Smith Wesson 642 Crimson Trace 38 Special – Superb Laser Revolver

Description

The Smith Wesson 642 Crimson Trace 38 Special is The Smith Wesson 642 Crimson Trace 38 Special pairs the most widely carried small revolver in the country with the accessory that fixes its weakest point. A Centennial J-frame has fixed sights the size of a grain of rice, which work fine on a lit range and badly in a dark parking lot.

Crimson Trace Lasergrips replace the factory boot grip with a unit that projects a red dot exactly where the muzzle is pointed, switched on by the pressure of your middle finger as you take a normal firing grip. Underneath it is unchanged: an alloy framed five shot 38 Special rated for plus P, hammer fully enclosed, about fifteen ounces, and no internal lock in the sideplate.

Smith Wesson 642 Crimson Trace 38 Special Smith Wesson 642 Crimson Trace 38 Special Lasergrips And Low Light Shooting

The laser on the Smith Wesson 642 Crimson Trace 38 Special matters most in the conditions this revolver is actually carried for. In dim light the fixed sights disappear entirely and the dot does not. From a retention position, from behind cover, or with the gun held low and your eyes on the threat rather than the front sight, you can still see where the muzzle points. Iron sights cannot do any of that.

Activation is built into the grip rather than added on. The pressure switch sits exactly where your middle finger closes on the grip, so the laser comes on as part of drawing rather than as an extra step to remember. A master switch lets you shut it off completely for range work with irons.

Zeroing is done with a small hex key, adjustable for both windage and elevation. Most owners set it somewhere between seven and fifteen yards, which covers the realistic range of a snub-nosed revolver. Check the zero occasionally, since recoil and handling can shift it over time.

The grips are slightly larger than the standard boot grip, which most shooters find more comfortable to hold and marginally bulkier to conceal.

Smith Wesson 642 Crimson Trace 38 Special Honest Drawbacks Worth Knowing

A red laser washes out in bright sunlight. Past ten or fifteen yards on a clear day you will not see the dot, and you are back on the iron sights. Practice both ways, because a laser you cannot see and a battery that has quietly died are the same problem.

Batteries need attention. Lasergrips run on small coin cells that give hours of continuous run time, which is years of ordinary carry, but they do not warn you before they quit. Test the laser regularly and replace the cells on a schedule rather than waiting for a failure.

The gun underneath keeps all its limits. Fifteen ounces firing plus P recoils sharply, five rounds is five rounds, and the double action pull is long and heavy by design with no option to cock the hammer. The Smith Wesson 642 Crimson Trace 38 Special is easier to aim than a plain 642, not easier to shoot.

Practice remains the point. A laser shortens the time it takes to get a sight picture; it does nothing for trigger control, and a jerked trigger sends the dot off target just as surely as it does the front sight.

Smith Wesson 642 Crimson Trace 38 Special Specifications

• Manufacturer part number: 150972
• UPC: 022188145359
• Caliber: 38 Special, rated for plus P
• Capacity: 5 rounds
• Barrel: 1.875 inches
• Frame: aluminum alloy, J-frame, round butt
• Action: double action only, enclosed hammer
• Grips: Crimson Trace red Lasergrips with instinctive activation
• Internal lock: none
• Weight: approximately 15 ounces unloaded

Shoppers weighing Smith Wesson 642 Lasergrips against a plain Centennial are deciding what low-light capability is worth. As a 38 Special J Frame Revolver the platform underneath is the most proven small revolver on the market, and as an Enclosed Hammer Revolver it still draws without catching on anything. The laser adds a few ounces and one maintenance item in exchange for an aiming option the fixed sights cannot match after dark.

Why Buyers Choose the Smith Wesson 642 Crimson Trace 38 Special

Buy the Smith Wesson 642 Crimson Trace 38 Special if you carry a Centennial and want a real answer to poor light and awkward shooting positions. Buying gun and Lasergrips together typically costs less than fitting them later, and the unit arrives installed and function checked. For shooters with aging eyes, the laser is often what makes a snub-nosed revolver usable outside a bright range. The absence of an internal lock is a bonus for buyers who look for that specifically.

Skip it if you shoot mostly in daylight and would rather put the money toward ammunition and training. Skip it if you carry loose in a pocket and the slightly larger grip is a problem. And skip it if you will not check the battery, because an unmaintained laser is just extra weight.

Who Should Buy The Smith Wesson 642 Crimson Trace 38 Special

The Smith Wesson 642 Crimson Trace 38 Special suits This revolver suits everyday concealed carriers, home defense buyers, older shooters who struggle with tiny fixed sights, and anyone who wants the simplest possible defensive handgun that stays usable when the lights go out. It is a poor fit for high-volume range shooting, for recoil-sensitive shooters, and for anyone expecting the laser to replace practice. All firearm sales ship to a licensed FFL dealer for transfer, and handgun, laser and carry rules vary by state, so confirm your local law before ordering.

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Every firearm we list ships to your chosen FFL and is transferred there after a background check.