Aiweight .22 S&W Revolvers

The gun is clearly a self defense piece,

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Maybe better than nothing but this isn't one of the Pro's IMO.

I have both the 2 in and 3 in model 317. Using the Walmart Federal bulk pack ammo both
guns clock in at under 1000fps. The hi-viz sights on the 3 in model are an advantage. The
2 in model fits in a pocket easier with the shorter barrel and smaller grip.

I have the 3" and love it. It is a fun gun to shoot and great to tot around. I carry it while fishing and it disappears in the creel.

I have the 3" and 2" aluminum kit guns versions. Used them to teach my children how to shoot J frames; then moved them up to more potent cartridges. Never had a problem with either one. Both have been very reliable. No cylinder binding or other problems. They are very good pieces for training new shooters, especially those who may be sensitive to blast and recoil.

The down side is that my children became avid revolver shooters, and have appropriated several of my favorite revolvers. We now use the aluminum kit guns as fun guns and plinkers. Cheap to shoot, and lots of fun.

That said, they will never replace my stainless steel 4" Model 63 or blued 2" Model 34-2 kit guns.

Shoot often and enjoy life.

Best, Leopard

I bought a 2" 317 for my wife and she loves it. It's light and accurate and not intimidating, she actually enjoys shooting it and carries it without complaint. We've bought other guns for her but they were too heavy or too much recoil/muzzle blast, she takes this one everywhere she goes. I know the .22lr isn't the best defensive choice but the first rule of gunfighting is to have a gun and an 8 shot .22 beats being unarmed.

3" w adj sights

I have the 3" model and did once own the 2" = had to have that refunded by S&W as it was a POS.

This 3" with adj sights is a pleasure to shoot and I am not one that views it as a S/D revolver.

To me its a woods gun that I can carry in addition to any and all gear as the 50 rounds of ammo weighs more than the gun.

I have turned a few woods bummer friends on to it and they went and bought them after shooting mine.

Weight to use/carry options make it a GREAT gun to carry.

Fits most of my J frame holsters so shoulder/belt/ankle etc carry are all possible.

The down side is they now sell for over 600.00 at my local shops.

A buddy of mine lent me his for a day.

It was a 3" Hi Viz model. I put a 3X5 card at 50 feet and hit it 5 out of 8 times double action. If he would have sold it to me I would have bought it on the spot.

This would be a PERFECT woods Kit Gun in my opinion. 8 shots, totally reliable. Light as a feather and accurate!

I look at every gun show for one and saw one this past weekend in Virginia for $619. If I could have I would have bought it.

One thing about high price is it relates directly to resale value as well. If you take care of a gun you will generally be able to get a big chunk of your money back if you ever need to sell it.

I have the 3" Hi-Viz. Just had it out yesterday.

Love it; no problems. It's so incredibly light that it's tough to shoot well, though. At least for me.

Upside is that I already notice an improvement in my other revolver shooting. If you can master this gun, others will seem much easier.

Downside is price. It cost a lot, but I figured anything else remotely similar is going to cost me at least $350 in my area unless I find some used gem of a kit gun. Which I never see at shows; people tend to keep them. And it will still weigh twice what the 317 does.


If you can swallow the price, I give it a thumbs up.

+1 to WC145. The 2" S&W 317 is the perfect gun for someone who doesn't want to carry a gun. If S&W could get the price down to $350 they'd sell a million of them.

I got the 3" 317 for my Mom, whose arthritis requires a light firearm with a single action light trigger, and that she can use both thumbs to cock the hammer.

Not meant as a jibe or anything, but what's got you worried about the durability of the Airweights?

I'd wonder about the trigger pull, how smooth it is, and how heavy, and if the auto-lock ever goes off.
3" sounds good to me, but, I can see the 2" as a take out the trash pocket gun.

317

Mine rides in my back pocket when I am in the woods. Great trail gun. And, yeah, a take out the trash gun too.


Pete

+1 to WC145. The 2" S&W 317 is the perfect gun for someone who doesn't want to carry a gun. If S&W could get the price down to $350 they'd sell a million of them.

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That's the truth! They're waaaayy too expensive. I got lucky and bought mine from an old guy that bought it new for his daughter, who never used it. I got it unfired, in the box for $325.

I'd wonder about the trigger pull, how smooth it is, and how heavy, and if the auto-lock ever goes off.
3" sounds good to me, but, I can see the 2" as a take out the trash pocket gun.

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The DA trigger pull is smooth but pretty heavy, I bought the Wolff spring kit andjust replaced the hammer spring, it imediately dropped the DA pull by what feels like a good 3lbs. No problems with light strikes with any of the ammo I've tried.

Personally, aside from being ugly, I think the locks are a non-issue. I have several S&W's with the lock (including my BUG) and have never had a bit of trouble. I just ignore it, in fact, I've never even put the key in one.

There's also an 8-shot 43C centennial model (enclosed hammer) that should be even more pocketable. They are hard to find, though.

WC145
I have had the 360PD lock up on me. Happened while I was dry firing.
Took it to my gunsmith, and he pulled the lock.

317 Problems

My grand daughter was intimidated by the recoil of the .38 Special, especially in a 16 oz. 642. She decided she wanted a defense handgun in .22 LR caliber after shooting a S&W Model-617 at the local gun shop. Enter the 317 2".

I checked out the trigger pull, both DA & SA with snap caps and they were acceptable so I purchased it for her. I then bought all kinds of .22 LR ammo.

The bad news:
1) Every round except one (CCI Stinger) jammed the cylinder during firing and required striking the extractor rod forcefully (very) to extract the empties. When I spoke with the folks at the gun shop (after purchase) about the sticky extraction they said, "Oh yeah, all 317's do that except with CCI stingers."

2) The POA / POI was off quite a bit for both of us.

3) I served as a firearms instructor for a federal agency for 15 years and am not bad shot. At 15 yards I couldn't keep the 317 within 6".

I put a CT 305 laser grip on it for her and bought her 500 Stingers for practice. Sadly, she never warmed up to it.

Recently she visited from Florida and shot an old Model-64 that had been an issue weapon for a local police department. With 130 grain FMC .38's she shot some nice groups and now it's hers. She lives in a apartment in FL, so it's loaded with Magsafe SWAT loads to prevent bullet passage though her walls should she have to use it for home defense.

I traded the 317 and 642 for a 640.

"Oh yeah, all 317's do that except with CCI stingers."

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No, "all 317"s" do not do that. I shoot the one that I own frequently and it has never done what was described. Those guys need to shoot more before they give advice.
Does make me wonder why your gun was having the problem. Don't know though.
Pete

I want one of these a lot. Nice light weight should make it easy to carry, but it will also lend to the rig the most kick the little .22 LR could provide. Owners can tell us - is there a little bit of muzzle rise? I think that would make it a little more useful for training.

But training or not, it looks like a fun gun to show some steel plates who is boss. An internal hammer Centennial-style gun would be fun too.

That's good to hear Pete. I just figured it was the Aluminum cylinder expanding and the contracting that caused the sticky extraction.

When I was on the phone with S&W Performance Center one day I mentioned the 317 problem, stating the the only round it would shoot and extract properly was the CCI Stinger. I was hoping for a clue.

His reply was, "Yeah, Stingers are good rounds."

kent

Haven't had any problems with mine (3" pre-lock) and never used Stingers. Any variety of .22LR seems to work just fine.

I am not very accurate with it compared to my other snubnose revolvers. I think the weight is so low that I just have a problem keeping steady. Not horrible, but I don't think I can do much better than 7 or 8 inches at 25 yards even in single action. I can keep my 2.75" Security Six and 2" Detective Special at 5 inches or less at that distance. Never tried the 317 off a rest.

Can't speak for durability yet. I've had it around ten years, but I doubt more than 1,000 rounds total has been through it. It still looks and feels new. I bought it mainly to help my wife learn how to shoot and it worked very well in that role. Next up are my kids.

My 3” 317 just came back from the factory for the second time. The barrel-cylinder gap was uneven and the hot gas eroded the cylinder face. This time they put in a stainless cylinder.

It came with the hiviz front /V notch rear sights. I changed out the front for a black serrated ramp and a standard square notch rear. I couldn’t hit with the original sight setup.

I have a 3". I like it, and have not had the problems other describe. But it was wildly overpriced, the fit and finish are mediocre in my view, especially for the price, and the accuracy is marginal. Still, it's a very fun gun to own.

The Beretta 21 is available at less than half the price, and mine are just as reliable and accurate, easy to use, and nearly the same weight. So it's very hard to justify a 317 for a small 22.