Smith & Wesson Model 36

The M36 revolver is Smith & Wesson 's first short-barreled revolver, developed after 1945. It was first introduced in 1950 at the Colorado Police Conference as a weapon of constant (including hidden) wearing for US police ^{[2] [3]} .

The revolver has an integral "J-frame" frame, a rifled barrel with six right-handed rifling, a five-shot drum (the latch is located on the left side of the frame behind the drum) and has a double-action trigger mechanism ^[1] .

Permanent sights include front and rear sights.

The weapon was produced in several versions: with a short barrel length of 63 mm or an elongated barrel length of 76 mm, pads on the handle on revolvers of various years of manufacture were made of wood, plastic or rubber ^[4] .

• Smith & Wesson "Chief's special" - serial model of 1950 (since 1957 it is produced under the name Smith & Wesson Model 36 "Chief's special" ), steel barrel, frame and drum, wooden handles on the handle. The mass of a revolver with a 3-inch barrel is 567 grams, with a 2-inch barrel - 528 grams ^{[1] [2]}

• Smith & Wesson Model "Chief's special" Airweight - lightweight version with a frame and drum made of aluminum alloy, a certain amount was released in 1952 - 1954. ^[3]
• Smith & Wesson Model 36 Stainless - serial version, the metal parts of which are made of stainless steel ^[2]
• Smith & Wesson Model 36 Ladysmith is a production version, first introduced in 1989 ^[3] . The handle is designed taking into account the size and anatomical features of the female palm. Available for .38 Special and .357 Magnum cartridges ^[2]

• Smith & Wesson Model 37 Airweight - 1957 lightweight model ^[3] , the barrel and drum of which are made of steel and the frame is made of aluminum alloy ^[2] (the mass of the revolver is 395 - 411 grams depending on the material of the handle) ^[1]

• Smith & Wesson Model 38 Bodyguard Airweight ^[3] - Half Hidden Trigger Option. The mass of the weapon is 411 grams ^[1]
• The Smith & Wesson Model 337 AirLite Ti Chief Special is an M37 variant developed in 1998 and first introduced in 1999. The frame and drum are made of titanium alloy, the barrel is a steel liner in a shell of titanium alloy. The mass of the revolver with wooden pads on the handle is 317.5 grams, with a rubber handle - 337.4 grams ^[4] .
• Smith & Wesson Model 637 LaserMax - further development of the series, option M37 with laser pointer “LaserMax Centerfire Laser sighting system” mounted under the barrel

• Smith & Wesson Model 40 "Centennial" - a further development of the series, a model with a 2-inch barrel, a fully hidden trigger and an automatic fuse on the back of the handle. The mass of the weapon is 538 grams ^[1]

In addition, the German company "Umarex Sportwaffen GmbH & Co." produces gas revolvers Umarex Reck Mod. 36 , which are structural analogues of the Smith & Wesson Model 36 revolver, made of light alloy and designed for firing only with gas or idle cartridges.

•   USA - armed with police and private security agencies ^[5]
•   Japan - in the early 2000s, it was decided to gradually replace the New Nambu M60 revolver, which was in service with the Japanese police, with the new Smith & Wesson Model 37 Airweight personnel revolver ^[6] . Subsequently, in 2003, 5344 units were purchased for the Japanese police in the United States. revolvers of this model ^[7] , in 2005 - another 5519 pcs. ^[eight]

• Patrick Sweeney The Gun Digest Book of Smith & Wesson. A Comprehensive look at one of the great handgun makers. Iola, KP Books, 2004. page 25

• M.R. Popenker. Smith and Wesson compact revolvers on a "J" type frame: Chiefs Special, Centennial, Bodyguard (USA) / World Modern Small Arms website
• Smith & Wesson Model 36/38 / Internet Movie Firearms Database (movie use)