I used to have no interest in the Kit Guns, either the blued Model 34's or the stainless Model 63's. I figured that a Model 18 was a better choice for a 4" .22 revolver.
Then a few years ago I noticed that Model 63's were starting to become the darlings of the S&W collectors and shooters, bringing the kind of money that Model 13 and Model 65 3" guns were selling for. I didn't understand it.
And one day I was at a gun show and spied a Model 63 on a table for much less than they were selling for at the time. It had the look of a gun that was owned by someone who thought (1) .22's don't need to be cleaned, and (2) stainless guns don't need to be cleaned, and (3) why shoot something clean burning like CCI MiniMags when you can shoot bulk pack lead .22's for a fraction of the price. In other words the seller must have been too lazy to clean it up before putting it on his table for a higher price.
I bought it, got it home, did a detail strip and thorough cleaning and scraped quite a bit of lead buildup from around the face of the barrel. I now had an excellent Model 63 from 1980 that I'll bet had less than a brick of ammo through it. Took it to the range and I'll be darned, that gun will sure shoot. The DA trigger isn't as good my K frame 22's but the SA trigger is quite good. And I started to get the Kit Gun concept. It is lighter and more compact than my other .22 revolvers. The stainless finish is a plus for sure.
Now I know why people are asking and many people are willing to pay close to $1000 for a Model 63. Like others here, it would take quite a bit to get me to part with mine.
I added a set of Goncalo Alves Smooth Target Stocks which helps immensely as I have big hands and the factory Magna stocks just didn't cut it for me.
