New S&W 617?

[ashjwilliams]

Simply put, how do I get my hands on a new 617? Is S&W even making these? I've been looking for a new 4" or 6" 617 for about 3 months. I have had one on backorder at a local dealer for 2 months.

I have seen a half dozen or so used at local gun shows, but they were asking new gun prices so I figured I would just try to find a new one. Haven't seen much on Gunbroker that wasn't priced $200+ over what dealers that don't have them say they cost (example). I heard that I just missed a batch of them at Davidson's though...

Any thoughts? I am looking new as I'd like to have a 10 shot model, and I just prefer buying new when it comes to firearms (unless I know the history, ie a friend owned it and it was well maintained). Should I just buy used, pay $200 high through Gunbroker, or just keep waiting?!

 

[ab4ka]

I got lucky on mine. The shop had two and the manager held one for me. I paid $725 for it and was happy to get it. Another branch of the same store not far from me is selling them for $919

 

[fyimo]

It's all up to you as 22 revolvers are hot right now and costly and if you heart is set on a stainless 617 and you want to buy it new then unless you are willing to wait you will have to keep looking and pay what the market is asking.

Would I pay $200 more then market for one, No, I'd look for a pristine model 17 or 18 for about $200 less and shoot the crap out of it after I bought it. They clean up real well and are great shooters.

I bought these two a couple of weeks ago at a gun show for $550 each and both are in 98% condition.
I added the target grips as the came with magna's.
17-4

18-4

 

[ashjwilliams]

It's all up to you as 22 revolvers are hot right now and costly and if you heart is set on a stainless 617 and you want to buy it new then unless you are willing to wait you will have to keep looking and pay what the market is asking.

Would I pay $200 more then market for one, No, I'd look for a pristine model 17 or 18 for about $200 less and shoot the crap out of it after I bought it. They clean up real well and are great shooters.

I bought these two a couple of weeks ago at a gun show for $550 each and both are in 98% condition.
I added the target grips as the came with magna's.
17-4

18-4

Thanks for the advice. I am not willing to pay $200 over price either. I should have caught them at Davidson's. There are a number of local's that will get them to me for $670, but they have to get them first!

I am set on a 617, preferably 10 shot. If I can't get this done before May I think I will start looking used.

Right now I'm just gearing up for the outdoor shooting season. Last year I probably spent about $400/month on ammo. A lot of .223 and 9mm, a little of 45, .308, 12 gauge, and various revolver cartridges. Thought I'd grab some serious 22 lr gear to bring down ammunition expenses. Right now I have a Ruger 22/45 RP with paclite, Ruger 10/22, and S&W M&P 15-22. Still hoping to secure a 22 lr suppressor (need to get moving on this pronto) and S&W 617 in the upcoming 1-2 months.

The primary reason I prefer the 617 to others is that it seems like it would handle most similarly to my 686+ 6".

BTW nice hardware. Davidson's does have numerous model 17 and 18 in stock right now. What's the difference between them; just barrel length?

 

[rlsbee]

I'd like to know also because I've been looking for, at least, three months and can't find one. They sure do seem to be in demand. I've also noticed many used 617's at very high prices. Basic economics will tell you that when demand is up, the prices will go also( as previously stated). I wrote to customer service back in late February and received an e-mail back that production would be resuming in about a month. It's about that time so we'll see. I know I've started looking at used stuff and the model 17 and 18. Maybe if we get enough people to respond to this thread, we could bring it to S&W's attention.

 

[ashjwilliams]

It surprises me that there actually is such demand for these at $700. I would have thought most would be looking at Ruger MK3, Buckmarks, etc that run $300. I'd like a 617 to get more work with double action but realistically I plan to do 90% shooting with the my Ruger 22/45 and S&W M&P 15-22.

I hope you were informed correctly about the production run. If this is the case we should have no problem securing these at reasonable prices (assuming the production run is more than a trickle).

 

[686forme]

There're out there if you look hard enough. I kept looking up gun store phone numbers on the net and called a dozen every day until I hit gold. Brand new 6" ten shot for 695.00 delivered. It hit my FFL guy last Thursday, yes I did go out and fondle it for about a half hour. Now I have to wait my three days, four actually, because he isn't open 'till Tuesday.

I also contacted S&W a few weeks ago and the c/s guy said they were in production right now. Unfortunately we don't know if it means ten or ten thousand.

 

[fyimo]

By the way I'm also looking for a 617 (no lock) for the same reason with a the full under lug. Please don't get me wrong I think they are great revolvers. I practice a lot with a 357 model 686 no dash with 6 inch barrel and it just makes sense.

 

[ashjwilliams]

By the way I'm also looking for a 617 (no lock) for the same reason with a the full under lug. Please don't get me wrong I think they are great revolvers. I practice a lot with a 357 model 686 no dash with 6 inch barrel and it just makes sense.

Why no locks? A lot of folks seem to avoid these, but if you don't like them they are easy to remove.

I actually did have one break in a 642. It locked up the action of the gun when held in certain orientations. I was putting some Doubletap loads through it that pushed 125 gr at 1100 fps though. I removed it and have been shooting ever since.

 

[PMRet]

The primary reason I prefer the 617 to others is that it seems like it would handle most similarly to my 686+ 6".

I have a 4" 617 no dash and a 4" 686 no dash, and they are great to take to the range together.

As for the high prices of the used 617's, some of us prefer the older, pre-lock models to the newer ones. Nothing wrong with the new ones, just personal preference. Incidently, I also prefer the 6 shot 617 because the timing is the same as the 686.

 

[fyimo]

My reason for not getting one with a lock has nothing to do with whether it works or doesn't work but more to do with it not being required in the first place. That's just me and if orthers want them that's fine. I know that they are easy to remove and that a forum member makes a plug for the hole.

I say this over and over and that is the beauty of the gun world is there are enough choices that we can all buy what we want and that there is no right or wrong choices.

 

[stevieboy]

Let's steer this away from the lock issue. I have a 617 no-dash 4" six shooter that I paid $550 for a couple of years ago. In a lot of ways it's my favorite gun. I hunted for weeks for a 617 and was getting pretty desperate. Then, one day, I went to a show and a guy had two of them available for sale, including the one that I bought.

So, they're out there. Just keep looking. The very high price that these fine guns command and their relative scarcity is simply a question of supply and demand. As others have pointed out, .22s are extremely popular these days.

As to value, that's in the eye of the beholder. I'll say this: my 617 is as well made as any handgun I've ever had the chance to hold and shoot. It is eerily accurate and has the smoothest action of any of my revolvers. It's also built like a tank. I doubt if it would wear out with 10,000,000 rounds through it. At the rate I'm using it, I might just find out.

 

[DOEBOY1]

i have a 617 that i bought about a year ago and a 17-4 that i bought about 4-5 month ago. i couldn't believe the difference that not having an underlug made. both have the target grips but holding them up together there is no doubt that the 17 feels better to me. if you are considering useing the 617 as practice for a 686 then maybe consider a 17 and get a mod 19 to match. Doeboy

 

[rlsbee]

I just found one (4" 10 shot) at a store in central New Jersey. I called about twenty places and then got the magic answer that they had one in stock. In fact when I got there the guy told me that he had four of 'em. If anybody in that area is looking for one, PM or e-mail and I'll tell you the store. I'll do the pictures but I couldn't bring it home since my permit hasn't come through yet.
Yes, I am a happy man !!!!!

 

[makeminestainless]

I've got a couple of add on questions, sorry to highjack the tread.

What would be considered a good price to expect when the supply meets the demand? Do any of you think new 617's will dip below $700 again?

In regards to using a 617, or any 22 revolver as a practice gun would a short or long barrel be better? In the same logic that a marathon runner will train for a longer race than they would normally compete in or boxers practicing for more than the standard number of rounds would a shorter barrel be of benefit?

 

[Iowahunter]

I havn't seen this posted much before but, it might matter to some is that the older "No dash" models are sq butt and the new ones are RB.
The latter dashes seem to be mixed between the 2 frame styles.
My personal preference is for the SQ butt as thats what most of my grips in K and L frames use.

 

[RidgwayCO]

I purchased a 10-shot M617-4 with 6" barrel back in 2006, and liked it so much that I bought it's 4" brother in 2008. I overpaid for the 4" gun because there just didn't seem to be too many around. To rationalize the purchase, I just focus my mind on their average price of $615, and that makes me feel much better...

 

[MR.G]

I bought a new S&W 617 ten shot 4" a couple of years ago. I have never shot the gun, and it just sits in the safe. Probably a good time to sell it.

 

[mtscout]

these folks have a used one, 6inch...

http://www.shedhorn.com/FirearmList.aspx?CategoryID=121

 

[SaberOne]

Nice photo 'asjwilliams'
I considered removing my lock but held off for civil concerns in the event of...

 

[fyimo]

I bought a 617 6 inch no dash from forum member twomoons yesterday and I will be sending out the funds and copy of my dealers FFL tomorrow and I'm fired up.

 

[RHINOWSO]

The 617 look like great guns, but I enjoy my K-22 Combat Masterpiece and Pre-Model 34 'Kit gun' plenty.

And the triggers... unbelievably smooth...

 

[fyimo]

The 617 look like great guns, but I enjoy my K-22 Combat Masterpiece and Pre-Model 34 'Kit gun' plenty.

And the triggers... unbelievably smooth...

Rhino
I own a K22 5 screw with 6 inch barrel, a Model 17-4 with 8 3/8 barrel and a Model 18-4 with 4 inch barrel and they are all awesome shooter's with great triggers. I bought a 17-4 with 6 inch barrel at a gun show a few weeks ago but when I bought the 617 yesterday I sold that one to a friend of mine here.

 

[ashjwilliams]

Nice photo 'asjwilliams'
I considered removing my lock but held off for civil concerns in the event of...

Good point. I removed mine because it broke, and probably wouldn't have otherwise. Probably should have sent it to S&W...

 

[ashjwilliams]

The 617 look like great guns, but I enjoy my K-22 Combat Masterpiece and Pre-Model 34 'Kit gun' plenty.

And the triggers... unbelievably smooth...

Are the 617 and K-22 the same thing?

Also again what is the difference between the model 17 and model 18 (besides barrel length)?

I got a notice from Davidson's today at about 13:30; 617 in stock! 4 hours later they are all gone! My place of business doesn't let you view firearms related websites and thus I couldn't conduct the transaction there. Damnit.

On a better note my new M&P15-22 ran flawlessly through about 300 rds Federal bulk the other day. S&W for the win!

 

[phm14]

Bought my 617-6 6/09 and paid $695. which included shipping and CC fee, and I had to hunt for that deal. The 4" is very well balanced, just like my 686-5, and a whole lot cheaper to feed. Both are always a real pleasure to shoot.

 

[k22fan]

Greetings Ashjwilliams;

Don't overpay for a currently cataloged gun just because the factory didn't anticipate the increased demand for a model that has become a fad! Just last summer I had a difficult time finding a buyer for my new looking 10 shot 6" M 617. Nobody wanted to pay $600 for a .22! After it laid in the biggest shop in the biggest city an hour away for several months on consignment at $600, I settled for $500, less 15% commission. Over the decades there were several times when I wanted a sporting or target revolver and S & W had let that model sell out of the distribution network. Once again the next production run will be planned to exceed current demand so that M 617s will be in all the stores for awhile. Believe it or not, you can survive a few months with the guns you already have.

Don't misunderstand me. I have paid too much for a cataloged revolver because I liked an individual gun's timing and the feel of its DA pull and I probably will again—and discontinued variations are another matter altogether. My "short list" consists mostly of guns I passed on because they were overpriced and now will cost me 2 -3 times the price I refused to pay. Even if they were reintroduced in the catalog, they would not be the same.

You might enjoy owning a M 17 or M 18 in addition to the different feeling 10 shooter and one would hold you over until new M 617s are plentiful again. I enjoy owning all of these variations of K22s--22s built on the K frame—I'm hanging on to one 10 shot, it's just not my favorite. Most M 17s had 6" or 8 3/8" non-tapered barrels usually with patridge front sights. Older pre-model 17s had tapered barrels. M 18's had 4" tapered barrels that brought their weight down to 36 oz. M 18s usually had plain ramp front sights. The closest things to a M 18 for a belt gun trainer are the scarce 4" non-tapered barreled M 17s or rare non-lugged 4" M 617s. There have been more would be buyers of M 18s than M18s for sale in my area for at least 10 years. Lots of guys at the ranges have them. We just don't sell them. The M 18 was discontinued in 1985 because it didn't sell as well as the M 17, so M 17s are easier to find and can match the sight radius of your .357.

To get the best DA trainer for your full lugged .357, I suggest matching your gun's weight and barrel length with a 6" M 617, but I would get a 6 shot to match the feel of its action. I sold one of my two 10 shooters only because their DA pulls do not feel like S & Ws. Their cylinder locking bolts pop back up about 1/3 of the way through the DA pull and I'm accustomed to staging the trigger or squeezing the shot off carefully after feeling the cylinder lock up near the end of the pull. Using that technique I got an indoor .22 bullseye NRA expert rating firing my 6 shot 6" M 617 DA only, including the slow fire portion, and with iron sights. I suppose if you always fire DA fast with a straight through pull you would be happy with the feel of a 10 shot, but in the rather unlikely event I'm in an extended fire fight with .22s, I'd just dump the last 4 on my toes and reload after 6 anyway.

I hope this helps you decide.

Gil

 

[RYNO]

There was a NIB 617-6(?) 10 shot at Cabelas in LaVista for $740 last week. It almo$t went home with me...

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Well, I'll guess I'll be smug. I paid $430 at a gun show for a new 617-4 10 shot.
'Course that was back arount the turn of the century
If someone can't wait until the new ones come out-I'd sell it for one large.

 

[raveneap]

I ordered a 617 4" early last August. My LGS finally got it in late October. The 4" 617's have generally been hard to find but well worth the wait. Also picked up a 63 during the wait. Both are great guns.

After trades, I've got $427.00 in the 617.