SMITH & WESSON THE .38 CHIEFS SPECIAL AIRWEIGHT “ PRE- MODEL 37” Description
.38 S&W Special cal., double action revolver built on the round or square butt alloy J frame w/4 screws, 5 shot, later built with a steel cylinder due to cracks in the alloy cylinders, 2 in. barrel with round or square butt or 3 in. barrel with square butt only, available in blue or nickel finish, earliest production frames were a 5 screw alloy frame with a rounded trigger guard and a shorter grip and grip frame, examples of this frame are extremely rare (2 known). Continued as the Model 37.
About 3,777 were manufactured with an alloy cylinder. Original serial number range approximately 24000 to 786544 numbered in the Chiefs Special series.