Quick answer No. You say your new to guns. It takes a while to get good with the stubnose, and if your are thinking .357 forget it. Good luck.

It's a handfull. I have a 637, which I carry when options don't allow a larger gun. I have put in excess of 300 rounds through my 637 and I am still having control problems with follow on shots. I have also owned a 642 in the past.
They are not fun range guns to shoot and are very hard to master. I do not personally feel comfortable with it at more than 10 yards for accurate shot placement. That is me. I am former military, and for what that is worth, it was great training. I believe I could take a head shot at ten yards with the 637 and that is why I will carry it on occasion.

Porting or compensating an airweight? Why? I shoot normal 38 Spec range rounds at practice and carry 125g +P JHP for CCW, when I actually carry the gun.

I much prefer to carry my M&P 40, and only carry " my wife's gun" when the standard of clothes require it. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the J frame is an excellent CCW. I just can't deal with five rounds, speed loaders/strips, etc. I have 15 + 1 of 40 S&W in my M&P

Best regards

Originally Posted by tjq

It's a handfull. I have a 637, which I carry when options don't allow a larger gun. I have put in excess of 300 rounds through my 637 and I am still having control problems with follow on shots. I have also owned a 642 in the past.
They are not fun range guns to shoot and are very hard to master. I do not personally feel comfortable with it at more than 10 yards for accurate shot placement. That is me. I am former military, and for what that is worth, it was great training. I believe I could take a head shot at ten yards with the 637 and that is why I will carry it on occasion.

Porting or compensating an airweight? Why? I shoot normal 38 Spec range rounds at practice and carry 125g +P JHP for CCW, when I actually carry the gun.

I much prefer to carry my M&P 40, and only carry " my wife's gun" when the standard of clothes require it. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the J frame is an excellent CCW. I just can't deal with five rounds, speed loaders/strips, etc. I have 15 + 1 of 40 S&W in my M&P

Best regards

I agree with your whole post. My wife carries a 642 loaded with +P rounds for CCW & I have a M & P 40 & recently bought a M & P 9mm Compact. The MP's are great pistols!!!! The 642 is NOT a fun range gun but it will do the job as a carry weapon up close.

In answer to the original post, I, personally, wouldn't consider porting a gun that I would be using for CCW. The up flash through the port would be blinding at night and if you had to hold it close to your body when shooting it you might burn yourself. I have a S & W 686 ported 357 caliber with a 6" barrel. The flash of the 357 is very strong and I suspect the flash of a 38 +P would be pretty good also. I haven't shot either at night though. Don't port it!

I have two 640's in 357 that I have had Magna-Ported. What a difference. Muzzle stays down making subsequent shots much easier. In snubbie Smith's I am sold.

I won't be altering my S&W 649 from factory original

Ammunition choice makes a greater difference than Mag-na-porting.

Porting helps control muzzle jump. Bullet weight effects recoil. Lighter bullet weights, such as 95 gr., 110 gr. or 125 gr. are more easily controlled than the 158 gr~180gr. bullet weights.

Blast will be present in proportion to you load, barrel length affects that. Shorter barrels produce more blast. Magnum and +P ammunition produces more blast, standard loads less so.

Skeeter Skelton's favorite for the snub nose was the .38 Special 148gr wadcutter target ammunition. I've used the .38 Spl. 110gr Personal Defense load from Federal in my S&W 442.

Bob Wright

I chose 158 grain Hornady Custom hollowpoints..I just wish they were +Ps