.22 revolver recommendations

[n8leon]

Thanks for all the input so far.
Last night I did get to handle the S&W 617 (4") vs. the Ruger SP101 at my LGS.
The Ruger grip is really small for my big ham-hands.
If I went that way, I would absolutely change out the grips immediately.
I was surprised at the pull on both of those triggers, but again,
this is my first .22 / revolver.
Found out my shooting buddy has the 6" 617 and the LGS has the 4" 617 for rent, so hopefully I will get to shoot both of those today at lunch.

Thanks,
n8

P.S. nice pic John! I think mine will end up looking very much like that - fiber on the front, dark wood grips, and eventually, red dot on top. :-)

[Cody805]

617 nuff said
617 by John Hermesmeyer, on Flickr

Wow dang good looking revolver! Those grips look right at home!

[dpop24]

No longer in production, hard to find, and very expensive but:

Colt Diamondback or Trooper if you can find and afford one.

Picture stolen from the internet, but I have a 6" Trooper and it is amazing! Mine is too pretty to put a jillion rounds through, so I stare at it a lot but only shoot it occasionally. GREAT shooter though. Someday I'll own a Diamondback in .22 also.

[rogervzv]

I have a Ruger SP101 .22 revolver but hate the DA pull. It's so freakin heavy but does lighten up after breaking it in. I sat on my couch and kept depressing the hammer and trigger probably a few hundred times so it's much better after that and now love it.

Get the Wolf Spring Kit and the SP101 .22LR will be a different gun. Much better trigger after that. You are correct that it gets better just with use, but the Wolf kit really improves the revolver.

[MrOrange]

If I had the funds, the 6" 617 would be my choice. If you're sure that a RDS is in the near future, then the longer barrel isn't much of an advantage, depending on your preference for weight/balance. It sure helps with fine precision with irons, though.

Just curious, never heard of shooting PPC with .22s. Where this be? If the strings are still 6 shots, then a ten-rounder would be problematic.

A note on trigger pulls, the reason rimfire revolver springs tend to be on the heavy side is that rimfires need more of a smack then centerfires do.

Also, while there are aluminum and plastic dummy rounds for the .22 LR, they're really not snap caps, since the rims will deform to the point of uselessness in short order. I use spent .22 cases, you can rotate them around so the firing pin doesn't hit the same spot, and after a few uses, chuck 'em. They're rather cheap & easy to find.

Thanks for all the input so far.
Last night I did get to handle the S&W 617 (4") vs. the Ruger SP101 at my LGS.
The Ruger grip is really small for my big ham-hands.
If I went that way, I would absolutely change out the grips immediately.
I was surprised at the pull on both of those triggers, but again,
this is my first .22 / revolver.
Found out my shooting buddy has the 6" 617 and the LGS has the 4" 617 for rent, so hopefully I will get to shoot both of those today at lunch.

Thanks,
n8

P.S. nice pic John! I think mine will end up looking very much like that - fiber on the front, dark wood grips, and eventually, red dot on top. :-)

Any updates?

[tmh1]

617 6" 10 round. Doesn't get any better than that!

Triple

Yup, 6" 617 with speedloaders will get the job done well. Grips can be whatever you want them to be to fit small and large hands.

[missiondude]

All the OP listed would be a great addition to almost any collection.

Ruger now has a GP100 in 22 you might want to consider if you like a larger frame. Otherwise, the SP101 is a sweet Ruger.

Handled the Ruger GP at the Shot Show. I have a bunch of S&W autos and revolvers, and I will be buying the Ruger when I get the chance. It felt really good in my hands and the 5-1/2 barrel length was perfect. I would at least try this gun out before you make the purchase.

[snypr]

Another vote for the 617

[sealocan]

Even if you are taking the time and doing some slow shooting having those four extra rounds in the 10 round revolver is really a nice thing.

especially if you're coming from only shooting semi-autos where the capacity is usually around 10 rounds.

[Cowboy T]

The S&W 617 is a sweet revolver, no doubt. Unfortunately, it's also become a collector's item (read: expensive).

I've shot a customer's Ruger SP-101 in .22LR. It has the somewhat long-ish trigger pull typical of all Ruger revolvers, as you'd expect. But it sure does shoot well. I almost didn't put it back down! Since most of my practice is with a Security-Six and a Super Redhawk, the trigger pull was not at all objectionable to me. Being a Ruger, it will of course survive a Ground Zero atomic blast with only minor scuffing.

[jazman]

All good choices. Another vote here for a 617 4 inch 10 shot, I really enjoy mine. I have shot the 6 inch and find it a little front heavy, but you really can't go wrong with either 617.

[farmerjoe]

617 6" 10 round. Doesn't get any better than that!

Triple

Can't add to that. One of my favorite wheel guns.

[tmh1]

Of course there is one more model you might want to look at, especially for your wife's smaller hands - The S&W Model 63. It is a J Frame, so "only" 8 rounds, but speed loaders are also available. Not as practically accurate as a 617 as it has a 3" barrel and therefore a shorter sight radius, but my older eyes sure do love that front fiberoptic sight. Comes with rather smaller stocks - slightly smaller circumference (but slightly longer) as compared to the Pachmayr stocks I have on mine.



Still on the roster without needing an "A" suffix to the SKU (like the 6" Model 617). Can be a little hard to find, but it seems like they have been making more of them this year (or maybe just more continue to be in stock from the seeming 1 time a year S&W produces them). I just checked Davidson's, Grabagun, KYGUNCO and Sportsman's Outdoor Superstore, and they all have them in stock. SKU is 162634.

Would be a great companion gun to your new 617 or 17 for your wife to shoot with you!

[n8leon]

If I had the funds, the 6" 617 would be my choice. If you're sure that a RDS is in the near future, then the longer barrel isn't much of an advantage, depending on your preference for weight/balance. It sure helps with fine precision with irons, though.

Just curious, never heard of shooting PPC with .22s. Where this be? If the strings are still 6 shots, then a ten-rounder would be problematic.

A note on trigger pulls, the reason rimfire revolver springs tend to be on the heavy side is that rimfires need more of a smack then centerfires do.

Also, while there are aluminum and plastic dummy rounds for the .22 LR, they're really not snap caps, since the rims will deform to the point of uselessness in short order. I use spent .22 cases, you can rotate them around so the firing pin doesn't hit the same spot, and after a few uses, chuck 'em. They're rather cheap & easy to find.

Any updates?

I'm sold on the 617, so now just need to decide between 4" and 6" barrel.
Even the Ruger forum has the majority of folks recommending the 617 over the SP101.
The 617 will definitely wipe out my mad money savings, so it might be a while before I get to the Red Dot.

The .22 option for PPC is part of a Monday Night Shooting League at Reeds in Santa Clara:

http://mnsl.info

Come check it out if you are not too far away -super friendly group of folks, very low pressure, and always fun.
Yeah, 8 strings of 6 rounds each. I was thinking about that - any thoughts on how best to handle it?
I already know I don't count to six very well under pressure so loading 10 live rounds would be risky.
6 live rounds and 4 empty casings to avoid dry firing? Then carefully line up the first live round?

Good tip on using empty casings instead of snap caps. Maybe I'll color 'em black w/ a sharpie. That explains why one guy @ my LGS was hesitant to let me test out the trigger.
Of course BassPro wouldn't even remove the trigger lock. Not gonna make a purchase without trying the trigger. :-(

I did rent the 4" 617 and shot 50 rds @ 7 yds, double action. That was harder than I expected, i.e. I didn't do very well compared to the Browning Buckmark semi-auto .22 pistol my wife and I rented half-a-dozen times.
I only put 5 or 10 rds thru my buddy's 6" 617 (with red dot, so not a very fair comparison) but I was surprised I didn't notice the extra weight very much.
He also let me shoot his Ruger Single Six (single action only) and I was amazed . As many have said, a smooth, light trigger does wonder for accuracy. Too bad that is not a PPC friendly gun! (too slow to load)
I'm hoping to go shooting with him again, and this time, put the majority of rounds thru his 6" @ 25 yds, shooting SA to set the bar higher. Then try that again w/ the 4" for comparison.
If I can tolerate the extra weight of the 6", I figure I might as well go with that one (if I can find it locally) since I won't be adding the RDS right away. Even if I have to do some 5 lb weight lifting during the week. ;-)

For posterity, here are some Pros/Cons (imho) of each:
S&W 617
Pros:
Grip is better fit for me out of the box
6" barrel option, longer sight radius
Classic, any accessory avail
Easier to add red dot
Highly recommended target shooter
Accurate
10 rds
Cons:
Heavy (39-44 oz)
Heavy trigger, replace spring
Black sights, replace w/ Fiber Optic front
Likely replace grip w/ wood eventually
More expensive

Ruger SP101
Pros:
Much lighter @ 30 oz
Don't need to replace sights
Wife friendly
Cheaper
Cons:
More of a trail gun / plinker
Grip too small - would replace almost immediately
Heavy (albeit slightly less) trigger, but would still replace spring
Red dot would likely require gunsmith / drilling
8 rds


Thanks,
n8

[n8leon]

Yup, 6" 617 with speedloaders will get the job done well. Grips can be whatever you want them to be to fit small and large hands.

Do you have a link to those grips?
I'm guessing they are from S&W?
Really nice, I would definitely buy those. :-)

Thanks,
n8