TANAKA WORKS - S&W .38 Chief Special Airweight “Baby Aircrewman” HW Ver.2 (Model Gun)

When the Korean War began in 1950, the U.S. Air Force began developing a lightweight, compact personal defense weapon to issue to aircrews. These were intended as self-defense sidearms in case of emergency landings. The two revolver manufacturers that received the request, S&W and Colt, both submitted prototypes that had 2-inch barrels and actively used aluminum alloy for major parts other than the barrel. Both models were named "Air Crewman", and 1,189 Colt Air Crewmans and 1,210 S&W Air Crewmans were delivered to the Air Force. The 1,210 guns produced by S&W consist of 605 K-frame (based on Pre M12) 6-shot revolvers and 605 5-shot revolvers with J-frame (based on Pre M37), and these guns are essentially It was actually a prototype gun for trials. Ultimately, the Air Force adopted S&W's K-frame type, and approximately 40,000 mass-produced models, given the model number "M13", have been manufactured and supplied to the Air Force since 1953. For both the J and K, only the 1,210 prototypes that were introduced in the early days had the ``AF'' stamp for Air Force at the beginning of the serial number on the bottom of the grip, and a U.S. Air Force medallion was fitted into the grip. The biggest feature is that (Mass-produced M13 has been changed to S&W standard medallion) The .38 Special ammunition used was also premised on the use of relatively mild 130-grain balls manufactured by Remington to reduce the load on the gun body, which was made of aluminum alloy. This bullet was developed to reduce the recoil of lightweight, short-barreled revolvers, and was later adopted as the "M41" cartridge. All Air Crewman revolvers delivered, including the early trial guns, were widely deployed and used by Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI), Army Counterintelligence (CIC), and Military Police investigators. I did. Unfortunately, the cutting-edge lightweight aluminum alloy that contributed to the weight reduction was not strong enough, causing breakage and cracks in the cylinder and frame, and measures were taken to return the cylinder to steel in the mass-produced M13. However, around 1959, at the discretion of the Air Force Munitions Command, all Air Crewmen, including prototypes, were destroyed for safety reasons and sold as scrap. Among the original Air Crewman revolvers that have survived destruction, one of the most popular and legendary models is the J-frame 5-shot Air Crewman, which S&W produced as a prototype early on. Purchased by the Air Force around 1952-1953, this small revolver, nicknamed the "Baby Air Crewman" due to its small size, was superior to its older brother, the K-frame version, as only 605 were produced. It is also a much rarer model. This J-frame five-shot revolver, which pushed the limits of miniaturization and weight reduction, was never mass-produced, but it played an important role in the eventual adoption of the medium-sized K-frame M13. This time, this legendary "Baby Air Crewman" will be reproduced as a firing model gun, although it will be produced in small quantities. In addition to the standard walnut grip (weighted) with the U.S. Air Force emblem on it, there are also the words "Property of US Air Force" on the back of the frame indicating that this gun belongs to the U.S. Air Force, and "Property of US Air Force" on the bottom of the grip. The Air Force control number starts with "AFNo." and the barrel is engraved with "Aircrewman." It features a reproduction of the four fixing screws on the side plate that were characteristic of that era, as well as a distinctive stepped flat thumb piece. In addition, the included cartridge is a dedicated Air Crewman cartridge that reproduces the special low-pressure bullet "M41" that was also used in the real thing. (Regular .38 special firing cartridges can also be used) It is estimated that there are currently only about 10 to 15 complete original Baby Air Crewmen in existence in the world. Because the market value is so high, many counterfeit products that have been sold as scrap are recovered and reassembled. Although it is a model that is quite popular among S&W revolvers, firearms enthusiasts, military researchers, and avid model gun enthusiasts who will own it will consider this gun to be a safe toy gun. We hope that you will be able to hold it in your hands and feel the joy of being able to ignite it. (Limited quantity production product)