This is our S&W 43c Review where we cover a popular 22LR small frame revolver. J Frame revolvers are extremely popular and so is 22. The combination can be used for many things.
What is the Smith and Wesson 43c For?
22LR tends to be a lot cheaper than 38 which is the other most commonly used J frame caliber. It also has less recoil. These characteristics make it an ideal round to use for training.
So if you’re looking for a trainer for your 38 or 357 J frame the S&W 43c is an obvious option.
We know the recoil is less but will the ergonomics and trigger match your carry gun? We’ll cover that below in this Smith and Wesson 43c review.
Some people are very recoil sensitive but they still want a gun for self defense they can carry and manipulate easily. Again the 43c comes up as an easy choice.
Revolvers have an easy manual of arms and 22 has almost no recoil. Rounds like federal punch are effective at terminal ballistics.
But is the gun reliable enough for self defense? We’ll cover this in the shooting section. With the right J Frame holster, is definitely conceals well.
Is its weight a good thing?
The SW 43c is incredibly light weighing under 12 ounces. This makes the guns very non intimidating for new shooters.
Most people without experience like a lighter gun until they shoot it.
Lighter guns feel less intimidating to most new shooters but in full power cartridges they also have a lot more recoil.
The 22LR isn’t powerful enough to have a lot of recoil in the 43c.
So in my opinion the weight is a good thing.
If you want to carry the gun then the weight or lack thereof is a definite advantage.
What frame does the Smith and Wesson 43c Use?
As we talked about earlier in this Smith and Wesson 43c review the gun is built on a Smith and Wesson J Frame. J frames have 3 different frame sizes.
The scandium guns(AirLight), aluminum guns(AirWeight), and steel guns all have their own frames.
The Smith 43c is considered a AirLight Frame even though it’s made from aluminum vs scandium. There are a couple of points on the frame that make it different from the scandium frames.
This can affect holster compatibility.
They do work with our Icon 2.0 holsters but they don’t work with all Kydex holsters. This is something to be aware of.
Capacity
With 8 rounds it has a capacity advantage over the standard 38 caliber versions. When you’re shooting a smaller caliber like 22 that’s definitely an advantage.
Cylinder Release
The 43c cylinder release is easy to reach for right handed users. I have large hands and can tell it’ll be even easier to use for people with small and medium sized hands.
Sights
The sights on this gun are pretty basic. It has a standard rear style trough in the rear. The trough has more of a U notch than a square notch but it’s a decently deep U.
What makes the Smith 43c sights different from the typical J frame sights is the pinned front sight.
You can easily remove it and replace the front sight with something different. XS and Smith and Wesson as well as Hiviz make front sights for this gun.
Since the gun is a 22 these sights might not shoot to point of aim depending on the ammo you’re using. I know this is an issue when you use sights for the 38 Ruger LCR on the 22 LCR but I’m not sure if this is an issue for Smith and Wesson products.
The stock sight is a rounded plastic bead. It looks like the budget version of an XS sight.
Trigger
Surprisingly the trigger on this gun is almost identical to the Smith and Wesson 442 and 642. It’s going to be very similar to any standard double action only J frame.
It won’t be as good as most performance center triggers.
This is unusual as normally rimfire guns have significantly worse triggers than their centerfire counterparts due to the extra force required to fire the ammo.
The trigger does feel a little heavier but not much. If you’re using this as a training gun you can look at it as a benefit since the trigger has the same characteristics as the centerfire triggers.
Grip
Recoil isn’t an issue with this gun so pretty much any grip will work as long as it fits your hand.
You do want to find a grip that will give you optimal trigger reach. This will make shooting the gun easier.
The stock grips are pretty good though. I installed the Pachmayr Compac Pros because I like them and I’m running them on my Smith and Wesson 442.
But the stock Smith grips are really good for stock options.
Aftermarket Grips
The Smith and Wesson 43c works with most Smith J Frame Grips. If you’re using this gun as a trainer I’d just run whatever your carry gun has on it.
VZ Boot Grips
If you don’t want rubber or wood these are a great choice. They don’t have the tacky feel of rubber and are more durable and less maintenance than wood.
Hogue Grips
These really aren’t needed on a gun that doesn’t have much recoil. The monogrip will make the gun too large and the tacky material is less than ideal to carry.
Pachmayr Grips
There are 4 different options of Pachmayr S&W 43c grips.
Diamond Pro
These grips are huge. They might help trigger reach but they just aren’t worth it unless you’re just using this gun at the range.
Compac
Pretty much identical to the Diamond Pro grips but they have a different look. I wouldn’t suggest them on a 22.
Compac Professions
I really like these for their size. They allow me to get a full grip but aren’t hard to conceal.
Guardian
The Pachmayr Guardian grips has a little button that shoots and extension out the end to give you a full grip. When the grip is retracted the gun is easy to conceal but with the press of a button you have a full grip.
Crimson Trace Laser Grips
These grips aren’t great in daylight but they do work well in low light. They’re a good option but can affect holster compatibility.
Aftermarket
It’s a J frame so it has a decent aftermarket. Once thing we wanted to make you aware of in this S&W 43c Review is that being a rimfire does limit some options.
There aren’t many speed loader options. Speedbeez makes one but that’s about it.
Grip options are unlimited but outside of grips and sights there’s not much you can do.
Since the gun is a rimfire a lot of trigger upgrade kits won’t work.
Aesthetics
The gun is a matte black J frame. It’s a decent looking relatively modern gun. It’s clean. Really not much more to say about the looks in this S&W 43c Review.
Finish
The gun’s finish is pretty fragile. This gun will need to be a safe queen that never gets shot or handled if you want to keep the finish pristine.
This guns is meant to be shot though and a little wear just shows character.
Shooting
This gun is really fun to shoot and reasonably accurate. The sights take some getting used to. Sometimes I just can’t miss but other times I can’t quite pull it together.
The round front sight works really well for me when shooting fast. When I try to slow things down and get really precise I tend to shoot worse groups than when I shoot fast.
These sights are really designed for quick defensive shooting not bullseye slow paced fire.
Reliability S&W 43c Review
If you search around you’ll see multiple complaints about the reliability of the Smith and Wesson 43c.
I couldn’t write this Smith 43c review without mentioning it.
It seems you’ll either get a good gun or a bad one and it’s not something the factory can fix.
My S&W 43c has been 100% reliable when it’s just been cleaned and you haven’t fired more than 3 cylinders or 24 rounds of ammo.
The gun starts to get sluggish and you can outrun the cylinder’s ability to turn when firing quickly.
Personally this isn’t something I can live with if I’m trusting this gun with my life and the life of my loved ones.
Price
This gun is priced right at $760 MSRP at the time this article is published. Street price is around $50 lower.
It’s an expensive 22 revolver. The features of the gun aren’t super high end and they’ve obviously tried to cut costs by using aluminum instead of scandium and using a plastic front sight instead of a night sight.
If you’re looking at this gun for Self defense I’d take a look at the Ruger LCR 22 which is a lot more reliable and has a significantly cheaper street price.
They’re also easier to find.
If you’re wanting an affordable trainer for your centerfire J frame this is going to be the best choice but it’s going to cost you.
S&W 43c Review Concluding Thoughts
I really want to like this gun but the reliability concerns me. I’d be much happier with the price if the gun was really reliable. I’d prefer not to pay over $700 for a trainer when my 442 carry gun costs under $600.
If this gun was reliable enough for me to add to the carry rotation I wouldn’t have an issue with it.
Pros
- Size
- Capacity
- Ammo Cost
- Sights
- Trigger(Characteristics)
Cons
- Cost
- Trigger(Weight)
- Reliability
