Got me an S&W 637

[FergusonTO35]

Now that my little Kel-Tec P32 is on it's way to Florida for repairs I realize just how much I carry a pocket gun. For working in the garage, hanging out in the house, or occasions where maximum concealment is desired they are hard to beat. I was planning to get a stainless Ruger LCP but all the reasonably priced ones have vanished around here. Yesterday I found a new S&W 637 at the fun store and made a good deal on it. I was surprised at the trigger pull, it is almost as good as my 10-10.

What are your experiences with the 637? Is the stupid frame lock really anything to worry about? The shop owner carries one daily and said it has never given him any problems. Do these revolvers tend to prefer 158 grain slugs like other Smiths do?
Here is a look at the 637 from my tree stand this morning along with my NEF Huntsman muzzleloader. Hunt101 is not cooperating this morning so you can see it here:


http://www.hunt101.com/data/549/medium/image3112.jpg

[Petrol & Powder]

They are basically lightweight, stainless versions of the S&W model 36. I have a lot of experience with 38 Special S&W J-frames and I've yet to see one that didn't like 158 gr bullets.

I strongly favor DAO snubnose revolvers but a good friend uses a the 637 and it is a fine gun. I don't care for the lock, don't have locks on any of my smiths but in all fairness, the lock seems to be a non-issue. It can be removed and replaced with a plug.

The Model 36 was the Chief's Special, the Model 37 was the same gun with an aluminum frame and the 637 is the 37 in stainless - so basically a rust resistant, lightweight Chief's Special.

[MarkP]

I have 637 and a 642 have not had any issues with either one my 642 does not have the lock. I have found the sights to be regulated with; Lee 105's loaded with 4.0 gr RedDot, NOE 360-180 WFN & HP version are high with 4.7 - 5.0 gr Power Pistol, 125's & 158's with a normal 38 SPL loading the sights are close.

I use the 105 gr loads to shoot 4" steel Lillie pop type targets at 20 yds with center of aim hold no compensation. 4" Steel disk welded to a 3/4" solid round stuck in the ground.

[Para82]

I have a S&W 637 and my wife has a 642 with CT laser grips. She hasn't shot hers much but I have had the 637 for several years and it is my most carried gun. I have shot it quite a bit and I like 158gr cast SWC. The lock has never been a problem. I use a Simply Rugged pancake holster for belt carry and a Desantis ankle holster and a Pocket Concealment Systems pocket rig for pocket carry. Never even know you have it on you most of the time. I have plenty of choices in the small gun category (Sig 938, Kel Tec P3AT, Beretta 3032 Tomcat, NAA 380, Colt Gov 380, Ruger LC9, Glock26)and most times the 637 is with me when I go out the door even if I have something else as a primary. Hope this helps ya.
Para82

[FergusonTO35]

I used to have a 642. Neat gun but dreadful trigger pull. I could shoot my cheapo Kel-Tec much better so down the road it went. While taking a break from hunting today I tried out the 637 on a dead tree with 3 grains 700X and Lee 140 and 158 grain SWC's. From 15 feet in single action it was shooting great, making 2-3" patterns easily. The 140's surprisingly shoot about an inch higher than the 158's. Double action at 10 feet was no problem, making 3 inch groups roughly point of aim. Looks like we have a keeper here!

[Petrol & Powder]

The snubnose 38 Special revolver is an outstanding SD tool. It is still with us today because nothing else can replace it.
It's like that old saying about the only replacement for a DC-3 is another DC-3. The only replacement for a snubnosed DA 38 Special is another snubnosed DA 38 Special.
As for the DA pull on a S&W J-frame, it can be greatly improved while maintaining 100% reliability. It is more about making the DA pull smooth than it is making it light.
The alloy frames of those little lightweight models are a lot tougher than typically assumed. I don't make it a habit to abuse the alloy framed models but they are surprisingly durable.
My normal 38 Special load is a 158 gr LSWC over 4.4 grains of ww231. That load is on the edge of the standard pressure 38 Special SAAMI specs and I try to confine it to my steel framed 38 Special revolvers. The alloy frames can take it (and even more) but I see no reason to beat up a good gun. In the lightweight frames I back that load down to 4.0 grains. You can go lower with 231 and still get good P.O.A. matching P.O.I. but 231 doesn't burn as well when you get too light on the charge weight. Bullseye also works very well in the short barrel 38's.


The factory Uncle Mike's grips work but I always install Eagle Secret Service grips on my short revolvers. They conceal just as well and I prefer wooden grips, ...old school I guess.

Sometimes I think the old tools get overlooked because they just aren't "cool" but a short barreled DA revolver is hard to beat when you need 5 shots for sure.

[FergusonTO35]

Yep, old tools can still get the job done. My K-frame .38's get frequent exercise also. I have always had good luck with Bullseye in warm .38's so will probably stick with it. Yes, HP-38 doesn't like light loads so I save it for the 9mm.

[Shooter6br]

Made mine a Smith 638 . For SD it must go "boom" when you need it......Nice companion to my Model 10-6 4 in HB

[Petrol & Powder]

Shooter6br -that's a classic combination and a valued combination.

[FergusonTO35]

Pulling out a J frame is the fastest way to reload!:grin:

The deer just weren't cooperating so I spent some more time with the 637. Standard pressure .38's consisting of 3.4 grains Bullseye under a 150 grain SWC are no problem to shoot and quite accurate. Still, I'm not going to be hot rodding this gun as I am keenly aware of my limitations. 3.4 grains Bullseye with a Federal primer produces an average of 721 fps. Not a firebreather but should be adequate for defensive work given the size of this gun.

The 637 also shoots the Lee 358-140-SWC quite well. With my range scrap alloy they drop at 142 grains, just a bit lighter. This boolit has a much pointier ogive and smaller meplat. Given the modest velocity here I'm thinking the 140 may be a better choice as it could penetrate more easily than the very blunt 150. Does this sound like a good idea? I really can't take much recoil as I have a nasty flinch I need to keep at bay.

[Nocturnal Stumblebutt]

I often carry a 638 (sometimes an LCP) and I love it. I ignore the hammer lock, I don't mess with it and it doesn't mess with me. As far as loads, mine shoots very well, and close to the sites with a 148ish grain wadcutter over 3.5 grains of bullseye. I'm currently using the saeco 53, but I'll acknowledge that for the most part a wadcutter is a wadcutter is a wadcutter.

[Dale53]

FergusonT035;
My daily carry is the 642. I predict that you will come to LOVE your new 637. When talking reloads, I much prefer the "full charge wadcutter" (as per Ed Harris). My choice of bullet is a home cast original H&G dbl. ended wadcutter #251. Here's Ed's article:

http://www.grantcunningham.com/2011/11/ed-harris-revisiting-the-full-charge-wadcutter/

Dale53

[OptimusPanda]

I carry a 642 daily with the lock on the side. The lock has never turned and locked the gun up. Recoil is a bit punishing with heavy bullets but still great fun.

[FergusonTO35]

Excellent article, I especially like the mention of having to defend against a four legged attacker. Living out in the country I encounter many different critters on a daily basis. We do have coyotes and feral dogs and I can certainly see the possibility of having to take one out at some point. I shoot a 150 grain LSWC at 840 fps out of my larger .38's, the same load produces 721 fps out of the 637. Unfortunately it will be awhile before I can do some wet newspaper testing. I wonder how much penetration I'm losing due to the decreased velocity? Results from previous wet newspaper tests showed I could expect around 4-6" of penetration in tightly packed wet newspaper at ten feet with a 150 grain SWC fired at 850 fps from a .38 or 122 grain LTC fired at 1000 fps from a 9mm. Since I am not looking for expansion here I don't think velocity is as critical as it would be with the usual JHP slug.

[FergusonTO35]

Took a break from wrapping presents to try out the 637 some more this morning. She is shooting great, one thing that surprises me is how easy the 637 is when shooting double action, even with one hand. I can make a nice 3" cluster at 12 feet no problem. I am going to stick with mild loads though. A few times when I tried to fire a sixth round I noticed my flinch trying to come back.

As of now the official load is a 150 grain Lee SWC over 3.4 grains Bullseye with a Winchester primer. It clocks 730 fps over my chronograph and is accurate and easy to shoot.

[Petrol & Powder]

The snubnose DA 38 Special is a far better tool than a lot of folks know or are willing to admit.
Sounds like you have found a good load. You can increase that charge weight of Bullseye just a wee little bit and still be well under +P levels. If you're happy with what you have now there's no need to go higher but if you want to experiment, you can go to 3.8 grains of Bullseye and be fine with that bullet in an alloy J-frame. Your call.

Good Luck ! and Congratulations on that 637.

[9.3X62AL]

Small-frame 38 Special (and now 357 Magnum......OUCH!) have remained popular among the deputies still working on my old agency. This continues in spite of wholesale conversion to the self-loading pistol, and the predominance of Glock system that can enable feeding of sub-compact variants from the full-sized magazines carried to refill the primary sidearm. I don't believe the snubguns have lost an iota of popularity, even in this era of all-day mag capacities and plastic receivers.

I give the internal locks found on newer S&Ws the same treatment I give to the superfluous safety buttons on my Marlin leverguns.......I ignore them with enthusiasm. An ingenious solution to a non-existent problem, to plagiarize Col. Cooper.

[Rustyleee]

That's a nice piece there. IMHO you can't go wrong with a J frame.

[FergusonTO35]

Thanks, the more I shoot and carry the 637 the more I like it. This is the first snubbie I've been able to shoot well and I love how easy it is to carry. I added a set of Pachmayr Compac Pro grips to the 637. They make it much easier to hang on to at the expense of a little bit longer grip. If they don't impede concealment I will probably stick with them.

Did a bit more shooting with 3.4 grains Bullseye/150 grain SWC today. The Pachmayrs make a big difference, the 637 doesn't squirm around so much with recoil. I think the fairly aggressive checkering makes the difference with these, compared to the subtle fish scale texturing on the OEM boot grips. Making a neat pattern at 15 feet single or double action is no problemo.

Back in my broke college student days in the early 2000's I used to admire the 637 under the glass at the fun store. The $299.95 that separated me from it might as well have been $29995.00, of course they never got any used ones in. In time I did scrape up $200.00 for an ex-Lexington PD S&W 10-5 for an apartment defender. Still have that old sixgun, one of my favorites.

[35remington]

Ferg, a blunt 158 grain bullet at 721 fps penetrates a great plenty. Your penetration depths in newspaper do not match my experience as I get much much more than that.

I must say that given alternatives and ballistic consistency I see the full charge wad cutter thing as best for solid bullets in a snubby. I see the SWC as more of a four inch field load but that's bias for you. After shooting both for awhile I am set in my ways.

Those short .38's come in handy and before I had any money a Rossi .38 did for me. Not plus P rated but loaded similar to yours it got the job done. Handy for carry when we were running bank lines and walking the backwaters for carp bow fishing. I can hit something with it if the target isn't too far away and that happened pleasingly often. 3.1 grains Bullseye and a 148 WC gets about 710 fps. 3.5 grains gets just over 800 fps but this pistol has a little over 2 inch barrel.

The grip on the Rossi admits all fingers and is fat. It is all steel and pleasant to shoot and despite the trigger is pretty shootable for a snub.

[Petrol & Powder]

The struggle with any snubnose revolver is finding a set of grips that allows you to shoot the gun well without destroying the excellent "concealability" :? of those great little guns. Because people come in all different shapes and sizes; what works for one person may not work for another.
The basic "boot grip" pattern that fills the space between the trigger guard and the front strap without enlarging the overall size of the gun is a good baseline. The Pachmayr Compac Pro adds a little to the bottom of the grip and gives the entire grip a nice rounded profile, is also a good pattern that's not too big. The Pachmayr Compac's remind me of Bill Jordan grips in their basic style and they are a good compromise between size and function.
I like the Eagle Secret Service grips on snubnose revolvers but they are basically copies of the excellent Craig Spegel boot grip.

Occasionally I'll come across someone that has installed a huge set of grips on a snubnose J-frame and brag about how well they can shoot the gun. There's no doubt that those big grips make it much easier to shoot those snubnose guns. However that is like buying a subcompact car for the ease of parking and then hooking a 40' trailer to it so you can brag about how much space it has.
I've seen huge grips on a snubnose J-frame that made the gun bigger than a 2" K-frame with full size square butt target grips. At that point you have to wonder - why bother ? Just get a K-frame.

Ferguson, I think you've found that good compromise and predict you'll continue to discover what great tools those snubnose wheelguns are.

[9.3X62AL]

What Petrol & Powder said. Good points all around.

I have never shot well with I-/J-frame S&Ws. The Pachs improve things markedly for me, but my hands are just too flippin' big to run them at their best. The first 10 years of my cop time was spent carrying sideiron using the Henry Ford Model T paint scheme--"Any color you want, as long as it is black". It was 38 Special wheelguns, period. Thou Shalt Not Vary. I had a 2" Model 10 to supplement the issued 4" Model 64 HB, and the convenience of feeding both war toys from the same sets of speed-loaders always appealed. In a fit of profound stupidity, possibly prompted by pending divorce, I let the 10 x 2" go after we added bottom-feeders to the menu. That little roller could SHOOT, and the ComPacs were a perfect fit for me. Same story with a Model 13 x 3" I had on loan for a while; should have snagged one of those while they were still in print. They cost the earth as used items these days. Shoulda woulda coulda.

[FergusonTO35]

Thanks friends. Have been carrying the 637 with Pachmayrs installed all weekend and they work great. The extra 1/4" of grip makes no difference in concealment. When wearing slacks the butt is visible in the opening of the pocket but I don't worry about that. I have found it conceals nicely in the back pocket with the same Desantis Nemesis holster.

I haven't done any wet newspaper testing for a few years now, 4-6 inches of penetration is just what I remember. Will have to do some more when the weather gets better. I do know that the Remington UMC +P 125 grain SJHP performed out of proportion to it's price, always mushroomed and made a nice cavity.

[Petrol & Powder]

156593
From bottom up: Model 442 (lightweight J-frame), Model 64 (2" K-frame) and Model 65 (3" K-frame, .357mag)
All with round butt grip frames. The two snubnose models are wearing checkered Eagle Secret Service grips and the 3" Model 65 has factory smooth S&W combat grips.
I share Al's admiration for the 2" K-frame although mine is a stainless model 64.
The 3" model 13 with a round butt grip was one of S&W's great designs. The 3" model 65 shown above is the stainless version of the model 13.

[FergusonTO35]

Nice wheelguns!!

[Rodfac]

Good revolver...my wife and two daughters in law carry it. For defensive carry they're all loaded with 124 gr (IIRC the weight) Golden Sabers...good penetration and impressive expansion in a water medium, with that load in spite of its low velocity from a snub nose. Don't have my notes in front of me just now, but it was less than 900 fps. Two of them, BTW, are equipped with Crimson Trace laser grips...a great feeling grip even if you don't use the laser, but the issue boot grip in soft rubber is not bad at all.

When I can pry my wife's fingers off it, I carry hers as well, tho often in a front pocket. The 637's we have are all Airweights...not sure if there was another version and the stainless parts do not include the frame. It's light enough to carry in a shirt breast pocket...not the usual place for a concealment revolver, making it doubly concealed!

My usual carry is a S&W M60 with a 3" bbl. on it. I carry it in one of our home made OWB holsters in the old FBI 4 o'clock position. Either the M60 or one of the 637's is easily covered there if you wear a shirt tail out...even a 'tall' t-shirt does well, the gun being tucked well into the belt line by our holsters.

HTH's Rod (BTW...Merry Christmas to all, especially you, Dale 53...haven't seen you post in awhile...Dave)

[FergusonTO35]

Thought I would post an update. Been shooting and carrying the 637 alot lately and continue to be impressed with it. Today I tried 3.6 grains Bullseye with a Lee 358-140-SWC sized to .357. The 637 really likes this load. In spite of the 16 F temperature it was placing them pretty much POA with more mild recoil than the 150's I had been shooting. Across the chronograph they gave some good numbers as shown below.

Low: 771.7
High: 813.6
Average: 790.4
Ex. Spread: 41.92
St. Deviation: 13.22
Energy: 196.96

[FergusonTO35]

Thought I would post an update. Been shooting and carrying the 637 alot lately and continue to be impressed with it. Today I tried 3.6 grains Bullseye with a Lee 358-140-SWC sized to .357. The 637 really likes this load. In spite of the 16 F temperature it was placing them pretty much POA with more mild recoil than the 150's I had been shooting. Across the chronograph they gave some good numbers as shown below.

Low: 771.7
High: 813.6
Average: 790.4
Ex. Spread: 41.92
St. Deviation: 13.22
Energy: 196.96