Advice on .22 revolvers SW/Ruger/Taurus

The S&W 617 is considered by many to be the best 22lr double action revolver available. A classic.
The ruger has a great reputation for durability, and the first choice of many, including myself.
The Taurus is cheaper. Built cheaper. I have had two Taurus revolvers, one very good.....one bad.
My best advice is to buy the 617 (before someone else does) and be happy with it for the rest of your days. Own and shoot a classic.

I developed a fondness for double action revolvers when I was in high school in the 1970s. My first revolver was a six inch Model 17: this was long before they started making them with an underlug.

There are a couple of drawbacks to a rimfire DA revolver. First, they are really expensive. You can get a good .22 semiautomatic for much less. Second, a .22 rimfire requires a hard strike for reliable ignition so you have to accept a heavy DA pull. Just about every round I have fired out of my Model 17 has been in single action mode.

I'd take a hard look at the Ruger Wrangler single action revolver. Good reviews and a bargain price.

As Armored Farmer said, the S&W is the best of the three you mentioned. You might want to keep an eye out for a used Colt Diamondback. These were great shooting DA revolvers.

I am also considering a new .22 revolver. I have a S&W model 17-3 with a 6” barrel and I like it very much. Smooth action and darned accurate if I do my part.
On my short list is the 617 with the 4” barrel and 10 shot cylinder. I looked at one yesterday with a polished cylinder with a matte finished frame. Wow! Does that look nice.

I have no experience with Ruger or Taurus DA .22 revolvers. So I cannot comment on those.

I have the Taurus 94. I haven't even tried to slick it up yet and it does ok. It feels like it could use some polishing in the action but for the price I'm satisfied. I would love a 617 but not at the prices they go for. The GP100 in 22lr seem like a lot of overkill to me.

I find the 617 too large for such a small round. In my hand, I prefer something like the 63, one of which I own. I also own a Taurus 94, which is the same size, but holds nine rounds to the Smith's six. Both guns shoot straight, but the Taurus does indeed have the heavier trigger pull. Taurus uses a lighter and shorter hammer, so the lack of hammer mass needed to effectively smash the rim of a rimfire cartridge is made up for in hammer velocity, powered by that heavy spring. The Smith and Wesson uses a larger, beefier hammer, and a lighter spring. The older 63-series guns (like mine) hold six rounds; the newer ones add two more.

Another option in the 617 size class is the Taurus Tracker. I handled one the day I bought my 94, but found it too big and bulky for a .22 handgun (for my taste.) Another option in the 63 size class is the Charter Arms Pathfinder (Target Pathfinder if you want adjustable sights.) Any of the Taurus or CA guns will run around $200 less than either of the S$W guns, give or take (assuming used prices on all involved.) A used SP-101-22 runs somewhere in between. I have no experience with them.

I'd vote for the S & W but if cost is a big factor look around the used market some more. Local gun shops, gun shows, etc. and something nice at a great price may pop up. I was looking for another rimfire revolver 3 years ago and came across a Ruger Single Six convertible with both cylinders ( 22lr & 22 Mag.). Had some external finish wear but was otherwise great. The price was right and it has become my favorite rimfire handgun.

Brockak47

Another vote for checking out the local market for a decent used .22 revolver. I found this one 7 or 8 years ago at a local gun shop. Great size and weight with a slightly heavy DA trigger pull but a very light SA trigger. It was like new in the box and didn't even have a turn line on the cylinder. The price was exceptionally nice, especially for a S&W .22 revolver in like new condition, and so I bought it, knowing it would make for a decent beginners gun for my wife. Added a Hogue Mono Grip to it as she didn't like the factory grip.

I have 2 Ruger DA, an SP101 8 shot and a GP100 10 shot. A friend had a Taurus 94 that had a couple of build quality issues and he let it go at a loss$. I have shot a 6" S&A 617 and firing single action it was very accurate. Shooting my new GP100 double action had what felt like a lighter pull and at 15 yards it is very easy to hit steel quickly . The SP has had an action job and is more precise than either the GP or 617 in my small\medium hands. I changed the GP grip to the Ruger compact grip which felt much better than stock grip. The S&W has the Hogue rubber grip with finger grooves may work for you. I prefer the 4" 6 17 over the 6" for balance in my hand. I could recommend the Ruger or S&W.

I was in the same boat. Couldn't abide the triggers of the Ruger and Tauri, couldn't quite stomach the price tag of the Smith.

Quite a conundrum.



Snatched a used 5-screw for less than the price of the new Ruger. Has a better trigger than the new Smiths too. I was on the lookout for awhile, but I'm happy I waited.

Don't overlook the Ruger Single Six family, excellent revolvers although single action!

Yeah, used is the way I usually get handguns now. I never had a really nice DA 22 revolver until I lucked into a S&W K22 from the early 1950's. Its trigger is fantastic.

As stated above, most DA 22 triggers are pretty bad. Sometimes you can get lucky. I fondled a GP100 that was actually not bad at all, but my LGS sold it in just a few days. My Taurus 94 had a very stiff DA trigger.

I would fondle new or used ones until I found one with a nice trigger. Two revolvers that are the same make and model, and even the same year, aren't going to have identical triggers. You can get lucky or unlucky in that regard.

My 2" Charter Arms Pathfinder that I got recently has a pretty decent DA trigger.

The Ruger Single Six has a sweet SA trigger. I have owned three and liked them all a lot. I never did use the 22 magnum cylinder much.

I tried many of the lower priced guns mentioned here and none were worth keeping.
I finely found a used 6" S&W 617ND on gunbroker and got that one, and let me tell you I wasted a lot of money trying to save money buying the others instead of buying the best for more money in the first place.

It depends on what your use is and what features you care most about. Since you're "pretty new" to revolvers you should be made aware that double action triggers are heavier for reasons others have already described. If you've not often shot a double action trigger handgun, you're going to be disappointed with whatever you get when you try double action.

You looking for a plinker, SHTF survival gun, something to expose yourself to revolvers, competitive shooting, or other use for this .22 revolver?

From the way it sounds, you're just wanting to know which .22 revolver is worth the money they cost or what's a good price for them. I'll give you my opinion: I don't think any S&W or most Ruger .22 revolvers are worth the money. The .22 LCR/LCRx... they're not what most people would like them to be, but if you can get one for $350 or less, it's not a bad deal.

Taurus IDK enough about, but 300 for their model 94 is a fair price considering they stopped making the 94 some time ago for some reason. Taurus is more focused on making the gargantuan Tracker their main .22 revolver, but I generally haven't heard much bad about them given their price point.

If you can't tell, I'm not a fan of a .22 on a large frame revolver, it's just too much gun for such a small caliber, but then you go down some in frame size and it seems the triggers get worse. So, it goes back to intended use for the revolver. The Taurus Trackers or .22 GP100 are fine for plinking and competitive shooting, maybe a low noise, reduced penetration risk home defense option but any use beyond that and they're just too big.

So, yes, the broadness of your question makes it difficult to help you find what it is you're looking for.

The LCR 22 is one gun I love to shoot. Solid and Robust. Use it as a trainer for my LCR9mm and as a fun plinker. Cannot even recall when I had a failure and I shoot it often. . Ruger did the LCR right on. Is well worth every thing I paid for it. Since owning the LCR, I would also love to have the LCRX with 3" barrel. That said, I agree, not sure what the Op is looking for.

I find the K-22 (3 O'clock position in the photo below) to be about the right size and weight for a .22 LR. DA is a bit heavier than I prefer, but not bad, and I think that's typical for a 22 LR revolver. SA is nice and very clean, and light enough, but I wouldn't mind it being lighter. I haven't owned a 617 but I'd expect that one to be a nice shooter too, perhaps even better than the K-22.

Brockak47 said:

I guess my question was more of I shell out for the 617 am I going see and feel where my money is going vs cheaper options.

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For a large size .22 revolver, it's not a bad way to go and a better choice than the Ruger GP100 that costs about the same. The Taurus Tracker is $200 less than either of those and will come with a .22 Mag cylinder, but if utmost accuracy is something you'd like while plinking, I've yet to find a convertible .22 that shoots as well as just a dedicated .22 LR revolver.

Since you are looking for good sights, that pretty much writes off any of the newer Charter Arms. The older ones have better sights, but they're not easy to find.

i have several 22 revolvers in h&r, ruger, heritage, s&w, various single and double action models. i had a new taurus 94 with an unworkable double, and a barely tolerable single, action trigger pull. truly awful, which is a shame because my 38 sp taurus model 85 is a dream shooter.

it’s really hard to go wrong with a single action revolver as a first or only 22 plinker, and ruger is the gold standard. if i were to pick just one forever and only 22 revolver it would be a gently used 4.5 or 5.5” 22lr/wmr ruger single six single action at $300 or less for a fine value. i love mine, especially in the slightly more accurate and oomphier 22wmr. if i wanted one new at a value price i would look at the recently introduced $200 22lr only ruger wrangler. if i absolutely needed a double/single action then would look at a 3” 22lr ruger lcr-x, which i don’t have but do like a double action only 22lr lcr.

For me the 10 shot S&W 617's are my favorite revolvers, used only for speed shooting sports.



Here are few of my other .22 revolvers that are fun to plink with.

S&W 63, NAA Mini & Ruger LCR


GP100 10 shot

Hi...

I only own a couple of .22cal revolvers but I do have a very nice Dan Wesson in .22LR that I bought a few years ago used for $450, IIRC.
It has proven to be extremely accurate with it's 8 - 3/8" barrel, but it is a big heavy revolver for the size of the caliber.
Still if you want a .22 revolver that is accurate and reasonably affordable, I would recommend finding a used Dan Wesson.

bearman49709 said:

I tried many of the lower priced guns mentioned here and none were worth keeping.
I finely found a used 6" S&W 617ND on gunbroker and got that one, and let me tell you I wasted a lot of money trying to save money buying the others instead of buying the best for more money in the first place.

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This is typical and I suggest a S&W and be done with it. A Colt would be nice but they tend to be pricey these days.

I only needed one lesson with the inexpensive DA 22 revolvers. Never again. I have handled many Taurus 22's as they look great. I just can't bring myself to buy one with their heavier trigger and generally poor record. I don't want to deal with warranty issues with Taurus.

I have a 6" 617 that I feel was a waste of money. Like Crunchy Frog says, DA is extremely heavy and rarely used. SA is good, however, and reasonably accurate (see below). The gun is really too heavy for such a small cartridge and the balance with 6" barrel seems off. It's not really good for practicing for the more powerful L-frames. It did take a couple of trips back to Smith to get any kind of accuracy from it. As I recall it had barrel problems.

My Ruger Single Six is another story altogether. It shot good out of the box. Never had a lick of trouble and it's more accurate than I am.

I want to like the 617, it is a good looking gun. But every time I shoot it, it leaves a sour taste. If I had it to do over, I'd buy another Single Six or a Bearcat (or both) before buying a 617.