?Quick Primer on S&W .22s?

[Redcoat3340]

I've only got 3 .22s -- a Ruger Mk IV that's been slicked up; a Walther P22; and conversion kits for a Sig 220 and 250.

I'm thinking of another rimfire...

Wondering if I could get some basic ratings of Smith's offerings. I know the 41 is the top of the line in pistol and the Victory is the latest (not counting the M&Ps which I'm not interested in).
How do the others rate and what are aprox prices if I may be so bold as to ask.

And I'll mispost here and ask about revolvers -- looking for for an entry level type rather than something akin to a 617 that I had and found I wasn't shooting so it went a few years back.

Thanks.

 

[ken158]

Other than a S&W model 41, I would not buy any other S&W auto. The Browning Challenger line has always impressed me and I now have four models. You are looking at $400 and up.

 

[indigo22]

422, 622, or the 2206... 4.5" and 6" barrel options on each. If you can find one get it, you will not be sorry. Top quality and very accurate. One of the best kept secrets in the S&W lineup.

 

[glenwolde]

I have a 22A-1 which has surprised me. I didn't expect much out of it. I only paid $225 for it.

Thousands (20+) of rounds later it's still going and shoots almost as well as my High Standard though it's not as refined. Surprisingly good trigger. Favorite ammo is Remington Golden Bullets. Being mostly aluminum I expected it to wear out before now. It gets a couple of thousand rounds a year and is 10 years old. Just make sure to replace the recoil buffer. I think these die due to the aforementioned recoil buffer not being replaced.

There's still some NOS ones around on gunbroker and they don't go for much (or any) more than I paid.

Outside of S&W you might look for a Houston-made High Standard. People dismiss them as "not real" High Standards. That's a mistake. They have zero collector interest so you get the gun without paying for the hype.

 

[Yendor357]

This Model 41 is the only 22 pistol I’ve ever needed for the last 40 years.

I had a nice Browning Buckmark before the Model 41. But it wasn’t in the same league as the Model 41. I’ve fired a lot of different 22 pistols belonging to friends over the years. Some of them even shoot nearly as well. If you can afford it, First Class is always the best choice. And if you can’t afford First Class, save your money until you can.

MY 17 and 617 experience:
*I know a lot of guys hold their 17/617 in the same regard as I do my Model 41, but this is my experience with a sample of just 2 guns. Early 1990s, I bought a 6 inch Model 17. Triple Target. It split cases. Hard ejection. Sent it back. New cylinder with a .009 BC gap. Got rid of it.
Fast forward to 2011, bought a new 4 inch 617, Hilary hole and all. Bullets keyholing at 25 yards. That one went back. They claim to have recut the forcing cone. That was possible. It did look as if something was done to it. Shot the same as it did before. I put that thing away for 10 years. About a year ago, I got it back out, tried all sorts of different ammo, still no bueno. I sent it back a second time! This time I think they did nothing.
Then I decided to call and speak with someone. I remember his name, but won’t call him out. He wasted no time in proclaiming that he knew more about revolvers than anyone. Cool. I need some one knowledgeable. It isn’t arrogance if you can back it up.
I sent the 4 inch 617 back a 3rd time! When it came back the barrel that is on it is heavier than the one they took off. Oh well, I’ll get used to that. The second thing I noticed is the barrel is not indexed correctly! The front sight leans to the left. This is coming from the guy who knows more about revolvers than anyone. To be fair tho, the Crooked Barrel 617 now shoots fantastically. I sent them a letter with an impressive 10 shot group shot from 25 yards and asked them if they wanted to index the barrel correctly. No reply. That gun has taken up residence at Sugarpuss’s house. I can’t stand to have it around, but I won’t sell a gun that shoots that well, either.

So mess around with whatever you want to. But the Model 41 is the answer.

 

[Dave Lively]

I have a S&W 41, 617 and 22 Compact. The 41 is a fantastic shooter but is very fussy about ammo. Mine has about a 3% failure rate with standard velocity ammo of any type even after trying most of the commonly recommended fixes. But it shoots CCI Blazer so well I am no going to sell it. A bit less accurate than standard velocity but they work and the guns is still very accurate.

Depending on how slick your slicked up Mark IV is a 41 might not be worth the trouble.

The 22 Compact is the most reliable 22 pistol I have ever owned. But it is hard to shoot accurately. Its not that the gun is inherently inaccurate but light weight and trigger make it difficult to achieve the accuracy the gun is capable of. It is a lot like trying to shoot a small 9mm handgun well. If you are looking for a reliable gun that is challenging to shoot accurately it is a good choice. It might also be a good trainer for centerfire guns that do not have the light, crisp trigger of a reworked Mark IV or 41. But as a plinker I would look for something easier to shoot well.

As with all 22 revolvers the DA pull on my 617 is heavy even after putting in a lighter rebound spring. But that's what it takes to reliably fire rimfire ammo. Speaking of heavy, it is heavier than than I would prefer. It has tight chambers so it doesn't take many cylinders of ammo with wax coated lead bullets before extraction gets sticky. I have considered getting the cylinder reamed out a little bit but haven't gotten around to it. This is a recent production 617 with a 4 inch barrel. While my description of this gun sounds negative I like it much better than the 22 LR Ruger GP-100 in 22 LR it replaced. Better trigger, more accurate and while I complain about how heavy my 617 is the Ruger was also a heavy gun and something about the balance made if feel clunky compared to the 617.

These were all purchased before the recent price hikes so I don't know what the current prices for these guns are.

 

[Gamecock]

I had a nice Browning Buckmark before the Model 41.

I have a Browning Medalist. A seriously beautiful gun. As accurate as my 41, and less finicky with ammo.

BUT the Browning magazines are a pain, making it no fun to shoot. So it stays at home while the 41 is shot a lot.

[As I have said before, I lube my cartridges (Federal 711B) for the 41, and have zero problems now. Without the lube, it's a choke-a-matic.]

 

[Sevens]

I have had my share of S&W rimfires. My first handgun ever was a 6-inch 17-6 that I still have. It’s the first “less than half” of the dash-6 transitional guns, mine has the standard ribbed target barrel and goncalo alves targets. The more plentiful half of the transition has the full lug barrel and gorgeous/valuable combat stocks. My 17 needs the chambers reamed. Runs great for 3 or 4 cylinders but as soon as it heats up, ejection is horrendous. After allowing it to cool, it’s sweet again. It’s annoying but extremely common.

My 41 is a mixmaster. Frame from 90 or 91 and the 5-1/2” upper is definitely earlier, wish I knew when. Across the board, 41’s have a well earned reputation for being finicky. I have fed my 41 only two different ammos… CCI-SV and Aguila SV and with both of these, my pistol runs like a TOP. Accurate and with no failures whatsoever.

I also love the series from 1986-1994ish, the 622/422 series and variants. I had a 4.5” Model 422 that ran great but I find the shorter one homely. My 6-inch 422 is better looking and runs just as well. The 2213/2214 are awesome little shooters but their cult following has jacked up their market price.

I also have the more scarce 6-inch Model 2206. Looks like the 622 but is full stainless and it is a HEAVY beast. Newer, younger, smaller shooters don’t care for it due to the weight but it’s a slick, heavy popper.

Had a 22-A and every facet of it felt awful and cheap. The magazine disconnect safety was obnoxious, the pistol will let you seat a magazine AND feed a round but somehow it did not always defeat the disconnect safety. That and the wear-item replaceable buffer inside? Everything about the pistol was cheap and I dislike them. I’ll never have another.

 

[TM44]

I own four .22 handguns. A S&W 41, S&W 617, a Browning Buckmark and a Colt King Cobra .22.
My 41 was purchased new in 2013. It has been flawless. As others have indicated it is picky with ammo. CCI standard, SK+ and Blazer 40 grain run well until dirty as does the mid range Eley.
The 617 bought new six months ago has been back to Smith once for shaving lead and unfortunately needs to go again.
My Buckmark will digest almost any ammo except some Aguila. It is accurate and reliable. It is also the least expensive.
The Colt has been perfect both cosmetically and operationally. I really like the KC's size. It's built on the Colt D frame which is approximately the size of a Smith J frame.

I like all of these guns for their various traits. The Buckmark is the best value, the 41 is the most refined and the Colt is a work of art. When repaired the 617 will have the best single action trigger although the Colt has a so smooth DA.

 

[AzShooter]

My Ruger Mark IV didn't stay stock very long. I converted it to a Black Mamba using a Volquartsen LLV 6 upper, put in the VQ accurizing kit and their competition bolt. This gun now shoots the lights out of anything else I've owned.

My 617 is on par with it for accuracy. Again, nothing stock about this revolver. I shoot it with a C-More red dot sight ( 6 MOA). Action job by Apex Tactical giving me a clean and crisp 7.5 pound DA trigger pull.

With a little work, Smith's and Ruger's can be extraordinary guns.

The Model 41s I've played with were all finicky about ammo but are very accurate.

 

[chief38]

I've only got 3 .22s -- a Ruger Mk IV that's been slicked up; a Walther P22; and conversion kits for a Sig 220 and 250.

I'm thinking of another rimfire...

Wondering if I could get some basic ratings of Smith's offerings. I know the 41 is the top of the line in pistol and the Victory is the latest (not counting the M&Ps which I'm not interested in).
How do the others rate and what are aprox prices if I may be so bold as to ask.

And I'll mispost here and ask about revolvers -- looking for for an entry level type rather than something akin to a 617 that I had and found I wasn't shooting so it went a few years back.

Thanks.

Since you say you have several 22 pistols already and want a S&W, I can only recommend the M41. Not just any M41 but a vintage version as I personally feel they are superior in function and quality to the new ones. The only downside to vintage M41's is that they might not or probably will not work very well with factory new magazines and you will have to look for used vintage magazines should you want additional ones. I and many of my friends who have older M41's can personally verify this. As long as the supply of vintage mag's are still available (and they are - eBay and gun shows) it's no big deal. The older metal follower type mag's are bullet proof, will last a lifetime and I have found they never break. The newer ones are flimsy, cheaply made and nothing but a headache for older M41's - at least that has been my experience.

Please note that some M41's are ammo sensitive but most do work well with CCI standard velocity 40 grain ammo. As far as accuracy goes, they will shoot better than you can. Mine can make one hole groups at 50 feet and when it doesn't it's on me - not the gun. As long as you use proper ammo, the M41's rarely have breakdowns. In fact in 44 years mine has never had a hiccup and I've shot 10's of thousands of rounds through mine in competition, practice and for fun.

The target below is not my best (by a long shot) but handy since it was from only a few days ago. The 10 shot group was at 50 feet and I was shooting CCI 40 grain std. vel. ammo.