So, what do you think? Should I buy one?

Bob

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Sag Harbor & Manhattan, N.Y.

Yes


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Ammo has been available recently. Fun guns. Do you reload? Have you found one and for how much? Going to shoot it or just have it?

Give us some clues. But, not many here are going to say don't buy a S&W unless they know it is over priced or in bad shape

Well, love that round, own a k53, is a excellent revolver, factory ammo is ... lets say aggressive, loud and powerful, if u reload for it, u can have a very versatile piece.

Would say go for it

Here's another "yes." Bought my first one in September, great fun to shoot. Easy to load for although .222 bullets are not readily available (.223 "hornet" bullets from Sierra work fine though). Enjoy.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

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IMG_0894.jpg (214.9 KB, 199 views)

I love my M53 (shown here with a Model 15-2).
Lots of fun, especially in low light, and pretty darn accurate. Prvi Partizan currently makes ammo for it.

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I have 2 of them, real ball to shoot. Lots of noise, ware muffs very loud, hardly any recoil. Quite accurate and with the Previ ammo so cheap you can shoot all you want. Forget the inserts usually not accurate. Keep the chambers clean, I use brake clean. Have fun.

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"I'm feeling MUCH better now"

.22 Jet=.357 magnum case neck down to .22 ?

Yes, it was developed by necking down a .357 case.

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Pine_Worker
Ex-LEO, NRA Life

I sure like mine. As mentioned earlier tons of noise and flames but no recoil. Very accurate too. Coincidently I just started reloading some of my PP brass today.

I do reload and haven't bought one or found one yet. I am happy to pay a fair price, but try to only buy used guns that have the original box and are in Excellent to Like New Condition. I have been very lucky doing that, but have spent a lot of money to accomplish it. I love K Frames. My latest K Frame find was a Model 17 K-22 Masterpiece with Target Stocks, Target Hammer, Target Trigger, White Outline Rear Sight and Red Ramp Front Sight. Not a lot of them made with the red ramp front, in the 70s. I have the original box and paperwork and it was in a dealers inventory never having been sold. Probably now not worth the $1,750.00 I paid for it as it, like the 53 will be, a shooter now for me, but it was identical to one I had in the early 70s and had bought new from myself when I had my guns shop.

I hope I can get some factory ammo or at least some brass with the correct head stamp. I certainly could neck down 357 cases and neck down 38 cases and blow then out for my 7mm Baby Nambu, but it works the brass a lot.

Bob

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Sag Harbor & Manhattan, N.Y.

I have 12 Model 53's. Guess what I say about buying your first. Here is a picture of some of my factory experimental .22 Long Rifle plastic inserts.

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.22 Jet inserts.jpg (118.6 KB, 230 views)

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Don Mundell

I presume those didn't pan out so well?

That is very interesting. I had not heard of those. Thanks for showing them.

I'm guessing your correct! I also have the dies for making them. I have no idea why the different colors.

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Don Mundell

22 Jet Ammo | Bulk 22 Jet Ammunition - AmmoSeek.com 2020

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Jim
Many K and N Frames

There are a few, listed on GB. Not cheap, when you find one with box,docs, inserts, and .22 magnum spare cylinder. I got mine, with 7 inserts and some chipped, likely original target stocks, really good bluing, but certainly no safe queen, for $700. I didn’t even know what it was, when I first saw it. Thanks to this forum and SWSC 4, I was able to make a quick assessment of value and “cool factor”. Luckily, no one else bought it, during the week, before I could get back to the gun store.

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Get it, I bought a mint one on Rock Island Auction, but I am giving to a friend of over 60 years.

What started it for me was in 1965. I received an H&R single shot in 22 Rem Jet Magnum as a Kid.
I didn’t have a Smith until about 10 years ago.
I found a Model 53 in a pawn shop. It was a shooter grade. Some blueing wear from a holster. And it had a set of thumb-rest grips.
It came with 6 22 Long Rifle inserts and a couple boxes of factory shells. $800 out the door. I replaced the grips with a set of magnas.
I haven’t had the cylinder lock up like some people have with the shell forcing against the cylinder. It’s a fun gun for me. Here is a pic of the .222 jet bullets that were recommended.
But finding them is a little hard. And the grips that were on it when I bought it.




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Yes, they are a blast !!!


I'm a Jet Shootin' Man.....

My two cylinder ( Jet & Super Jet) custom 53 built like a Combat Masterpiece...




.

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"IN GOD WE TRUST"

I guess I will start looking for one .......... Certainly with the inserts and other cylinder if possible.

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Sag Harbor & Manhattan, N.Y.

There is one on Guns International - First Year - 1961, As New In Box Condition, 8 3/8" With the inserts and Target Stocks. No extra cylinder, standard trigger and hammer with adjustable sights. $2,750.00. Guess I need to look more as I would like to get the Target Hammer and Target Trigger and if possible white outline rear and red ramp front sight. Off to the classified section.

Bob

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Sag Harbor & Manhattan, N.Y.

I bought my first M 53 in 1963. I liked it so well that I added another a few years ago. I was so enamored by the possibility of a 22 Jet as a self defense handgun that I built one on a M 15 frame after finding a 22 Jet cylinder at a bargain. I used a 4 in. S&W 22 LR barrel. I saw no reason to put a two caliber hammer on it so it is 22 Jet only. I reloaded for years to a lower level of muzzle blast than the OEM ammo and now I also use the PRVI ammo. I have never regularly carried my SD 22 Jet, but I could and would at the switch of a holster.

I was in upstate Michigan visiting relatives and had my 22 Jet SD parts is parts gun with me. I went over to the then manufacturing facility of Second Chance Vests. I was a LEO at the time and wearing a Second Chance Vest when required. They gave me a tour and when I questioned them if they had ever tried out the 22 Jet on a vest they said no. I got it out and they shot it in their test chamber. The OEM ammo cut thru the vest material like it was butter. It did not penetrate the armor plate.

I like the design of the 'Super Jet' much more than the OEM Jet cartridge. I have cut back significantly on my reloading efforts, so decided to live with the OEM cartridge as designed and to not go with the Super Jet design in my SD handgun.

A little bit of my 'Jet Blue'...


enjoy,
bdGreen

There is a couple nice ones on GunBroker. They are not cheap as new in the box and is the reason I have yet to get one myself. All about being in the right place at the right time with money in the pocket. Good luck

Back when I was young and dumb I fired a .22 Jet Model 53 from inside a 1953 Chevrolet. It was cold and all the car windows were up so I cracked a vent window just enough were the barrel muzzle could poke out. I NEVER did this a second time !
(now I am old but still dumb)

Well. Did you hit what you were aiming at? Not wanting to hijack the thread, but, my dad had a 303 British. I took the gun and two bullets to fire in the basement. I only fired one.

I found this one at a gun show several years ago. It was just prior to Privi Partisan (PPU) starting up production of the ammo again. I paid about $60 for an old box of Peters ammo just to have something to shoot and some brass for reloading. The hard components to find are the Hornady #2210 40 grain, .222" bullets that Jetman22 shows above. I think Hornady stopped manufacture of them several years ago in order to keep up with the demand for bullets used in all of the AR15 type rifles. You can sometimes find Sierra .223" 45 grain Hornet bullets that are supposed to shoot OK.

I have not chronographed the PPU ammo but I suspect it is loaded to a little lower velocity than the original ammo, and will likely be easier on the forcing cone.

I also have a Ruger Hawkeye in .256 Magnum. It shoots a 60 grain .25 caliber bullet from a necked down .357 case. Another problem child. I like the oddballs I guess.

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	Model 53 with Jet and .22 Ammo Collage pic.jpg (121.7 KB, 104 views)
	.22 Jet_.357 Magnum_.256 Win. Mag.jpg (58.8 KB, 139 views)

The Ruger Hawkeye is on my wish list!!


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FYI, to all you new Jet buyers! The Jet is a barrel burner! "Back in the day", many were sent back to the factory for new barrels, which is not an option today! The flame cutting was caused by factory ammo, it's too hot! In 1959, S&W went to Remington and had them develop a round that would shoot a 40gr .222 bullet at 2400fps. The Jet was born!


Here are two examples of barrel burning. The first is a barrel that is starting to round over and the second is after many rounds! IMHO, the erosion starts after only about 100 rounds of factory ammo! The second barrel hurts accuracy. At 50 yds you can see the difference between a good barrel and this eroded barrel with the same loading!
MY Choice: The .224 Harvey K Chucker! In 1956-57 Jim Harvey of Lakeville Arms, was building the Harvey K Chuker. This is a 22 Hornet, shortened then fire formed to a more square shoulder, and then reloaded! None of the problems of the Jet!


jcelect

Midway hass 40 gr. 223 bullets in stock and shows 45 as out of stock,no back order.Get a 222 or 223 sizing die If you have the right punch you could do it tip up with little to no damage to the nose. You could also set up to press 224 bullets through, pressing on the base of the bullet. I have thousands of 40 gr 224 I bought cheap at a close out years ago. But, actually I don't think the 224 bullets would hurt anything if they chamber. They would swedge to 222 instantly. Like PO Ackely shooting 358 cal bullets down a 308 cal barrel using a 35 Whelen chamber on 308 barrel

I didn’t know anything abt this revolver but this thread has me made want one.

Interesting, I bought a couple boxes of the 45 grain a month or two ago from Midway. Suppose the 40s work as well. Sierra still shows them on their website so apparently has not discontinued them.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

I think what was referenced to about being discontinued is the
Hornady #2210 40gr Jet bullet


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I like mine...it has a 2x scope on it and groups reasonably well at 100 yards, considering my skill level.

Honestly, unless you don't own a 22 rimfire revolver, I would pass on the extra cylinder and maybe the inserts as well. I have inserts for mine, but with a couple k22s, a model 63, and a model 35 in the safe, It is unlikely I will ever use inserts to fire 22 rimfire.

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Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

I have found No. 1 and 2 reforming dies from RCBS to make the brass out of .357 Magnums, but I did buy a quantity of the PRVI ammo and have some once fired brass coming. I am in the process of selecting the 53 I want from a selection I have uncovered. Some of which came from me posting here. Thanks everyone that PMed me.

Bob

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Sag Harbor & Manhattan, N.Y.

Don't bother forming brass unless you have A LOT of non-shooting time on you hands! It is not an easy process and it entails more than just reforming a 357 brass to a smaller neck. You will need to anneal the brass, thin the brass at the neck, only to loose many in the process! This all means you will need more equipment than normal reloading, and some of it can get expensive!
Jcelect

Keith- great looking grips. What are they? Jim

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Jim
Many K and N Frames

I have reformed brass for years. I know the drill. I make my own 6PPC Cases, 6mm Dasher, 7mm Baby Nambu etc. I have an annealer that with the right plate I can anneal .357 brass. I have a Wilson Micrometer Trimmer, Neck Reamers etc. If I can find enough brass, I won't bother but I am not sure that the dies will be available much longer from RCBS. They discontinued their .22 Rem Jet Reloading dies.

Bob

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Sag Harbor & Manhattan, N.Y.

Sir,
Those are Keith Brown K frame 'Cokes'.....Fit my hand and the revolver to a Tee !!!

.

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"IN GOD WE TRUST"

M-53s are great fun. I had an 8-3/8" years ago, and picked up this decent early 1961 vintage shooter grade a couple of years ago at a very good price.

They have a well deserved reputation for serious muzzle blast. I just picked up an Old Model 30 Carbine Blackhawk which also has a reputation for serious muzzle blast; as soon as my local range reopens, I plan to take both and see which takes the crown.

Definitely plugs and muff when shooting one of these.

Best regards,

I have custom fitted ear plugs as well as electronic noise canceling headphones to go over them. At least with the 8 3/8" barrel that blast will be farther away!

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Sag Harbor & Manhattan, N.Y.

Now I need to find a .4 or .5" Target Trigger that will fit a no dash 53.

Bob

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Sag Harbor & Manhattan, N.Y.

I am quite certain that any K or N frame target trigger fits a model 53. The hammer was the only action part that was different than other K frames.
Mike

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Mike
S&WCA #2470

I have had three M53's over the years and still have two of them. I think I still have a hard-to-find M53 target hammer around here somewhere.

There’s a target trigger-target hammer set on GB, for a model 53.
Mine came with standard trigger/hammer installed. Target versions of each came with my gun.

It appears that my post is "preaching to the choir leader"! I would say you have a handle on what to do from the equipment you already have! I have three sets of RCBS Jet dies! I had problems with sizing dies not doing their job for two of my guns! I don't know if it is the chambers or the dies! ? !
jcelect

I'm not sure that I want to be at the range when you shoot : )

Actually there is more than one trigger type for the K and N Frames. In talking with the Smith Performance shop, the new ones are totally different than the old ones. What I am trying to find out is when that change over happened. An example is that a 686 NO DASH trigger will fit a 66-1, not a 686 of later manufacture, -1 etc. will not. Also found this out buying parts from Numerick.

Bob

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Sag Harbor & Manhattan, N.Y.

I thought they were cool so I picked this one up and sold it before I ever shot it.

"reloading" Something I'm not interested in doing.

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Kenny
Endeavor to persevere.

If that's the case, never start. You'll be as hooked on that as you are S&W's.