your thoughts on S&W air weights

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walt65

New member
I traded a S&W titanium J frame .38 +p for a similar .357 mag awhile back and then traded the .357 in on a HK P7M8. I love the P7M8, but I miss the small, light S&W, especially for summer carry. It is also a great concealed gun to have at any time because it can be slipped into a pocket and will not print. So now for my questions:
1. hammer or hammerless (exposed hammer usually = less expensive)
2. stainless or blue
3. .38, .38 +P, or .32 mag
4. laser grip (I mean, is the laser grip a useless toy, or is it really affective
for fast, "accurate" defensive shooting at 7 yards)

I was considering a 442 with a laser grip, or perhaps a silver, hammer exposed .38 +P with a laser grip. How would a .32 mag compare? If you carry such a gun, would you please give me some heads up on their strengths and weaknesses, and what you would do if you could do it over again.
 
IMHO Air weights are NOT good range weapons. I shot a couple of air weight .357's and .38's and they were no fun to shoot after about 25 shots.

Too much recoil to shoot for an extended period of time.

HHOWEVER I think they are a good carry gun because of the weight and fire power.

In the end I settled on a stainless Model 60 for my wife...she carries it AND practices with it which is most important to me.
 
I'm partial to the S&W 642. I like Craig Spegel's boot grips on the J-frame. It fits well in the front pocket during the summer. There's no hammer to snag. I usually carry +P 158-grain lead SWC HPs in .38 Special revolvers. As for lasers, I've never played with them. I'd invest in a tritium front-sight insert instead.

As for .357 Magnums in a snub, most have a barrel shroud that adds weight. Of course, that helps because they aren't particularly pleasant to shoot. If I was set on a magnum, I'd look for a Model 13 or 65 3" S&W.
 
First off, I'll admit to being completely biased in favor of blued guns. Stainless steel or metal finishes don't impart the same admiration as a nicely blued gun.

I've not used a laser-grip however the add-on lasers I have used aren't all they're cracked up to be, IMO. In daylight their range is very limited. At night at short range they can be too bright -- distracting you from watching someone's hands. And if they hit a shiny button, belt buckle or necklace they can dazzle your eyes. But some people swear by them too. YMMV.

As to the models, I have both a Model 042 (transition model) .38 Special and a newer Model 432 Centennial .32 H&R. Of the two, I like the Model 432 slightly better. It's a tad smaller, recoil is much easier to control, it has 6 shots instead of 5 and it's scandium frame is likely to hold up better.

If I know I'm going into dangerous turf, the 1911's will go with me. But if I'm just going down to pick up a pizza, the 432 will snuggle into a jacket pocket or a holster and disappear.

One advantage the hammerless or shrouded hammer (Model 649) designs have is that they can be fired from inside a jacket/coat pocket without the hammer hanging up on any fabric.

Here's a pic of my Airweights
IMG_1019C.jpg

(Top) S&W Model 432 Airweight Centennial, .32 H&R Magnum.
(Bottom) S&W Model 042 Airweight Centennial (transition model) .38 Special
 
Airweights don't even seem to sit in the pocket, their weight just disappears. The airlights are even lighter (or, did I get that backwards?). On the other hand, they sure do hurt when you shoot 'em, unless you trade off a little size for bulkier, rubber grips. You pay your money, you make your choice.

If you get a concealed hammer, you have the most dirt-free and snag-free design with no option for single action fire. Most people say this doesn't matter, and they're probably right.

If you get an exposed hammer, you can always have it bobbed. Eliminates much of the snagging.

If you get a shrouded hammer, you have the best of both worlds. Still snag free, but a bit more prone for lint. SA if you want it. You probably won't need it, though. ;)

The new models are all +P rated, on the 0other hand, they have those little locks in 'em, too. People say those locks don't matter. Others do. Your choice.

.32mag? Pfft, .38spl. If 5 shots didn't do it, I don't think six will, either.

Stainless is easier to maintain, blue will probably match your clothes and hide better.

The Lasergrips are truly awesome. I have the LG305 models on a 45yo Model 38 Bodyguard (blued, shrouded hammer, .38spl, not +P). They're the larger, softer rubber versions and I find that its not punishing on my hand to fire off 50-100 rounds in a practice session. Some people say that hte lasers are a nifty toy, but utterly useless. They may be right, but I went from embarrassingly bad accuracy with out them to puttin' five in a circle the size of my fist with 'em.

Really, it all boils down to what people you choose to listen to. If I were you, I'd have no problems on a concealed or shrouded hammer airweight in .38spl or .38spl +P in blue or stainless, and would definatly add a pair of CTC LaserGrips. At 7 yards, you'll probably be just fine pointing and clicking, but hey, every little advantage for YOU is one less for THEM. If I got a new model S&W I'd probably accidently remove the locking nub when giving it a detailed clean, FOrtuantly, mine doesn't HAVE that lock, so I didn't make that unfortuanate mistake.
 
An Airweight J-frame has been my coat-pocket backup gun for a couple of years now, first in the shape of a 442, currently in 432PD trim. I like the fact that the reduced recoil of the .32 Mag round makes extended practice sessions with Georgia Arms excellent 100gr SJHP loading possible, plus I get a sixth shot in the gun.

I've had Crimson Trace LG205's on both guns, and think they are just the berries for a CCW snubbie, especially one carried in pocket or purse. These guns are likely to be drawn from unusual positions under extreme duress while one's vision is locked on the assailant. With the laser grips, as soon as that red dot shows up on the target, one can start firing with a reasonable certainty of hitting, without the necessity of trying to fing miniscule black-on-black J-frame sights by dead of night.
 
Does anyone here use the smaller CT grips on an airweight? I'd like to keep the overall size small. How well do they work?

Chris
 
mtnbkr,

They work fine on mine.

They're a bit rough on the paw for extended shooting sessions with the 442, but quite tolerable on the 432PD.
 
They're a bit rough on the paw for extended shooting sessions with the 442
Click to expand...
How different do they "feel" than the factory UM grip? That's what's on my
m37 now. My local shop only has the larger version on the dummy gun. It's comfy, but a tad large for my needs.

Chris
 
I really like the S&W Airweights, Walt. I own two 637s and, like you, I find the .38 Special a good carry weapon with +P ammo. All of the new Airweight revolvers are rated for +P use (it will say so on the barrel). Personally, I'd don't find much difference in terms of recoil between starndard pressure and +P pressure in the Airweights. The Airweight revolvers are all aluminium alloy frames with steel cylinders and barrel, which is where the weight savings comes in. You're right, the hammered versions (637) are a bit cheaper, but it really depends on how you want to use the revolver. If it is for pocket carry, you're probably better off with the hammerless 642. I would definitely go with the .38 as opposed to the .32. Ammo is cheaper and the round itself is, I think, more effective. If you want to go down to the .32, I would recomend going to a small auto pistol in .32 ACP, like the Beretta Tomcat. Much easier to conceal than a snubbie.
 
Pistolenschutze,

I would recomend going to a small auto pistol in .32 ACP
Click to expand...

Which offers nothing like the ballistics of a 100gr bullet at 1,000fps.

Incidentally, the 100gr .308" projectile also has much better sectional density than the 125/135gr .357" slugs found in the chambers of most .38 Spl pocket guns. Only by stepping up to punishing 147/158gr loadings can you equal it in the larger caliber.
 
I'm also a fan of the .32 H&R round. I've got a 432PD, but found a 332 with NO LOCK, thats on the way to replace it though. Only problem though is Georgia Arms is not making the 100 grainers anymore, its an 85 grain bullet now. It travels faster though, which still makes it more powerful than any 32ACP bullet, better than 95% of .380 ACP, and even matches most .38/.38+P rounds. I like the .32HR S&W because the recoil is greatly reduced when compared with the .38's, and you get one more round.

The 38's are good though also, and ultimately the .38+P is a more powerful round (especially Speer's 135 gr+P, and the classic 158 gr+P), you just get more recoil. Either caliber is a good choice, and if you plan to carry it, I would really suggest a hammerless/centennial model. Nothing to snag on, and I really doubt you will have the time or need to cock the hammer should you need to use it. Nice thing is you can find a 432PD NIB for about $350, and 642's for about the same, and sometimes even less.
 
I bought a nice used pre-lock 442 .38+P recently and the size is great for pocket carry, but admittedly it's no fun to shoot at all. I'm making the 2nd trip to the range tomorrow, maybe it'll grow on me...

The way I look at it, it's not meant to be an extended-session range gun or intended to shoot 100 rounds in a day. If I just shoot 20-25 rounds each time I visit the range to keep my skills up that should do it.

But I'm keeping a .32 Mag snubbie like the S&W 432 in mind - less recoil and six shots sounds nice. :)
 
I bought a 637 a few years ago. I just didn't care for it. It developed timing issues, the finish peeled and it had almost a "rubber" trigger. IOWs, mushy and no feedback. I don't care for the newer angled thumblatches either. The grips weren't comfortable and my gunsmith refused to touch it. I traded up to a M10-11 in 38 Special. Gunsmith tuned, C&S extended firing pin, polished action, Wolff spring set and the traditional thumblatch. It wears a NOS set of S&W gold emblem diamond grips in walnut on its round butt. I like it. I am considering searching for a blued/anodized M38 shrouded hammer 38 Special for a BUG. in 32 S&W Long, I have a S&W M30 with MagTech ammunition and a 3" barrel in blue. I like it.
 
i have a 649 (airweight bodyguard) that is the last pistol of my collection i would part with. i carry it all the time. berreta 96 and 84 sit at home. i wish i could have two of them...
 
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