Description
The Smith Wesson 638 Bodyguard Airweight is The Smith Wesson 638 Bodyguard Airweight solves the one problem that keeps small revolvers from being perfect pocket guns. A conventional hammer spur catches on clothing during a draw, which is exactly the moment you cannot afford a hang-up. An enclosed hammer fixes that but takes away single action shooting entirely.
The Bodyguard splits the difference with a shrouded hammer: the frame rises up around it so there is nothing to snag, but a small ridge of hammer still pokes through the top where your thumb can reach it. Underneath is a familiar package, an aluminum alloy J-frame with stainless cylinder and barrel, five rounds of 38 Special rated for plus P, and about fifteen ounces of carry weight.
Smith Wesson 638 Bodyguard Airweight Smith Wesson 638 Bodyguard Airweight Shrouded Hammer Design
The shroud on the Smith Wesson 638 Bodyguard Airweight is the whole design argument. Drawing from a coat pocket or the bottom of a bag is where exposed hammers get caught, and the raised sidewalls of the frame give a shirt hem or a jacket lining nothing to hook on. You can rehearse the draw with an empty gun and see the difference immediately.
What you keep, and what a 642 or 442 gives up, is the ability to cock the hammer. The exposed ridge is small, so it is not as easy to thumb back as a full spur, but it works. That means you can take a deliberate single action shot when there is time and distance, which matters more for a warning-distance shot or a small target than most people expect.
Everything else is standard J-frame. Fixed sights, a groove in the topstrap and a ramp front, honest about the distances this handgun is meant for. The cylinder holds five and swings out on a conventional thumb latch. The stainless cylinder and barrel resist the sweat and humidity that pocket carry produces.
Smith Wesson 638 Bodyguard Airweight Recoil, Capacity And Honest Limits
A fifteen ounce revolver firing plus P 38 Special recoils sharply. The Smith Wesson 638 Bodyguard Airweight is no exception, and the small grip funnels that impulse straight into the web of your hand. Most owners find a practice session of twenty-five to fifty rounds is the honest limit before accuracy falls apart. Practicing with standard pressure ammunition and carrying plus P is the usual compromise.
Five rounds is what you get, and reloading a revolver under pressure is slow and awkward compared to changing a magazine. Speed strips and speedloaders help, but only with real practice. Anyone who considers five rounds insufficient should look at a compact semi-automatic instead of talking themselves into this one.
The double action trigger is long and heavy, as it should be on a pocket gun with no manual safety. It smooths out over a few hundred rounds and improves further with dry fire practice. Do not have it lightened below factory specification on a defensive handgun.
Practical accuracy is limited by the sight radius and the trigger, not by the barrel. At seven yards it does everything asked of it. At twenty-five yards it takes genuine skill, and that is true of every gun in this class.
Smith Wesson 638 Bodyguard Airweight Specifications
- Manufacturer part number: 163070
- UPC: 022188630701
- Caliber: 38 Special, rated for plus P
- Capacity: 5 rounds
- Barrel: 1.875 inches
- Frame: aluminum alloy, J-frame, shrouded hammer
- Cylinder and barrel: stainless steel
- Hammer: shrouded, single and double action capable
- Sights: fixed, integral rear notch and ramp front
- Weight: approximately 15 ounces unloaded
Shoppers comparing the Smith Wesson 638 Revolver against its exposed and enclosed hammer siblings are choosing where they want to sit on one spectrum. As a 38 Special J Frame Revolver the internals are identical across the line, so the decision comes down to the hammer. As a Shrouded Hammer Revolver this one is the compromise that keeps both a clean draw and a usable single action option.
Why Buyers Choose the Smith Wesson 638 Bodyguard Airweight
Buy the Smith Wesson 638 Bodyguard Airweight if you carry in a pocket, a bag or under a coat and want a draw that will not hang up, without giving up the option to cock the hammer. It is the middle choice in the Airweight line and, for a lot of shooters, the sensible one. Stainless working parts and an alloy frame make it light enough to wear all day and resistant enough to survive being carried in a sweaty pocket.
Skip it if you want a range gun, because light plus P revolvers are unpleasant to shoot in volume. Skip it if you want the absolute smoothest draw and never intend to cock the hammer, in which case a fully enclosed hammer model is slightly better still. And skip it if five rounds is not enough for your comfort.
Who Should Buy The Smith Wesson 638 Bodyguard Airweight
The Smith Wesson 638 Bodyguard Airweight suits This revolver suits pocket carriers, backup gun carriers, bag and purse carry, and anyone who wants the simplest possible manual of arms in a defensive handgun. It also works well for shooters with limited hand strength who cannot reliably rack a semi-automatic slide. It is a poor fit for high-volume practice, for recoil-sensitive shooters, and for anyone unwilling to invest in dry fire time on the heavy double action trigger. All firearm sales ship to a licensed FFL dealer for transfer, and handgun 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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