.22 Revolver recommendations
- Thread starter russp1
- Start date
LEFT SIDE
Top - Colt Diamond Back
Middle - Dan Wesson 15
Bottom - Charter Arms Pathfinder
RIGHT SIDE
Top - 617
Middle - H&R 929
Bottom - 617
They all deserve a spot in my collection for various reasons.
I hear the snickers about the 929, but she was a Katrina rescue. One day I will tell her story here.
OP
617's are still scarce around here (Texas). Tried to order from multiple dealers but still no luck.
OP
A few folks have asked my intended use. This would be primarily a range gun; something for my wife and I to shoot a lot like our S&W Victory 22 which replaced a S&W M22 we wore out after 10 years.
AJ
US Veteran
I doubt that you would wear out any of the K22, K17 or 617 series revolvers.
jcs266
Member
I LOVE my 4" 617-6... it shoots like a dream and I carry it alot around our little rural chicken ranch here. Plinking, pests, rattle-snakes, etc.
"If I could only keep one"... It would be the .22 LR 617-6
"If I could only keep one"... It would be the .22 LR 617-6
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For me it would be a VINTAGE Pre mid 90's M18. IMHO there is no better.
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Smith really needs to make a 10 shot blued revolver in 4" without that hideous needless full lug. I hate stainless and a full lug blue 10 shot 4" without lock would be my choice. Sadly they haven't made a 4" 10 shot with no lug or lock. Smith seems firmly wedded to god awful stainless.
I'm a huge fan of older .22 revolvers. Shown from the top a K-22 Outdoorsman, a 1947 "LERK" and a 1953 K-22 Combat Masterpiece. All are amazing revolvers. The Outdoorsman is the .22 caliber equivalent of a Registered Magnum, IMO. I like most of the ones that have pin in the barrel, and recommend them to anyone looking for a rimfire six shooter.
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AJ
US Veteran
Stainless is the wave of the future..........
Get some money. Then, find a Model 18 and buy it. Then, buy ammo and head for the range. If the grooved trigger bothers you, replace it with a smooth combat trigger. With this one revolver you can learn all the way to the ground just exactly what you need to do to be able to shoot extremely well in either single or double action. Since 1983 I have had one or more Model 18's in my gun case. Nowadays, I have only one ... but like oh boy its a real shooter. I have had lots of fun shooting it SA and DA at normal distances. And, when opportunity has presented itself, I have had some real fun popping empty Coke cans out at 100 yds. and even a bit beyond. Just about the very best .22 LR revolver ever designed, manufactured and marketed anywhere, anytime by anyone. For years mine fired just about 2 or more bricks a month. Made shooting any other revolver about like falling off a log. Easy. Mine was used to teach my daughters to shoot handguns. Gonna have to buy another Model 18 so that when I pass away, I can leave each daughter a Model 18 for her to use with her children. Cannot recommend more highly the Model 18. Get one. Get two if you can. You will be very pleased. Sincerely. bruce.
Diamondback accuracy fix
Several have commented about the Colt Diamondback .22s poor accuracy compared to S&W .22s. I have both a M18 and a DB, and the DB got to where it wouldn't hit squat. I finally got it down on my bench one day with a lead remover cloth on a jag and began pulling strips of lead out of the bore that were a quarter to half an inch long. After an hour or so no more would come out, so I took the DB out to my backyard range and found that it shot quite well again, but after several weeks of shooting the groups began to wander again. Did the deleading thing again and found the bore again leaded up.
Got a can of auto polishing compound and a couple boxes of .22 shorts. Sitting in a comfortable chair in the shade, I spent a couple of hours putting a dab of the polishing compound in the forcing cone and firing two or three shorts, then repeat, repeat until my wife called me for dinner. After dinner I
cleaned the gun up and took a look through the bore. The glare almost hurt my eyes. That Diamondback has not leaded up since, and it shoots better than I can.
The shade-tree bore polishing session was the answer to the accuracy problem for THAT particular Diamondback. Don't know if it would work for others, but it's easy and cheap and might be worth a try for any .22 that leads up.
Several have commented about the Colt Diamondback .22s poor accuracy compared to S&W .22s. I have both a M18 and a DB, and the DB got to where it wouldn't hit squat. I finally got it down on my bench one day with a lead remover cloth on a jag and began pulling strips of lead out of the bore that were a quarter to half an inch long. After an hour or so no more would come out, so I took the DB out to my backyard range and found that it shot quite well again, but after several weeks of shooting the groups began to wander again. Did the deleading thing again and found the bore again leaded up.
Got a can of auto polishing compound and a couple boxes of .22 shorts. Sitting in a comfortable chair in the shade, I spent a couple of hours putting a dab of the polishing compound in the forcing cone and firing two or three shorts, then repeat, repeat until my wife called me for dinner. After dinner I
cleaned the gun up and took a look through the bore. The glare almost hurt my eyes. That Diamondback has not leaded up since, and it shoots better than I can.
The shade-tree bore polishing session was the answer to the accuracy problem for THAT particular Diamondback. Don't know if it would work for others, but it's easy and cheap and might be worth a try for any .22 that leads up.
Dan Wesson Mdl. 22-VH
Lol, talking about nose heavy.
But it's still a good shooter.
.
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Lol, talking about nose heavy.
But it's still a good shooter.
.
.
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Bumpus13
Member
I, too prefer blue steel--probably because I am old. I understand the benefits of stainless but I always clean up after a day at the range so rusting is really not an issue for me. Can't get the cap guns I had in the 1950's out of my mind when I look at my stainless Smiths.
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Every laudatory comment about the 617 is true. It's the last double action .22 revolver you'll ever want or need. My suggestion is to save your shekels, find one, and treat yourself to one of life's great pleasures.
Mike
Mike
smoothshooter
Member
It has been my experience that almost any brand of .22 revolver holds it's value well, and are among the easiest guns of all to sell or trade-in.
DGNY
Member
Lots of good advice above, if the OP is still looking. Sounds to me that a 4 inch barrel is what it's called for here, so handy and yet still decent sight spacing .
Of Smiths in my trove, I do enjoy the model 18s and pre-18s for their handling, accuracy and durability. (Frankly, less enamored with model 17s with 6 inch barrel, or my colt 6 inch. Similarly, my 617 4 inch is meh with its front weight bias.) So, Brucev @#51 is right on or very close to the "right "answer
A surprise favorite for me is my Harrington & Richardson 926 9 shot, 4 inch barrel. Tight, accurate, and 686 leather fits. Hard to go wrong with one of those, if ever encountered. Nor, as others have mentioned, an OM single six, with up to a 5.5 inch barrel.
Wishing all the best and let us know!
Of Smiths in my trove, I do enjoy the model 18s and pre-18s for their handling, accuracy and durability. (Frankly, less enamored with model 17s with 6 inch barrel, or my colt 6 inch. Similarly, my 617 4 inch is meh with its front weight bias.) So, Brucev @#51 is right on or very close to the "right "answer
A surprise favorite for me is my Harrington & Richardson 926 9 shot, 4 inch barrel. Tight, accurate, and 686 leather fits. Hard to go wrong with one of those, if ever encountered. Nor, as others have mentioned, an OM single six, with up to a 5.5 inch barrel.
Wishing all the best and let us know!
Model 63
Next step up in size is Model 17 and Colt Trooper MkIII
