By Jim Dickson | Contributing Writer
Top break hammerless Smith & Wesson revolvers and the current production S&W Model 640 hammerless revolvers, along with the other makes of hammerless revolvers, are the only really satisfactory revolvers for pocket carry.
As the 640 also chambers the .357 Magnum, this makes it the most powerful of its class and thus “King” of the pocket carry revolvers. It is a petite five-shot revolver weighing only 1 pound 7 ounces or 23 ounces. It measures a scant 5 inches high by 7 inches long and is only 1 ¼-inch thick at the cylinder. Trigger pull as measured by a Lyman trigger pull gage from Brownell’s Gunsmithing Supplies, is 10.5 pounds.
While the gun could be made lighter by employing an aluminum frame the recoil would increase and the ability to deliver to rapid fire the gun would decrease. As it is the rubber grips make it pleasant to fire although true rapid fire can only be achieved with .38 Special rounds. The .357 Magnum loads make the gun buck in the hand too far to do any real rapid fire as it takes too long to recover from recoil.
While snub nose revolvers are a bit more difficult when it comes to precision shooting because they lack the steadying influence of the weight and leverage of a longer barrel they can still be shot accurately and effectively. I have tested the hammerless S&W 640 with thousands of rounds of .38 Special and .357 Magnum cartridges with all bullet weights and types over the years and it has always shot accurately for me at all ranges. Thanks to the generous rubber grips and the steel frame recoil has never been a problem. The quality standard and reliability ranks as the among the best S&W has ever made and is an added lynchpin for their reputation.
For this particular evaluation, I used the following ammunition:
Western .38 Special, 158-grain Lubaloy bullet with an advertised velocity of 855 fps; Winchester .38 Special 110-grain Silvertip listed at 945 fps; Remington 158-grain .38 Special SWC capable of 850 fps; Federal 158-grain .38 Special reported at 770 fps; Winchester .357 Magnum 145-grain Silvertip at an advertised 1,290 fps; Remington .357 Magnum 180-grain leaving the muzzle at 1,145 fps, and Federal 180-grain .357 Magnum which the company lists at 1,080 fps.
The little S&W didn’t have any trouble making 2-inch groups at 25 yards with any of the ammunition tested. My 5 foot 2, 105-pound wife was always an enthusiastic shooter of any gun we tested and she had no complaints about the recoil.
Of course the S&W 640 can be carried in a holster. I have a pancake holster made by Roy’s Leather Goods that has the thumb break snap going over the trigger guard because the hammerless design offered no secure place on the top of the gun. I have always found the pancake holsters to be the most comfortable and concealable holsters. They are also very fast to draw from and work equally well for both open and concealed carry.
For inside-the-waist-band carry I like the Sticky Holsters because they stay in whatever position you put them in. Adjust the gun and holster exactly where you want it and it won’t change position as you move about.
For inside the pants pocket I have a JagWear pocket holster that effectively hides the imprint of the gun under a big patch of leather on the outside of the holster.
An HKS Speedloader case holds two 5-round HKS Speedloaders for fast reloads. Having the ability to make a fast reload after using the gun in an emergency is something some folks overlook to their peril as dogs tend to run in packs, as do some criminals. If you are attacked there may be a follow up attack by the rest of the pack.
However, the real function of a pocket pistol is to be carried inside a pocket effectively. These small frame S&W revolvers have always excelled at that but there is one thing that the hammerless ones will do that the hammer versions will not do reliably and that is to fire through a pocket without the hammer jamming a piece of the pocket lining between the hammer and the frame producing a misfire. Exposed hammer guns should always be drawn before firing and this includes those with a hammer shroud as a stray coin or other object in the pocket can get between the hammer and the frame. As for semi-automatic pistols, they need open spaces for the slide to move and the round to eject. Not the sort of thing you find in pockets.
Almost 30 years ago, my wife and I did extensive testing on shooting with this revolver still in the pocket. We ruined every old coat we had in the only test of its kind that I have ever heard of.
In the movies you see just a little bullet hole when a man shoots a gun through his pocket. That is the same sort of movie nonsense that has a 1-inch-long silencer completely silencing a revolver or a man shooting a submachinegun having more enemy soldiers fall down than he has bullets in the magazine.
The reality is drastically different. You have three big holes of 2-inch diameter or larger blown in the pocket. One from the bullet followed by the muzzle blast and one on each side of the barrel cylinder gap. The rest of the pocket is torn into rags extending from these three holes.
I would never dare to fire a handgun inside a pocket holster for two equally good reasons. It would ruin the holster and it could divert that hot gas from the revolver’s barrel cylinder gap back to my hand. The gun must be in a coat pocket where it can be thrust clear of the body before firing.
The explosion of lint, cloth, and muzzle blast is most impressive. Enough muzzle blast will hit you in the face to make you wince at times. The gas coming out of the gap between the cylinder and barrel forcing cone cuts like an acetylene torch.
I had one pocket lined with leather and it burned through it in a most impressive and frightening manner. The leather lining held the gas pressure long enough to blow the seams out so that the whole gun was sticking out for the second shot. The possibility of getting the gun momentarily caught in the shredded coat made withdrawing it ill-advised in such close quarters combat until the threat was neutralized.
The only pocket it did not burn through completely was one that I had lined with heavy canvas sail cloth. This pocket held the gas in resulting in the stitching breaking under the pressure and the pocket blowing clean off. As this left the gun instantly out in the open where it could be raised for more effective longer range fire this was tactically the best solution.
With all of that fire burning through coats you would have no trouble believing the stories of guns fired through the pocket setting coats on fire but I was unable to get a fire even from cotton pocket liners with Kleenexes stuffed in them.
Carrying in a pocket requires constant cleaning of the gun as pockets are true lint and dirt magnets. The pocket should be turned inside out and brushed clean every time before inserting the pistol. Sweat finds its way into pockets as well so the gun should be cleaned well after carrying.
The ease with which handguns can rust when carried in a pocket makes the stainless steel construction of the S&W 640 most welcome. Just remember that stainless steel is rust resistant and not rust proof. It still needs the care you would give a normal blue finished carbon steel gun. You just have a broader safety margin.
Why so much emphasis on firing through pockets? Speed.
You can keep your hands in your pockets without looking threatening. If the gun is in your hand all you have to do is thrust it away from your body and fire. No reaching for the gun, grasping it, pulling it clear of the holster, and finally pointing it at your attacker. You already have the gun in your hand and you just shove it forward away from your body and fire.
In today’s close quarters world, a potential enemy can be right in your face before that passerby or man wanting to know the time suddenly turns into your attacker. At this range drawing a gun may be met by your attacker grabbing the gun. With the gun discretely held at ready in a pocket with no positioning of it to alert a potential adversary then the first time your attacker knows it’s there should be when it fires. Speed and surprise are your great allies when you are suddenly attacked. This is where the hammerless pocket pistol shines and this is its niche.
