Need help picking next revolver

[smoore]

I want to buy a .22 revolver mostly just for cheap shooting. Price of ammo being what it is, the .22 would be nice. There are a few things I want and I am not going to get them all. Here is what I am thinking in no particular order.

Don't want double action only.

Probably don't want single action only.

Doubt it will ever be a carry gun, but I do like snub nose revolvers.

More than 6 shots would be nice.

No American arms mini revolver. (I like them, but. It this time)

I really like the s&w 351pd and was goin to choose that until I realized it was only 22mag and up until recently I was thinking 22lr and 22mag was like 38spl and 357. Glad I checked into that before buying one.

I tend to like the looks of s&w, Dan Wesson and the colt diamondbacks. Though those might be larger than I want. I can't decide if the size is more important or not since I won't be carrying it if it is just 22lr. I might have considered carrying the 22mag once in a while.

Looked at the rock island 22lr 9 shot. It looks pretty nice but I know nothing about it, and would be willing to pay more for a better quality, if it isn't a good quality one.

Price is tough, I wanted to be under $500 but realized I will probably need to go to $1500 to get something I like. I will probably keep it forever so a one time purchase isn't that big of a deal.

The model 317 is nice, but I think I would prefer and blued version.

The model 63 also looks nice.

The Taurus 942 looked nice too, but read a lot of issues with it.

Liked the Rossi p98 plinker but don't know anything about it.

Some of the older 34's and 317 look like they would be nice.

Probably my favorite though would be the 351 pd but again it is only in 22 mag.

The k17 masterpiece looks like a good one too.

Any help would be greatly appropriated.


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[rogerwnuss]

S&w 18...... see them for around 900 if nice. Great gun. I'd still have mine if I hadn't got starry eyed over a nickel model 19....��

 

[smoore]

That looks like a nice one too. Originally I ruled it out because of length, and I thought I was going to find something that would shoot 22lr and 22mag. Now I know that isn't going to happen and that means I won't ever carry it, I can look at some larger like this. Thanks for posting it because I had forgotten about it.


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[NYlakesider]

You said you would probably not get all you want.

With that out of the way I will recommend a Model 18 S&W.

FWIW I have a 18- 4 barrel)

Have a 17- 6'' barrel

and a 34- 4'' barrel.

I find I use the 18 the most of my 3 22 revolvers and 2 semi autos.

 

[smoore]

The other thing is I doubt I can find anything locally. So it will probably have to be shipped and bought without ever holding it. I don't have a lot of experience with revolvers. I love my Dan Wesson 357, and I love my smith 637. My dad has one of the first Ruger bearcats and it is nice, but it is a single action. That is pretty much my revolver experience.


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[smoore]

You said you would probably not get all you want.

With that out of the way I will recommend a Model 18 S&W.

FWIW I have a 18- 4 barrel)

Have a 17- 6'' barrel

and a 34- 4'' barrel.

I find I use the 18 the most of my 3 22 revolvers and 2 semi autos.

Awesome thanks for that!

I do like the looks of the 34 with the 2" barrel, but I am starting to think I don't need another snub nose….


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[PatriotX]

If you prefer blued, it's hard to not recommend a K17 of some flavor

 

[xtrtsqrt11]

My boy and I really like our 34-1. Blued, 4" square butt J frame. 6 shot though.
Paid $600 for it about 8 months ago...

 

[clang444]

Any K frame .22lr. My pre-18 is my favorite plinker. A 17 or 617 will do fine.

My preference is towards pre-lock and pre-MIM, but neither would hold me back from a good deal.

 

[Pine_Worker]

My preference is a Model 17 or a Model 18. They aren't cheap, but they are very well made and accurate. If you are into semi-autos, I would go with a Colt Woodsman, 2nd or 3rd series.

 

[swagmeister]

A pre lock S&W Model 617, 10 shot .22 revolver with a 6" barrel. Your grandchildren's grandchildren will still be shooting it when your gone. I don't have a problem with MIM parts but the revolvers with the lock are just plain ugly. Get ready for sticker shock when you start looking at them. Nothing with quality is cheap anymore and prices will only continue to rise on quality S&W and Colt revolvers. Good luck.

 

[rpf2000]

@smoore: And what about the Ruger lcrx in 22lr?
I know, we are in a S&W forum and I also like S&W....

 

[smoore]

@smoore: And what about the Ruger lcrx in 22lr?
I know, we are in a S&W forum and I also like S&W....

So many good replies so far thanks for all of the help.

I am definitely looking at brands besides smith and Wesson, even though I tend to like smith better. If I could get the Ruger lcrx in the snub nose version instead of the longer barrel, it would probably shot to the top 3 in the list of what I was looking at. I just don't like the looks of the longer barrel version of it at all. Don't know why, I just don't.


As far as sticker shock I was expecting to be under $500 a few days ago when I started searching. I quickly saw that $1500 was probably going to be my target to stay under. And that's one reason I am looking at a smith and wesson. I feel like I could spend $1500 on a food smith And my kids and even their kids could shoot it. To me the one time purchase of it is not that big of a deal. Ammo with the nd up costing 100 maybe even 1000 times as much over the life of the gun.


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[smoore]

Any K frame .22lr. My pre-18 is my favorite plinker. A 17 or 617 will due fine.

My preference is towards pre-lock and pre-MIM, but neither would hold me back from a good deal.

Not sure what the MIM is, but I will look it up. Is the look and pre lock just a personal preference based on appearance? I don't remember now, but I know the lock on my 38 special never bothered me.


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[Lobster Picnic]

The current model 63 or 617 should be at the top of your list. No need to spend $1500 for those, and they put shots on target just as well as the older models.

 

[Dvus]

Ok, hear me out. Hi - Standard Sentinal. Double/single action, 9 shot, can be found in short barrel configuration and you can still find magnum cylinders which interchange easily with the push of a button. It may take some searching, but should check off all of your "wants." The Double-nine series is the same, just in a western style. Check out this gunbroker auction.
Attention Required! | Cloudflare

 

[hyena]

I have the Taurus 942 snub nose, 8 shot, and it is an excellent gun. Never thought I would buy a Taurus, but when I went to my LGS to buy a 43c the barrel was canted. And despite their excellent reputation, I was leery of an aluminum cylinder, because I intended to shoot this gun a lot. Looked around, and they had a new 942 for $349. Having said all that, a guy at the range had a Ruger LCR .22 snub nose, double action only, and I really liked the trigger pull. I thought about trading the Taurus back in, but for now I am keeping it. Truthfully, and this sounds silly, if the 942 said S&W on it I'd be tickled to death with it. I think of it as the gun S&W should make. Stainless steel cylinder, all stainless frame, nice drift adjustable sights.

I also have a four inch 617 that I had TK Customs do an action job on. A very sweet gun. I just like shooting snub nose revolvers.

 

[Dave Lively]

I like revolvers and like 22s. But after bad experiences with a Taurus 94 and Ruger GP-100 in 22 LR I vowed I would never own another 22 revolver.

Most 22 revolvers are going to have a heavy DA pull because rimfire cartridges require a heavy blow for reliable ignition. But the Ruger had a 16 pound double action pull that wasn't very smooth and a somewhat gritty 7 pound SA pull. It was well machined where it mattered for function but had areas inside the frame where you could see the casting mold. The unfinished appearance bothered me much more than a lock does cosmetically. It also felt unbalanced and clunky in a way that made if feel heavier that it really was.

The Taurus 94 had to go back to the factory twice because it kept locking up when I tried to fire it SA and back again when the barrel started twisting in the frame. Even in single action it was not easy to shoot well.

I also had a Ruger Single six with both 22 LR and 22 Magnum cylinders. It had a nice trigger and did not feel clunky but the six shot cylinder and having to punch out the empties one at a time made it less fun to plink with. It wasn't very accurate with the 22LR cylinder. I later learned 22LR/22 Magnum revolvers usually have a .224 bore which is ideal for 22 Magnum bullets instead of the .223 bore that is ideal for 22 LR.

But despite all that I traded a Glock 48 and $75 for a NIB S&W 617 with a 4 inch barrel and am very glad I did. It shoots great and I think it looks good too despite having a lock. For me the lock is like a small scratch on a new car. It doesn't have any functional impact. But once you see it some people cannot see anything else. It really bothers some people but not others. I am in the "not bothered" camp but if it will bug you spend the extra money for a pre-lock gun. You have to spend more and will only get 6 shots but will not be happy with anything else.

The 617 weighs about the same as the Ruger but somehow doesn't feel as heavy to me. The 4 inch model I have also balances well. The SA trigger is great and while heavy the DA pull is very smooth. I prefer 22 revolvers with 10 shots and that is what my 617 has. I have shot it a lot in the past year and a half and still really like it.

The 617 is not a snubby and its no lightweight. But the 4 inch model should be at or near the top of your list. It will cost much less than $1500. I traded a lightly used Glock 48 and $75 for a NIB 617 about a year and a half ago. The list price as of 2021-12-27 is $873 so you should be able to get it for less than that. Ammo is still crazy expensive right now but gun prices have come back down to earth.

 

[sigp220.45]

I wouldn't buy a K-frame Smith .22 without shooting it first, especially a used one. A lot of the used ones on the market are there because of difficult extraction issues. I finally found a K-22 without any issues, but four others ranged from annoying to nearly impossible.

I'd look for a relatively recent H&R 999. Nine shots, accurate and fun. You'll have to look around but they are available well within your price range.

 

[ruger 22]

My son has a 4" model 63 and I have a 2"model 34. I also have a 6" Model 17. Any one of these would make you want nothing better.