S&W J-Frame .22 cal.

[exdetsgt]

Local gun shop has one of these. It's been re-chambered to .22 Magnum. Asking price is $420. It's a round butt and in good cosmetic shape. I'm wondering if this is a frequent modification and if the Magnum round overstresses the frame.

Ted

 

[VA27]

While I wouldn't rechamber one myself, I wouldn't be afraid of shooting one if it was well done. Any chance for a test fire before purchase?

With Model 51's being priced above 6 bills now, I don't think the price is outrageous, but I'd still try to haggle.

 

[Starter52]

+1 to VA27. I would insist on a money-back guarantee if the gun shoots a shotgun pattern, but otherwise it should be safe. The J-sized frame can handle .22 magnum easily enough.

This conversion is certainly not a common one.

 

[exdetsgt]

The gun shop is owned by to elderly gunsmiths. One wasn't there when I inquired, but the other said the conversion was done properly. Thank you both for your replies and I will definitely shoot it before I buy it (they have a mini range in a back room), and I was also wondering if the .22 magnum round would have as much punch as a .38 Special round from a Model 36?

 

[hatchetbearer]

Comparing a .22 WMR to a .38 special is like comparing a Porsche 911 to a Nissan Sentra.

.38 special is a much more powerful round.

 

[olafhardtB]

I once called s&w about this very conversion. They said NO because of the heat treatment required. The person on the other end of the line did not inspire confidence.

 

[Jeff22]

what model is it?

Back in the mid 1980s Smith & Wesson made a revolver called the model 650. 3 inch heavy barrel stainless J Frame which came in .22 mag. You could order an optional .22 LR cylinder, which required some minor fitting by a gun smith.

I bought one when they first came out in 1984, because my off duty gun at the time was a 3 inch S&W 36 (with the tapered barrel) . The M650 I used as a practice gun -- .22 ammo being much cheaper than .38 Special ammo.

I still have both of those revolvers, and since purchased a S&W 60 3 inch heavy barrel (stainless) and a S&W 36-2 heavy barrel (blued steel).

I carry the M60 as an off duty gun all the time and shoot the M650 often.

If the gun you saw in an M650, consider buying that -- I've seen them for sale on some of the on-line websites for almost a thousand dollars (!)

 

[exdetsgt]

It's not an M650 as, according to the Standard Catalog of Smith&Wesson, 3rd Ed., it was stainless and had a 3" barrel. This one is blue steel, has a round butt and a 2" barrel. Sitting in the display case it looked just like an M36.

The gun shop is closed Sunday and Monday so I can't determine its model number until Tuesday. Could be an M34 with the adjustable rear sight, though I didn't notice the sights at the time.

 

[TennJed]

Not to thread jack, but does S&W make a current j frame in 22 magnum?

 

[stanmo]

The 351C is still made and has no lock.

 

[Hoppes Love Potion]

351PD is also a .22 Magnum J-frame. This and the 351C are alloy, not steel.

 

[Stainz]

Here are my .22 J-frame rimfires, top down, a 5" 63 (.22 LR - recent), 4" 651 (.22 WMR - 1999-2000), and a 3" 63 (.22 LR - current):



The 651 was bought a year ago, ANIB, for $550 locally. It was a Holy Grail gun to me. My 3" 63 was bought two years ago - and is a keeper - it was more. The 5" 63 was bought from a friend's estate 9/2009, following my first rimfire revolver - a 4" 617 a year earlier. It is a hard act to follow - but it's a K-frame.

Back to the 651. If I didn't have it, would I consider rechambering an existing 63 in .22 WMR? No way! All you gain is enough fps to make it's rounds supersonic - and produce a loud 'crack' instead of a 'bang'... and a far greater drain on your wallet, too. Besides, I believe, someone correct me if I am wrong, that the barrel will need to be slightly reamed, as .22 WMR is slightly larger in OD. IF the OP's interest is not reamed, pressures may be higher - and leading/copper deposits may increase, too. I'd avoid that choice.

In use plinking, the 3" 63 'tickles' some rebounding steel plates, while the 4" 651 will drop them. But - so will my 5" 63 as it gets a few more fps from the LR rounds. CCI Stingers in .22 LR from my 3" 63 are nearly as impressive at 12yd blowing up a pop bottle full of water as the 4" 651 is with Hornady Critical Defense ammo. One .22 WMR J-frame revolver I would consider - and so does the well-respected Mas Ayoob - is the 351C/PD. The 10+ oz Airweight will set you back $600+, however. Is it equivalent to a .38? Not exactly.... if that is what you want, just get a 642 or 442 - $400 or less. Typical defense ammo recoils too much? Try 148gr LWC target ammo - almost four times the mass and makes a larger entry hole than the expanded rimfire would - at a minor recoil.

Stainz

PS In a horrid future, where I could only keep one of the above trio - it would be the 3" 63.