617, 6 shot to 10 shot

[Lodiguy]

Hi all, new to the forum and have a question about my new (to me) 617-5. It is presently a 6-shot 22LR, but I've been told that I could switch it over to a the 10-shot version (617-6) by changing out the cylinder and hand. Can anyone with more experience tell me that this is a viable option compared to just buying the a 10-shot version of revolver?

 

[paladin42]

From my experience, 10-shot .22 cylinders are hard to find and I understand that S&W won't sell you one. I don't know if the factory will do a switch for you. My instinct is to buy a 10-shot and avoid the hassle.

Some years ago I was able to buy a third-party 9-shot S&W K-frame .22 LR cylinder and an 8-shot .22 magnum cylinder that worked great. I don't remember who made them. I can't find anything on google search.