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S&W Airweight .38

If you zoom in on the one in the photo you can see that the "drag line" continues through the little concave indentions that stop the cylinder at each chamber. If whatever is making the drag line is static, which I think it has to be, the line would be broken over those indentions.
It's just the bolt which holds the cylinder correctly in place. The little spring loaded piece on the bottom interior of the frame. I have seen many revolvers come from the factory with the start of a drag line especially those with matte finishes like that. If the person on the line and the owner simply cocked the hammer a number of times spinning the cylinder it will add to it each time. I mean really, every new gun owner will at least rotate the cylinder and maybe dry fire a few times just to get a feel of it. I understand it can be stoned to stop this from increasing but it's just cosmetic.

Nothing to be concerned about. My wife's 637 had the makings of a drag line when it came in brand new.
 
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A guy I know is selling one. He's offering a never been shot, very clean example with 70 rds. of ammo for $600. Looks like it's about 2" bbl. I'm not particularly interested in it, but he is a friend and he asked me if I think he's asking too much.

Airweights have their place and use and that is a fair price. Not my cup of tea though and I would never recommend one to a novice shooter due to recoil. They are just unpleasant to shoot a lot. An excellent choice as a LEO backup though.
@Bassbob

what Hayes says..

i had a Taurus lightweight, yes i know, apples to oranges, but i believe all those light weights shoot the same...HORRIFICALLY......

i dumped mine after if i recall 1 box of .38 specials..

damned thing was (to me) worse than shooting a 6" barrel Korth Mongoose that i had, or my 6" Colt Python, or S&W 6" 686+, loaded with .357's.......
 
The S&W J-frames are one of the hardest handguns to master due to the heavy recoil. There just ain't much to hang on to nor weight to hold it down. I do own several and often carry my 642. But these are the absolute wrong gun for a beginner. I've seen several newbies shoot one and be completely turned off to shooting or gun ownership in general.
 
The S&W J-frames are one of the hardest handguns to master due to the heavy recoil. There just ain't much to hang on to nor weight to hold it down. I do own several and often carry my 642. But these are the absolute wrong gun for a beginner. I've seen several newbies shoot one and be completely turned off to shooting or gun ownership in general.
I disagree with that, a bit.

Turned several people on to revolvers with my 43C in .22…and going on to the 442 or a 36 in .38 normally isn’t a problem; I just don’t start them out on +P’s; light wadcutter loads and they do just fine.
 
Carried this one since 1971, as a backup or on its own. Never let me down. Shown with a “Bullitt” upside down holster I use a lot.
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The Bodyguard is my favorite Smith for the pocket, because it can do amazing things single action at longer ranges. It is difficult to shoot...but I had steel off my back deck for a number of years and could shoot every day. Generally I carry something more substantial
Bodyguard target.jpg
in an inside the waistband rig. But for when I am not carrying a gun, a Colt first generation Cobra or the Bodyguard go into a pocket.
 
I disagree with that, a bit.

Turned several people on to revolvers with my 43C in .22…and going on to the 442 or a 36 in .38 normally isn’t a problem; I just don’t start them out on +P’s; light wadcutter loads and they do just fine.
Agree, it's more in the load than the barrel length. Also, a great deal of the mythos of the terrible recoil came about from the tiny original stocks, sone term splinter stocks. With modern hand filling stocks that also keep the fingers out of that area between frame and trigger guard and lighter loads almost any shooter can master a jframe.

Imho
 
The main reason I own a 642 PC is because of my EX-wife. She wanted me to go with her to pick out a snub nose. She had owned a Taurus model 85 and loved it several years ago. So she is looking at different revolvers and she picks out the 642 to look at. She picked it up and said I love this. It doesn't weigh anything. I told her yep and it'll kick like a mule.

She didn't even shoot a box of ammo through it and told me she wanted to sell it. I told her what I would give her for it , she thought about it , and I now have it. It is amazing how much 5 OZ. changes things.

Then I added Pachmayr Diamond pro grips to it and it is fun to shoot now. I even bought a pair for my model 36.
 
Carried this one since 1971, as a backup or on its own. Never let me down. Shown with a “Bullitt” upside down holster I use a lot.View attachment 69293
This is DAO. LAPD required that your issue pistol, and all private, and authorized, revolvers, be neutered to DAO. This and a Colt Detective Special with shroud, were so altered. From decades of shooting a DAO wheelgun, found that even with my other revolvers, I shoot as accurately double as single action. Just takes practice. Still my Model 38 is what I call a belly gun, for those close and personal encounters.
 
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