317 Kit Vs Snubby

mikesus · #1 03-11-2009, 09:40 AM

I am looking to get a .22 to augment training for the wife and I (she has a 638 and I have a 442) I like the idea of the snubby being the "same" but I have heard that it suffers from heavy DA. Also, As a snubby, it will limit its usefulness to training.

Has anyone else had to make this decision lately?

Also, the best prices seem to be around $560ish after shipping and transfer for the snubby, and $630 for the Kit. Any lower prices that you know of?

mikesus · #2 03-11-2009, 09:40 AM

I am looking to get a .22 to augment training for the wife and I (she has a 638 and I have a 442) I like the idea of the snubby being the "same" but I have heard that it suffers from heavy DA. Also, As a snubby, it will limit its usefulness to training.

Has anyone else had to make this decision lately?

Also, the best prices seem to be around $560ish after shipping and transfer for the snubby, and $630 for the Kit. Any lower prices that you know of?

M29since14 · #3 03-11-2009, 12:05 PM

I have a friend who agonized with that choice for a while. He ended up buying his wife the 3-inch gun. It was not acceptably accurate, in the case of his individual gun, to be a useful field/trail gun. He ended up wishing he had just bought the 2-incher and been done with it.

If you are going to use the gun for training only, you can probably adjust the trigger pull somewhat and still get decent results with the kind of ammunition you choose to use. That is what he did, and I do not recall him mentioning any trouble with failures to fire.

mikesus · #4 03-11-2009, 12:52 PM

That is what I have been finding also... I am leaning towards an SP101 in 22 and at least I will have something that will not peel with cleaning and will be accurate... Weight will be way off tho...

I really want to get a S&W, just can't see doing it if its not going to be accurate and the coating will come off with moderate cleaning...

Chappy · #5 03-11-2009, 07:11 PM

I read in a Gun Tests article a couple years ago that the 317 2" had a stiffer DA trigger pull than the 317 3" Kit gun. Not sure why this would be the case and have never handled a 2" model to see for myself.
I've owned the 3" Kit gun for over a year - Great Revolver! The SA and DA pulls are not bad at all. The trigger is just as good as any of my other J frames. These are Light guns however and it does not take much to pull them off target as you squeeze the trigger. The 3" Kit gun has a bigger and better grip for accurate shooting - IMHO. Practice, and they become very accurate, especially in SA. I did not like the V notch rear sight blade, so I replaced it with a white outlined square sight blade. Big improvement - IMHO.
I clean mine with Hoppes Elite and lube with Rem Oil and have had No problems with finish on my gun.
$630 sounds like a good price to me. I have not seen one around here for less than $675 for quite some time.

Regards, Chappy

JohnK · #6 03-12-2009, 02:41 AM

Have two 317's. Both had almost unusable (heavy) trigger pulls.

I did a basic trigger job on one which consisted of cleaning up the rebound slide sides with a hard Arkansas stone, and removing a very few burrs on the side plate.Lubed properly. No sear work at all.

The mainspring was colored, different from regular springs, and was definitely stronger than other J frame springs in my kit.

I tried a factory J frame spring (unaltered), but many misfires resulted. Back to the drawing board.

I cut 1 1/2 coils off the factory mainspring, put in a 14 pound trigger return spring, and the trigger pull was much improved. Not great, but better.

It resulted in an occasional misfire in double action, but it is a field gun, not self defense, so doesn't bother me much.

My two inchers have the tiny hammer, and really need a strong spring to make the rimfires go bang.

Can't recommend the finish at all. After several years in a holster, my barrel is worn almost to the steel liner at the front. Much finish wear.

I should have entered it in the "ugliest gun" contest. Probably would have won.

I wish I had a source to cheaply replace the hammer, with a full size one (full weight). Think that would work.

It would also help in retention with a thumb snap holster.

It IS, a very light revolver, vanishes in a pocket, with an Uncle Mikes pocket holster. Just have to take the good with the bad.

mikesus · #7 03-12-2009, 06:19 AM

This is what I don't get, for a $600 gun, I shouldn't have to do a spring job, and treat it like its glass. We love our 442 and 638, but it seems to me that S&W really dropped the ball on the 317... Might end up going with a 63, but we are way off on weight and barrel size...

JohnK · #8 03-12-2009, 06:57 AM

I know this is blasphemy, but I just replaced my field 317, with a (gasp, shudder, throw up, etc) Taurus Model 94 Ultralight 9 shot snubbie.

I happened to see it in a gun shop a week or so ago, and it's one of the good examples.

It's got a .003 barrel cyl. gap, all steel bull 2" barrel, red insert front, white outline rear target sight. It weighs 18 oz., so heavier than the 317 by far.

Full size case hardened hammer, and wide smooth trigger.

I can shoot this one. MUCH better sights for these 65 yr. old eyes. Heavier, easier to sight, and squeeze.

I did cut a couple of coils off the mainspring, and after an evening of a poor man's trigger job (snap, snap, snap, with empty cases in the cylinder) it's smooth enough to satisfy me.

If I ever get all my goodies out of storage, I may can improve on the mainspring with a Smith J frame spring.

Definitely not a safe queen, it'll get used, and carried a lot.
]
Taurus snubs don't have a rebound slide like the Smiths. The design seems to work well.

IF, you get a good one !

spearcrow · #9 03-12-2009, 09:15 AM

First I've heard of these problems with the 317....very interesting.

Loco Weed · #10 03-12-2009, 10:44 AM

Had a 3" model 317. Trigger pull was awful. It was too light to hold steady. The sights were awful -- the rear sight is a wide V and the front sight is a green hi-viz which I couldn't see (color blind). Couldn't get a decent sight picture so accuracy was mediocre. Sold it off as quick as I could.

Tom C · #11 03-12-2009, 10:45 AM

I have a 317. The trigger needed some internal smoothing, and the barrel needed some serious break-in, and the HiViz aren't for me, so after smoothing the action, breaking in the barrel and replacing the sights with a front serrated ramp and square notch rear, it is about what I want. It is turning out to be pretty accurate.

ENH · #12 03-12-2009, 12:37 PM

I have the 317 2". I just put another 50 Rd's through it a few minuets ago. I was out back moving my game camera and stopped at the range and peppered some of the steel targets. I love this little gun, very accurate and good practice for your J frame defensive guns. Both you and your wife will enjoy shooting it and it teaches you good double action shooting for just a few bucks each time out. Here's mine.

mikesus · #13 03-12-2009, 02:09 PM

Well, despite its downfalls, I am still leaning towards the 317 snubby as it will be a good "cheap" (ammowise) trainer. We have another 22 for target, and this is really meant to be able to hit the mark with the snubby. AND if the trigger is that bad, it will only be easier with the 442 or the 638. Horrible that I have to think that way, but I think for training, the size is what is really going to matter...

ENH · #14 03-12-2009, 02:22 PM

The trigger on mine is not all that bad and the little thing is very accurate.

mikesus · #15 03-12-2009, 04:29 PM

Pulled the trigger on the snubby. (pardon the pun) Shipped to my FFL it will be 565.47 ($549 + 3% cc)

JohnK · #16 03-13-2009, 12:14 PM

With all my criticism, I won't part with mine.

They are neat, LIGHT little guns.

If Smith recreated the tiny little Ladysmiths of yore, they would sell a bucket of them. Rossi had a go at it years ago.

mikesus · #17 03-13-2009, 12:27 PM

I just hope that the finish isn't a big problem. Does S&W warranty it? Thought I read that they won't cover finish issues anymore?

tguil · #18 03-13-2009, 02:26 PM

You can buy a heck of a lot of inexpensive .38 special ammunition fop $560-$630. I've put off buying a 317 for the past two years. Simply too many negatives.

Tom

mikesus · #19 03-13-2009, 02:35 PM

you can, but after a while, the little j frame can get abusive. The idea is for the wife to run a couple hundred rounds thru and not worry about recoil... (and yes I know I could use wadcutters, but I don't want to spend hours upon hours pulling lead outta the barrel.

Paddler · #20 03-13-2009, 06:22 PM

Hello, new to this forum. I've had a 317 3" for some time now and my wife uses it to practice as she carries a .38 J. I've found the 317 to be very accurate for its size. The wgt is awesome! I've not had any trouble with the finish and it is by no means a safe queen. Its and expensive little critter, but hey, I've paid more for guns I shoot a fraction as much.

7shooter · #21 03-14-2009, 05:58 AM

I recently bought a 317 kit gun (3")to teach my grankids double action revolver shooting. They haven't shot it yet but I can't keep my hands off it. I find an excuse to go to the range several times a week. It is a highly addictive gun to shoot. Hope they never come up with a 12 Step program for revolver addicts.

ENH · #22 03-14-2009, 01:33 PM

I just reread this thread, made me walk out back again with mine.