does anyone have a 5-screw airweight chief?

[ar15ed]

does anyone have a true 5-screw, small triggerguard, triggerguard screw, short-gripframe airweight chief (pre 37)? they evidently are very close to the beginning/13000 serial number range.

does anyone have one of them that also has the little locking/bug screw on the top sideplate screw? the one pictured in scosw/3rd seems to have the bug screw, but the pic is tiny.

the locking screw must have been somewhat scattered throughout the early production. i have 29XXX with the locking screw.


post some pics! i know there are some out there!!!

 

[sandwtrader]

Pre 37

I have SN29065 which is a 4 screw 2" with the aluminum cylinder. Its has the bug screw at the top, a square butt with diamond grips and flat cylinder release.
Haven't figured out how to reduce my pictures to a density that works on this site but I will post a pic if I can.

 

[JayCeeNC]

I'm not home where I can get to my records or the gun, and I don't recall the serial number off the top of my head, but here is a pic of mine. All numbers match, including the box:

 

[JSR III]

Mine is 28530 and has the bug screw. So does that make the ones with a trigger guard screw a 6 screw? Or because it's so small it would be a 5 1/2 screw.

John's looks nice. Mine was rode hard and put away wet. Lots of aluminum showing through the black spray paint.

 

[bmg60]

hi
I have 24310 it does not have the small trigger guard. looks just like johns.
98%
jim fisher

 

[ar15ed]

i am fairly sure that the ones with the "fifth" screw (triggerguard screw) all are based on the frame with the small round triggerguard. i don't reckon i have ever seen one in person. but, there must be some out there!

 

[DWFAN]

 

[handejector]

Good try, DW, but the 6th hole kinda gives it away.

 

[rboineau]

Why the little bug screw? Never saw one on other older S&Ws. Is it because the top/big sideplate screw tended to loosen from the aluminum frame? The steel versions of that gun don't have them, do they(you can tell I'm not very knowledgeable about these little S&Ws)?

 

[JSR III]

That would be correct rboineau. It is only seen on the alum guns. There is also a disagreement among S&W folks as to which screw is called the bug screw.

One school of thought thinks it is the little holding screw while others believe that it refers to the larger screw being held.

Personally, I subscribe to the first school as it is tiny like a little bug and makes more sense to me than calling the larger sideplate screw a "bug" screw.

 

[murphydog]

There is a photo of one in the SCSW, but that is the only one I've seen.

I recall Roy calls the bigger upper sideplate screw the "bug".

 

[ar15ed]

that's a beauty, dw! is it in the 13000 serial range?
thanks for the pic!

 

[handejector]

that's a beauty, dw! is it in the 13000 serial range?
thanks for the pic!

DW is showing you a K frame, 6 shot.
38 M&P Airweight.

 

[ar15ed]

ha! i have been had! i see the grip frame screw, and the "even # flutes now that you mention it!

alright, still lookin'!

 

[DWFAN]

Good try, DW, but the 6th hole kinda gives it away.

Well it does have six screws.
The only one I do have is a four screw.
DW

 

[MNruss]

I always considered the small screw the "bug screw" - I just figured it, like "buggered threads," made the real screw more secure.

I'd like to see some photos of an early Airweight as described by
ar15ed, also.

Regards,
Russ

 

[handejector]

Keep looking for an Airweight Baby AND the Holy Grail.
I suspect you'll find the Grail first!

 

[Win712]

The serial number on this worn, old detective's revolver is on a few away from John's fine specimen, this one has a steel cylinder though. Greg

 

[ar15ed]

supica/nahas/jinks ASSURE me there are some out there! i read it in the book!!! a long, tedious search will keep me on the straight and narrow for a while!

 

[Hondo44]

i am fairly sure that the ones with the "fifth" screw (triggerguard screw) all are based on the frame with the small round triggerguard. i don't reckon i have ever seen one in person. but, there must be some out there!

That's correct. Only the "baby" J frames with the I frame size short grip and small trigger guard have 5 screws (or 6 screws on the elusive or alledged airweight).
These are a slightly later variation with ribbed barrel and ramp sight. But you can clearly see the trigger guard screw that was eliminated with the Model of 1953 J frame which introduced the large egg shaped trigger guard and J frame length grip.