I've been looking at YouTube videos featuring the 617 22LR. There were a couple of them where the ammo shell seem to bulge after firing or the cylinder and trigger get stuck. Is this something to be worried about? What possible causes could these problems be from? Quality control during production perhaps? Any other owners of the 617 experience similar or other issues? Please let us know if S&W fixed it properly for you and what the cause was.

For current owners, are there any particular brands or model of ammo that you've found problematic with your 617?

I've got a 617 no dash and it's only problem is it really eats ammo. It does bind when dirty and the cylinder and/or trigger seems to stick, but a simple cleaning fixes that. I'll live with the tight tolerances.

I have a 4" 617 that has no issues so far. Larry

Yes, there are known issues. They're highly addictive and a blast to shoot. It's unlikely that you'll ever have a problem, but the S&W Lifetime Service Policy insures that you'll end up with a quality gun that will last a number of generations.
All of the S&W .22 revolvers are superb guns! The stainless variations are especially nice because of their durability and ease of maintenance.

Mine all like Federal bulk pack.

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"I also cook."

Here is my issue with my 6 inch 617 is it eats so much ammo. All kidding aside I have shot thousands of rounds no exaggeration since I have owned mine. The only problem I have ever had was the ejector rod worked loose and I couldn't open the cylinder. A revolver guru showed me how to fix it and told me to put some blue loctite on it and it have never done it again. Another problem is now I want a 4 inch model as well.

I have a new 4" and have had issues, however they aren't the guns fault. It is the .22 ammo. What happens in mine is, the .22 ammo is inherently dirtier than other ammo and doesn't fully burn. If a grain or two of powder gets under the extractor star, it will cause difficulty in closing the cylinder and the cylinder bind while pulling the trigger. After dumping each spent cylinder, I blow earnestly under the star (or wipe with finger) to make sure no particulates have fallen under it. If I do this and mind that area, that gun is issue free. Like said, it isn't the guns fault. it's just that .22 doesn't burn as clean. Extremely "HIGHLY" accurate gun too. Wow. What a pleasure to shoot.

Most fun and satisfaction available from any firearm I've ever owned, and absolutely no problems or "issues".

I have a 4 inch and a 6 inch no dash and so far I haven't had a single problem. The only known problem with the Model 617 is that one is usually not enough and most need both barrel lengths.
4 inch

6 inch

I noticed the same fault on 2 different ones at a LGS today, both were priced very high.... I guess I'll have to suck it up and keep on using my pre-17 22 Masterpiece.

My new 4" 617 purchase 9/08 is the only revolver purchase that made me sad. Immediate thoughts of 'Why did I wait until I was sixty to buy it?' followed. Seriously. It is that much fun.

Mine was weened on el-cheapo Federal 36gr pHP 550 bulk packs. One month found me shooting midway into the second bulk pack without cleaning it. Vanity won out - it still functioned flawlessly. That will change if you try CCI Stingers - even one chamber full. They are nasty!!

Stainz

My 617-6 shoots flawlessly regardless of ammo. I clean it thoroughly after every range session. I think that's the key to avoiding malfunctions.

Pretty much all makes of 22 revolvers have issues. Typically they are: heavy trigger pull, cases sticking, locking up, leading and failure to fire. Mine had a heavy trigger pull and leading. The trigger pull was fixable with a new return spring and the barrel leading went away with rounds down range and a good cleaning. I still get quite a bit of leading on the top strap. Even so, 617s are awesome. I would highly recommend buying one.

Thanks for updates. I usually make an effort to clean my firearms after each use. I'm still searching for that elusive new 617 with the 4" barrel, at the right price, of course.

My brand new, out of the box 4" 617-6 had problems with CCI ammo. The cylinder was binding when the hammer was cocked. I made sure the cartridges were fully seated but after a round or two it would bind again. It works great with Winchester Super X and RWS. I've thought about sending it back but I will shoot it some more to see how it goes down the road. The second time at the range, after a though cleaning, it still had the problem. Time will tell.

I have a 617-1 6" that I shoot often. Currently I have a Leupold 2x mounted on it for cheap practice for my scoped 629. Never had a problem with any brand of ammo. Very accurate and fun shooter.

I've had four 617's and still have one (-6, 10 shot, 6"). I've never had any issues with any of them. That said, I've always fed them decent ammo . A gun of this quality deserves something better than cheapo milk carton fodder.

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Dave

Sounds like an ammo problem and not a gun problem. FWIW, I've found CCI standard to have head sizes that are all over the map. They have never worked correctly in ANYTHING I owned that had a tight chamber.

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Dave

It looks like CCI ammo should be avoided. I have a small stash of Federal 40gr lead nose which hopefully will fare better once I find my 617.

I've been shooting CCI SV & Blazer in mine with excellent results. The only ammo that stuck for me was an old brick of PMC target.

I also have a 617-6 4"bbl that I bought in December of 2011 brand new. Experienced the same symptoms: cylinder binding, misfires, even tried with several different brands of ammo. Called S&W and sent it back to them. They replaced the firing pin, replaced the strain screws, repaired the frame (?) and repaired the internal lock. Now it shoots like a charm with any kind of ammo.

How soon after owning your 617 did the problems surface? What was S&W's turnaround time for your repairs?

My 617 doesn't like the Federal bulk in 525 packs but is very happy with CCI Blazer bulk ammo. They all seem to be different.

I have had my 6 shot 617 with 4" barrel for years. Shot bricks of federal bulk pak through it. Nothing I would call a problem.
My brother has a 6" just like it. His is also a 6 shooter.
The only problem we have had is they can perform Majic. They make 22 ammo disapear.

Bob

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ICORE MO2908

I have shot more than 20,000 rounds through my S&W617. I prefer the Federal bulk pack copper washed/plated ammo since it is cleaner than the Remington Golden bulk pack ammo. Also one does see some case swelling at the base of the fired Remngton Golden brass. I would not use any plain lead HV ammo to prevent leading of the bore.