*&* Airweight .38,opinions? Are there diffrent models?

4

45automan

New member
Hey guys went by the gun shop last night and looked at some J frames. The guy behind the counter handed me a S&W Airweight snubby .38,I was blown away! It had a shrouded hammer and was alloy with a Titanium cylinder. I have to have one USED of course! He said there are a few models some air weights have no Titanium cylinder. My question is this how do they shoot? I would just put stndard velocity ammo in it. I have heard horror stories about the recoil of light guns like these. They also has a 642? This was very light too. Given the weight of these snubies I see no reson to move down to a .32 of any kind. .38spcl is worlds better than a .32 right? I am not recoil sensitive I shoot 1911's .40's and I have a .44 Ruger Super Blackhawk. I should be allright with the recoil of these guns right?
Thanks guys for any help,45automan
OOps almost forgot how do these guns work for pocket carry? I start a new job and the dress code is slcks and a tucked in shirt.
 
You'll be fine, it will feel as if a grenade went off in your hand but it will still be attached. Just kidding, I bought a SW 342PD Ti. It is a handfull with std velocity nyclad 125 grain. The 110 grain stuff is tolerable. I use larger grips that cover the backstrap for practice and this has helped in a major way. A shooting glove has been recommended by others, and I think that is a solid idea.I also own a Taurus 85UL undercover-ported. Now, the SW is 10.7 oz. the Taurus is 13.5. The Taurus is enjoyable to shoot. I think the porting is very helpful. You will see many knock porting for the fear of injury in a close encounter. Honestly, you will benefit more from the porting while practicing. I was going to have my SW ported by magna port, but a buddy made an offer. I am content with the Taurus. It has a better trigger, is very accurate and fun to shoot. There are many airweights these range from 13.5 oz for the SW M37, 442@14.5 or so. The Titaniums really teeter on "too light" I am a recent snubbie convert and love these things. So many accessories available. Best of luck.
 
45automan-in the S&W lineup, the revo's with the aluminum-alloy frames and steel cylinders and barrels are refered to as the "Airweights"-the Model 37,38,442,637,638 and 642-and I apologize if I left anyone's favorite out!!! The revo's with the titanium cylinder, steel-lined aluminum barrel shroud and aluminum-alloy frames are designated as the "AirLite Ti" guns-these include the Model 317,331,332,337 and 342-and these are just the J-frames!!! The AIRWEIGHTS will typically weigh around 13.5-15 ounces, unloaded, while the "AirLite Ti's" will go 10-11 ounces...about a quarter-pound difference, depending on grips, exact frame/hammer configuration [exposed hammer, shrouded hammer, etc.] and other factors. Speaking from personal experience-I carry an AIRWEIGHT Model 442 w/totally enclosed hammer and Uncle Mike's Boot Grips-the 442 is at the lower edge of the "Comfort Scale" for me...its not too bad with target wadcutters, tolerable with standard-pressure ball but NO FUN AT ALL with "plus P" ammo. It is manageable with "plus P's"-IF I do my part-but, as I said, not much fun. IMHO, these small, lightweight revo's are EXCELLENT carry pieces, and one SHOULD practice enough with his/her carry gun and ammo to be competent/confident...but these AREN'T guns to take to the range for an extended shooting session. Hope this has been of some help....mikey357
 
Automan -- check out the *&* website for all the model #'s and features -- I can't remember them all and won't waste space here. The options are: 1) "airlight" (Titanium cylinder) v. "airweight" (Al frame and steel cylinder). My recommendation would be for the airweight -- these are 3 - 4 oz. heavier (not necessarily a bad thing, and still less than 15 oz.), but ~$150 cheaper; 2) exposed hammer v. hammerless ("centenniel frame") v. shrouded hammer ("bodyguard frame"). If you want pocket carry, go with the hammerless for less snagging and nothing to get hung up if you must fire from inside a jacket pocket; 3) 6 - shot .32 v. 5 - shot .38. I'd go with the .38, and you can shoot +P's which are ballistically even better; 4) if you go with the steel cylinder, either stainless or blued. I would probably go with stainless for pocket carry, although the *&* blued finish is very durable, and mine doesn't have any rust after a year of deep concealment carry.

I've never fired the airlight (Ti), but my 442 airweight is manageable with +P's, if you're used to magnum handguns. *&* triggers are reputedly better than Taurus triggers, although the latter has gotten better in recent years. I find these pistols hard to shoot with a lot of accuracy beyond 10 - 15 yds, but for a dependable up-close defense weapon, they're hard to beat. Search the archives for preferred loads, but I'll put a vote in for 158 gr. LSWCHP +P's ("treasury load"). Best wishes.

Andrew
 
I have the 342, Ti with no hammer, and like it a lot. Even though there is not much weight difference, I find it matters to me somewhat when I am carrying it in my front or jacket pocket, as I do when I can't wear a strong side holster with a bigger/heavier gun. I think that the hammerless feature is really important if you are going to carry in your pocket much. As far as recoil, you can feel it, but I don't find it (the +p) objectionable for a few shots. I tend to practice with mostly std 38 loads, and throw a few +ps in to give me the experience.
 
I carry a 442 (blued alum. frame, steel barrel and cylinder, fully enclosed hammer)as my all-the-time gun. It rides in a Kramer pocket holster in my right front pocket. I carry +P 158gr LSWCHP and find that with good stocks they are tolerable. By reloading, I have found that I can duplicate the POI of the +P158s with a low recoil load that's easier on me and the gun. I end the range session with a couple of cylinders of +P.
 
45automan, I just picked up a used Smith 642 for my wife for X-mas, and I compared the trigger with a used Taurus model 85 the shop had. The Taurus trigger was very difficult, and the Smith trigger was more predictable if that means anything. Price was $349 for the Smith (20 rounds fired through it) and $310 for the Taurus.
 
I just got back from the range earlier this week looking at small framed pistols for concealed carry. The whole *&* vs Taurus thing really came down to personal preference on my part. The *&* was nice, a bit pricier, but the Taurus (85BUL) I fired had a trigger that I absolutely loved. As has been said before recoil with them can be harsh, even more with hotter loads. I shot off two boxes of Winchester FMJ 130 grainers without dreading the recoil but what was there is enough to make me glad that I didn't go with one of the even lighter guns. As has been said as well, I didn't see much muzzle flip on recoil, probably because the bore line is so close to the hand in these small guns.

FYI the majority of my handgun experience comes from firing a lot of plinking and heavy hunting loads in .45 LC.

Oh, and just an edit... I paied 258 out the door for the Taurus, which was NIB before my range time with it.
 
My question is this how do they shoot?
Click to expand...

Just fine... ;)

642_2t.jpg


Joe
 
Last edited:
finally made my choice

After a couple of months of info research I finally chose * & * 637 over the Taurus 85. I guess it came down to shelling out another $40.00 more. If I could have saved $100.00 or more I might have gone with the Taurus, because I then would have been able to buy that old mil. surplus rifle I've been wanting like an SKS or Moisin Nagant. I think the extra $40.00 will pay off in the long run.
Today was my first day at the range with it .Even at 25 degrees and 20 mph winds, I was impressed with the gun,(my first snubbie). With 125 grain +p ammo at 7 yards ,2-3 inch groups were achievable.I was surprised at how little the recoil affected my accuracy. I chose the 637 +p over the 60 .357 because I thought the increased power would make me less accurate over all. I am used to shooting a Ruger GP 100 with a 4" barrel; very accurate but much heavier and not as concealable.So far I have no regrets. One thing I know for sure, I'm looking foreward to more practice time soon. I just hope it warms up a bit. :)
 
Finally, someone with a Model 637! Angus, how do you like the external hammer? Some say the Model 642 (with an internal hammer) is better for concealment. What do you think?

Regards,
Jv
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top