I have a sweet shooting .38 spl. model 10 snubbie that I've been concealed carrying for a while now. It's a pinned barrel 2" nickel plated version that's been around the block a few times (...at least carried around a lot by a previous owner judging by the way the finish is fairly well worn)...but it's still tight as a bank vault and scary accurate for a 2" barrel with fixed sights! I bought it used and have put well over 3000 rounds through it. (mostly cast lead bullets). I really like this gun but the weight of this all steel gun is kind of on the heavy side and I'm finding that I'm starting to opt for not carrying it sometimes due to the weight. This leads me into my question. I'm debating on whether I'd be better off getting an airweight J-frame in .38 spl. or if I should go for a steel J-frame. I like the light weight of the airweights, but I have a concern that they might not be nearly as durable as a steel revolver of the same size. On the flip side, the steel J-frames aren't really all that much lighter than my K-frame snubbie that I already own and love....so I question if I would get the bang for the buck that I'm after compared to my tried and true model 10. So my question is: how many rounds have you (YOU...not someone you heard about) put through a S&W airweight J-frame? Also, has it loosened up to any noticeable degree?...If so, about how many rounds of regular .38spl ammo would you say these are good for before they get loose and start to develop problems and/or wear out? I'm planning on practicing with it quite a bit, so longevity is my sincere concern. I understand that they probably have some nip to them, but I like to shoot my carry gun as often as I can so I feel completely competent with it. I would carry +P ammo, but 99% of my shooting would be regular .38spl. I'm specifically talking about the model 637 aluminum J-frame, NOT the scandium versions. Thank you for any help you can offer me!

--Anna Sophia

Anna, if you want to shoot them often, get a steel or stainless steel revolver. If you want to carry one, carry an aluminum one.
Steel is heavier and is more comfortable to shoot. Aluminum framed guns will wear faster and are harder to shoot well. But if you practice with steel and carry the lighter one you will be 110% happier because you have the best of both worlds.
I've been carrying guns for many, many years and just got tired of lugging around the extra weight more than I have too. If you would ever need a firearm to protect yourself with, the aluminum gun will serve you very well.

The light weight guns are made well, don't miss understand what I'm trying to tell you, they are harder to shoot well and you may get discouraged over the increased recoil. Over thousands and thousands of rounds, the light weight guns will wear out faster than the steel counterparts.

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+1

I have both and, like 500 said, you will like shooting the steel gun, but you will like carrying the aluminum gun. Both are very functional...Good Luck, B

I've read a few cases of folks who had to send their Airwieght back in to be reworked after many thousands of +P stuff (Mass Ayoob comes to mind), but I'll bet you'd never be able to wear one out. A lot of us choose to shoot standard pressure stuff through the gun for practice sessions, then, perhaps, shooting a cylinder or two of the heartier carry fodder through at the end of the session.

Weight issues aside, I think you'd find the smaller dimensions of the J frame a welcome change for discreet carry as well. (And I'm not intending to "dis" the venerable K frame by my comment). This is all subjective, of course, but I find that the Airwieght J frame is about the limit of what I'm willing to pocket carry in terms of both weight and bulk. My 4" 10-5 and 15-3 ride in a pancake holster. Same with the 60-4/3" and my 2.25" Ruger SP101. I suspect I'd feel the same way about a 2" K frame.

PC

I have a 642 that has approx. 1000 +P rounds and 3000 non+P rounds through it. Is a great shooter. I honestly don't think you would wear one out with the modest amount of shooting most people do. Even if you did, they are only $475 new.

Think about it. If you shot 100 rounds a month (I'm just getting warmed up at 100 rounds! 2-300 rounds per range visit is not uncommon for me) for five years, that would be 6000 rounds in five years. $100 per year. Cheap, cheap self protection! And I honestly don't think an Airweight with 6000 rounds would be no longer useable.

So... Buy an Airweight, if that's what you want, and shoot it! I like the Uncle Mikes three finger grips and standard pressure ammo at the range but usually shoot 50-100 rounds of +P also.

I have decided from previous experience that steel J's are a better belt gun than pocket gun.

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Centennial Every Day

I'm closing in on 1,000 rounds through my 638. It's held up great so far.

1971 or 1972 model 38 Bodyguard, was firearms instructor last 18 years of a 37 year LE career, been back to Smith at least twice that I remember. Everyone and his dog has shot this snub! Maybe,(never counted) 3 or 4 thousand rounds. Still tight, still carry most of the time. Had maybe 200 or so 158 grain +P LSWCHP loads through it.

I think I am definitely leaning towards getting the J-frame airweight from what I have read. Thanks for the input guys!! I figure I'll still be shooting my trusty model 10 for some of my practice plinking because I shoot it so well, and it still is a revolver with close to the same dimensions and feel, although about twice the weight. Does anyone know how heavy in U.S. ounces a nickle plated steel 2" round butt model 10 weighs? I have a little scale but it only goes up to 16 oz. and the model 10 is definitely quite a bit more than that, so it just bottoms out the scale. What was the cataloged weight for my gun? (empty of course). It still has the original S&W checkered walnut grips that are pretty skinny. I'm a smaller chick so my hands are fairly petite, and I tend to like the smaller, low volume grips on handguns in general. I do really like the idea of having the soft rubber grips that come on the new J-frames. I can get most of my pinky on the end of the grip of the airweight when I was checking it out at a couple of shops. I know that I'll LOVE the light weight and still have five rounds of heat....which makes me feel five times better than having nothing! I'll have to get use to thinking five instead of my usual six though.

I have a 360 with the titanium cylinder. It has seen about 1000 357's and about 2500 38's and still locks up as tight as the day I bought it. Of course I've had to replace my gun hand several times.

As a side note, not that it is proof of anything, but it has the lock and has never been a problem. Anyone who has ever fired one of these with 357's knows the pounding it gives. I think that it is harder to shoot than my 500.

I shot my year old 642 last night, 50 more rounds. I'm up to 650 total in a year. Roughly 100 of those rounds were my carry round, the Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel 135gr +P. Gun is still tight as a drum. The only thing iffy is the finish.

I figured out the best of both worlds; I have a 649 that I LOVE but is too heavy for pocket carry( about 24 ounces.) I just traded for it's little brother, a 638 that is only 15 ounces, and you forget it is in your pocket.

90% of the range is with the 649, the rest the 638

I have fired more than 4,000 rounds (stopped counting) from my Airweight 637, almost all range loads. Then one range session a year or so ago, it decided to stop impacting primers -- one shot fired followed by nothing but clicks. I called S&W, and they immediately offered to fix it free. I sent it off under their shipping label. They fixed it by replacing the entire frame; seems the firing pin bushing had failed and that is how they fix that problem. Unfortunately, this also replaced the serial number, which meant that, to the United States Government it was a new handgun. Cost me a fingerprint, some time filling out background check forms, $25 and two weeks to bail out my own handgun.

I've read on websites that S&W can get around this problem, provided you ask them to do that. Don't know if true or not.

I do know this. My Airweight really beats my hand up when I shoot it. If I forget to put a bandaid on the web of my hand before opening fire, I will create -- and pop -- a blister there after about twenty rounds. And my trigger finger will be numb from trigger slap. I probably won't practice with my 637 anymore, leaving it in its hiding place somewhere in Sandy Eggo County. I much prefer to practice with my 686+ and the BHP 9x19 I carried in Vietnam, and do so weekly.

I recommend steel, preferably stainless.

Cordially, Jack

You might consider getting a steel J-frame, an older Model 60 or the equivalent in .38 Special. Weighs 20 ounces versus 16 for the airweights. But it makes all the difference when practicing at the range.

I don't know how many airweights I've bought over the years when my right front pocket felt too heavy. But then when I went to the range, I hated shooting them. Shooting a 20 ounce Model 60 with Remington 158 grain LSWC + P is quite bearable, but the same round in an airweight is painful.

Ended up trading them all away and going back to the Model 60.

JMHO.

I've only fired about 1500 rounds through my Model 642-1 including 200 rounds of +P. It is fine.

I bought it in 1998 just to try alloy frames and stainless steel, neither of which I much care for. I think I like the revolver less than I did 12 years ago. I simply prefer steel guns.

My wife has pretty much adopted the Model 642.

I called S&W and asked a few questions about longevity, warranty, etc. and they told me that the airweights actually don't shoot loose like a steel gun will over time. They said that if an aluminum framed revolver ever were to have a problem they would break before shooting loose since aluminum is more rigid than steel with less give. The guy I spoke with said that he has seen J-frame airweights from the 1950's with over 50,000 rounds through them! I really didn't know if I should believe him...but I guess he's the expert on the subject and probably has seen more old, well used S&W revolvers than I'll ever see in a lifetime. I'm kind of thinking that he might have been over guesstimating a tad as he was speaking to an otherwise unknowing young female. But I guess that's beside the point because he also told me that S&W revolvers have a lifetime warranty. I also found a 637 that was "used" but basically new in the box for $340 out the door. I couldn't even tell that someone had ever even fired this gun other than possibly a round or two at the factory. I thought that seemed like a decent price compared to what I've seen recently. I then took it to the range today and put 50 rounds of regular .38spl. American Eagle red box FMJ ammo through it and was pretty happy with my results. There's no doubt that this little gun has quite a lot of snap compared to my old 1960's model 10. I got reasonable accuracy from it and was shooting mostly double action for the sake of real world scenario defensive use. I'm pretty excited to have a MUCH lighter weight revolver for CC now and am thinking that this will fulfill my reason for getting it quite nicely. It will take a little getting use to at the range because of it's bite, but it was tolerable for the 50 rounds I fired through it. I'm going to carry +P ammo in it, so I'll have to take it out to see it goes with a cylinder full of the hotter stuff. Now I need to start thinking five rounds instead of six like before! Thanks for all the help guys!

--Anna Sophia

Told you so!

Most here won't steer you the wrong way.

The more you carry it the more you will like it.

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2375 rounds through my 5 year old 637 and not a glitch! I have the 15oz airweight and it's been a trooper and still going!

I agree with what 500 Magnum Nut said about shooting the Steel & carrying the Aluminum, of course you'll wanna shoot the Airweight too to verify it's 100% with your carry ammo..

Carry & Range Snubbies M642/942 & 940

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MightShowYouHisSmith&Wesson