Hello all, I would venture that this topic has been discussed previously, but here goes.... Can a .22 LR cylinder be swapped into an M-48 .22 mag? Will an M-17 .22 cylinder do the trick? You get the picture... shoot .22 LR and .22 Mag from the same revolver... Thank you in advance, and Have a Merry Christmas!
>22 LR cylinder for an M-48 S&W
- Thread starter gmanofsteel
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It can be done. There will very likely be some fitting required for satisfactory performance. For my part, I've seriously considered having a .22 WMR cylinder fitted to my S&W 18-2. Why? Don't know. Just a wild hair idea. Sincerely. bruce.
Hair Trigger
US Veteran
The M48 was offered with an optional second cylinder in .22LR, along with a second yoke. The magnum cylinder is the same length as the LR cylinder on both the M17 and M18, and I know of no other differences that would prevent swapping them into a M48. In either case, there may need to be some fitting work on the ratchets for proper timing, and even though the nominal cylinder lengths are the same, be sure to check the cylinder/FC gap for proper clearance. You wouldn't be able to re-work the forcing cone, as it would then not be correct with the magnum cylinder.
I'd like to have a LR cylinder for my M48-4.
I'd like to have a LR cylinder for my M48-4.
ReloadforFun
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The 22 WMR uses a 0.224" diameter bullet while the 22 LR uses a 0.221" diameter bullet.
Cylinder swaps can be done but may not deliver great accuracy.
Thr old zinc frame single actions offering both LR and WMR cylinders had a tendency to break the frame used the WMR rounds because the barrel was made for the LR and the repeated imact of the larger bullet stretched and eventually broke the frame.
With a WMR barrel this should not be a problem, but accuracy may not be there.
Cylinder swaps can be done but may not deliver great accuracy.
Thr old zinc frame single actions offering both LR and WMR cylinders had a tendency to break the frame used the WMR rounds because the barrel was made for the LR and the repeated imact of the larger bullet stretched and eventually broke the frame.
With a WMR barrel this should not be a problem, but accuracy may not be there.
I just fitted an additional cylinder to my k22 combat masterpiece with the intention to ream it out to 22mag. I can't see why it wouldn't work the other way.
lscocoa
Member
I bought a complete brand new 6 shot m-648 cylinder from Gunparts corp. and had it fitted to my 17-2. Very pleased and accuracy with the mag cylinder is excellent like the 22lr. Cylinder.
4barrel
Member
I owned one in the 70's--A lr will not group in a mag cylinder. I didn't care for the long barrel and sold it.
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Murdock
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Hair Trigger
US Veteran
I wasn't talking about shooting .22LR from the magnum cylinder, but exchanging the magnum cylinder for one chambered in .22LR. The factory offered that as an option, so it must have worked.
Created one of these conversion cylinders several years back for a model 17. Purchased the new model 648 cylinder from Midway.
Very little fitting required except the ratchet cutting. Amazing how a currently manufactured cylinder will fit perfectly in a model 17 frame made back in the 1960's.
Carter
Very little fitting required except the ratchet cutting. Amazing how a currently manufactured cylinder will fit perfectly in a model 17 frame made back in the 1960's.
Carter
Make sure that the cylinder you are purchasing has the gas ring in the same location as your current cylinder. I found a cylinder from a M17/18 but the gas ring was wrong. Rather than trying to find a correct cylinder I back doored the project and found a correct yoke thanks to a member here. Now all I do when changing from 22BB, CB, Short, Long, LR to 22 WMR/WRF is unscrew the yoke screw and change the yoke/cylinder assembly.
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