SixGunS... and DWalt,
I sure understand your reservations. The sole reason the K-frame Airweight holds interest to me relates to my Chiefs Airweights of the same year.
I find that new era of lightweight carry revolvers fascinating. Pushing boundaries -- the aluminum cylinder that didn't work -- and discovering -- through failure -- solutions.
It seems the "bug" screw -- upper side plate retaining screw -- also evolved to solve a problem. The earliest Airweight Chiefs Special I list shipped in January '53 to a police chief, and that was an "advertising" expense, according to the order. A brilliant marketing/testing plan to put new revolvers in the hands of those who'd use them and report back to S&W.
My "5-screw" round butt Airweight Chiefs Special shipped in July '53. That upper side plate screw, reportedly, had a tendency to back out of the thin aluminum side plate so the solution was the bug screw, as seen on my October '53 shipped square butt Chiefs.
I don't track the K-frame Airweights, but I've read the bug screw didn't come into play on them till '54.
I've evolved into more researcher than collector. That's where I find the appeal in having these "deactivated" or dysfunctional" guns in my hoard. They help tell "the rest of the story" (with accolades, not apologies, to Paul Harvey).
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Wrangler of stray Chiefs
Bob
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