Got a old Smith snubbie with a aluminum cyclinder.Whats it worth?the serial # is 290XX. Any info on the weapon would be great.Thanks!

No idea on value but it looks like the yoke screw and the one hidden under the grip horn are probably switched around. The flat flush screw belongs under the grip.

There were some experimental guns made for the USAF with alloy cylinders but they kept blowing up. Don't shoot it. Much value as most were destroyed.

I had a close friend and quail hunting buddy who was a Deputy Sheriff/City PD/State Revenue Officer back in the 50s-60s-70s. He carried some kind of nickeled 2-inch K-frame revolver that he claimed came from Warner Robins Air Force Base. It was extremely light. He claimed way back then that the gun had a titanium cylinder, maybe that the whole gun was Ti. At that time there were maybe 150 civilians from our rural community working at WRAB, which was a huge SAC base at the time. His claim was that one of them got the gun for him.

The Sheriff I worked for in the early 70s (Cap'n Charles: he was elected the year I was born (1948), and served until his death in 1984.) had two S&W revolvers he kept in a locked drawer in the SO. One was a beautiful pre-Model 15 with smooth Target stocks. The other was a Chiefs Special like the one in the OP, with the aluminum cylinder. When I was on the radio during the wee morning hours, I would admire the two revolvers. I was carrying either a Model 36 (no dash) or a Model 39-2 then.

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Thanks for the info! I will not shoot it. just for looks...Man that sucker is lite!

there were about 3777 made with the alu cyl. alloy cyl has been found up to about serial 44577, with approximately 900 manufactured with the square butt. they discontinued the alu cyl in 1954, and the very earliest ones had the "bug" screw locking the upper side plate screw. i'd say yours is from 53-ish.

it looks to be in very nice condition! normally i don't like the square butt config, but man, in this instance, it makes it fairly rare. one of 900 is a pretty tiny production total. especially in the condition yours is in. i like it! i would say it should easily bring 800.00, maybe lots more. don't shoot it!

nice gun, and thanks for the pics!

db is right about the screw. i bet if you take the grips off, you will find that someone has switched the "flat" head screw with one of the oval heads. i'd carefully switch them back, with a proper screwdriver. it would also be a good time to make sure the grip serial number matches the gun. i bet it does. it looks like a sweet unit!

Neat gun. I picked up one that came walking in at local gunshow a few months ago. Lucky enough to get the box with it. Smith stopped production of the alum cyl one pretty early and replaced it with steel. I understand that if you sent it back for repairs, they would swap it out for a steel cyl before returning it.

More info on the pre-model 12 My gunshow finds Pre mod 12

Charlie

crsides, your gun is a K-frame "Pre-Model 12," not a "J-frame Pre-Model 37." I believe there are a lot more K-frames with alloy cylinders than J-frames since they are seen much more often.

I do not believe alloy cylinder guns are dangerous or fragile with standard pressure ammunition. There may be a cylinder "fatigue" factor that shortens the life of them compared to a similar gun with a steel cylinder, but I have heard anecdotal evidence of one being shot a lot and still in one piece.

That said, I still would relegate it to collector status and retire it from service just to be sure.

How do you know if a J or K frame has an alloy cylinder
Is every Model 37 an alloy cylinder?

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Carefully try to attach a magnet to the cylinder. Kyle

There are two different guns pictured on this thread. The first one with the square butt grip is a J frame. The later photo of a round butt gun is a K frame. The J frame is a 5 shot and the K frame is a 6 shot. Hope this helps.

Steve

Thanks guy's great info! I checked the grip and the numbers matched. I also briefly looked at the screws. They appear to be in the right places. I most likley will be selling this weapon.THANKS AGAIN!

i tried to find a pic to show you about the screws, but i don't readily have one. the screw above, and in front of the trigger has a flat, flush-fitting head, and the one above, and behind the trigger has an ovalized-looking head. when you take the grips off, you will see another screw above the gripframe, that is hidden by the top "horn" part of thr magna grip, when the grips are installed. that is where the "flat" head screw goes. someone has probably had your sideplate off, and put one of the oval head screws back in the hole that is hidden by the grip, and put the flat head screw in the hole below the cylinder. the flat head screw just allows the grip panel to go completely flat against the frame.

it is no big deal, but i would switch them back into their correct holes, if the other oval head screw is, in fact, in the hole above the grip frame.

Sir, not to argue but I believe you are incorrect. If we observe your photo below, we see that the right-side grip horn does not rest flat against the frame of the gun. This is due to the improperly-placed fillister-type screw head under the grip.



The flat head screw is the one you want at the rear of the sideplate under the grip. Note crsides' photo below showing both lower side plate screws looking the same, the proper configuration.



It's a common mix-up and easy to fix. Swap the screws around and the grip will fit better and the gun will look correct. It's important not to mix the scews up because the yoke screw is fitted to its particular task.

i found a decent pic of a 60. the two screws above the trigger have the matching "oval" heads, and the screw under the grip has the "flat" head to allow the right grip to go flush against the frame.

I have a round butt pre model 37 or as some would prefer a Chief Special Airweight with serial number 28530, so they are almost brothers.

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Nice Pre 37 Chiefs special airweight,
Some observations,
As stated your cylinder is aluminum so Do not shoot it.

Your gun appears to be transitional with the early first style flat latch and hammer but later egg shaped trigger guard and no bug (Lock) screw at the top.
Also
Looks like you have the plastic grip medallions instead of nickel ones that were used one year around 1952... I could be wrong,

AS for value its in fairly decent shape, nothing was mentioned about any box or docs/tools so am assuming not.

Its a collectors gun in good condition that cannot be fired safely anymore.

In comparison I recently purchased an all steel pre 36 from 1953 / 54 but in unfired condition (no box or docs) for $450.

The question of "Worth" can be tricky as something like this is only worth what someone will pay for it.
I have no doubt someone would swap a brand new airweight for yours and they cost near $400.
This is all just my opinion and worth only what you paid for it.
Good luck and thanks for sharing it.

Ok I will take a closer look at the screws! Thank you.. I do believe the medalions are plastic. And the gun did not come with anything but half of the old blue box. And nothing else.You guys are great! thanks again.

Is a black Model 37 Airweight in my local shop's case aluminum, is it safe, is it rare?

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bushmaster, all model 37s (or pre 37s, or chief's special airweights) have an aluminum frame. the gun in question in this thread also has an aluminum cylinder. they were an attempt at a lighter gun in the early fifties, and were quickly deemed unsafe to fire, and replaced with a steel cylinder in 1954. all 37s since then have a steel cylinder, but still have an aluminum frame.

the early aluminum cylinder guns are not considered safe to shoot, and are strictly collectibles. they are quite rare, especially in nice condition, and even more rare with the square butt, such as the o.p.'s gun.

any early flat-latch chief's special airweight in nice condition has some intrinsic collector value.

What I needed to know.
The Model 37 is undobtedly a later model

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I will try to get pics up of mine. I have a pre 36 airweight RB with both the aluminum and steel cylinders (serial # 43xxx), I got it from a retired NYPD detective who sent the Airweight with the Aluminum cylinder back to SW who then returned it with both cylinders.

Regards,
Steve 'Cityrepo61'