617 vs 41

[Kenneth L. Walters]

Its an apples to oranges comparison to be sure but I'm going to buy one 22lr pistol. It is either going to be a model 41 with a seven inch barrel or a model 617 with a six inch barrel. Can not make up my mind. Which of these two would you select and why?

 

[Kenneth L. Walters]

Its an apples to oranges comparison to be sure but I'm going to buy one 22lr pistol. It is either going to be a model 41 with a seven inch barrel or a model 617 with a six inch barrel. Can not make up my mind. Which of these two would you select and why?

 

[wproct]

We would need to know more about what you intend to use the pistol for? Each one is a top quality handgun.

 

[stevieboy]

You're right it's apples and oranges and I can't give you a recommendation except to say that what you buy depends on what you're looking for. Suffice it to say that both are extraodinary guns.

I presently shoot a 617 6" and my wife has a 41 with a 5 1/2" barrel. If absolute, "hey everybody look at what I just shot", accuracy is what you want, then get a 41. It's probably the most accurate handgun in general production. My wife gets angry with herself if she gets more than 2" groups of 10, offhand with open sights, at 15 yards. It's also a pretty good training gun if you're interested in shooting a 1911, because the gun's weight and grip angle pretty much replicate a 1911.

However, if revolvers are your thing then it's a 617 that you want. The gun has the exact weight and feel of a larger caliber Smith revolver. At about 44 ounces, the 6" 617 is equal in weight to a 6" L frame 686. Trigger pull on the 617 and the bigger caliber guns is roughly equal (the 617's trigger may be slightly heavier due to the need to set off rimfire primers). The 617 is a VERY accurate revolver, whether fired in single or in double action. But, it's not as accurate as the 41. At distances of up to 15 yards I can give my wife a close race firing my 617 against her 41. Beyond that distance, fuggedaboudit. At 25 yards, her groups generally are 1/2 the size of mine. Not that mine are all that bad but hers are extraordinary.

 

[Speedo2]

Given the choice, for my personal applications, I'd go for the M41.
M41 Advantages:
- better inherent accuracy; more competitive for bullseye shooting (if & when I ever get around to it)
- much more seldom seen than 617's (in normal economic times, anyway)
- easier to clean (...yeah, really!)
- more options (5-1/2" barrels abound)
- faster reloads (with enough spare mags)
- better balance than a 6" 617 (subjective opinion)
- much better open sights than a 617 (even I can still get a decent sight picture with the older Millet-style sights)

M41 Disadvantages:
- More expensive to purchase (usually)
- More expensive to shoot (you'll burn up a lot more ammo in an auto than in a revolver)
- You'll have to clean it after every shoot
- More clean-up work at the range after every shoot
- Bouncing hot brass off your neighbor(s) can either be a big problem, or sort of fun.
- Probably a little more finicky about ammo (mine likes the expensive stuff)
- Less robust; finish & mechanics aren't very amenable to hard field use
- You'll probably have to be more picky about who you let shoot it
- Most people who know anything about shooting will expect you to be better than you are with it vs. a lot of people could be surprised at how accurate a 617 can be.
- Probably takes a while longer to re-sell a M41 ("Man, 'das just a 22-auto. Why you want so much fer it?")
- (just thought of another) PA doesn't allow hunting squirrels (& such) with a semi-auto; don't know about AZ.

Anyways, I find that I take my M41's to the range more often that the 617'2. Guess I enjoy the results better. Best option: get both. -S2

 

[Kenneth L. Walters]

That was a very good, well thought out, helpful answer. Thanks!

 

[stevieboy]

Gotta agree with Speedo on the cleaning. My wife has assigned me the chore of gun cleaning (she does the dishes and the bathrooms so I consider it to be a fair trade). Takes me about 20 - 25 minutes to clean the 41 thoroughly. It NEVER takes me less than 45 minutes to do an equivalent job on the 617. I hate all those little chambers

 

[dwf6666]

A couple years back my buddy and I did some testing in a Ransom Rest. We compared a 617, a 41, and a Ruger Semi 22. The results surprised us. We tried several different brands of ammo. The 617 was the most accurate with the Ruger next and the 41 coming in last.
I then shot all three guns at 50 ft. bullseye and found the 41 to be the most accurate for me followed by the 617 and the Ruger last.
I assume that the difference is grip and trigger pull.

 

[stevieboy]

The 41 is extremely sensitive to the brand of ammunition you put through it. By contrast, the 617 seems to be indifferent to what it shoots, it shoots everything equally well. Smith recommended to my wife that she shoot CCI minimags with her 41. And, she got good results with them. But, a couple of weeks ago, our local range was out of minimags so she tried a box of Federal Gameshock high velocity. Big difference! Her groups suddenly decreased in size by at least 1/3. My conclusion is that a Ransom rest test of a 41 won't really show how well the gun shoots unless it's fed exactly the right ammo.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

Ken:
just get them both. I did. Although not at the same time. They joined the 18's, pre 18's etc , that already live here.

 

[fly rodder]

Ken,

If you're a lefty, in my experience the 41 will not be an easy fit for you. I'm a lefty and the grip and how the slide operates causes me trouble. I have no such problem with a 945, for instance.

once had a 617 and a 41 side by side with a chrony. same ammo and the 41 produced noticeably higher velocity. Can't remember the expect figures but i think the 41 produced an additional 100fps plus.

fly rodder

 

[GSFLH05]

my 41 is more fun to shoot than my 17-4 but ilove the 17-4 so buy both it is xmas

 

[Kenneth L. Walters]

Originally posted by dwf6666:
A couple years back my buddy and I did some testing in a Ransom Rest. We compared a 617, a 41, and a Ruger Semi 22. The results surprised us. We tried several different brands of ammo. The 617 was the most accurate with the Ruger next and the 41 coming in last.
I then shot all three guns at 50 ft. bullseye and found the 41 to be the most accurate for me followed by the 617 and the Ruger last.
I assume that the difference is grip and trigger pull.

That's really interesting.

 

[VAdoublegunner]

The comparison of the 41, Ruger Auto and 617 is interesting. I, too, find the Ruger autos to be exceptionally accurate from a rest, but more difficult to shoot as well offhand than a 41. Grips and trigger make a difference. Both of my scoped KMK678GCs will shoot less than 1" groups at 50 yards with their preferred ammo. So will any decent 41.

But back to your issue ---- if your use is primarily as a field companion, plinking and hunting gun rather than a range gun, I'd probably pick a 617. Something about revolvers just makes them more fun as informal field guns to me! If it's to be primarily a range target gun, then a 41. Having said that though, if I'm going intentionally handgun hunting for squirrels, I'll take one of the scoped Rugers. Whether you primarily shoot centerfire autos or revolvers is also a consideration if this is to be a low cost alternative shooter.

Ammo cost, although slight by comparison, is also a consideration ...I would feel compelled to get the 41 only the best ammo, the 617 would eat anything.

You could probably get a 617 and a Ruger auto for the price of a 41 if that is a consideration, but the 41 is a work of art if one desires a truly fine .22 automatic. However, in my experience, from the bench a Ruger Gov or target model can easily match or even better a 41 for accuracy, and it isn't something I'm worried about getting scratched in the field.

 

[Kenneth L. Walters]

10 inch 617 it is!

Thanks for all the comments.

 

[MakeMyNight]

Buy one of each
A body can never have enough S&W hand guns