S&W .22 revolver

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fallout mike

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Next revolver I get will be one of these. I've never owned or shot one of the Smiths. What is a good choice for plinking, passing down to the son in 25 years?
 
Just checked them out. They look nice for sure. I'm sure the one I want would not be recent production though right? I have several Smith revolvers. I've been only buying early production models so far.
 
Starter52 said it all,,,
A decent Model 17 or a Pre-Model K-22,,,
Are perhaps the all-around finest .22 revolvers ever made.

The 6" barrel gives plenty of sight radius,,,
It's smooth action is beyond compare.

You won't find a better .22 handgun anywhere.

Now having said that,,,
My personal preference is for the slightly shorter (4") Model 18.

Either would be a good choice for a family heirloom gun.

Aarond

.
 
the s&w 317 22lr is a pricey and handy plinker. however its aluminum cylinder heat-binds after 50 range rounds and is a very disappointing design flaw.
 
Thx for the info. 317 is scratched off the list.

i forget the model number but s&w makes a rarer and pricier all steel version of the 8 shot 317, which doesnt bind.

i haven’t handled one yet but a ruger sp101, 10 shot 22lr would seem to be an heirloom quality double action, rimfire shooter, if a ruger is ok to you.
 
I've had a Ruger single six convertible since the late 70's. Great revolver. Always wanted one of the S&W kit guns, can't remember the model number though
 
The model 617 is a great choice for a 22 revolver. Its all stainless steel and the cylinder holds 10 shots. Built on the S&W, K frame so holster, grip and sight choices are plentiful. M617-6.JPG M617.JPG With reasonable care it would last a few lifetimes. Also available with a 6 inch barrel. superb accuracy
 
I own two Model 17s, one Model 617, one Model 317, and two Model 34s.

I have shot a Model 17 my whole life. My dad had one. When I moved out of the house, I bought one of my own. Later, Smith came out with the stainless version and I bought one of those too. When my dad died, I got his Model 17 so I now have two blued and one stainless K-Frame .22s. This all happened years before they came with 10 shot cylinders: all mine are six shot cylinders.

The Smith K-Frame is a medium framed gun. The Model 34 (aka Kit Gun) is smaller: it is on a steel Smith J-Frame. It is sort of like a half or three quarter scale Model 17. I have one blued and one nickel. They are very nice guns but take a little more effort to shoot well compared to the K-Framed Model 17. The Smith K-Frame is just about the perfect size frame and feels really good in the hand. The weight is about right.

I bought a 317 a few years ago. It is also a small gun on a J-Frame. The 317 is made largely of alloys and it's claim to fame is that it is VERY lightweight. I mean, so light weight you won't believe it. I have never had any mechanical trouble with mine (binding or whatever). But, I find it hard to shoot well in part because of the small frame and also in part because I hate the sights that come on it. It has a V-notched rear sight (as opposed to square) and a fiber optic front sight. I am a pretty decent pistol shot, but there are times when I am shooting my 317 that I spray bullets all over a target because I can't get a good sight picture. Some day, I will get around to replacing the sights on that gun with a standard front sight and a square notched rear sight.

If you want the best. The most ergonomic. The most accurate and easy to shoot. Something that will become a family heirloom: Get a Model 17.
 
I've got a model 63 that I really like. It's an all steel, 8 shot, 3 inch j frame with a fiber optic front sight. I think it only weighs around 26 oz so it's a little lighter on the hip than a 617, but you lose 2 rounds and some sight radius.
 
I had an SP101 22. Have a 101 .357. 357 has a great trigger. 22 had a horrible trigger. Our smith worked on it twice and managed to get it to only bad. Sold it. Stay with Smith 22s. Small frame 22s are notorious for heavy triggers. Medium and large frame 22s are much better in general.
I do have a Tracker .17 and it is quite good. An old Rossi K clone, six inch, adjustable sight .22 is pretty good. 17s, 617s, 48s, will all be good right out of the box, or vault.
 
I've had a S&W 63 for quite a few years now , it is small, quite accurate ( more accurate than my Model 18 ), very handy little revolver. The Model 17 is nice, but for a outdoor gun, be it woods , desert , or mountain I think the 63 () or the blue 34 ) is the cat's meow. With several boxes of LR and CBees it is a very fun little pinking gun.
 
Personally, I do not like a 22 revolver as heavy as a Model 17, but this has more to do with me (and my not being athletic) than the gun, which I have never heard anything but praise for. OTOH, I have an Airweight Kit Gun (the old Model 43) and I find that while very light to carry, it does not weigh enough to stabilize my hand if I am getting shakey from a long shooting session.

My choice, then, would be for an ordinary steel Kit Gun. I would yearn to get one in bright nickel, but blue is really a more practical finish, and substantially cheaper. To me, the Kit Gun has always been a beautiful little revolver.

I very much like the old S&W Target style grips on J-frames meant for target shooting. They can often be found on GunBroker and Ebay, although prices vary all over the place.
 
S&W Model 17's are blued, K-frame guns, most of them are 6" and 8-3/8" barrels. A short production run of 4" barreled versions were made late in its production life.

S&W Model 18's are blued, K-frame guns, most, if not all are 4" barrels. There are only some minor differences between the two models not counting the barrel lengths.

The 22 long rifles made before S&W went to model numbers are called K-22. I think I remember correctly that the 4" version was the Combat Masterpiece and the longer barrel versions were the Masterpiece.

Production of the blued, K frame, 22 long rifle revolvers ended in the 1990s although there may be some made in the current "Classic" series of guns. Many great examples are easy to find.

The Model 617 is the stainless version and is still in production in 4" and 6".

The Model 34 (blued) and Model 63 (stainless) are the main J frame models although there are some other J frame versions. The Model 63 is still available. As noted, the Model 317 is almost all aluminum J frame. Very light, it would be a great kit gun. Mine has never jammed from over heating but I have never fired it extensively at one time to heat it up.

The S&W K frame 22 long rifle revolvers are kind of the gun all other 22 revolvers are judged by.
 
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IMHO: You just can't get any better in a 22LR Revolver than a 6in or 8-3/8in barrel, Old S&W K-22 or a S&W Model 17. For Plinking or for any other type of shooting you will want to do. And in 25yrs You will be giving Your Son a revolver, that he will treasure for the rest of His life. And can proudly give to You Grandson.
ken
 
I will join the model 17 consortium.
Reasons: Quality , trigger , accuracy , class , holding value - the 17 leads the pack in all these catagories. Regarding the newer 617 , by all reports a fine shooter , however - I do not favor the 10 round capacity. Just a way to expend ammo at a higher rate , in my book. High capacity is for self defense. Only loading 5 for target work anyway. Give me a six shooter anytime. In addition , I would never own a Smith with "The Hole". That's all I will say about that ; don't wish to revisit that well trodden debate.

I have an "Outdoorsman" which is 85 years old. Trigger , lock up and accuracy are all superb - How's that for an endorsement?

All of the above is based on the premise that you want a da revolver. If you are considering single action , the Ruger Single Six is the best there is. I have one of those too.

Enjoy your quest.
 
The model 17, 18 and 617's are all great "do all" 22 revolvers. In my collecting days, I owned over a dozen of these K frame sized guns and all have been more accurate than me. I still keep a pair of 617's, a 17-2 and a 1939 k22 outdoorsman. All are a joy to own and shoot.
I've also had and enjoyed my share the smaller J framed model 63 and 64's. They are nice but their size makes them harder to shoot accurately.
FWIW, if I could have only one, it would be a 10 shot, 4" 617. I feel it is the most versatile of the S&W rimfire line.
hth
 
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