S&w 617 6" .22lr

[BlindJustice]

Yes, the K-22 Model 18 .22 LR was/is
the same platform as the Model 15
K-38 Combat Masterpiece It's counterpart
The Model 14 K-38 Target Masterpiece
is the Model 17's "Big Bo' and lest we forget
The MOdel 16 K-32 like a 14 but in .32 S&W Long
The last beig very rare to find.

Range Session for me I start with the 617, SA, a few cyl full
then do SA followed by a DA 2nd shot. x 5 per cylinder and
some slow DA cylinder full, followed by DA Double Taps.
This is prior to whooting my Model 625 in .45 ACP with the same
routine. The 625 5" BBl and 617 6" Bbl. the
O.A.L is within a 1/2" of each other so the ssight fradius is also
nearly the same - A bit different balance between the
Medium/K and Large/N frames

R-

 

[Orion8472]

Kinda wish the 617 wasn't so expensive. Oh well.

 

[SwampWolf]

I'm a long time Bullseye shooter and I have both the Model 41 and the Model 617. Over time, I have found the Model 41 to be slightly more accurate in an intrinsic sense but this advantage doesn't necessarily translate to better scores when shooting off-hand @ 25 yards. In fact, I shoot a bit better with the revolver in the slow-fire stage but the auto naturally scores better in the timed and rapid-fire stages. Both are very well-made and accurate handguns and the shooter's skill (or lack thereof) is the difference in terms of practical accuracy.

 

[BlindJustice]

I got involved trying to figure out for a friend what is the fair
market value of his S&W 22A he wants to sell. It's msrp is near the
market range of the Ruger Mk III and Buckmark so....

I asked a current competitor about the Berretta 87 Target, and he
said he's never seen one ontherange. At an MSRP of $880 he said it's
easier to go with a Buckmark or Ruger Mk III as they trigger can be
improved on them

I got my 617 about 6 years ago, when the msrp was $ 729 for $628
which was $4 more than the 625 I bought the same month.
Today the MSRP on a 617 is $ 829

The Model 18 I bought in '65 was $78,
probably twice the price of my peers,
Hi-standard?IThaca? break open or
or the Colt Clone wannabe's. Now on the used market
a cared for Model 18 will run in the $50 and up range.

So the entry price for a 617 is up there, but it retains it's value if not
gaining in value.




R-

 

[MrBorland]

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.

If yours is a public range, the bar's likely pretty low. Kudos for working on your marksmanship, and an accurate gun is a good tool toward that end.

In the interest of full disclosure, I'm a decent shot, but the pic I posted was exceptional for me and I'll admit sub-1" 25 yard groups certainly aren't my norm. When I was doing a lot of target-style shooting, double action 2" @ 25 yards was pretty typical. Since then, I've gotten into Run&Gun games with my revolver, but I can still pull off 3"@25. I'm fairly certain you'd be able to do the same with practice.

As to the price, yeah, they're pricey: I bought my 617 and my 686 together - I nearly choked writing the check, but both came to be my wisest gun-related purchases.

 

[ATCDoktor]

I haven't seen too many like this one:



8 3/8" Model 617 I picked up for a song a few years ago and it shoots like a rifle:

 

[socalbeachbum]

wow. I found a few used 17's or 18's in 8-3/8" I'd love to have one of these!

 

[S&W-Keeper]

The 617 will spoil you, I have both 4 and 6 inch. They are very accurate.

 

[CraigC]

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.

What he said! I have to disagree with much of what has been said here. Revolvers should be compared to other revolvers, not fixed barrel autos. A very accurate revolver will shoot into 1"@25yds with preferred loads. I wouldn't keep even a Buckmark or Ruger MK-series that shot that poorly. Most will easily halve that and still cost a third to half as much as a new 617. A S&W 41 had better shoot a lot better than virtually anything less than a Freedom Arms or it's not worth its asking price.

Methinks many folks have never bench tested a .22LR handgun.

In a discussion like this, it's difficult to separate the seat of the pants, off hand shooting results from true benchrest accuracy testing.

 

[BigG]

Potential accuracy is one thing when you can machine rest or bench rest. Hand held accuracy is the main thing as far as bullseye competition goes. A lot of it is voodoo and personal. Shoot whatever works best for you but a 617 will do about as good as any of them.

 

[Old Fuff]

The Old Fuff will take note of the fact that since the 1950's very few, if any competitors in the bullseye target game shoot revolvers in .22 matches.

It is true that there is a difference between hand-held and machine rest accuracy. If you are trying to determine what the maximum potentional of any handgun/ammunition combination is, a machine rest will tell you.

It is also true that a top-quality pistol that has a single chamber that is always concentrict to the bore has a built-in advantage in the accuracy department.

However when it comes to hand-held accuracy the difference tends to become moot, as it is the shooter's skill that matters more. With most shooters a match grade pistol and similar revolvers will group the same or closely so.

One unmentioned advantage the revolver has, is that it is much safer to carry in the field then a target pistol with an enclosed hammer that is cocked behind a loaded chamber.

Pick whichever best meets your needs.

 

[TennJed]

Some if you that are wiser than me on accuracy let me ask a question. In a gun like the 617 how much difference would a 6" and 4" barrel make in a benchrest senerio?

 

[CraigC]

If your bench technique is good, probably not too much. If you add an optic, which I would do even if just for testing, none at all.

 

[S.B.]

I'm a revolver fan, so I'd opt for the 617 here's mine

I also own one of their 22A-1s, would still choose the 617

Steve

 

[socalbeachbum]

with more testing and range time, I am realizing most everything said here is true, ammo counts, the shooter is the biggie, sights count a lot, as I've found I can score better with a red dot than with iron.

and trigger pull. I started measuring with a Lyman electronic pull gauge and found almost a linear relationship between trigger pull and group size, of all the handguns I own. I'd like to get the trigger pull on my S&W 22A 7" down to the level of the S&W 41, but I don't know if that can be done.

 

[Kernel]

S.B.,

How did your 617 come to NOT have a full underlug barrel? Was that a factory option at one point?

 

[SwampWolf]

How did your 617 come to NOT have a full underlug barrel? Was that a factory option at one point?

Smith & Wesson made some "non-lug", special production Model 617s over the years. There was a run of them made specifically to conform to the "partial" lug (all so-called "non-lugs" have a non-full lug) configuration wanted by the Ashland Shooting Supplies distributor, a company long out of business that was located in Ashland, Ohio.

 

[BlindJustice]

I'd like to see S&W make a 617
with 3" and 5" Bbl no-lug just the
ejector shroud

ah well.

 

[cwmoss]

I have a 4" 10 shot rosco and it is my favorite 22 handgun.
cwmoss

 

[CraigC]

I'd love to see S&W make a 4" 10-shot 617 with the lugless barrel profile and target sights. Might actually get me to buy a new MIM internal lock model.

 

[Cannelure]

Most .22 LR handguns are more accurate than the shooter. What sets the 617 apart is a combination of a long sight radius and a very good out of the box trigger. The single action trigger of the 617 is wonderful in my opinion and I'm sure many would agree.

 

[Cannelure]

Stainz, I've read several of your posts and appreciate your advocacy of new S&W revolvers. I resent the internal locking mechanism for political reasons; however, your pictures and advocacy has convinced me to give new S&Ws a try.

 

[bergmen]

While heavy, my 617-6, 4" fits my hand as though it was custom made for it. It has the soft rubber grip (not sure who makes it for S&W, maybe Hogue) and a butter smooth action both DA and SA. Extremely accurate (to me), I replaced the front sight with a Hi-Viz green from S&W.

It is spendy but I love it. It is great fun to shoot for recreational target and plinking.

Dan

 

[aka108]

I'm running a early version of the 617. When I was 13 years old I had been saving every coin I could get my hands on in some old Price Albert tobacco cans. When I accumulated 60 dollars a friends father operated a gun shop and sold me a brand new K22. My mother had to sign for it. First think I did was toss the box. This was all in 1959. It still gets a lot of range time. Took me a few years to become a not too bad shot. Now, with a few geriatric tremors or what ever I'm shooting like I did when the gun was brand new. These S&W revolvers, given just a little TLC are of a quality that makes them generational.

 

[TUBBY1]

K22 17-8 6" ten shot

Really loved by all who have shot it. Well balanced, and a lot of fun.a must shoot if you haven't. I like my 22a, but prefer the 17-8.