.22 LR options

[sturmruger]

My buddy and I both bought revolvers at the last gun show we went to. We had a long day at the range on Sat. We both decided that the most fun we had shooting was our new revolvers. His was a Taurus Tracker in .357 and mine was a Ruger Security Six. We both decided that the next show we go to we are going to try to pick up a couple revolvers in .22 LR. We are both kind of cheap and .22 is allot cheaper to shoot then .38 or .357. My question is what is a good .22 Revolver to purchase. I know they do make some .22 wheel guns with 7-8 rounds. This would be nice since we wouldn’t need to reload so much. We both prefer to get a gun that is DA so that we can shoot fast if we need to. We are both Ruger fans, but are open to most any manufacturer. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks for the help

 

[Josey]

Used would have to be a K-22 S&W. I would give the new to Taurus, a great little 4" double action. The single action field is limited. I would look at a Ruger Bearcat. I would probably buy a dual cylinder 22/22 Magnum Single Six by Ruger though.

 

[Ala Dan]

Question is, how deep are your pocket's? My favorite
.22 LR "wheelgun" is the long since discontinued 4"
barrel Smith & Wesson model 18; better known as
the "Combat Masterpiece". But, be sure and take
plenty of $$$$ with you; cuz this one won't come
cheap! Recently here locally, a gem mint 99.9 per
center with box, tools, and warranty card sold for
$509.95 OTD; and the owner really didn't care
whether he sold it or not.

They are excellent revolvers, built on Smith's popular
K-frame and holding six rounds and equipped with the
adjustable target sight's. From 1971 to about 1978
I sent thousands of rounds down range, thru the
barrel of a S&W model 18.

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

 

[Hal]

Keep your eyes peeled for a Dan Wesson if you like the way a Ruger feels.
Used Dan's generally sell for ~ $200 or so. Probably the best bargin going in a .22 wheel gun.

In fairness I got to admit though that I vastly prefer the Smith action over my Dan. So much so that I gave my Dan to my shooting buddy Jim. He's a Ruger-holic and he took to the Dan like a duck to water.

 

[MrAcheson]

I rented a 6in barreled S&W 617 at the range yesterday. It was a 10-shooter in 22lr. Very nice. The DA trigger was long and heavy but smooth. The SA trigger was nice. A very fun gun. I'm not a revolver shooter but I'm thinking of putting one of these on my firearms to-buy list. That long heavy trigger really forces you to learn proper trigger discipline and SA is just fun.

A side issue here. 10-shooters are great for lots of fun without having to reload as much. However one issue with 10-shooters instead of 6-shooters is that the cylinder timing is different. I'm not enough of a revolver guy to really tell the difference, but some people prefer a 6 shot .22lr because it makes for a better trainer.

 

[wally]

I got a Taurus 94 J-framed sized 2" barrel 9-shot .22LR for cheap DA practice cause it handles pretty much like my .357 S&W Scandium SC360 snubbie. I think its available with a 4" barrel as well. There might be a Taurus Tracker in .22LR, I know I've seen them in 22 mag (but this will cost about the same as 38 Special to shoot).

Ruger Single Six is IMHO more fun but its SA only so no help in practicing DA shooting.

--wally.

 

[biere]

I also recomend the ruger single action in 22 magnum and 22 long rifle. Mostly because I want one but have not bought one yet.

On the round counts, I have some 5 shot and some 6 shot and one 8 shot revolvers. I no longer guess as to what is in the range bag or holster, I know for certain. I also count each and every round.

I went with several revolvers partly so I would learn the habit of counting rounds. I consider it a useful skill even for mag fed 9mms where you might have 17 or more rounds in a normal sized magazine.

I will also agree that staying with the # of rounds your current revolvers have is a good strategy in some cases.

I just wanted to make myself learn to really pay attention and count rounds. Besides, some of what I wanted is not offered in the proper sizes and round counts.

 

[444]

I have a bunch of .22 revolvers and love them all with the possible exception of my Ruger Bearcat.
I have two S&W Model 17s in 6"
a S&W 617 in 6"
a Ruger Single Six stainless in 4"
a Ruger Bisley Single Six in I think 7.5 although it might be 6.5
All are terrific handguns. I would be at a loss to pick my faviorite.
I also have a Ruger Bearcat which is also a great little gun, although mine shoots about 4" low and has fixed sights. I realize that I could try to play with the sights but I certainly would prefer that I didn't have to.

 

[P95Carry]

I like my Single Six very much but .. having not too long ago (and shot today), aquired a pre K-22 .. C 1950 ... this has to be about the cream of the crop ... OK, it's only six in the cyl ... but sweet as sweet. If cash permits and patience .. go lookin and get one.

I'd guarantee you'll love it, and ... it's quite a good investment IMO.

 

[George S.]

Being Ruger fans, you should really like the Single Six even though it's a SA revolver. I've had mine, a 6.5" barrel version, for 26 years now and it is the one gun that I'll never trade or sell. The interchangable cylinders make the gun fun to shoot. I use primarily Winchester Dynapoints for .22LR and off a rest, I can easily get 1.5" groups at 25yds. I just added a cheapie BSA red dot and that's a big improvement over the factory sights.

 

[P95Carry]

George ...... what did you use for a mount for the red dot?? B-Square or something else? I have thought of ''tweaking'' mine but not looked into it much .... and .... how easy to fit was whatever you did use?

Thx

 

[V-fib]

My Taurus 94 snub is about the same weight as my Ruger Sp101. I bought it as a practice gun for the Ruger which its great for, but I also like to shoot it just for the fun of shooting .22lr. Its holds 9 rounds and I also have a couple of speedloaders for it.

 

[Nick96]

No mention so far about the Ruger SP101 in .22 - but I have one and really like it. May have trouble finding one used since folks that get them tend to keep them. But buying new - they are of much better quality than the Taurus - and cheaper than a S&W. Just six shots and the same size & weight as a .38/.357 SP101 (probably pretty close to your Security Six), but that's no issue for me. Mine is rugged, reliable, accurate - and as you pointed out - you can shoot thousands of .22's for the price of a few hundred centerfires.

It's my impression that if you are going to spend significant money on a revolver, it should be a .22. You will literally be shooting thousands and thousands of rounds through a .22 compared to hundreds of centerfires. So any deficiencies in feel, fit, finish and quality are going to surface pretty quickly. Most any lead chunking centerfire revolver will do for occassional use - but you will find yourself spending a lot of "quality time" with a .22. A quality DA .22 revolver is one of the best investments you will make in a handgun. They are unmatched for developing good DA revolver shooting skills - and the fun factor is tremdous - without breaking the bank.

You mentioned you got a Security Six. Though the internals are different, I think you will find that an SP101 in .22 will make for a good, inexpensive understudy for the "Six" - more so than any other .22 revolver out there that I am aware of.

Also, I'll be your buddy tires of his Taurus long before you do of your Security Six. They ARE that good.

 

[cratz2]

I have an older (circa 1987) Dan Wesson 22 with a 6" barrel that I wouldn't trade for a K22 which I also used to own.

I think I paid $150 for the Dan Wesson and $320 or so for the K22 and at equal prices, I'd take the Dan over the Smith.

Friend of mine has one of the very light weight Smiths that holds 10 rounds, I believe... about a 3" barrel. It's nice for an alternative but if I was looking to buy a 22 revolver for target or plinking fun, I'd want a 6" barrel for the longer sight radius and slightly added velocity.

 

[Tropical Z]

Hi-Standard made some nice .22lr revolvers.Not real common a find anymore but usually fairly cheap when you do see one.Heres one like mine.

 

[The_Shootist]

Beretta 87 Cheetah

Oops! Wrong forum! :banghead:

 

[HSMITH]

My friend Ala Dan is preaching the gospel truth on the M18, and it is just as good if not better on the pre-18's. I have one from 1950 that is a work of art.

I also agree with Hal, Dan Wesson made some darn nice guns for the money. The DW downside is grips and holsters and other accessories are awfully hard to find in variety.

Tropical Z brings up a very nice 22. The High Standard Sentinel is a fantastic gun, and a 9 shooter to boot. Problem with them is it seems the market has realized how dang good they are and prices are skyrocketing lately. A couple years ago you couldn't hardly give one away, now they are hard to get period let alone at bargain prices.

 

[Majic]

I have a Smith M17-3 that's an excellent shooter, but my DW M22 shoots circles around it. Half the price, but it proves money aint everything.
Now my friend has an old Colt Officers Model Target that will put both my revolvers to shame. I have had my eye on a nice one, but I'm hoping the price will fall as it just sits.

 

[noname1]

I have a stainless Taurus 94 with 4" barrel that is a great shooter and great quality. It goes to the range every time I do. Cheap shooting fun, and I picked it up for $229, NIB.