.22lr Small Frame Revolvers

[chp5]

I'd like to pick up a small framed (J-frame or similar) revolver to use for me and my kids to plink with.

I had a Taurus M94 and hated it. Terrible trigger, etc.

How are the S&W 34 or 63? I've heard they can also have very tight chambers and have a tough trigger pull too.

Any advice appreciated.

[Mooney]

If you're looking for something for kids to plink with (I hate to say this...) but a Walther P-22 has a light pull, SMALL grip area, and light weight in general. Downside is that they CAN be finicky with ammo (mine is OK with either regular velocity OR the recommended high velocity) and they're a bottom loader.

I like my Smith 617 10-shot to blast away with, I sometimes wonder if it's my most fun gun. Only downside (aside from medium frame vs. kid hands) is that you really can't lighten the trigger too much or it will stop going bang. It can be smoother and gently lightened, but have a screwdriver handy if you change ammo. Stock trigger pull is pretty stout.

edited to add: OH, and with a little modification (fitting) the SDM Fiber optic sights slide in, with a Millet rear sight- you can make it appear quite similar to a 625 for ICORE/ IPSC/ IDPA for practice on the cheap.

Edited April 30, 2007 by Mooney

[Jaxshooter]

The trrgger on the 617 is heavy. About the only thing you can do without a reliability problem is polish the parts. You can lighten the mainspring a LITTLE by filing the sides of the factory spring. It is very easy to over do it when you start messing with the springs on a .22.

[Carmoney]

I'd also recommend a Model 617.

My daughter Jill won top junior at the Missouri Steel Championships two years ago when she was 13 with a 4" 617. Despite being small-statured and having very small hands, she shot every round in DA mode.

You see, I just never explained to her that shooting a revolver is difficult. And so it wasn't.

Edited May 1, 2007 by Carmoney

[chp5]

Thanks for the replies.

So is the S&W 34 or 63 not as good as the larger 617?

What is the approx wieght of a DA trigger pull on a S&W .22lr revo?

Thanks.

[Carmoney]

You can get the 10-shot version of the 617, which is pretty cool. It will also be a much more useful gun if you (or the kids) ever have the chance to shoot a rimfire steel match, or something like that.

You can also tune the action better on a K-frame, although you still can't go much below 10-12 pounds DA and still have relible ignition with any rimfire revolver. Now the SA can be nice 'n' light, but what's the fun in that??

[Nemo]

Mike,

Would you bob/lighten the hammer on a rimfire Smith revo or would it further compromise reliable ignition?

[Carmoney]

Well, mine isn't bobbed on my 617. Just never got around to it.

Somebody here (can't remember who it was) reported they started having ignition trouble after lightening the hammer on a 617. That doesn't really make sense to me, you would think it would be the same as on a center-fire gun. But maybe there's a difference in the type of energy it takes to fire a .22 rimfire versus light up a Federal primer.

So I just don't know.

[chp5]

Are the Dan Wesson .22lr revolvers any good?

I've seen one that comes with a 8.5 and 2.5 inch barrels that interchange. I'm not sure ofthe model #.

[Carmoney]

Nothing wrong with the Dan Wessons, as long as you don't expect a great DA trigger pull. You can't do much to improve the way they feel in DA mode. They seem kinda "stacky" to me.

[chp5]

My daughter Jill won top junior at the Missouri Steel Championships two years ago when she was 13 with a 4" 617. Despite being small-statured and having very small hands, she shot every round in DA mode.

You see, I just never explained to her that shooting a revolver is difficult. And so it wasn't.

That's awesome BTW!

I've never handled a 617, but it LOOKS like way too much gun/weight for a .22lr and for overall balance. What do you think? I see yours has a 4" barrel. I usually see thme in 6".

[Carmoney]

I've never handled a 617, but it LOOKS like way too much gun/weight for a .22lr and for overall balance. What do you think? I see yours has a 4" barrel. I usually see thme in 6".

I guess it depends on what you're using it for. I shot our 4" 617 in the rimfire match at the Steel Challenge three years ago, and it worked just fine. Jason Pettit finished very high in that event with a 617 the same year, as I recall. Although I must admit, if I were to shoot that same match again, I would use my High Standard Victor with the Morini grips and smoke everybody's ass.....

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello: How about the Ruger Bearcat for the kids? That is what one of my Cowboy shooter friends suggested for my 8 year old. The 617 looks a little better for a steel match though. Thanks, Eric

[Carmoney]

The Bearcat is a cute little single-action. I always sorta wanted one myself! Should be good for very small hands, and fun to own even after they're grown.

[rwmagnus]

I've never handled a 617, but it LOOKS like way too much gun/weight for a .22lr and for overall balance. What do you think? I see yours has a 4" barrel. I usually see thme in 6".

I guess it depends on what you're using it for. I shot our 4" 617 in the rimfire match at the Steel Challenge three years ago, and it worked just fine. Jason Pettit finished very high in that event with a 617 the same year, as I recall. Although I must admit, if I were to shoot that same match again, I would use my High Standard Victor with the Morini grips and smoke everybody's ass.....

I'd like to see those grips any chance you can post a pic? The HS Victor I have has to be the sweetest trigger of all the guns I own. I've thought of getting a 617 10 shot to compliment my K-22 6" that is very adictive. Seems like every time I get serious about a 617 something else goes in the collection ahead of it. If component prices keep going up I'm going to start doing more .22 practice!

[Steelshooter3]

I own a S&W Mdl 63 and it has been the most disappointing revolver I have ever owned. The DA is horrible. Very hard and inconsistent in igniting the .22 rounds. Even with the sights maxed out it still shoots high and left. I've used most major brands of ammo with the same results. Also, I find the the stainless steel front sight w/insert difficult to focus on.

On the other hand, I own a S&W Mdl 17 that is a real joy to shot. Accurate with a smooth albeit harder trigger pull than most of my other Smith's. The K-frame is larger than the J but kids or people w/small hands can mostly be accomadated with different grips. I use Craig Speigel boot grips on alot of my revolvers. Uncle Mike's makes an inexpensive neoprene rubber version of these grips for both round and square butts. I've had success using this combination when introducing juniors and ladies with small hands to the fun of revovler shooting. Look for an older mdl 17 or 18 or a 4" mdl 617. The 6" full underlug version of the 617 may be a little too unbalanced for young kids.

[Cherryriver]

I bought a new Smith Model 34 Kit Gun back in the mid-70's. Like every J-frame Smith I've ever had, the DA pull left lots to be desired, but it was pretty darn accurate and not fussy in any way.

Of course, I sold it during a divorce.

Years later, for the new Significant One, I bought a Taurus 94 four-inch. The DA is even worse than the 34 was. Once a helpful gunshop clerk fitted Hogue rubbers to it, it's sort of comfortable and the DA pull is less offensive. The SA is pretty decent, if you have need for it.

The nine-shot capacity is great and really makes the gun useful. I use it for a "pest gun". The blue is nice-looking and the gun is not fussy at all. It is tolerant of every kind of ammo and doesn't tie up easily with the cruddies.

Fast forward to a couple of years ago. Unable to find a 34, or even a 43 (Airweight), I ran across a four-inch 63 on the Smith Forum and bought it.

Oddly, the DA is pretty good for a J-frame. The SA is also good. What isn't so great is that it is crud-sensitive to a moderate degree, and it really isn't as accurate as it ought to be. I suppose I could dig into it and see what's up, but I don't seem to care much about stainless guns and so I just ignore it.

I put on a set of larger Eagle finger-grooves in very nice rosewood and use it for the newbie gun. Quite a number of folks have now fired the first shot of their life with it. It's so likeable it rarely gets put down.

I am aware of a four-inch 34 in the box at a local shop now, but it's $550. Since my .22s of choice are a Trooper and a homebuilt Colt/Ciener 1911, I guess I can wait.

Having a J-frame .22 is important, to me, especially for the vital newbie-gun. Getting a good one is a bit of a dodge, it seems. But the 63 does the job, so it stays.

Bill

[rwmagnus]

My 22 revolver is a 6" Pre K-22 in blue finish and it is very accurate, same vintage as my Model 25. It can run side by side with my High Standard Victor target pistol. It's not to be sensitive about ammo or cleanliness. I don't know if a previous owner cleaned up the trigger but it's smooth and crisp. I've never had a stock S&W trigger worth a damn but they are easy to clean up and work on. I'd highly recommend a Pre K-22 or K22 for a six shot 22 revolver.

[Carmoney]

I bought a new Smith Model 34 Kit Gun back in the mid-70's......

Good post, good info. Thanks Bill.

[mikey357]

Cy, check out the S&W Model 317...an"Airweight" eight-shot J-frame, it is available with a three-inch barrel and adjustable sights or a two-inch barrel with fixed sights...although not real COMMON, they CAN be found, if you LOOK long enough...if you haven't found something you like in about a month or six weeks, I'm sure Mrs. 3-5-7 will let you try HERS, once it is "Rescued" from the "Layaway Monster"!!!...HTH....mikey357