17-4 should I modify it?

[Drifter Mike]

I recently picked up a Model 17-4 with 8 3/8 inch barrel that a friend got at a police auction ( didn't know they still did that! ) that has some major issues ( see picture for condition ). The gun functions as it should but has sticky chambers, need to tap on the extractor rod to drive the empty's out, I have cleaned the chambers with a new brass brush and they still stick. Now on to the mods I am thinking...... with the metal finish issues on the barrel and cylinder and some rust issues, I find a good used barrel and replacement cylinder and swap those parts out. OR maybe cut the barrel back to 3 1/8 " and just replace the cylinder, OR ( now not sure I can do this ) re-chamber the existing cylinder to 22 mag and pick up a complete 22lr cylinder assembly. What are thoughts on this? Not like it has any value other than a shooter. A cop friend of mine thinks it might have been thrown out of a car and then run over, I thought it looked like it was hit with a chain saw! It does shoot just a touch left so with the sights it can be adjusted to where it need to be

Thanks to all in advance!

 

[Drifter Mike]

additional pictures

a few more pictures

 

[DR505]

Wow, that looks a far cry from my 17-4 8 3/8" revolver. The charge holes/chambers on mine are very tight as well...thinking about having them reamed just a slight amount.

Yours definitely looks like a project gun! Can you acquire a Model 17 barrel these days?

Here is what it likely looked like before its life of crime:

 

[Fishinfool]

Mike, if it were mine - I would run a finish reamer thru the chambers - the proper cure for the known issue of sticking cartridges in certain . K and J frames.

Then I would give it a good scrubbing, lube, and shoot the snot out of it. repeat as needed.

If you want a higher quality finish gun, you are better off financially selling what you have, and buying what you want.

Larry

 

[ruger 22]

I would clean it up and shoot it as is.

 

[CH4]

Another vote for leaving it alone. It's a great shooter, shoot the snot out of it.

 

[Chady734]

Yes that would be fine but i would just prefer to shoot it like that .

 

[Grayfox]

The sticky chambers are a common issue on S&W .22s. A replacement cylinder could be just as bad or worse. The usual cure is to use a finish reamer and/or polish the chambers a bit.
Unless you are capable of doing the work yourself, modifying that gun would easily put much more money into it than its worth.
I agree that if these things bother you that you'd be better off to just sell it and buy one you like better.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I reamed the chambers myself on my 17-3 and 34-1, but the local going rate is $60 for a six shooter, $70 on a 9 or 10 shooter (includes any brand).

It only takes about 10 minutes per chamber to finish ream. (use lots of cutting oil!)

Ivan

 

[epj]

It does look a bit rough, doesn't it? For sure ream the cylinder enough that you can easily eject empties. As for the barrel, have you put a straight edge on it to be sure it's not bent? If bent, I'd cut it down to whatever you like. As long as it's well crowned and the front sight properly attached, it should be gtg. Is the frame itself mostly Undamaged? Im looking at cell phone pictures and can't really see the extent of the road rash.

 

[Drifter Mike]

The frame is mostly Okay, has some finish issues, mostly peppering and light rust spots. It shoot a little left but the sight should take care of that. I am thinking I will just leave it alone, polish the chambers and just shoot the **** out of it. If polishing does not help them I will get a finish reamer and take care of it.

 

[Abbynormal]

Looks like a wonderful candidate for taping and mounting a scope and using it for hunting or silhouette shooting. Doing that wouldn't hurt the value at all!

 

[Pine_Worker]

Finish ream the cylinder chambers, clean it, shoot it. The chambers on my 17 were very tight. Cost me $50 to have it reamed, good investment!

 

[rd97]

My 617 had to have cylinders reamed. This was after the cylinder was replaced because of sticking empties. I had to have it done locally since the factory said it was within specs. Shoots great now. I can shoot a complete steel challenge match with no ejection issues. Tight chambers seem to be commonplace.

 

[twodog max]

Yes get it where it ejects smoothly and shoot it a lot. The collectors and high value trade luster is gone so enjoy it.

 

[H Richard]

I have reamed a K22 Outdoorsman, a 1952 K22, a 1954 K22, a 17-4, a Pre mod 18, a Mod 34, a Mod 63, a Mod 617-6, and al have been improved immeasurably, with no change in their accuracy. A standard chamber finishing reamer does it properly. Use lots of cutting oil and do it by hand slowly. Clean reamer often and never turn backwards.

 

[luvsmiths]

It has a beautiful Patina.

 

[smoothshooter]

Have you checked to see if a slightly-bent ejector rod is causing the difficult extraction?

 

[StrawHat]

Have you checked to see if a slightly-bent ejector rod is causing the difficult extraction?

Doubtful. Unfortunately, S&W 22 rimfire revolvers have a very long history of sticky extraction. I had a Model 17-? and a Model 34-?, both had extraction problems. Before I discovered the commonality with other S&W rimfire, I sent them down the road to shooters who now enjoy them. Fortunately, I am not a rimfire revolver kind of guy. I prefer my rimfire to be chambered in rifles.

Kevin

 

[Drifter Mike]

OK, I polished the cylinder chambers and I can now empty the cylinder with out a hammer! I do think I will leave it as is as I am not going to carry it, will just be a range toy. I want to thank all for the input as it did help with my decision to leave it alone and just shoot it.

 

[Dvus]

A question for those who reamed their chambers...(sorry to threadjack) where can you get a finish reamer? Brownell seems to be out of stock.
BTW, don't swap the barrel and cylinder, the parts will cost as much as what you would have to give boot if you traded it on a nice one.

 

[smithman]

I'd swap that barrel.

 

[Smolt Smython]

So polishing made extraction even more difficult if I'm following your post correctly? Wow, I got no answer to that....

For hard extraction on .22 rimfire S&W revolvers the knee jerk reaction seems to be that everyone just grabs a reamer and starts cutting metal out of the chambers.....obviously this works....but it's kinda drastic.

I've experienced difficult extraction on 3 S&W rimfire revolvers, one stainless and 2 blued. I'm the first to admit that's not a very big sample to go by, but for whatever it's worth, a 22 caliber cloth cleaning "mop" chucked in an electric drill and used with car parts store valve lapping compound soon had those 3 revolvers extracting effortlessly.

Methinks it's not so much "tight" chambers as it is microscopically "rough" chambers....

And hey, if a little polishing doesn't work you can always ream 'em out...

Sounds like you may be a good candidate for a reaming......

 

[Ruger 13]

I would refinish it if I owned it.

 

[Moo Moo]

At least the Stocks/Grips look O.K. Lol.

 

[stansdds]

OK, I polished the cylinder chambers and I can now empty the cylinder with out a hammer! I do think I will leave it as is as I am not going to carry it, will just be a range toy. I want to thank all for the input as it did help with my decision to leave it alone and just shoot it.

Glad that polishing the chambers solved the sticky extraction issue. Given the cost of obtaining another barrel, having a qualified gunsmith perform the barrel change, then refinishing, you could be looking at enough money to buy another handgun. I think you chose wisely to leave it alone and enjoy it as is.

 

[Drifter Mike]

Tragets

Went to the range today and test fired the 17-4 after another round of chamber polishing. Still a touch sticky with high velocity ammo but with standard velocity, it's a easy push to eject them all! These targets were shot at 10 yards off hand, slow double action. Think I will just leave it alone and shoot standard velocity

 

[Lou_NC]

I'll never understand people's reluctance to use a SAAMI spec chamber reamer to correct the typical out of spec factory chambers. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that worn factory tooling results in undersized chambers. Bringing your chambers to SAAMI specs is neither drastic nor foolhardy in any way. It's simply makes the revolvers perform the way they were designed to. I've done it to many high value Smith and Wesson revolvers and will continue to do so and enjoy them to their fullest.

 

[Drifter Mike]

Except I don't have one and to purchase one for the occasional need is somewhat counter-productive, my feelings.

 

[Heinz]

My 17-3 functions just fine with target ammunition or Eley standard velocity. I get some sticking with CCI mini-mags. I cleaned the cylinders when I first got it with a Lewis Lead remover.

Target revolvers, like target automatics, have tight chambers, requiring appropriate ammo. Try measuring the case diameters on cheap 22 hi velocity ammo after it is fired. I do not know if reaming the chamber has any effect on the accuracy of the gun. Probably not anything that you would notice shooting off hand, but the manufacturer would have some reason for those tight chambers, don't you think?