Light as feathers: S&W's AirLites are tough as nails, too

Guns Magazine, August, 2007 by Mike Venturino

It is quite embarrassing for a gunwriter who has made most of a career out of covering antique, obsolete, classic and historical firearms to admit an infatuation with a brand new genre of guns. But I am. Many times in the past I've bragged there is nothing of new manufacture I'm about to spend my own money on except replicas and reproductions of fine old 19th century firearms. I've even said, "My guns are going to be made of wood and steel. There's no room in my gun vault for synthetics."

Now I must eat my own words because I'm going to buy at least one of the three brand new revolvers Smith & Wesson has sent me to try. Furthermore, my wile and I have been fighting over who gets it, so it's likely we'll end up with another. These are Smith & Wesson's AirLite revolvers combining frames of Scandium alloy, cylinders of titaninm alloy and barrels of stainless steel. Revolvers have been around for nigh on 200 years. Wharfs so captivating about these? They are light--light as feathers--at least compared to traditional steel revolvers. The little J-frames are a nominal 12 ounces. Even the big N-frames in .41 or .44 Magnum weight 27.5 ounces or less.

Right now I can hear the naysayers, "Why those things will tear your hand off! Recoil will be terrible! A .41 or .44 Magnum weighing less than two pounds? Shooting it would be torture!" Yeah, buddy, all that stuff is right. Smith & Wesson's new breed of AirLite revolvers are no picnic with full-bore loads. Hells bells, they're not even fun shooting Special-type loads in place of Magnums.

They're Not Meant To Be

These AirLite handguns are for packing, for carrying on the body for long periods of time without being a terrible burden. For those of who have never packed a revolver for hours at a time, let me clue you in. They get tiresome real fast. Autoloaders like the Model 1911 are easier, if for no other reason than they are flat. Put an aluminum-framed one in an inside the pants holster, bind it to your side with a belt and it's not too bad. Conversely, the revolver's cylinder bulge makes them look like a rattlesnake just swallowed a gopher. Make them large-frame steel ones and then put it on your belt and take off for the hills afoot or on horseback for a 10- or 12-hour day. You'll experience true relief in camp when you shed that handgun.

Back in the 1970s and 1980s I often did so with my long-owned Smith & Wesson Model 29 .44 Magnum when riding and camping in the grizzly bear habitat bordering the north boundary of Yellowstone National Park. I can honestly say I grew to hate wearing a handgun and I have the utmost respect and even sympathy for cops who tote an equipment belt around day in and day out.

Thoughtful, Careful Planning

I discovered Smith & Wesson's line of AirLite revolvers kind of by accident. Here's how it went. Back in the spring of 2006 I was on a varmint hunt with Clint Smith over in Oregon, and Tony Miele, then Business Manager of S&W and now boss of their Performance Center, was there too. As usual he was bugging me. "What new guns of ours do you want to write up next?" is what he said. (Many times!)

"I don't know," is how I equivocated, "I really like old N-frame .44 Specials. I even picked up a WWI .455 Webley Hand Ejector, 2nd Model lettering to the Canadian Government. Maybe I'll write something about it."

"No you dummy!" Tony said, "I said new guns, like our AirLites or X-frames. Like something people can actually buy without going on a quest just to find one." Then he said something uncomplimentary about gun-writers all being alike, etc., etc.

Subdued and browbeaten, I told him, "OK, send me an AirLite or two." He asked, "What calibers?" Frustrated, I said, "I don't care. I don't even know what an AirLite is. Send me anything."

And dear readers that is honestly how these magazine articles often get started.

Tiny Terror

Anyway several months later after one of Smith & Wesson's women in charge of shipping handguns to writers finally got tired of brushing her hair and filing her fingernails, a box with three handguns arrived. (Thank goodness she's not there anymore!) Inside I found a Model 360 .357 Magnum, a Model 357PD .41 Magnum, and a Model 325PD .45 ACE These are representative samples of Smith & Wesson's line of AirLite revolvers. There are several others, but here are some details about these particular ones.

The little Model 360 is a five shooter based on Smith & Wesson's tiny J-frame, the one Chief's Specials and their ilk have been built on for many decades. It has a 1 7/8" barrel, rubber grips, Scandium alloy frame, titanium alloy cylinder and stainless steel barrel set inside a Scandium shroud. Until you pick it up it looks just like a regular steel Chief's Special with a matte finish. After you pick it up you quickly note two things. It is so lightweight it seems like a feather. Like I said before, it only weighs 12 ounces. Then you look at the caliber stamp and it says ".357 Magnum."

Yowee!

The first time I picked tip the Model 360 I said, "Holy moly! Surely they don't expect you to shoot .357 Magnums in that thing?" Perhaps someone does, but I won't ever do it again. Here's how my first outing with it went. I loaded up five .38 Special factory loads with 158-grain lead bullets. I fired them double action from about 10' at a chunk of firewood and hit it every time. Recoil was stout but not of the sort you go around whining about.