# of Rounds to Trust a J-Frame

[rjacobs]

Just bought a 642 no lock. Its my first wheel gun. How many rounds do most people fire through a revolver before they deem it ready for carry? With a semi-auto I generally shoot 1000 rounds of FMJ and then 100 rounds of my chosen carry ammo before I trust the gun, but I have no clue with a wheel gun. I have dry fired it about 500 times or so and with no issues so to speak.

I was honestly thinking 100-200 rounds and then 25-50 of 135g+p Gold Dots.

[tfltackdriver]

I am not a pro by any means, but I did carry a 36 around for years. I think you'll be fine. As long as the timing and cylinder gap are OK, I never worried about mine.

I played with it a lot more finding a round I liked and the pistol liked than worrying about actual mechanical reliability.

[ST911]

There are a greater number of variables at play with semi-autos than revolvers, so more in depth function verification is warranted with the former than latter.

A few hundred rounds to polish your trigger parts, verify that you're gun is timing correctly, and learning your POI deviations is likely sufficient. After that, continued skills training and practice.

If you use the gucci triggers mods or add-ons, additional verification across a broader range of variables is indicated.

[Irish]

My 642 (No lock) took a shit on me after about 100 rounds. From what I've heard they shortened the pin so they could sell them in CA to meet their regulations, I don't know if this is true. However, my gun would not hit a single frickin' primer after about 100 rounds so it got shipped off to S&W on their dime.

After having it returned from Smith I've put approximately another 100 rounds through it with no issues thus far. I would suggest at least a couple hundred rounds before you put it in your pocket. Remember, you're counting on this gun to not only save your life but possibly your loved ones as well.

[sgtjosh]

Put a box (50) of your chosen load through it. If you have no issues, you are good to go. J Frames have often been called "5 for sure."

I miss my S&W 640. I had to sell her in 97 to finish that last semester of college.

[rjacobs]

Thanks for the advice guys.

I already put an Apex spring/firing pin kit into the gun. I know, shoot the damn gun first. I dry fired the shit out of it and the trigger was just total crap. The Apex kit is awesome(as are all their products so far). Totally smooth trigger with a slightly reduced weight.

Need to find some better grips, but those will come down the line.

Im going to put 100 rounds of ball ammo through it then I will put 50 rounds of the carry ammo I grabbed and call it good.

[SeriousStudent]

.................

Need to find some better grips, but those will come down the line.

............

May I be so bold as to suggest a set of Crimson Trace Laser Grips?

http://www.crimsontrace.com/products...olvers/01-1680

Personally I am a fan of the 405. It's a good compromise between concealment and controllability.

And I have an Apex kit in my 642 as well. Definitely an improvement, and well worth the cost.

Good luck with your new pistol, and don't forget to practice the reloads. Some dummy rounds are good for that.

[Axcelea]

Looking at getting a J-Frame myself currently I found one interesting tid-bit. As others have said, a stock revolver is often a lot more predictable then a semi so it usually doesn't require the larger parts testing but from what I picked up from S&W is to test your ammunition for sufficient crimping.

This test more comes from the air weight 357 magnum arena with lower quality rounds but the test is to fully load then shoot all but one shot and inspect it for unseating as recoil can unseat rounds and becomes more an issue the lighter the gun and the higher the power.

[rjacobs]

I was thinking about some CT laser grips, but I just cant afford them right now. I was thinking of some Spegel grips, again would be a bit before I could afford those as well. I just dont know if I want to become "dependent" on a laser though.

[35percent]

I roll a 442 without an extra speedloader sometimes, it's not my favorite idea but when I really need to conceal having 5 rounds is better than nothing. CT grips are an awesome add on as well.