.22LR Revolver Choice & Cost

[roo_ster]

Howdy:

I just gave back my dad our Ruger MKI .22 semi-auto as well as my Beretta 21A...and find myself without a .22LR pistol or revolver in the house!

I have always wanted a target or target-like .22 revolver and am wondering what good used .22LR medium frame revolver models I ought to consider.

My initial idea is a Smith & Wesson K-frame in .22LR, so I looked at a new 617. Frankly, the full underlug is kind of a turn off. It reminds me of my 686 rather than a K-frame. I know some of the older S&W .22LR revolvers are somewhat in demand, though and wonder at the liklihood of finding a decent example that doesn't break the bank.

I saw some Colt .22LR revolvers a while back that looked passable. Though I must admit I like the idea of sticking with S&W, I will go Colt if necessary.

Did Ruger ever produce a medium-frame .22LR? I do not consider the SP101 to be in the running as a med frame.

Also, what could I expect to pay for a decent shooter (not a collectible)?

As to what "reasonable" is, I would like to keep it sub-$400 & sub-$300 would be even nicer in a used example.

Or, should I just say to heck with it and pick up a used S&W K-frame .38spl and handload HBWC & SWC plinker loads? I see police trade-in S&W M10 and M64 K-frames in the $200-$300 range all the time. They are not target-sighted, however.

Thank you for your time.

* Since he found a buddy to go shooting with & I want to encourage such behavior.

 

[Iamsniper1]

The S&W K22 is the way to go, BUT ther are some really fine sleepers that can be had on the cheap such as the older H&Rs,High Standard made quality autos and revolvers,these old warhorses can still outshoot some of the highend 22s made today.

 

[Majic]

You can find some S&W K22s in that price range. Also the Dan Wessons can be bought for reasonable prices. You didn't specify a DA revolver so don't leave out the Ruger Single Six or the Bearcats.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

See if you can find an older S&W Model 17 (6" barrel, AKA K-22) or Model 18 (4" barrel, AKA Combat Masterpiece). They are really nice shooting guns.

If you prefer single actions, the Ruger Single Six is the gun to get IMO. I have an Old Model with a 5.5" (IIRC) barrel.

 

[Ala Dan]

The last S&W model 18 I saw was in a competitor's shop LNIB with a hang
tag that said:

$509 FIRM

 

[XavierBreath]

I recently paid $400 for the Model 17-4 pictured below.
I bought it along with a Model 34-1.
I did get lucky and I found a Model 17-3 for $199 earlier this year.

Most folks, especially someone in east Texas, can find a Model 17 for $400 or so, given enough time and inclination to search. The question is, are they willing to pay the money. Many people wonder if the revolver is worth that kind of dough. After all, "it's "only a 22."

In my mind, the .22 S&W K framed revolver is worth every penny of $400-600. Sure, it's a small caliber, but the ammo is cheap. You will shoot it a lot. You will get a lot of pleasure out of this gun, probably more than any other gun you own. They are accurate as all get out. They are beautiful guns. They are fun guns. They are learning tools. They will improve your DA revolver shooting, and even your semi-auto shooting, because you can afford to shoot them a lot, learning trigger control by direct feedback from holes in a target. This is a quality gun you can shoot until the sun goes down, and keep your ammo costs under $20 in so doing.

I looked for years for a K-22 that I thought I could afford. I finally found the one for $199, and bought it. Once I had it, and was shooting it so frequently, and enjoying the heck out of it, I saw my folly in wasting time to save $200 on this gun. We spend more than that on larger caliber guns that we cannot shoot and enjoy as much due to ammo costs.

Now here's the clincher: You can buy an used H&R and in five years it will be worth about what you paid for it. You can buy a new S&W Model 617, and in five years it will be worth half of what you paid for it. Or, you can buy a blued, P&R K-22, and watch it's value go up over the next five years. The choice is yours. The S&W K-22 will never cost less than it does today. When I saw a Model 17-4 with an eight and 3/8 inch barrel, I did not hesitate, and I have not regretted buying any of them. The S&W K-22 is worth the money. You just have to get past the "it's just a 22" idea.

 

[EddieCoyle]

+ Whatever on the K-22/Model 17.

For some reason, they're cheap around here. In the last year, I've picked up two of them for under $300, one of them had the box and papers and looked virtually unfired (no turn line). That was my first one so I had to buy another.

There's a nice one at my local shop right now for $300:

http://fsguns.com/used/

 

[22-rimfire]

K-22 Smith would be an excellent choice. Look around until you find one.

Colts seem to be a second choice for you. The best choices would be one of the following: Officers Model Match, Diamondback, or Trooper Mark III. I love the Diamondbacks, but hate the prices these days. But, the funny thing about that is I didn't like the prices 15 years ago on them. The Trooper choice (old model) or the Mark III are very good and should not be dismissed quickly. You can find them for a fair price and make excellent shooters.

I would still have a Ruger Mark II or III 22 pistol in the house. My favorite is the 5.5" with the heavy barrel, but the current hunter model has a great deal of appeal to me.

 

[JoeHatley]

Shop around for a K-22. I paid $400 for this 17-4 NIB (NOS) about 3 years ago.



Very fun shooter...

Joe

 

[Radjxf]

IMO: First choice: Colt Diamondback 6" (Nickel)--what God reaches for when he wants to shoot a squirrel
Second choice: S&W Pre-17 K22 Target Masterpiece 6" (what I have)
Third choice: Monson-era Dan Wesson 22

 

[BozemanMT]

See if you can find an older S&W Model 17 (6" barrel, AKA K-22)

yep, got one of these pretty darn nice shape, stainless for 325 bucks, from a dealer last year.
Shoots great, lotta fine

Money no object?
Colt Diamondback, got one of them too.

 

[Brian Dale]

Radjxf,

Colt Diamondback 6" (Nickel)--what God reaches for when he wants to shoot a squirrel.

There's one for the "quotes" file. Thanks.

Oh, and jfruser: you can't go wrong with any of the revolvers that previous posters have mentioned. I'll soon be in the market for a K-22 myself. Best of luck in your search.

 

[mr.trooper]

Ruger Bearcat

I think they run about $320 NIB

 

[wuchak]

Another vote for a K-22 Target Masterpiece. I have one that was made in 1948 that I paid $275 for 3 years ago. It had some holster wear and had been used but not abused. The original serial number matched grips were on it and in excellent condition. One chamber was slightly out of time after 55 years which was taken care of with $75 and a trip back to S&W. Now it's good for another 50 years. If I ever come accross another one, without the full lug, in good shape for $300 or under it's coming home with me. Same for any J-frame S&W .22 kit gun.

The original K-22 Masterpieces were the premier target guns of their day. S&W guarenteed that they would shoot 5 shot groups under 1.5" at 50 yards. Here's an excellent history of them them with some nice pictures. http://www.gunblast.com/Cumpston_K22s.htm

Like XavierBreath said the K-22 is one firearm that you can buy and shoot knowing that if you ever decide, in a moment of insanity, to sell it you'll get your money back and then some.

 

[Onmilo]

I own and shoot a pre-17 Smith but as stated earlier, don't overlook a 6" Colt Diamondback if you can find one for less than $400.00