In retrospect: the .22 Jet Model 53

[Gunhacker]

One question... would you still consider .22 Jet ammo being scare when it's now being manufactured by Prvi Partisan (PPU)?

A quick check of online ammo sellers shows the PPU ammo in stock at numerous places.

Prior to that, the only options for obtaining factory loaded .22 Jet was paying $60-70 for a 50 rd box from either a "boutique" ammo maker, or vintage Remington Green box from an online auction site.

Unlike when I bought my M53 in 2007, it is much easier to find ammo for it now.

 

[diecidecimi]

I'm lucky, I found here in Italy two boxes of vintage Remingtons. I shoot the first one, but I cannot empty the 2nd too. No way to find another. PPu are not imported, even if Serbia is very close.
Important: almost all cases cracked on the neck when fired. Old brass? too "hard"? Did the powder went too fast getting older?

 

[SuperMan]

VERY nicely done and concise article.....

As to Jet ammo and availability...check with Reed's Ammo...they have both ammo and correct size bullets...

22 JET - Reed's Ammunition & Research, LLC

Have been a Jet owner since about 1974. A friend found one for me after a several year search at Ivanho's Gun Shop in Watertown, Mass. First year of production, had the extra .22 Rimfire cylinder and was in perfect condition....it was my only .22 revolver for about 17 years....needless to say it got shot a lot....and after well over 1000 Jet rounds the forcing cone looked like a funnel and there was a loose spot in the barrel just ahead of the frame...

Lucked into a period correct barrel and had a local factory trained Smith smith install it...no more Jets after that. Then the "unthinkable" was done...the old barrel was rebored to .311" and the Rimfire cylinder rechambered to .327 Federal. The gun can be restored to Jet, but the original numbered to the gun Rimfire cylinder is no more. The gun gets a lot more use now than it has in decades. The last .22 Rimfire cylinder I saw sell on ebay went for $800.00.

Unfortunately most people miss the point of the 53 and why it was brought out in the first place... Like the K-Chuck it emulated, it was for the new sport of HANDGUN HUNTING, not a range toy. Develop a load, sight it in and hunt with it. Shoot it like a .38 or .357 and you'll ruin the gun shortly... And that said ALL 53s should have come with the Rimfire cylinder standard.

A wonderful concept that was misunderstood....

Bob

 

[oysterer]

Unfortunately most people miss the point of the 53 and why it was brought out in the first place... Like the K-Chuck it emulated, it was for the new sport of HANDGUN HUNTING, not a range toy. Develop a load, sight it in and hunt with it. Shoot it like a .38 or .357 and you'll ruin the gun shortly...

A wonderful concept that was misunderstood....

Bob

Excellent article, loved reading it, very comprehensive and excellent pictures. Reading it I also missed the point and was wondering all the while why would someone develop such a complicated contraption that created 10 problems w/o solving one.

Bob's mention explained it perfectly.

Looks to me also that the 22 magnum was developed at the same time and being the much better solution in all practicality.

I had a BFR revolver in 30-30 for about a week and it would bind up after each single round fired. I did not feel to temper enough to make that work and sold it right away. Nice door stopper or paperweight, not nice as a shooter.

 

[chief38]

John, I always enjoy your articles in the Blue Press - and this one was no exception.

As for the gun itself - I always looked at it as a weird concept that never really caught on and as sort of an "oddity".

Over the years, I've passed a few of them up (NIB in LGS) as I could never see the practicality of them - but as an investment or collectible I may have screwed up. - LOL!

 

[Club Gun Fan]

Don,
Is yours an original nickel or is it a refinish after the original bluing?

Here is mine.

bdGreen

Mine went into the vault blue. It was pulled from inventory and nickeled for an employee, sadly it letters as blue, but it never left as blue. This was one of my duty guns back in my LEO days.

 

[steelslaver]

Nice article about a great gun. I was out shooting mine a couple weeks ago and it was great fun. I think there are probably a lot of them like mine. People bought them fired them a bit, didn't reload and ammo cost kept them from using them a lot, then for a while till Privi ammo was not to be had. So, a lot of them have low round counts.

 

[Walter Rego]

Excellent article Paladin. I have an early Model 53 that shipped to Evaluators in June of 1961. As others have mentioned, they are a lot of fun to shoot. I am curious if anyone has chronographed the PPU ammo ? I bought about a dozen boxes and it shoots quite well but I suspect it may not be loaded as hot as the old Peters ammo. I have had no issues with cases backing out of the chambers but I mop them pretty thoroughly with Gunscrubber to remove any residual oil from storage before shooting it.
I like the oddball cartridges, I also own and reload for a Ruger Hawkeye in .256 Magnum. Here are both cartridges with their parent .357 Magnum round

 

[galena]

Super article on the M-53. Thanks for posting it, I learned a lot. I bought mine, SN: K475805, in the Fall of 1965. It was a special order for a 4" barrel, it came with a 6" barrel so whoever ordered it refused to take it. It has the Smooth grips, target hammer and trigger, and six inserts. I later picked up six more of the inserts. Being a college kid with no money I shot a lot of .22RF at first. Later the Base Exchange on the AF base where I was assigned carried Remington ammo for it and also the blue box Peters ammo, I think they cost $5.50 for a box of 50. I acquired a pretty good stash and still have some of the factory ammo. I reload for it and several years ago I bought several thousand Remington 40 gr Jet bullets in factory boxes. Since I really don't shoot it much anymore I think my supply will out live me. Great article on a great gun, once you learn to keep the chambers clean.

 

[bdGreen]

A little more eye candy for this thread.

enjoy,

bdGreen

 

[diecidecimi]

Eye candy, to me....

 

[Doc44]

Model 53 presented to General Curtis LeMay as member of the Persona Non Grata Club and in honor of him being appointed Chief of Staff of the Air Force, June 30, 1961. This revolver was shipped with a special presentation case, auxiliary cylinder in .22 LR numbered to the revolver, and six aluminum inserts. Click on the photo for a better look.

Bill

 

[jcelect]

Eye candy!

Some more eye candy! The nickel is a factory refinish before shipment (IMHO) shipped Feb 62, date stamp under the grips Mar62!

jcelect

 

[Gutshot1]

Great write up on the Jet. Funny thing I picked up a Jet from an older guy that did not care much about maintenance or how it looked. I sent it off to Hamilton Bowen and he turned it into 256 for me it shoots GREAT and is by far the loudest firearm I own {plugs and muffs}.
Jeff

 

[bigmoose]

Great article Paladin. I would suggest there are three camps though. The third being guys who like to reload, enjoy shooting and hunting with this "flamethrower", and may not be too concerned about a box or extra .22 rimfire cylinder.

Here's my vintage 1961 in a Lawrence holster.

 

[CLASSIC12]

Great article, I didn't know about this one, very informative

My only fear now is that if I ever come across one here I'd be very tempted to buy it

 

[bob richardson]

Jet

Great article and very informative.I own an unfired 8&3/8" and a shooter 6" jet.I have never fired them though.I bought some PPu ammo and was wondering if I need to worry about forcing cone erosion with this ammo or only about the hotter Remington ammo?
Anyone?

 

[Pondoro]

Bill, this one's slated for Dillon's Blue Press.

That sentence is grammatically correct - my inspiration for it is Winston Churchill's remark on the grammatical rule of never ending a sentence with a preposition. "That is something up with which I would not put."

It was tongue in cheek, but purposeful.

John

I recognized Churchill immediately. Excellent article.

 

[rkittine]

Thank you for this. I have am 8 3/8" model, but have yet to shoot it. I did read a lot about the cylinders locking up when rounds push back if there is any oil in the cylinders. '

Bob

 

[PALADIN85020]

Great article and very informative.I own an unfired 8&3/8" and a shooter 6" jet.I have never fired them though.I bought some PPu ammo and was wondering if I need to worry about forcing cone erosion with this ammo or only about the hotter Remington ammo?
Anyone?

Forcing cone erosion is a matter of bullet velocity x number of shots fired x number of shots fired in quick succession. Reducing any or all of these factors will reduce the chances of this phenomenon becoming significant.

John