[Kentucky Rifle]

Sometimes I find myself wanting to take a "pot-shot" out the truck window with a .22 snub. In Louisville now, discharging a firearm within city limits is a crime. Even in most of the surrounding (small cities) area--discharging a firearm within city limits is a crime. Still, the soda can or something like it is always lurking there on the side of the hill that needs to be shot.
Though the model 317 snub is only .4 oz lighter than my model 331 .32 mag, it's a LOT quieter. So, I've found myself thinking about a 317. I saw one at the last big gunshow and decided to go look.
As I got closer and closer, the 317 looked weirder and weirder. When I got to the table, this was one UGLY snub! Can someone tell me what that bright gray finish is? This was a NIB model 317 that looked like it had been "painted" a very bright gray color. The color was NOTHING like the gray of my 331 or fairly new 642. This little 317 was REALLY ugly. Disgustingly so! Does anyone have a clue as to what was done to it? UUUUUuuuuuggggggly!!!!!

KR

[BigG]

Hello KR!

I have seen a small S&W snub 22 LR that looks along the same lines as the airweight 38s except for the fact that the little 2" bugger had adj sights! Still, cute as a bug's ear imho. Can't fathom what gun you saw? But they are making some real Star Trek looking S&Ws since the new Co. took over. :uhoh: :eek:

[Kentucky Rifle]

This was a snub, but the sights were fixed. It was just that COLOR! I found it hard to look at. It really did look painted. ~Weird.

KR

[Greybeard]

Quote: "Though the model 317 snub is only .4 oz lighter than my model 331 .32 mag, it's a LOT quieter."

Possibly quieter with CCI CBs or such, but with only a 2" barrel and regular LRs it is still pretty loud. Mine has just got the grove for a rear sight.

OK KR, since I called your humpbacked-pregnant-tadpole-lookin' j-frame (638?) UGLY a couple year back, it appears now I've got one that you must perceive as UGLY too. I dropped the semi-big bucks for a 317 to use primarily as a training gun a few years back. And put the little brittle Crimson Trace grip on it. Especially in single action mode, it's helpful for students to see just how accurate the j-frames can be.

But ... I did not think much about the finish on it ... the manufacturer's have so many now, not much surprises me. I guess I'll need to pay a little more attention next time the 317 comes out of the safe ...

[Tamara]

It almost looks as though there's some kind of clear finish over the aluminum.

I kinda like it, actually.

[popeye]

Attachment taken off Smith Website. Says finish is "Clear Cote". Dis be da one?

[biere]

I have to agree about it not being real quiet, I wear ear protection when shooting short or long cbs in it. I know it is not as loud as some stuff, but there still seems to be plenty of noise to go around.

I have a 3 inch with a light gathering yellow tube for the front sight, and an adjustable rear sight that works loose all the time since I have yet to introduce it to lock tight.

I consider it ugly, but I do love the light weight and 8 rounds.

[Tamara]

I was just hammering a coke can off my balcony with a Model 34 loaded with Super Colibris. Out of that 2" tube, even a Super Colibri is much louder than a loud cap gun, if not quite as loud as a firecracker.

[BigG]

Leave it to Tamara to do a little empirical testing to determine whether or not this idea (shooting out of car window) has merit. :cool:

[Kentucky Rifle]

Popeye: It's difficult to tell from your picture, but I think what I saw was the same revolver but with a different finish. I've seen 317's that look like my 638 or 642. Just kinda slick gray. The one I saw at the gunshow was a very bright gray. I guess I'll have to go to the gunshop and take a closer look at 317's. It'll be a big sacrifice, but I'll take the time to drive over there. :) :)

Tam: HUMmmm. I'm a little disappointed to hear how loud these things are. Maybe I ought to take another look at that Bearcat. A longer barrel might mean a lot less noise. I sure don't want to draw attention by making a lot of noise. (I don't need any, "man with a gun phone calls".) Didn't you post one time about you & friends shooting your Bearcat inside the gunshop into a little sand-trap? I forgot what you said it was loaded with. It wasn't a regular .22, but it was something with less powder. Surely if you could shoot your Bearcat inside the store--I could get away with shooting out my truck's window. We're not talking about a long range shot, just a soda can in the ditch. How does that sound?

Thanks for the replies,
KR

[BluesBear]

If you can, dig up some of the original Colibri's. They were quite a bit quieter than the new Super Colibris. They stopped making the originals because it was very common to have one that didn't make it all the way through a 24" rifle barrel.