Howdy
I'm surprised you say the cost of the Model 617 is 'about what the 44 cost.'
I just looked up the price of both the Ruger Super Redhawk 44 Magnum and the S&W Model 617. According to the manufacturer's websites, the Ruger's suggested retail price is $1159, the S&W is $853. This of course does not take into account what actual street prices might be.
Anyway, I bought a used S&W Model 617-6 a few years ago. It was apparently made in 2003, but I neglected to note what I paid for it.
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I gotta tell you, the Model 617 is my least favorite of all my 22 Rimfire revolvers, and I own quite a few. You are correct, the 617 is built like a tank, and one of the things I do not like about it is the full length under barrel extractor rod shroud. Apparently S&W is putting that on all their new revolvers, but I think it makes them butt ugly. I read recently the full length shroud is on the new S&W Centerfire revolvers to help tame recoil, but that hardly seems necessary with a 22 Rimfire revolver. I bought it because I was participating in a steel match at the time and I had to be able to put 8 shots on target in 15 seconds. Could not do that with my other 22s, which are all six shooters. I stopped shooting that match a bunch of years ago, and frankly, I don't need a ten shot revolver. It just makes me burn up ammo faster than a six shot revolver will.
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Six shots is all I need in any revolver.
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Anyway, a little bit of history about the S&W Model 617.
The first full sized 22 target revolver S&W made was the K-22 Outdoorsman, in 1931. S&W had made 22 target revolvers on the slightly smaller I frame in 1911, but the K-22 was the first 'full sized' 22 they made. Called the K-22 because it was built on the K frame, which is the frame size S&W had developed in 1899 for 38 Special revolvers. Chambering a K frame for the 22 Rimfire only made sense.
This K-22 Outdoorsman shipped in 1935.
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In 1940 S&W updated the design by putting the modern 'click adjustable' rear sight on it. The updated model was called the K-22 Masterpiece. Only about 1067 of these were made before WWII broke out and S&W moved to war time production of the Victory Model (38 Special). After the war, K-22 Masterpiece production was resumed with the Postwar K-22 Masterpiece. This one left the factory in 1950. Note the large screw for the rear sight, and there is a thin rib on the barrel with this model. This one also has the post war short throw hammer.
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In 1957 S&W changed over to a Model Number system of identifying their revolvers. The K-22 became the Model 17 at that time. I bought this Model 17-3 brand-spanky new in 1975. Notice the barrel no longer has a taper, but is the same diameter for its entire length. Not easily seen in this photo but the barrel rib is much wider than on the Postwar K-22 Masterpiece.
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Smith and Wesson puts the number 6 as the first digit of all their Stainless Steel revolvers. The Model 617 started out as pretty much a duplicate of the Model 17 in 1989, except it was made of Stainless Steel. The first Model 617 was a six shooter, just like the Model 17 and K-22s before it. In 1996 S&W introduced a 10 shot Model 617 with an aluminum cylinder. In 1997 S&W introduced a 10 shot Model 617 with a Stainless Steel cylinder because the ones with the aluminum cylinders did not sell very well. Various other changes over the years, including the lock and MIM parts. My 617-6 has the lock and MIM parts. Which are not the reasons I do not care for it, it is just butt ugly and not as refined as the earlier models.
Of all my 22 Rimfire revolvers, this K-22 Outdoorsman that shipped in 1932 is my favorite. Despite how worn it looks on the outside, the action is the smoothest, and it is the most accurate 22 Rimfire revolver I own.
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To Hannah42: Not sure if you expected a 22 rimfire revolver to be less expensive than a 44 Mag, but there really is not much difference in the cost of making a rimfire revolver vs a centerfire revolver. They both have pretty much the same amount of precision parts inside. This is what your Model 617 looks like on the inside:
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