....with the aluminum cylinder?

Many thanks.

Paul,

The KA frame (6 shot) revolvers weighed 14 3/8 oz.
The J frame (5 shot) revolvers, usually referred to as Baby Aircrewman, weighed 10 1/2 oz. They were not Model 37s since model numbers didn't exist then.

Regards,

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Kevin Williams SWCA1649 HF208

thanks Kev.

Loaded or unloaded ? Ed.

The Aircrewman was the M13 in military nomenclature.

Wasn't the M13 the 2-inch K-frame with the alloy cylinder?

The weight is unloaded.

It is a bit confusing since there are several variations of Aircrewman revolvers. The military M13 designation referred to both the Colt and S&W 6 shot revolvers. Early on they were the M12 but they bumped it up after some minor tweaks to the S&W. The 5 shot version never got a military designation.

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Kevin Williams SWCA1649 HF208

The book says the Baby Aircrewman was a .38 spl. DA revolver built on
the alloy J Frame with four screws. Five shot alloy cylinder. 2399 were
built and shipped to USAF in 1953.
Most of them were destroyed. Only about 6 to 10 survived. Beware
of counterfeit examples. Weight was 10.5 ounces.
Paraphrased quote from 2nd Ed. of Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson.

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In Omnia Paratus

Sorry, but that's not exactly what it says. The first 2,400 guns were considered prototypes and included three variations, all of them with "A.F. No. XXX" style serial numbers and AF medallions in the grips. The Colts were numbered A.F. No. 1 through A.F. NO. 1189. The S&W guns consisted of 605 six shot revolvers numbered (on the butt) A.F. No. 1190 through A.F. No. 1794 and 605 five shot revolvers numbered A.F. No. 1795 through A.F. No. 2399.

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Kevin Williams SWCA1649 HF208

Apparantly you are looking at a different edition. I was looking
at 2nd edition, page 111 lower right hand corner:
The Chief's Special Airweight:
The Aircrewman (Baby Aircrewman)

__________________
In Omnia Paratus

I no longer have a 2nd Edition but here is what the 3rd Edition says:

And the 4th (current) Edition is even clearer:

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Kevin Williams SWCA1649 HF208

Here's mine: WTS..1953 Smith & Wesson Model 13 "Aircrewman"

I didn't pay the $3600 that Whitey initially asked, though.

I'd like to take a second to thank Kevin, for his willingness to help, abundant knowledge, and class. As he would say to me "we are students, not experts."

Thanks bud.

There are also 8 revolvers at the Springfield Armory upstairs storage vault, 4 K frames and 4 J frames , with serial numbers beyond the published range of numbers. They are NIB, untouched condition, as mint as you can get. I have personally examined them. The factory has no records of making or shipping these guns, according to Roy Jinks, factory historian. They are real and there. Go figure. Ed.

Mike,
You're too generous but I agree--we are all students. There are no experts.

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Kevin Williams SWCA1649 HF208

Yep. You have a lot more detail than I do.

I always figured an expert is someone who is more than
50 miles away from home.

__________________
In Omnia Paratus