Does It Exist? A Budget 22 LR Revolver w/ A Good DA Trigger

[The Real Wyatt]

I'd recommend the Taurus 970 Tracker.
http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/31930

It has a fairly nice double-action trigger and a superb single-action trigger. It is extremely accurate, way more accurate than I can shoot but it makes me look good.

I've had mine for a little over three years and haven't had a bit of trouble with it after several thousand rounds.

One of the things I like most about it is ... it's heavy, almost 3 lbs. Weighs right up there with the big magnums and my 6.5" Redhawk in .45 colt. I have the same heft and feel as the monster guns in a pussycat. I can concentrate on sight picture and trigger squeeze without recoil getting in the way. Every time I start developing a flinch, and we all do, I switch to this gun and shoot a hundred rounds or so thru it ... no more flinch.

All in all, this is one of my favorite guns to shoot.

 

[BCRider]

I went through both a HS Double9 and still have an H&R Sportsman 9 shot revolver. Both the D9 and the Sportsman have the WORST DA pull of any revolver I've shot.

Being an incorrigable tinkerer I went into both guns and swapped mainsprings to something lighter. The D9 spring swap resulted in an acceptable SA trigger effort but was still too heavy a DA pull to be enjoyable in any manner. But since the D9 is patterned after a cowboy gun I just shot it that way and decided to forget that it's DA as well. The H&R is still a work in progress. The spring is too light and this results in about a 15 to 20% fail to fire on the first hit. The second time around sets them off each time but that's still no good. Too bad really, the DA trigger pull is now acceptable. But since the DA pull doesn't use the regular sear to hammer hooks I guess there's not much to do for making it lighter.

Along the way while playing with these two guns a shooting buddy offered to sell me his Model 17 since it's blue and he has all stainless guns. I went for it and the 17 is now my "main squeeze". There's a reason why the S&W K frame .22's are so much in demand and command a high used price if they are in decent shape. It's because THEY ARE DOWNRIGHT WORTH IT ! ! ! ! ! The gun is amazing to shoot. I didn't believe all the hype until I got to try his 17 out on a couple of occasions before he decided to sell it. Having enjoyed it on these trial runs made saying "YES!!" very, very easy.

 

[Taroman]

There's a reason why the S&W K frame .22's are so much in demand and command a high used price if they are in decent shape. It's because THEY ARE DOWNRIGHT WORTH IT ! ! ! ! !

+1 on that.

 

[Radagast]

Yep. My Model 18 goes to the range with me every time. If I can find another I will buy it, and a model 17 may join the safe too.
I'm not a fan of the heavy underlug & target trigger on the 617, but it locks up like a bank vault and shoots like a laser beam. I sold three Rugers to fund my dad's 617 and he has never regretted the trade.

The J frame Model 63s have never been as accurate in my hands and the triggers are usually quite heavy.

My advice for someone on a tight budget looking for a .22 revolver is to buy a second hand Ruger Single Six or keep saving until they can afford a second hand S&W Model 17, 18 or 617. Any of these options will last a life time and give excellent accuracy.

 

[788Ham]

Rimfire,

No big deal on your feelings, didn't bother me any. I haven't shot this 999 much anyway, it was given to me by my Pop, he hadn't shot it much either. I'll give 'er a go, got plenty of bricks dwnstrs, so better get busy.

 

[Carbon_15]

Does It Exist? A Budget 22 LR Revolver w/ A Good DA Trigger

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Sure. Everyone is overlooking the newer Taurus rimfire, the 990 Tracker. Its built on what feels like a K/L frame and has a very decent DA trigger for a .22, and a great set of target sights. Im no Taurus fan, but I like mine
Even my 617 has relativly heavy pull....nature of the rimfire beast

 

[22-rimfire]

I didn't want the OP to be turned because of price toward the H&R. Sure, buy one, but do it with open eyes. Generally the larger framed DA 22 revolvers have better triggers. The small framed (J-frame for Smith) normally has a poor trigger but not a terrible trigger. At least it is generally smooth versus gritty like some of the lower priced guns. That Taurus may in fact be a good consideration. Just do the best you can evaluating it. It is one of the reasons why I like to buy 22 revolvers to shoot at gunshops versus on-line. I do have a number of Colt Diamondbacks (DB) that have never been shot by me and I really don't care about their triggers any more; they are safe queens. Who in their right mind would shoot a $3000 gun when they have others? I have one shooter DB that is still awfully nice (98%). So I think twice about shooting it other than at the range. There are no woods walks with those guns anymore which is a shame as I love the 4" DB. This is why I bought the 4" Smith Model 18.... but it is awfully nice too... I just can't seem to win.

 

[robctwo]

We had a gun show in town this weekend. There were three very nice 18s, all asking $695. I could have saved $20 if I had waited, from the asking price. I didn't try to dicker with any of them because I wasn't going to buy. Not one 17.

 

[Guillermo]

Who in their right mind would shoot a $3000 gun

damn...those Tennessee prices are high.

22 Diamondbacks are 900-1500 around here.

 

[Joe in fla]

You asked: Does It Exist? A Budget 22 LR Revolver w/ A Good DA Trigger

Not since the 1968 GCA!!! There used to be cheap imported guns like that but GCA set basically set minimum weight and size for imported guns and effectively banned anything except large, heavy (and expensive) models. I still have a couple of pre-68 RG and H. Smidt (sp?) models that meet your description but stuff like that has all but dried up. The cheap imported guns were frequently made of Zimac (aka Pot-Metal) but adequate for .22lr. You might find something like this at a decent gun show or on Gunbroker but keep in mind that they're all MOL 50 years old and weren't high quality to begin with so I'd definately want a way to try it first or a money back guarantee.

I'll try to post some pictures later if I can remember where I put mine!

 

[Animal Mother]

Well, I went ahead and did it.

Thanks for all the advice on a good revolver. After hearing the good things said about the Taurus 96, I bought one that was in good condition on Gunbroker. They don't come up very often, I saw about four sold in the past three months, so I jumped on it. Hopefully it will live up to its reputation. I'll give you guys a range report once it comes in.

Here it is:

 

[spazzymcgee]

A friend of mine owns an H&R .22 revolver, though I'm not sure what model it was. It was older, ugly, held 9 rounds in the cylinder, and I believe it had an 8-9" barrel with a large rib. The DA pull was similar to that of a S&W 686, but that may have been due to constant use. Overall, I would reccomend whatever revolver I described. BTW I've seen revolvers just like it sell on Gunbroker for $150.

 

[22-rimfire]

22 Diamondbacks are 900-1500 around here.

Here too... But not NIB 2.5" 22LR ones, 4" Nickel 22 ones, or the very rare coltguard/electroless nickel 22 DB's.... Honestly, I can't afford them anymore.

Wow $700 for a Model 18. I have not seen three at a regular show in years. But I don't go to many really big shows anymore.

Added: I hope that Taurus M96 works out for you. It looks like it is in very good shape.

 

[robctwo]

It wasn't a very big show. Fairly small, but had two guys with three 18s.

 

[oldfool]

Thanks for all the advice on a good revolver. After hearing the good things said about the Taurus 96, I bought one that was in good condition on Gunbroker. They don't come up very often, I saw about four sold in the past three months, so I jumped on it. Hopefully it will live up to its reputation. I'll give you guys a range report once it comes in.

Here it is:

if that was the Buy Now at $260 (mebbe ~$310 if include FFL & shipping)
well, I pert near hit that BuyNow button on that myself !
(but I can live with the one I have, plus a pair of k-17s and a k-48)
sincerely hope you got a good 'un

lemme know if my advice led you astray

 

[PapaG]

Whatever you do it will have to be used. Taurus small frame revolvers have ungodly heavy triggers and can't be improved much.

I'd look for a used smith. I did get a (nib) Rossi 51 six inch for a song and it has a good trigger....looks like a 7/8th scale K22

 

[BCRider]

I'd say that if you got it for around $300'ish then even if it turns out to need a bit of lock work to make it perform then it would be worth it in the end to have a smooth trigger with a decent DA pull.

I'm enjoying my tinkering as much as my shooting. Being the sort that can't leave anything alone I will admit that I went into my own 17 and did a bit of work similar to what I'd done on my other K frames. Nothing terribly intrusive. Just a little polishing of the machine mark crests where the rebound slide block slides in the frame and a very slight radiusing of where that rebound slide and the hammer pass each other more easily so that I could use a lighter return spring than I could otherwise. This went hand in hand with a Wolff spring kit. Then the main spring was "tuned" at the tension screw to provide just enough hammer power to ensure a 100% firing rate other than the odd round which is just a plain dud. Yes, this is a bit dicey but it's a target only gun where I can afford to risk the odd misfire. The result is a silky smooth and LIGHT trigger pull on a .22. If you can fine tune your Taurus to do much the same thing using the "Taurus Tricks" that I'm sure you can find on the 'net then you will end up with a keeper for sure.

 

[Animal Mother]

if that was the Buy Now at $260 (mebbe ~$310 if include FFL & shipping)
well, I pert near hit that BuyNow button on that myself !
(but I can live with the one I have, plus a pair of k-17s and a k-48)
sincerely hope you got a good 'un

lemme know if my advice led you astray

That was the very one, OF. I knew if I didn't but the BuyNow button someone was going to beat me to it. Thanks again for the advice, we'll see how it pans out.

 

[Denny Crane]

If you can buy a new S&W Mod 63 for $500 you better do it. I have seen them bring a lot more.

I bought mine new in the 70's and have put a lot of rds thru it and it still has a special place with me.

I have Diamondbacks that it would be hard not to like but if I had to pick a favorite DA .22 it would probably be an Officers Model Special (1950) or possibly an Officers Model Match.

To be fair I don't own a K22. I do have a K38 which is a nice gun.

 

[Jubjub]

I've owned a .22 Diamondback, a Model 17, and an SP101 .22. Tinkered with the triggers on all of them, and found that even slightly lighter springs than factory resulted in misfires in all of them. I have .38 and .357 Smiths that are 100% reliable in DA with lighter than factory springs, but apparently you really have to hit those rimfires a good whack.

 

[PapaG]

In the past eighteen months we've had a good dozen 22 revolvers come through the shop. Best triggers were on a K-frame sized Taurus, a Rossi model 51, and a couple of Colt 22 peacemakers (not scouts). None sold for over $300. Worst were on the new Taurus 94s and the other small frame Tauri.

 

[jad0110]

Quote:
if that was the Buy Now at $260 (mebbe ~$310 if include FFL & shipping)
well, I pert near hit that BuyNow button on that myself !
(but I can live with the one I have, plus a pair of k-17s and a k-48)
sincerely hope you got a good 'un

lemme know if my advice led you astray

That was the very one, OF. I knew if I didn't but the BuyNow button someone was going to beat me to it. Thanks again for the advice, we'll see how it pans out.

Wow, looks like a great find. Doesn't look much different than my K-22 / M17-0, which I paid $430 for in 2006. For $310 or so, I probably would have purchased that 96 as well. You're lucky I'm funneling my money into a "retro" AR build right now .

For the record, I have 2 double action .22s: the K-22 mentioned above and a H&R 622 that I paid $120 for earlier this summer (perhaps even a bit too much $$$). The K-22 is, along with the Diamondback 22, one of the finest DA .22s ever created. But my little 622 isn't a bad little gun either. Yeah, you have to remove the cylinder to load it and it is ugly as dog doo (honestly, if one word could describe its looks, it would be "stupid"), but it is reliable and interestingly, the DA trigger is reasonably good. A bit stiff with a slightly rough letoff, but otherwise smooth and steady. Not as good as my K-22, certainly, but much better than a Taurus 94 I owned. And unlike my heirloom quality K-22, I don't feel the need to clean it after each outing.

 

[45crittergitter]

Dan Wesson.