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Pick up the Model 43C and the first thing you notice is what you don't feel. At 11.5 ounces, this little eight-shot is one of the lightest J-Frames Smith & Wesson has ever built, thanks to an aluminum alloy frame and cylinder. The important parts stay steel where it counts, with a stainless barrel handling the wear so the gun holds up to real range time, not just occasional carry.
This is an AirLite take on the classic Centennial design, which means the hammer is fully enclosed inside the frame. There is nothing to catch on a jacket lining or the edge of a pocket holster, and you can even fire it from inside a coat pocket without the action fouling on fabric. The double action only trigger keeps operation dead simple: aim, press, repeat. And because it is chambered in .22 LR, you get eight rounds in the cylinder instead of the five you would find in a .38 J-Frame, with recoil so mild that follow-up shots come easy.
Short-barreled revolvers are notorious for tiny, hard-to-find sights, but the 43C skips that problem. Smith & Wesson fitted an XS white dot up front paired with a fixed U-notch rear, a combination that draws your eye quickly in low light and lines up naturally under stress. On a 1.875 inch barrel with a 6.25 inch overall length, that is a genuinely useful sighting setup, not an afterthought.
Plenty of folks buy this revolver as an everyday deep concealment piece, especially anyone who is recoil sensitive or wants a gun light enough to forget it is there. It also shines as a trainer, since cheap rimfire ammo means you can practice your double action trigger press for pennies compared to centerfire. The long, deliberate DAO pull builds real trigger discipline that carries over to every other handgun you own. Made in the USA and backed by Smith & Wesson's lifetime service policy, the 43C is a small gun that pulls a lot of weight without carrying any.
It comes down to the cartridge. The .22 LR is a much smaller round than .38 Special, so S&W can fit eight charge holes in the same J-Frame cylinder that would normally hold five. You get three extra shots in a package the same size as a Model 642 or 442.
No, the hammer is fully enclosed inside the frame and the gun is double action only. That is by design. The Centennial-style frame eliminates anything that could snag on clothing during a draw, which is exactly what you want in a pocket revolver.
Rimfire priming is less consistent than centerfire, which is why revolvers are a smart platform for .22 LR carry. If a round fails to fire, you just pull the trigger again and the cylinder rotates to a fresh round, no malfunction drill needed. Stick with quality high-velocity ammo like CCI Mini-Mags and test it thoroughly, and the 43C will run round after round.
Like most rimfire DAO revolvers, the pull is on the heavier side, generally in the neighborhood of 10 to 12 pounds. The extra spring tension helps ensure reliable ignition on rimfire cases. It is smooth for its weight, and many owners find it slicks up nicely with dry fire practice using snap caps.
| UPC | 022188030433 |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | |
| Manufacturer Part Number | 103043 |
| Action | |
| ATF Type | Revolver |
| Barrel Finish | MATTE BLACK |
| Barrel Length | 1.88" |
| Caliber/Gauge | .22 LR |
| Capacity | 8 |
| Color | Black |
| Length | 10 |
| Magazine Included | 1 x 8-Round |
| Model | |
| Package Height | 2.4 |
| Package Width | 7.0 |
| Product Type | Revolver |
| Shipping Weight | 1.4 |
| Sights | XS White Dot Front/Fixed U-Notch Rear |
| Sights Type | FIXED |
| State Restriction (Guam) | NO SALE TO GUAM |
| State Restriction (PR) | NO SALE TO PUERTO RICO |
| State Restriction (VI) | NO SALE TO VIRGIN ISLANDS |
| Units per Box | 1 |
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