The Smith & Wesson 351 PD is the lightest 7-shot J-frame Smith makes. At 11.2 oz unloaded, it undercuts every steel-frame .22 Magnum revolver in the lineup by more than half — the all-steel Taurus 942 2" weighs 23.6 oz. The scandium alloy frame is what enables that weight number while still being rated for the magnum cartridge, which is the reason this gun exists and the reason it carries an $839 MSRP. Aluminum-framed .22 Mag snubs can be built lighter, but scandium is what S&W trusts to hold up to repeated magnum pressure in a J-frame footprint.

The sight setup is the meaningful upgrade over the rest of the J-frame line. The HiViz orange fiber-optic front pipe is a genuine improvement over the integral ramp on the standard Airweights, and owners consistently report it picks up much faster in low light than a black blade against a U-notch. The exposed hammer enables single-action use for deliberate shots, which the enclosed-hammer 351C sibling cannot do. The wood laminate grip is small and slick compared to a Hogue Tamer — most owners replace it within the first 100 rounds, especially because an 11.2 oz revolver firing .22 Magnum is sharper than the spec sheet suggests. The muzzle blast and report from a 1.88" barrel are louder than most shooters expect from a rimfire.

The honest comparison is against a .38 Special J-frame. The S&W 642 Airweight is 14.4 oz, holds 5 rounds, and hits with roughly three times the terminal energy of .22 Magnum. The 351 PD gives back energy to gain two rounds in the cylinder, less recoil for a sensitive shooter, and three fewer ounces on the belt. That is a real trade-off, not a clear win for either side — buyers who pick the 351 PD are usually doing it because arthritic hands, small hands, or recoil sensitivity make a snub .38 unworkable. The 351 PD does the lightest-possible-magnum-revolver job better than anything else in this catalog.