# Anyone with experience with the 640-1 Pro-Series?



## SSGN_Doc (Mar 12, 2020)

One in my local shop. Appears to be of the typical, “Carried more than shot” category. Price is decent. I put some money on it to hold it. Considering trading off some other item/s from the collection to fund it.

Since getting the little Taurus 85, My interest in Snubby revolvers has been rekindled. I’ve wanted to put a .357 Mag back in the collection, and was pretty well settled on finding a used SP101. Shop had this one priced less than a SP101 in .38 Special only in similar condition.

Lock-up is tight, no ejector rod run-out or wobble, no excessive yoke/crane play, no excessive cylinder play. cylinder ratchets look like new. Forcing cone has carbon on it but no evidence of flame cutting or cracks. Top strap has only a shiny area in line With the cylinder gap, with no evidence of flame cutting.


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## desertman (Aug 29, 2013)

SSGN_Doc said:


> One in my local shop. Appears to be of the typical, “Carried more than shot” category. Price is decent. I put some money on it to hold it. Considering trading off some other item/s from the collection to fund it.
> 
> Since getting the little Taurus 85, My interest in Snubby revolvers has been rekindled. I’ve wanted to put a .357 Mag back in the collection, and was pretty well settled on finding a used SP101. Shop had this one priced less than a SP101 in .38 Special only in similar condition.
> 
> Lock-up is tight, no ejector rod run-out or wobble, no excessive yoke/crane play, no excessive cylinder play. cylinder ratchets look like new. Forcing cone has carbon on it but no evidence of flame cutting or cracks. Top strap has only a shiny area in line With the cylinder gap, with no evidence of flame cutting.


I have a Model 640 357 and also a 640 in 38 Special. The 357 kicks like a mule when using 357 rounds. 38 Specials not so much. I don't find the recoil of firing 38 Specials out of an all steel J-frame objectionable at all. Since the gun is meant to handle 357 rounds 38 Specials do not put as much wear and tear on the gun. That's probably why the one that you're interested in is in such good condition. I've got a bunch of other J-Frames and put a lot of rounds out of my all steel Model 49 Bodyguard.

The 640-1 Pro series is the top of the line for the 640 series of revolvers. It comes with a fluted barrel and dovetailed night sights front and rear. Indeed a lot of J-Frames are carried more than shot. I just recently picked up my 640 in 38 Special only. I don't think this one had ever been fired. I believe they stopped making this gun in 1996 when the Models 442 and 642 Airweights came out? At that time the Model 640 in 357 came out and remained an all stainless steel gun. It has a 2 1/8 inch beefier barrel, pinned front sight with a shrouded ejector.

The Ruger SP101 is an outstanding beefy revolver as are all Ruger revolvers. But they're not as well refined as a S&W hence they are priced accordingly especially S&W's Pro series. You can't even compare a Taurus to either one of them. I'd say you made a wise decision putting some money down on the 640-1 Pro series. You don't want to let that one get away.


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## SSGN_Doc (Mar 12, 2020)

desertman said:


> The Ruger SP101 is an outstanding beefy revolver as are all Ruger revolvers. But they're not as well refined as a S&W hence they are priced accordingly especially S&W's Pro series. You can't even compare a Taurus to either one of them. I'd say you made a wise decision putting some money down on the 640-1 Pro series. You don't want to let that one get away.
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 20265


Thanks for the input.

Indeed the Pro-Series enhancements really caught my attention. I migrated pretty hard away from revolvers in the mid 90s In favor of autoloaders for carry. Had a Ruger SP101 which I sold off during that period. I enjoyed shooting it, but went the way of lighter and higher capacity for carry by going to Glocks. Had a S&W 442 which was a joy to carry, but not so fun to shoot. Sight limitations on snubby revolvers also was a factor against carry revolvers for me.

The Little Taurus 85 from the mid 90s has been a bit of a pleasant surprise for me and useful for helping me reconsider what I’d prefer in a carry revolver. The 85 hits a kind of sweet spot in weight for me for hot to mild .38 loads. At around 23oz, the revolver made 158gr +P rounds quite manageable. The trigger is different than S&W but better than I remembered. Taking off the side plate and cleaning the dried oil out of the interior gave me an opportunity to slick up a few parts and compare internals to what I remember of my S&W internals. The trigger rebound spring set up is a bit more straight forward and the firing pin block system is a bit different. Parts actually showed good attention to detail, no real rough edges, minimal machining marks, etc. This may have been a pinnacle for Taurus before they started cutting as many corners in revolver manufacturing as they may do now, or maybe I just got one of the senior employees “good day” guns.

Being a bit more attuned to physical dynamics of what contributes to shootable at this stage of my gun experience I have been able to determine things I didn’t like about the stainless snubby from Brazil which translates to other snubby revolvers as well:
-Sights - stainless on stainless sights are not great in various lighting conditions.
-Grip - being able to establish a good, repeatable and sustainable grip helps us put rounds where we want to more repeatably. It also helps in recoil management. Boot grips just don’t do it for me. With heavy loads and a small gun I kind of need the extra leverage of getting my pinky on the grip for best results.
-Trigger - Smooth is good. Predictable is good (I know the statement of being surprised by the break, but…). The Taurus stacks and then releases without a predictable “wall”. I came to like the little interruption between cylinder lock up and hammer fall on the S&Ws early in my shooting experience with a K frame .22.
-Edges- The Taurus Inhave is highly polished Stainless and is rather void of any sharp edges, but I remember my 442 had a couple places on the trigger guard that would get me after a few boxes of ammo.

From what I observed on the Pro Series 640, most of this has been addressed, though the previous owner either replaced the factory grips of full length rubber with wooden boot grips or purchased It with those as an option. Other than that, the smoothness of finish, trigger pull, and visible/useable sights and all steel construction are putting it ahead in features I like in a J Frame sized package. Add the increased robustness of a handgun built to fire .357 magnum rounds and giving me more options for increased velocity to help assure projectile expansion and I’m pretty excited at the prospects.


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## SSGN_Doc (Mar 12, 2020)

Also, quick question. Which of the grips do you like best of those on your J-frames. I note they are all boot grips. If I can get good control out of some really good boot grips I might change my mind.

I took the little 85 which had some rubber boot grips that I think are Uncle Mikes. I added Altamonts that are longer but still seem to resist printing and snagging cove4 garments.


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## desertman (Aug 29, 2013)

SSGN_Doc said:


> Also, quick question. Which of the grips do you like best of those on your J-frames. I note they are all boot grips. If I can get good control out of some really good boot grips I might change my mind.
> 
> I took the little 85 which had some rubber boot grips that I think are Uncle Mikes. I added Altamonts that are longer but still seem to resist printing and snagging cove4 garments.
> View attachment 20266


Actually I like the stag grips along with the Tyler "T" adapter. It's too bad S&W didn't incorporate that into the frame. The stock S&W rubber or neoprene grips feel pretty good too. Same for the VZ grips. But grips are like a pair of shoes every foot is different. I've got a collection of different grips that I've bought over the years some feel just right others don't. What I don't like about rubber or neoprene is that they cling to my clothes. I also care about aesthetics. Since I pocket carry J-Frames on occasion I want the smallest foot print as possible. I just received these imitation Mother of Pearl grips from Altamont last week they feel pretty good too. Altamont makes some really nice grips some of the best in my opinion. They're one of the first places I go when looking for grips.

Badger makes some really nice grips too. I've got a set on my S&W Governor and Performance Center Model 629 44 Magnum. They make the same style boot and full sized grips for J-Frames too. I find that the finger groves have to be in the right place and there are differences between the different makes. But that too has to do with an individual's hand size. I have one set of grips where the finger grooves at least for my hand are not in the right place and they feel somewhat awkward. Unfortunately with grips you never know until you buy them, put them on the gun and see how they feel. I probably have about a dozen or so different grips for these guns and a few others that I bought over the years. However there are some guns whose grips are just right straight outta' the box both in looks and feel. CZ's and 1911's are like that at least for me. 

I bought my first J-Frame the Model 49 Bodyguard almost 40 years ago. It was my first J-Frame that came with the original wooden grips. Shortly after I bought the Tyler T adapter that I saw at a gun show then the stag grips. Both made a big difference. But I always wanted the all stainless Model 640 in 38 Special. Since they're no longer in production I've rarely if ever seen one up for sale. Believe me I was always on the lookout for one. Then about a month or so one came up and I did not hesitate to buy it. Since I'm only gonna' fire 38 Specials out of these guns this one particular J-Frame is my all time favorite. I like the fixed sights, smaller 1 7/8ths inch barrel and un-shrouded ejector. Of course that's a personal preference and I do have both. As far as J-Frames go I've always considered them to be point and shoot guns for extremely close range the sights are just there. They don't call them "belly guns" for nothing.


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## SSGN_Doc (Mar 12, 2020)

Picked it up this afternoon. Got some carry scuffs, but…not bad.


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