Likely longevity of an Airweight

[ravencon]

I have my eye on a pre-model 10 Airweight (steel cylinder) snub that is tight but not with a pristine finish, i.e. this will be carry gun and a shooter, not a safe queen.

Can anyone offer an educated and experienced estimate of how many standard velocity rounds a revolver of this type can be expected to digest.

Thanks.

 

[moph759fl]

If you are going to shoot it alot it would be advised to use just use .38SPL, that way the wear & tear will be at a minimum. Shoot .38+p for limited practice. After all a snub is not target gun, it is made to defend you and yours at a relatively close range.

Or, just shoot the dickens out of it and if it breaks get it fixed.

 

[orionengnr]

That question has been asked about the Scandium AirLite in 357. There was a guy (two years ago or so) on the S&W Forum who had 26,000 full-power 357s through his M-340 with no problems.

Having owned two of those, I am more concerned with the bones in his wrist than I am with the gun.

The aluminum alloy framed guns? Well, neither my wrist nor my wallet can put too many down the barrel without feeling the pain. I know aluminum alloy isn't as tough as Titanium/Scandium, but on the other hand, the .38+p is nowhere near as tough on equipment as the .357. On the one hand, I've read that many of the alloy j-frames won't put up with a steady diet of +p, but on the other hand, I've never read of someone shooting one loose....

Given S&W's generous warranty program (if you can afford the ammo) I wouldn't worry about it.

Just my .02.

 

[brockgl]

Yeah, I have taken my airweight to the range only twice and put about 300 rounds through it to make sure it functions perfectly, but it is too small to be a "fun shooter" for me. So, it's purpose is self-defense. I carry it almost everywhere I go, so it gets a lot of wear on the surface of the gun, but not much on the functioning parts.

Sorry not to answer your question...

 

[rcmodel]

Shooting Times (Skeeter Skelton) did a 5,000 or 10,000? round torture test on two airweights several years ago. At the end, there was no measurable wear, and both guns were shooting smaller groups then at the beginning.

rcmodel

 

[ravencon]

Thanks, very useful info.

Just to clarify, the pre-model 10 Airwweight is a 6 shot K-frame not a J-frame. That might help with recoil just a bit--though I've never shot a K-frame Airweight.

I have to agree that shooting a J-frame Airweight isn't all that much fun.

 

[jaydubya]

I've put about 5,000 rounds of range loads downrange with my 637 Airweight snubby, and have detected no wear, except for that ring around the cylinder the cylinder stop creates and the groove in the topstrap above the cylinder gap. Both of these formed within the first few hundred rounds to a shallow depth, and then stopped growing. This appears to be common on S&W revolvers; my 686+ also has them.

I expect to fire thousands more rounds from my Airweight before I die, and it gets passed on to one of my grandsons.

And I agree: Airweights are not fun to shoot. I always put a wide bandaid on the web of my thumb before I do it. If I don't, I'll have a popped blister after just twenty rounds.

Cordially, Jack

 

[JCMAG]

You folks must be shooting some hot rounds. I shoot a box of the FBI load through my aluminum J-frame and my hands just feel heavily vibrated and a little tingly for the rest of the afternoon. My piece wears the factory boot grips. You folks might want to do a little stock shopping.

As for an M&P lightweight, I would take it easy on the old girl if I were in your shoes. There is some excellent standard pressure ammunition out there if you need punch. Buffalo Bore makes a standard pressure load that pushes a 158 gr LSWCHP at 850 fps, matching Remington's classic without the pressure spike.

I don't know if you can shoot it loose in any kind of hurry, but, for the sake of longevity and conservation of guns that will never be made again, it may be wise to err on the side of caution and stick to the standard pressure stuff.

That's what I would do, anyhow.

 

[greener]

I've put about a 1000 rounds through my 442 with no signs of wear, not that I'd expect any. My son has a 442 he bought used a few years ago and it seems to be in great shape. Both of us shoot them frequently. I shoot mine on every range trip (15-50 rounds), because when I bought it, I didn't shoot it as well as I thought I should. I'm now getting pretty consistently 2-3" groups at 15 yards.

Airweights should last a long time. Mine is certainly not the gun of choice for a 200-300 round range trip.

 

[Camjr]

Standard pressure 38spl for practice and range work (with occassional +p), but +p for everyday carry in the 642.

Cheers!

 

[csmkersh]

Shooting Times (Skeeter Skelton) did a 5,000 or 10,000? round torture test on two airweights several years ago. At the end, there was no measurable wear, and both guns were shooting smaller groups then at the beginning.

What's your definition of "several?" Skeeter died January 17,1988.
​

 

[jad0110]

There was a guy (two years ago or so) on the S&W Forum who had 26,000 full-power 357s through his M-340 with no problems.

Anyone here wondering what the crap this masochists hands are made out of???

Depleted uranium?

 

[rcmodel]

What's your definition of "several?" Skeeter died January 17,1988.

Good grief!

Has it been that long?
Time sure flies when you're having fun!

And seriously, does it really matter that much how long "several" is?

I know!
It all depends on what your definition of is is!
Bill Clinton, under oath!

rcmodel

 

[welldoya]

Miscalculating years is a sign of age. I do it all the time. I'll think something happened "about 8 years ago" and when I check it was 15 or 20.
Just the other day a co-worker and I were trying to remember when a co-worker retired. I figured about 5 years ago. Turns out it was 12.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

S&W made an Airweight M10? I thought the Airweight was a M12...