Description

The Smith Wesson 637 Crimson Trace 38 Special is The Smith Wesson 637 Crimson Trace 38 Special is the Chiefs Special Airweight with the one accessory that actually fixes its weakest point. Small revolvers wear small fixed sights, and small fixed sights are hard to use quickly, in poor light, or from an awkward position.
Crimson Trace Lasergrips replace the factory grip with a unit that puts a red dot where the bullet goes, activated by a pressure switch under your middle finger as you take a normal firing grip. Underneath it is the same fifteen ounce aluminum alloy frame with a stainless cylinder and barrel, five rounds of 38 Special rated for plus P, and an exposed hammer for single action work.
Smith Wesson 637 Crimson Trace 38 Special Smith Wesson 637 Crimson Trace 38 Special Lasergrips And Low Light Use
The laser on the Smith Wesson 637 Crimson Trace 38 Special earns its keep in exactly the situations a snub-nosed revolver is carried for. In dim light the fixed sights vanish, but the dot does not. From a retention position, from behind cover, or with your head turned rather than squared up behind the gun, you can still see where the muzzle is pointed. None of that is possible with iron sights alone.
Activation is instinctive. The switch sits where your middle finger naturally presses when you close your hand on the grip, so the laser comes on as part of drawing rather than as an extra step you have to remember under stress. There is also a master switch so you can shut it off entirely for range practice with irons.
Zeroing is adjustable for windage and elevation with a small hex key. Most owners zero at somewhere between seven and fifteen yards, which covers the realistic distance range for this class of handgun. Do check the zero after a few range sessions, since recoil and handling can move it slightly over time.
Smith Wesson 637 Crimson Trace 38 Special Honest Drawbacks Worth Knowing
A red laser is hard to see in bright daylight. Past ten or fifteen yards in full sun the dot washes out, and you are back on the iron sights. Learn to use both, and do not let the laser become a crutch that leaves you helpless when the battery dies or the sun is out.
Batteries are the other maintenance item. Lasergrips run on small coin cells that last for hours of continuous use, which is years of realistic carry, but they do run down and they do not warn you. Check the laser periodically and change the batteries on a schedule rather than waiting.
The gun underneath has the same limits it always had. Fifteen ounces plus P recoil is sharp, five rounds is five rounds, and the double action pull is long and heavy by design. The laser makes the Smith Wesson 637 Crimson Trace 38 Special easier to aim; it does not make it easier to shoot. Practice with standard pressure ammunition and save the plus P for carry.
The grips are also slightly larger than the factory boot grip, which most shooters find more comfortable but which adds a little bulk to conceal. It is a small trade, but worth knowing if you carry in a pocket.
Smith Wesson 637 Crimson Trace 38 Special Specifications
- Manufacturer part number: 163052
- UPC: 022188630527
- Caliber: 38 Special, rated for plus P
- Capacity: 5 rounds
- Barrel: 1.875 inches
- Frame: aluminum alloy, J-frame
- Cylinder and barrel: stainless steel
- Grips: Crimson Trace red Lasergrips with instinctive activation
- Hammer: exposed, single and double action
- Sights: fixed iron sights plus red laser
Buyers weighing Smith Wesson 637 Lasergrips against a plain Airweight are really deciding how much low-light capability is worth to them. As a 38 Special J Frame Revolver the platform is unchanged, and as a Lightweight Carry Revolver it still weighs about fifteen ounces, so the laser costs you almost nothing in carry comfort while adding a genuinely useful aiming option.
Why Buyers Choose the Smith Wesson 637 Crimson Trace 38 Special
Buy the Smith Wesson 637 Crimson Trace 38 Special if you carry a small revolver and want a real answer to poor light and awkward shooting positions. Buying the gun and the Lasergrips together usually costs less than adding them later, and the unit is fitted and function checked from the factory. For a shooter with aging eyes, the laser is often the difference between a usable defensive handgun and one that is only usable on a bright range.
Skip it if you shoot mostly in daylight at a range and would rather put the money toward ammunition and training. Skip it if you carry loose in a pocket where the slightly larger grip and the exposed hammer both work against you. And skip it if you will not commit to checking the battery, because an unmaintained laser is dead weight.
Who Should Buy The Smith Wesson 637 Crimson Trace 38 Special
The Smith Wesson 637 Crimson Trace 38 Special suits This revolver suits everyday concealed carriers, home defense buyers, older shooters whose eyes struggle with small fixed sights, and anyone who wants a simple handgun that stays usable when the lights go out. It is a poor fit for high-volume range shooters, for the recoil-sensitive, and for anyone expecting the laser to substitute for practice. All firearm sales ship to a licensed FFL dealer for transfer, and handgun, laser and carry rules vary by state, so confirm your local law before ordering.
Learn more from Smith and Wesson, or browse the rest of our firearms selection.
Every firearm we list ships to your chosen FFL and is transferred there after a background check.









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