Good evening! I just purchased my first S&W revolver. I had been looking for a J-Frame in my budget for some time, and found this one at a local pawn shop in great condition for $370. It's a Model 37-2, sn CFW83**. Can any of you experts give me any more information about this revolver?


Thanks so much!


IMG_2811.jpg

They’re nice little guns. What info are you looking for specifically?

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Some Might Say.

Welcome to the forum from Virginia......nice buy!

I owned one back in the 70’s and just traded a nickel one. A lot of folks love airweight guns but I’m a fan of steel frame guns as I shoot them better due to the extra mass also I find the recoil unpleasant.

I had good luck with mine but I didn’t put a lot of rounds through them. Of course it’s the internet and how reliable is the internet but I’ve read and seen numerous reports of these alloy frames cracking under the forcing cone rendering the gun unusable. I also ounderstand they can not be repaired if they do crack. Id recommend shooting only lower pressure loads and not shooting +P. I never shot anything other than very light reloads that I came up with to tame recoil and never experienced a problem. On a positive note, every one that cracked that I’m aware of were replaced at no cost by Smith regardless of whether they were under warranty or not.

Welcome aboard from ol' Wyo.

S&W probably shipped your Chiefs Special Airweight in 2000 or
2001. Does it say ".38 +P" on the left side of the barrel?

The grips on it were made by Uncle Mike's, and they're called boot
grips.

Great price for a nifty little revolver -- welcome to that world, too.

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Wrangler of stray Chiefs
Bob

The dash 2 modification started in 1990 and ended in 1997 with the introduction of the dash 3. Smith & Wesson does not approve of +P ammunition in an alloy J frame unless it is built on the J magnum frame and marked as +P. Shoot your Chiefs Special Airweight all you want but only with 38 special standard ammunition.

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SWCA #3526

Thanks folks for your insights. I appreciate knowing a range of when the firearm was likely shipped. It says .38 S&W SPL, not +P, on the barrel. I have no intention of firing +P out of this little piece. It'll be wadcutters and semiwadcutters for both target and probably carry too. Hope to avoid any frame issues that way!


Have a great morning, thanks again.

There is some controversy ifthe frame cracking is due to heavy loads being shot, or from a manufacturer defect- with most who weight in saying the latter. Having an allot J I will tell you while mine is marked plus p I have no intention of using any. About 50 rounds of standard pressure is about all my hand can take. A lot of very respected experts in the revolver field will tell you, the best J airweight ammo option even for carry, is good old 148 wad cutters

My "book" said the "CFW" prefix was from 2003
There was a special 37-2 batch for Japan in 2002. Unknown to me whether the subject Post 1 gun is from that batch.

37-2 2002 Production of the -2 variation starts again for a large order for Japan
2003 2 line markings on -2, Move markings on barrel

Supica, Jim; Nahas, Richard. Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson (Standard Catalog of Smith and Wesson) (p. 246). Gun Digest Media. Kindle Edition.

(I don't know or understand what the year 2003 note means.)

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432UC/638/642/60 + more

Second from top is My 37 it is +P rated. I sighted in +P and carry +P but I practice with standard 38 close to the same weight. I bobbed the hammer for pocket carry. Pictured here with the rest of my J Frames that I rotate for pocket carry. The top gun is a standard weight 36 for waistband carry. I like shooting the 37. When I got it I couldn’t believe how accurate it can be.

Attached Images

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Two Handguns every day

Interesting that some of these 37-2s of similar vintages indicate +P while some, like the one new to me, do not. I can't imagine shooting +P is very pleasant out of a little revolver that weighs about 1lb, nor can I imagine accurate follow up shots are too easy. But I know some people are far more competent than a casual shooter such as myself.

Congratulations!