Model 17 Ammo - .22 cal. Remington

[tjtoolbox]

I went to the range today to shoot my new to me S&W Model 17-3. Wanted to check the sights and when I loaded 2 rounds and fired SA all there was is a sound of the hammer making contact with the internal firing pin.I ran several 6 cart. rounds through the revolver with a misfires every 4 out of 6. After 48 rounds I took the revolver to a S&W armorer, he checked it out and said that it was more than likely the ammo.All the workings of the revolver were in very good condition. Going to the range tomorrow to try with new /different ammo, CCI 22LR.
Any comments on this issue are welcome.

 

[Texas Roots]

I have an S&W M17-4 and it does just fine with just about any ammo except the Remington Golden Bullet .22 Long Rifle ammo. The batch I have is about the sorryest .22 ammo I have ever put my hands on.

It will even missfire in my Remington Model 581 bolt action .22 rifle.

I personally think your 17-3 is just fine and agree with the armorer....it's the ammo and not the gun. I doubt I'll ever buy .22 Remington ammo again. I've had no trouble at all with CCI .22 ammo.

 

[rburg]

Way back in 1966 I bought a Browning T bolt 22. It was beautiful (still is) and great (shoots the best groups I've ever managed.) The shop I bought it from suggested I buy and shoot Remington ammo. So I worked some OT and loaded up. For whatever reason, it has been the most accurate I've used. Of course I still have some of the ammo, but its now my accuracy standard (Hi Velocity hollow points, no less.) I don't discard the idea I might be able to find high dollar match ammo that might be better, but not much, and why? Yes, some of the stuff still has its "Klein's" price tags at 66 Cents. I've not had a misfire that I can remember, and I probably would if I'd have one.

I've bought a lot of 22 caliber ammo over the years. I've bought more Remington, Winchester, Winchester white box, CCI, and a host of others. I still like Federal ammo because it seems to go bang when I want it to. Rifle, shotgun, and handgun.

But long ago I adopted a method to figure out why a round doesn't go off. My range bag (or my jeep, just a big steel bag) has 2 pairs of pliers. I give every round a second chance. I turn it 90 degrees and give it another hit. But when I get a cartridge with 2 dead strikes, out comes the pliers. You just grip the case with one set and the bullet with the other and bend. Out comes the bullet. If you turn the case upside down, all the little flakes of powder will fall out on the grass, fertilizing it. Then look inside the case. You should see a ring of colored priming compound spun into the rim. What I think you'll discover is almost all the genuine ammo caused misfires are caused by lack of compound.

But in the situation with the OP here, I can't imagine 50% failure rate. I'd guess its the gun. Yes, try Federal or CCI and see if you have the same or similar results. When you do, it could be the mainspring not being properly tensioned, or dirt. The dirt can be in the firing pin channel, or the cylinder. Make sure the cartridges seat fully in the cylinder. Just a little grit or carbon build up can cushion the firing pin blow.

If the tension screw is fully tightened, find a piece of metal and shim where the screw pushes against the mainspring. A fired 22 case will work after you've stepped on it. Its not a permanent fix, but it should hold for a few rounds. Its like making the screw longer.

 

[nutsforsmiths]

I talked with a gunsmith one time about 22 ammo. He said CCI was the only manufacturer of 22 ammo that put the primer all the way around the rim by rolling the case when the primer is is dropped in. All the other companies do a shaking technique with the case, so the primer doesn't get all the way around the rim.

Like rburg mentioned, when I get a misfire in one of my 22s, I take out the cartridge, turned it and put it back in for another hit. About 90% or the time they go off.

I don't think it is your pistol, but the ammo.

 

[tjtoolbox]

Thanks for all of your Input. I went back to the range today with new ammo,CCI 22LR, they worked better than the Remington. I am not satisfied with the over all results, I think the main spring is weak so I installed a new spring at home and will try it out next weekend. It does feel tighter and more positive than the original. I hope that this is the solution to my problem. I will keep forum members informed of the results.

 

[Fkimble]

A little searching on the forum will turn up lots of folks who have had a rather dismal percentage of clicks rather than bangs from Rem bulk ammo since the shortage started.Maybe it's just lack of QC on this cheap stuff until things get caught up . Tried a few magazines in my M41, at least one failure per 10 shot mag. A couple times 2 but never none. All but one fired when rotated 180 degrees and refired. About the same in my Rem 40xr. Now my Ruger Super Single Six has a much lower failure rate. When the current supply is used up, I will find something better for plinking,maybe Winchester or Federal. The target guns are currently doing just fine with Aguila.

 

[HillbillyJim]

I have a Model 34 and a Model 35 both of them have ammo specific requirements. Plus chambers must be clean.
Fine a brand and specific type that functions 100% and buy in quanity.
I have Rugers, High Standards, Colts etc none of them have problems shooting the same ammo that causes misfires in S&W's.
Gripes me but I have learned to live with it.
I wish I knew what the problem was so it could be fixed.
Too tight chambers, not letting ammo fully seat? or what?
Not hammer springs as they have been replaced with new factory ones.

 

[Sully]

Ive got a new M617 that Ive had about 2 weeks now. Ran 400 or so of those bulk Rem's thru it without a mishap....so far..?? My friend has already shot up his whole 1500 round brick with a new Ruger mark III I think its called, that he scoped. He never said anything to me about misfires..???

 

[cp1969]

Every gun is a law unto itself.

I recently went through a brick of RGB's without a single misfire and it was accurate, too. I've bad-mouthed RGB's and Remington Target ammo for several years but I may have to take it back. I shot that brick through three different guns and none of them hiccuped once.

Oddly enough, my most recent ammo failure was with Winchester Xpert. It would not cycle the action of my .22/45 Ruger and that gun has never had a problem with anything. But it worked OK for the 100 or so rounds I fired in my Browning ATD.

I dont think Smiths strike the ammo quite as hard as other guns but I may be wrong about that. I do know that I've had more shells fail to fire double action than single.

 

[tjtoolbox]

Went to the range today with the Model 17 .22 revolver. put the rest of the CCI LR 22 through it with a new Mainspring for the hammer. NOT a flaw, every round went off with a Bang including some Remington that I brought with me. The Mainspring was the trick.I got it on ebay for $.99 the seller said it was factory for a L,K or N Frame Revolver. I am very satisfied with the Results. I plan on telling my S&W armorer about it to see what he thinks. Thanks for all your replies and comments.