S&w 617 6" .22lr

[socalbeachbum]

I bought an S&W 22A 7" for indoor target shooting 25 yds, and am pleased with it. My skill level has come up quite a bit.

My range has loaners and I used a dirty, well used Smith 617 6" last night and was amazed by the accuracy.

Is this typical of a good revolver? It clearly out-shot the 22A autoloader.

 

[MrBorland]

Is this typical of a good revolver? It clearly out-shot the 22A autoloader.

Yes.

 

[BlindJustice]

I have a 617 6" Bbl. 10 shot cyl. - it's very accurate.
the 617 succeeded the blued carbon steel K(medium)
frame revolvers

Model 17 K-22 Target Masterpiece 6" or 8 3/8" bbl.
Patridge front sight W&E ajd. Rear sight
Target Hamme & Target Trigger 6 shot cyl.

Model 18 K-22 Combat Masterpiece
Black Rame Front sight, W&E Adj. rear sight
Standard Hammer Trigger 6 shot cyl.

The 617 is sorta a cross tween the 17 & 18
Patridge front sight,W&E adj. rear sight
'Combat' ? trigger - it's smooth and curves back oneach side
the 17/18 triggers are serrated. Standard hammer
it has beenavailable with a 6 shot cyl, but now
only the 10 shot cylinderis in production

17,18 & the 617 are among the very best .22 DA
revolvers in the world

'course I am bit biased my first handgun in my teens was a
Model 18 I got in '65... for $78. Probalby twice the price
of any of my buddies with .22 handguns, very accurate,

Randall

 

[socalbeachbum]

wow, thanks for the insight.

now this may be a stretch, but would the 617 revolver be on a par with the S&W 41 as to out of the box accuracy?

 

[rcmodel]

Not quit, but close.

rc

 

[MrBorland]

would the 617 revolver be on a par with the S&W 41 as to out of the box accuracy?

Yes.




OK, enough jabber from me. I'll just let a pic do the talking - the target below was shot with my stock 4" 10-shot 617. That's sub-1" 25 yard 5-shot group, shot standing, unsupported, double action with CCI standard velocity ammo. Off a rest, the gun is capable of under three quarters of an inch, or better with match-grade ammo. I believe this is on par with a good target semi-auto, such as the Model 41.

 

[Bull Nutria]

Wow that is some fine shooting for a 22 revolver at 25 yds un supported Double action! you must be steady as a Rock!!

Bull

 

[socalbeachbum]

wow

and you can get two 617's for the price of a 41

wow

 

[BlindJustice]

Forgot to add:

The Model 18 I had as a teen on the family farm
in central Wash. State served me well, taking a lot of cottontails,
and the occaissional rattlesnake, it just made coyotes run
faster ( you knowyou hit them in the *ss when they sortA HUNCH DOWN
IN THE REAR AND RUN ) HEH.

The 617 is also available with a 4" Bbl.

*1 RCModel - close to a 41 but not quite, and it could
come down to individual gun/shooter. for out of the box.

FYI/FWIW

There was also a model 48 llike the 17
but chambered for 22 RF Mag. Yes,
S&W made a Staqinless Steel version the 648, but
didn't make many, out of prod. and extremely hard to find.

Randall

 

[socalbeachbum]

so would the 617, 17, and 18 be somewhat equal in out of the box accuracy, or is the 617 superior due to improvements, newer, etc??

 

[Bushpilot]

I have a S&W 17-2 as well as the 22A (and others). The 17 is a great shooter. However, I think most good quality, 22 autos (Buckmark, Ruger Mks, Smith, Beretta, Colt, High Standard, ect) have a slight edge over the revolvers when it comes to accuracy. This is because all of the shots out of the auto are fired from a common chamber.. In your case I would guess that you just shot the Smith 617 better because it probably has a better trigger pull than your 22A.

 

[MrBorland]

I think most good quality, 22 autos (Buckmark, Ruger Mks, Smith, Beretta, Colt, High Standard, ect) have a slight edge over the revolvers when it comes to accuracy. This is because all of the shots out of the auto are fired from a common chamber.

This debate comes up now and again, and it's generally understood both platforms have their compromises that even the field, all else being equal.

At any rate, this isn't a semi-auto vs revolver question, but more how a specific revolver stacks up against a specific semi-auto. I think the 617 and M41 are pretty darned close, and agree with BlindJustice that it's close enough to easily come down to the shooter, and the specific ammo used.

so would the 617, 17, and 18 be somewhat equal in out of the box accuracy, or is the 617 superior due to improvements, newer, etc??

I don't think any of these 3 are any more or less inherently accurate by design. A 6" 17 offers a longer sight radius than a 4" 18 or 617. The full underlug of a 6" 617 may be too muzzle heavy for some, though, in which case, they might shoot better with the balance of the 4" version. Once again, it comes down to the shooter, finding the ammo it likes, and the specific gun and it's condition.

 

[Bushpilot]

it's close enough to easily come down to the shooter, and the specific ammo used.

While I agree that a good shooter can bridge the gap between the two, being close enough to come down to the shooter and the ammo still isn't actually equal too or better than... Intrinsically the design of the auto has an advantage, all else being equal. We will just have to disagree on this one.

 

[socalbeachbum]

I'm curious enough that I'll probably go test the 617 6" against my 22A again, using a couple different ammo choices.

In my hands there may not be as much a difference as I thought, in the hands of an experienced match shooter, any significant difference would show up..

 

[BYJO4]

The 617 or the model 17 have always been known for their fine accuracy. The model 41 is also extremely accurate and has been used for competition shooting since day one. The revolver versus semi both have their plus and minus aspects but either would be an excellent addition to one's collection.

 

[chuckles]

I have a few .22s. A Mod 17, (65). A 41. (79) and a 617 from 2000. Various Ruger MKIIIs, Buckmarks, others and my S&W 41 out shoots them all by a mile. 10 shot groups at 25 yes are cloverleafs. The 617 is great but a match target handgun it isn't at least to me. FWIW my 617 6" out shoots my 17 easily. My Mark IIIs, (competition and hunter), are better than the 617 but not by much. JMHO and as usual YMMV.

 

[BlindJustice]

One advantage the 617 (17,18 ) has is: I listen to someguys on
a small email list some have semi-autos that won't fire high vel. .22 LR
like the umberti? Trailside, and my shooting buddies Ruger Mk III
didn't shoot some old green box Winchester target .22 - not enough recoil to ccle the action he gave me 8 boxes of it. My 617 didn't care it'll
shoot any .22 even longs or shorts altho I haven't seen either in years.

Sometimes at the range I take my 1911 and my S&W 625 both in
.45 ACP Sometimes I shoot the 1911 better , other days the 625.
I'm the winner ause I love em both

Randall

 

[22-rimfire]

I bought an S&W 22A 7" for indoor target shooting 25 yds, and am pleased with it. My skill level has come up quite a bit.

My range has loaners and I used a dirty, well used Smith 617 6" last night and was amazed by the accuracy.

Is this typical of a good revolver? It clearly out-shot the 22A autoloader.

Good semi-auto 22 pistols typically out shoot a good DA 22 revolver. But a good 22 revolver will outshoot a so-so semi-auto.

 

[BlindJustice]

More on the K-22s

Mid '60s, we had a 240 acfre farm between QUincy WA and George WA
It was legal then for anjunder 18 yrs old to open carry a handgun on your
property with the parent's permission. So, I did from age 14-18
driing the farm PU truck, or tractor or walking changing water Sometimes
I'd flush a rabbit, or a horned toad, the rabbit would run a little farther
but both would run, then freeze, good 'D againsnt a coyote who is a sight / keys on movement I'd stop thetractor and take careful aim
with the 18 and got pretty good at head shots. Dad told me to knock off
shooting the horned toads, they aren't the ones sthat mess/eat product but rabbits do. Horned toads eat insects so they got a pass.

Randall

 

[osteodoc08]

I love my 617 4". More accurate than I am.

 

[TennJed]

I love my 617 4". More accurate than I am.

Same here on both accounts

 

[Stainz]

As the years speed by, I seem less able to use a gold beaded Patridge sight. So, my 617 got a green HiViz front sight (#SW617). It already had lighter Wolff springs and an Allen-headed 'adjustable' strain screw, permitting just enough pre-load to be dependable - and a sweet DA trigger. My 4" 617, so equipped, is far more capable than I am. Out of the box - brand new - it grouped better than my KMK-678GC MKII, a ten+ year veteran I sold to fund the 617 purchase. My only regret re the trade-off - why did I wait so late in life to buy my 617!



The DS-10 speedloader and loading plate may not help the accuracy - or do much to stretch your meager rimfire ammo reserves - but they sure peg the 'grin-o-meter'! Pure fun!!

Stainz

 

[Old Fuff]

I beg to differ, as long as the question is directed toward what the gun will do vs. what the shooter can.

Back in the dark past of pre-history I was a bullseye target competitor, and under 1" groups at 50 yards from a top-quality Smith & Wesson, High Standard or Ruger pistol fired from a machine rest were not uncommon. It was discovered that a particular pistol would prefer a certain brand and production lot of ammunition, and once that was known that would be purchased and at least used at 50 yards slow fire. I was shooting a High Standard at the time, and from a machine rest could sometimes ring out sub-.750" groups.

A revolver has 6 (and sometimes more today) chambers, and each one will be slightly aligned with the bore differently. This has at least the potential to throw a flyer and mess up a group. For this reason some competitors that still used revolvers would fire test groups from each chamber and mark the one that did best. Thereafter they would fire the slow fire match using their revolver as a single-shot and that chamber exclusively.

Now if you change the focus to hand-held accuracy you have a different ballgame, and the results largely depend on the skill of the shooter.

 

[socalbeachbum]

thanks for all the good feedback. I am probably more impressed at what a good shot most of you are, rather than the discussion of hardware. I would need a Ransom Rest to even come close to these group sizes. Using junk ammo last night in my S&W 22A 7", rested on a shooting bag at 25 yds was able to group 2". Switching to a cheap Tasco red dot got me to 1-3/4". With the 617 6" borrowed from the rangemaster, I did 2.5"

This was with cheap 'Centurion' hecho en mexico 40 gr.

I suck compared to what I see on THR, yet I seem to shoot more precisely than just about 95% of those at our range. Most of these guys' full size silhouette targets look like they have been hit with OO buck out of a 10" 12 ga., and they are practicing at 7 yds.

 

[jungle]

Back when revolvers were much more common, Smith and Colt always had a .22 version of their service revolvers and they were popular because of the inexpensive and realistic double action training.

I bought mine because I wanted a DA trainer, and it has served nicely in that regard and the skill transfers well to other revolvers.