Just got back from the range. I have a slight concern and am wondering if this happens to you gentleman after firing your airweights too. This is the second range session for me, with a brand new 442. I have fired a total of 300 rounds in 2 days. Each session being 150 rounds. 100 rounds of Magtech 158 gr, and 50 rounds of Hornady 125 per session. The Magtechs are fairly warm for a non plus P load it seems. Anyway!

Nearing round 80, I'm not sure if my finger is just getting fatigued, or if its the gun. At the very end of the triggers travel, it seems to stick right before it breaks. Both sessions it didn't start doing this until around 80-90 rounds. I'm thinking that my trigger finger may just be getting fatigued, but is there anything that could be wrong? Internally? After coming home and cleaning, both days, I dry fired about 30 times and could not make the "sticking" happen again.

Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks

[The Dumb Gun Collector]

I have certainly never experienced that after owning quite a few J-frames. Did it not fire? Did the cylinder move to the next round when you pulled the trigger again?

I did have a Scandium .357 that would sort of do what you are describing, but it would actually fully lock up. I sold it!

[T2C]

When the J Frame trigger pull gets heavy at the end of the travel, have you tried unloading it and dry firing it dirty? If it dry fires easily when dirty, the cartridges may not be seating all the way forward in the cylinder. Brass dragging on the recoil shield will exhibit the symptoms you describe.

At times a run of factory .38 Special ammunition will have thicker case heads. When the revolver gets a little dirty, it will cause cylinder rotation issues. On a rare occasion it can occur when the cylinder gets warm on a clean wheel gun.

[KrampusArms]

Hey thanks guys.

Mr. Bell, you're the man for your "Project Break My J-Frame" thread. Thanks for that. Yeah it fired, after I opened up the cylinder and re-indexed it.

Mr. T2C wow, Thanks for your words. Yeah, I snapped it a few times dirty, and it did indeed dry fire easily. Your insight may be what is causing my issue. I'm not sure if this means anything, but my 442 is the version that has the moon clip cut out in the cylinder. I did all my firing without the moon clips. Have not tried them yet.

The thing about it, is both times it didn't start exhibiting this issue until roughly 80-90 rounds were fired. As stated above, it felt like I couldn't get the trigger to break, it just stuck. So I'm not sure if it was me, the gun, or a combination of the two.

I have to also add that after 70 rounds my hand was getting shaky and tired. I should have stopped there, but I was trying to push the gun a little hard, I plan on relying on it. After that 150 was through, I was DONE.

[KrampusArms]

Fired 70 additional rounds, no issues this time. Hoping it was a fluke.

I fired 50 Magtech 158 grain rounds, and then 20 rounds of Hornady 110 grain. Cant remember what they're called, they have a red polymer rubber tip.

[Trajan]

The hand might be binding in the frame.

[HighDesert]

****ing hate shooting my 642, but I carry it often enough in the summer that I need to. Accuracy is acceptable, but I do have to ask all you guys who like shooting the thing:

Are you running it with the stock open back grips or something else?

I know if I used the hogue monogrip it would make it a different gun, but I would not be able to Pocket carry. What grips are you guys using who do so?

I run stock grips because they are small footprint and not sticky, but man do they suck in every other way.

[KrampusArms]

****ing hate shooting my 642, but I carry it often enough in the summer that I need to. Accuracy is acceptable, but I do have to ask all you guys who like shooting the thing:

Are you running it with the stock open back grips or something else?

I know if I used the hogue monogrip it would make it a different gun, but I would not be able to Pocket carry. What grips are you guys using who do so?

I run stock grips because they are small footprint and not sticky, but man do they suck in every other way.

HighDesert

What I did is pretty ghetto, but it feels more comfortable than stock.

I took the stock grips off, and I took each side to a wire wheel. I basically wired them down, removing all the lines and dimples until it looked like rough sanded rubber. I then shaved off very carefully and slowly, even more material from the left side of the grip. The side that interferes with the speedloaders. I shaved small portions off with my Spyderco endure, until an HKS 36 cleared to my liking.

Then I wrapped the grip in black camo form tape, covering the backstrap for a little cushion. Taking the grips to the wire wheel, kept the footprint small, and prevented the grip from becoming too fat once I added camoform. The downside is that the Camoform grabs clothing. But whatever, I carry this thing in sweatpants on downtime.

It feels very comfortable to me when purchasing the weapon, and firing it. It absolutely looks like crap though.

[KrampusArms]

gf snubby.jpg gf snubby 2.jpg

You can see the ghetto style grips here.
GF with snubby. She likes the clipdraw.

[KrampusArms]

61 additional rounds fired. Toatal is 916.

I fired one round of my carry ammo for an expansion test. Absolutely not scientific, just messing around. Corbon DPX 110 gr +P. Fired into water jugs. Its expansion was almost uniform, with two of the petals flattening. I tried to measure it at its widest point. Pretty cool looking, like a blossom of carnage.
hollow point 2.jpghollow point 3.jpghollow point.jpg