Would it be possible if I bought a 351PD in 22 mag to send it back to S&W for a 22lr cylinder? I have looked and looked but there are not many option for a 22 j frame besides the 317 but I dont really like the all grey look of it.

How much should this cost and what is involved? Will the star have to be re-timed?

A new cylinder will come with a new "star" which is the extractor - and the ratchets on the extractor will need to be fit to the hand in your gun to match you current cylinder. I would expect $300 would be a close estimate.

Double check with S&W before you commit. I don't think they will do these any more. Any good revolversmith could do it if the parts are available.

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Jim
Many K and N Frames

Uh, why not just buy a model 34 or 63 if you are looking for a J-frame .22 LR??

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NRA Benefactor Member

I would prefer an airweight. My local gun store has a 43c but I want a hammer also.I am eying a few old 2" 34's. Did they make a 4" 17 or K22 with a pencil barrel?

They made an airweight Kit Gun for 20 years (1954 - 1974) it is the model 43 - not easy to come by, but out there.

The 4" Model 17 is a Model 18. Same relationship as the models 14 & 15 - separate model number for the 4" version and append the "Combat" moniker. The 18 has a tapered barrel, but "pencil" usually connotes a ribless tapered barrel. Adjustable sight guns have a rib. There is a fixed sight, pencil barrel 4" (or 6") K-frame .22 LR. It is the Model 45 - probably the hardest to come by of the models listed.

I'd suggest you take a hard look at the Model 18. Smith just did a run of these, not too long ago, as part of their Classic line.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

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NRA Benefactor Member

agentadam: I have a M 43, 3 1/2" bbl., diamond magnas numbered to the gun that is in about 95%. Shoots to point of aim and extracts very well. I will sell it for the right offer. PM me if interested. ....... Big Cholla

I found a used 317 cylinder. Are you sure it will fit a 351?

How much should it cost a smith to just time it correctly?

So why not buy a 317 and have it Cerekoted in any color you want? This would be far less expensive than trying to fit a 22LR cylinder to a 351

I left my 317 original



The only convertible snubby I have is my old Model 34

You might consider the Ruger LCR in .22 lr ... #5410.

Ruger® LCR® Double-Action Revolver Models

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I'm with the banned ...

Why not open the cylinder, let the existing cylinder hang there, and try to see if the 317 will fit in the frame window? Eyeball it. Does it look like it fits. That's a start.

Next you could remove the 351 cylinder, and replace it with the 317 cylinder. Does it fit? Does it rotate? I've read post from guys who just swap cylinders and they work. No other fitting was required. Even going from 6-shot to 8. Kinda blew my mind, but they claimed it works fine even after thousands of rounds.

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~ S&W aficionado in training ~

I must have single action also. Every 317 I see is $650 but Iv spotted a few 351 for only $550. I can get the 317 cylinder for 50$ if it isn't much to get timed. I really like the slabside barrel look on the two piece barrel 351.

Im eying a 34 to add to my collection also.

I'm just an old hillbilly who grew up 'Po and had to improvise. In the distant past I had a pretty ugly M48. And I sure didn't have the cash money to buy those magnum shells, but it was all I had that summer and I wanted to shoot it in the worst way. Worse still I had access to over a full brick of 22lr and nothing to shoot them in. I think it was my dad's evil way of keeping me from shooting, or so he thought. Frustrate the dickens out of the kid, it'd be good for him.

So I'd read somewhere that the Jets used a condom (OK, an adaptor) to fire 22s. Somewhere the suggestion came up to convert garden grade 22s to magnum cylinders. So some background, all 22 magnums aren't made from the same grade brass. But I went to the dump and walked around, kicking the dust until a goodly handful of empties revealed themselves. Thence back home and some file work. Too fragile to hacksaw back then, but today you could cut the magnum rim with a dremel (see how rich I've become).

Anyway, some of the magnum brass will actually accept a standard 22lr case and hold it. You can even guess which to waste your time on, those are the empties that will chamber, but barely. Then you just load up the cut off magnum tubes with 22s and go shooting. Not always perfect, but pretty darn good if you're a kid that wants to shoot. Remember a M48 is a precision instrument, and using the slower rounds doesn't change that.

So back to the dump. The dirty rats weren't even scared. They knew darn good and well Dick was unarmed. Word got around fast in the 60s that he only had 22 LR and the only gun was a M48 that required expensive ammo. Imagine the shock when suddenly the M48 belched low velocity 22s. Cheap ones that were already in abundant supply. The massacre was bloody. Rats died by the dozens. Per day! My shooting was only limited by my made-up adapters and the time to load them.

No, it wasn't real pretty. And it even required me to carry along a 22 cleaning rod when the extractor didn't work 100%. But they did fire.

I only bring this up as a stop gap for the OP. And because looking through a box of old junk, I found a few of the mag shell cases I'd decapitated. Its workability is based on the tightness of your chambers, and your patience.

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Dick Burg

Found a post where a guy used a ladysmith airweight 22lr cylinder on a 351 and it timed perfectly.

Could I use the star from the 22mag cylinder to make sure it times better or just use the whole 317 cylinder and star.

The 317 cylinder is a whole parts kit with barrel and internals so maybe I could use the 317 cylinder,star,and hand in a 351.

You've got to use the 317 star, its got the same number of points. Otherwise you'll not have it advance fully. You can call it timing if you want, but its a bit more coarse than that. Use the same star and cylinder together.

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Dick Burg

It will work. I did it to my 351PD. I had a proverbial wild hair where it didn't belong and went looking for a 317 parts set. The cylinder and extractor fit just fine; had to use the 351PD yoke. I was lucky. Timing was perfect. I don't think you would want to swap out internals unless the conversion wouldn't work.

Then, I got a friend to Cerakote the cylinder and extractor.

It's just one of my "Franken-guns."

I thought that gun looked familiar. It's the one I converted, before the cylinder was Cerakoted. I also added a Bodyguard type hammer.