Got a K-22 today!

[Rawhyde]

I went to a local gun show with a couple of my shooting buddies and he found me a pretty nice K-22. It has honest wear, and it's wearing the wrong grips, but I've been wanting a long tube .22 for a while now. I got it for $500 OTD. It's a Model 17 (no dash) that dates to about 1960 per SCSW. Probably not as good of a deal as the K-38 a little while back, but I'm partial to the long barrels! If I feel up to it, I want to take it out and get it dirty tomorrow!

What do y'all think?

Rawhyde

17-0-Left-Side-web.jpg

17-0-Right-Side-web.jpg

[fyimo]

Congratulations and if yours shoots anything like my 17-4 with 8 3/8 barrel it will blow your mind because shoots it like a rifle and is the most accurate model 17 I own.

[Goony]

Yeah, technically those grips are "wrong" but not very - if you can do some trading for another set of targets with the diamond, even if you had to throw a little cash into the deal, then the gun would be right enough.

[chud333]

Nice pick-up my friend and i hope it shoots as well for you as my k-22's shoot for me. I know it will. You will be wanting more of these now.
Trust me i know.

Chuck

[bigmoose]

These revolvers tend to multiply. Very nice score.

[sgms]

Very nice indeed.

[hoover 1]

Really nice!!

Originally Posted by bigmoose

These revolvers tend to multiply. Very nice score.

Yes they will!

Thanks,

Hoover

[Rawhyde]

I have liked and respected S&W my entire life, but I wasn't that knowledgable about them. Back in the 80's, I learned of the existance of the Model 52 and Model 53. I was fascinated by the idea of a .38 Special match grade semi auto and the idea of a high speed .22 caliber centerfire. I thought they were cool concepts and it made me realize that S&W dared to be different.

A couple of years ago, I got back into shooting, reloading, and gun buying. I decided to learn more about Smith & Wesson, and concentrated my buying and studying accordingly.

I've read countless times how you have to take all reference books (even the great SCSW) with a grain of salt because S&W doesn't waste parts and they aren't afraid to make "deviations" to use up those parts.

That said, I looked into the SCSW about this new to me K-22.

K417xxx puts it into the mid to late 1960 timeframe numerically. I know they're shipped out of sequence and these are just generalities, but...

Looking into the Model 17 section, I learned that the 17 like all model marked guns began production in 1957. The long barrel began production in 1958. (Nothing contradictory...yet) According to SCSW, in 1959, the 17-1 was introduced, but mine is a plain Model 17 with a serial number deep into the 1960 range.

Between this and the K-38 I just picked up, I'm beginning to wonder if every gun they make is some sort of "exception to the rule". My guess is that not many people buy/like the 8-3/8" barrels, so that throws a monkey wrench into the works.

[GF]

I've posted the statement here before that the 8 & 3/8ths K-22 are the "sleeper" rimfires and by the prices I see on Gunbroker they've woke up!

That longer barrel in the 22 cal is a real shooter with the 40 gr standard velocity ammo.

I've got one about the same date as yours, I just put smooth targets on it and called it close enough.

GF