Smith & Wesson Airweight
I was checking the hammerless airweight pistols out a while back at a local gunshop. I liked the how the gun felt and all, but it seemed to me that it might be a little hard to hold on to. it was the 357/38 special. Probably will buy one in the next month and just wanted to hear from people who own or have shot them. can we go into a little more detail than pish posh? it has the molded rubber grips that has the finger slots in it.
I'm not an expert, but i did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night.
I'm not an expert, but i did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night.
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There hard to hold on to with 38 Special loads, don't want to even think about them with 357's.
Go to one of the smaller automatics in 9mm, ( KelTec, Kahr etc) if accurate sustained return fire is a concern.
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Hard to hold onto?! Pish Posh! 0 -
What kind of grips does the one you're getting have on it? 0 -
Unless you KNOW all your potential shootouts are going to be in a phone booth? Go with something thats easier to control then a 14 oz revolver, with a minuscule grip. 0 -
Original quote from rufe-snow:
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Unless you KNOW all your potential shootouts are going to be
in a phone booth? Go with something thats easier to control
then a 14 oz revolver, with a minuscule grip.
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Yeah, but if you want a light, simple, always dependable, potent little shooter, that'll defend you well in most self defense scenarios, there's nothing that beats the good old snub revolver. Besides which, I don't remember bperdue21 asking whether he should get a pistol or a revolver, he asked whether the little revolvers are hard to hold onto. I have personnally never had a problem holding onto mine. I have a couple, one with old fashioned wood grips and one with Hogue type rubber grips with the finger grooves. The rubber gripped one fits the hand a little better than the wood gripped one but I wouldn't call either one "hard to hold onto", unless maybe you're a granny with arthritic fingers.0 -
After much research and heart rending decision making, I purchased a S&W 340pd about a year ago. It is Scandium and is .38/357. I replaced the grips immediately with Crimson Trace laser grips, and use an inside the pants pancake holster.
I LOVE THIS GUN! It has a 1 7/8" barrel and is hammerless. VERY light weight, when carrying concealed you forget it is there. Basically a foolproof design.
It handles great. It is a pleasure to shoot with .38 specials. No problem hanging on to it or reaquiring the target (especially with the laser).
It is NOT a pleasure to shoot with .357's, but is tolerable and the gun has never even come close to slipping out of my hand. After five rounds of rapid fire with .357's the old hand tingles a bit I admit!
I practice with the .38's and carry .357 Golden Sabres for personal defense.
I cannot recommend this gun highly enough. How'sthat for pish-posh?
EDITED TO ADD THE FACTORY GRIPS THAT FORTHHORSEMAN IS SPEAKING OF (HOGUES)
Mateomasfeo
"I am what I am!" - Popeye0 -
quote:Originally posted by mateomasfeo
After much research and heart rending decision making, I purchased a S&W 340pd about a year ago. It is Scandium and is .38/357. I replaced the grips immediately with Crimson Trace laser grips, and use an inside the pants pancake holster.
I LOVE THIS GUN! It has a 1 7/8" barrel and is hammerless. VERY light weight, when carrying concealed you forget it is there. Basically a foolproof design.
It handles great. It is a pleasure to shoot with .38 specials. No problem hanging on to it or reaquiring the target (especially with the laser).
It is NOT a pleasure to shoot with .357's, but is tolerable and the gun has never even come close to slipping out of my hand. After five rounds of rapid fire with .357's the old hand tingles a bit I admit!
I practice with the .38's and carry .357 Golden Sabres for personal defense.
I cannot recommend this gun highly enough. How'sthat for pish-posh?
Mateomasfeo
"I am what I am!" - Popeye
I whole heartedly concur! I have the same gun but with the Hogue type finger grooved grips that came on it. I shoot +P .38SPLs in it (I too found the .357MAGs to be "hand tinglers"). Its definitely no pish posh.0 -
I have a model 638-2 and it is not an AirLite, but an Airweight as it has a stainless steel barrel and cylinder which adds a little weight but I like the weight. It is in 38Spl. and approved for +P, not too bad to handle even with +P's. Got it for $80 because as you can see, finish on right side is messed up, but for a carry gun, that is o.k. It had the rubber grips but the screw was messed up so I put these on, but would like to find a set of original grips.
Believe nothing you hear and only half of what you see !!
NRA Life Member0 -
Buy it and also get the Crimson Trace laser grips.
Shooting +P 38 Spls and 357 Glasers isn't bad.0 -
I've got the airweight 637;
A box of wadcutters is no big deal.
.38+Ps definitely do kick a bit, but its not a problem to shoot them (especially if you use two hands). I wouldn't want to fire fifty in a row, but I've never dropped the gun or even felt like I was coming close even with the 'boot' grips. Im sure if my life were on the line, I wouldnt feel the recoil!
I like it for all the reasons Mateo listed. . .super lightweight, completely reliable. Did I mention that its easy to carry? ;-) I do know several seasoned shooters who dislike the recoil of a .357 in the lighter guns enough to NOT want to carry them (including one guy who carries his with .38+Ps as a backup gun).
With oversized soft rubber (eg Pachmayr) combat grips, the gun is actually much more pleasant to shoot and easier to control for fast shots, but I'll gladly sacrifice that extra control for the less bulk and better concealability of the boot grips.
Recoil definitely is more, and followup shots are slower than with the corresponding all steel gun, but that's a tradeoff I am happy to make considering the advantage in more comfortable all day carry with the lighter gun.
The way I look at this, the likelihood of me even unholstering the gun in "anger" (so to speak) is small, and even if I need to, the likely distance is probably going to be under 5 yards. At that range, its "point and shoot" and the need for MORE than one shot is even smaller still. So I'll take the slight compromise in repeat shot speed in exchange for greater all day comfort.
The point of the snubby is its the gun you have when you AREN'T expecting trouble! If I really thought I was going to get into a gunfight I wouldnt be carrying a snubby revolver at all, but some kind of high-cap double-stack .40. . .(or better yet, a .40 carbine).
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.
-Albert Einstein0 -
I have a S&W mod 60 3" in a .357. It is 22oz and very easy to control. Wear your earplugs... 0 -
thanks for all the info, i will definitely be picking one of these up shortly.
I'm not an expert, but i did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night.0 -
Consider the Smith & Wesson AirLite model 642 made of titanium. It weighs 15 ounces empty. Costs about $400. It is a 38 special but is made to shoot 38 special plus P. It is the only gun I found I could actually carry comfortably anywhere. The 357 model has a bigger buttstock and makes pocket carry more difficult for me. I just wanted a reliable revolver that I knew I would carry everyday and I have found it. I use Uncle Mike's pocket holster to carry it. 0
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