[juggler]

I posted on an earlier thread, looking for a .22 revolver for the winter pin league. I received many good suggestions and went off with more knowledge than I started with. This is what I found.

A K22 (22K?).......S&W revolver with a red-dot sight for $499. The back sight is missing.

A 6" S&W model 617 for $399. DIrty as all get-out, but the barrel looks fine (as far as I can tell with the bore back-lit with a LED).

I want to use it this winter (January, to be specific) but did not want to appear too eager.

I am leaning towards the 617, though the trigger is kinda rough. The K22K (?) has one sweet pull, but that may be because it is so old.

Another question....how difficult/expensive would it be to tweak the trigger of the 617?

Any help to a novice wheelgun shooter would be appreciated.

[Majic]

K22s can be found cheaper so it becomes a matter of how much the red-dot is worth. I would use the fact that the 617 is filthy as a haggling point, but the price is not out of line.
Tuning the action of a K-frame is not very hard and most any gunsmith can handle it, but if you tackle it yourself don't go too light on the mainspring because of the varying rim thickness on rimfire cartridges. You can buy the manual and a few tools to accomplish the feat yourself if you have the mechanical ability.

[BluesBear]

Tweaking a K-frame trigger is rather easy. As has been stated leave the mainspring alone.
Since this is not a life of death gun, what I'd do is change the trigger return spring. A lighter TR spring will noticably affect the trigger pull without affecting how hard the hammer falls.

Every S&W I have bought in the past 20 years has been shipped with a TR spring that was much stronger than needed. Luckily I have a stash of NOS S&W sprigs from the late 70s that I use to improve the actions.
(NO I will NOT sell any!)

[juggler]

AWWWWW, pretty please!?!

OK, in lieu of getting one of yours, Bear, where would you suggest I get a return spring......S&W directly or is there a place on the web you use?

I got a call back last night and they will go down to $350, and I had them throw in some ammo, so I will be picking it up this weekend.

Between now and then I want to research what I have to do and order the neccesary parts. I am mechanically inclined and feel confident that I can follow instructions, seeing as y'all say it is fairly simple and doesn't require a smith.

Once I get it home, first thing will be to clean it, then I hope to try it Saturday.

Another question. The shop was unable to find a speed-loader for it in their catalog.....does anyone know if they even make one?

[BluesBear]

Try Numrich for the older springs, call them on the phoine and tell a real person what you want.
You can also buy a Wolff spring pack from Brownells or Midway (http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=659098).

HKS makes their model 22-K speedloader for the (you guessed it) six-shot S&W K-22 revolver.

[BluesBear]

Since you have to remove the trigger to change the return spring…

The K-frame, L-frame and N-frame revlvers all use the same triggers. So you have a wide selection of triggers you can install if you wish to change. Wide, wider, narrow and smooth or serrated. The wider the trigger the lighter the pull will appear to be.

It's easy to switch out a trigger. I even walked a THR member through it over the phone last year while I was still being held prisoner.

[juggler]

"Since you have to remove the trigger to change the return spring…"

Good stuff, Bear, I didn't know that, either.......but now that you mention it, it sounds like a great idea. I'm thinking a wider trigger and lighter return spring are in my future.

Any length/tension/strength spring you'd reccomend? I will check out the Wolff springs and I will also search the net for a procedure to change the spring and trigger.

I'll let you know how I do, and thanks again for the help.

[JoeHatley]

Since you have to remove the trigger to change the return spring…

Actually... there is no need to remove the trigger to swap out the trigger return spring. Maybe you ment hammer?

Joe

[Majic]

while I was still being held prisoner.
I almost spit my coffee out on that one. Didn't they also have you in full body shackles? :D

[juggler]

Full body shackles would itch. How are you doing after that, anyway?

I'm gonna have to look for a manual to make this easier, I think.