Smith & Wesson Model 638 Bodyguard Airweight .38 Special
Model: 163070
Smith & Wesson Model 638 Bodyguard Airweight .38 Special
Model: 163070
Full Specifications
About This Firearm
The Smith & Wesson Model 638 Bodyguard Airweight is an aluminum-framed single and double action .38 Special built for pocket carry. It has an MSRP of $569. Its hammer sits inside a humped shroud with a cutout at the back, so it can still be thumbed back for a single-action shot while presenting no spur to the lining of a pocket.
The sights are serrated at the front with a notch in the frame at the rear, both fixed in place. The grip is black synthetic in a boot shape, cut short so the butt does not print. The frame is aluminum alloy in matte silver with a stainless barrel and cylinder. The gun weighs 14.6 oz, measures 6.3 inches long, 4.3 inches tall and 1.3 inches wide, the 1.88-inch barrel turns 1:18.75, and nothing on it takes an optic.
If you're cross-shopping, the Smith & Wesson Model 637 Airweight has the same MSRP and a full hammer spur, which is faster to reach and worse in a pocket. The Smith & Wesson Model 642 Airweight has an MSRP of $539 and encloses the hammer completely, giving up single action altogether for a draw with nothing to catch. The 638 keeps single action available, and its hammer takes a more deliberate thumb than a spur.
Best For
Strengths & Limitations
- A single-action option without a spur sticking out.
- Stainless barrel and cylinder on an aluminum frame, so the parts that see pressure and fouling are the corrosion-resistant ones.
- The boot grip is standard here, and a longer grip on a small revolver is more likely to print under a shirt.
- Thumbing the hammer through the shroud cutout is slower and less certain than reaching a full spur.
- The cutout collects lint and powder residue in a way the fully enclosed frame does not.
- Both sights are fixed and neither is dovetailed, so there is no path to a night sight.
Category Rankings
How the Smith & Wesson Model 638 Bodyguard Airweight .38 Special ranks among small .38 Special handguns.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is it rated for +P?
Yes. Smith & Wesson lists the chambering as 38 Special +P.
What is the twist rate?
A 1:18.75 twist, the rate used across these J-frames.
Do standard J-frame grips fit it?
Most do, but the rear hump changes the frame profile, so grips that wrap high at the backstrap can foul the shroud. Boot grips cut for this model avoid the problem.
