Good DA Revolvers - .22 cal only

[grndslm]

I know most people aren't fond of the .22. But I figure if that's the only ammo I can get within 2 states... it's time to focus on the ammo I can readily purchase.

So, what are the good DA revolvers? I'm looking for an accurate snub-nose if possible, but I know most would say 4" is the most versatile. Shoot it to me straight!

PS - I'm looking for something with a stainless look, but definitely not black. I'm prejudice. Something with white dots would be even better, but I doubt that exists for revolvers?

 

[Ala Dan]

Well, they didn't come with "white dot sights"; but if you are looking for a
classic .22 snub-gun, then may I suggest a nickel 2" S&W model 34 "Kit
Gun"~!

An all around, darn good gun~! Also available in the 4" barrel length~!

 

[9mmepiphany]

if it has to be while, i'll put forth a nickled 2.5" Colt Diamondback...but the 4" would be better and more common

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

Smith & Wesson and Colt make or made the finest .22 DA revolvers. Taurus is "second tier" IMO. Ruger made the SP101 in that caliber in 2 1/4" and 4" barrels, but it did not have fully adjustable sights.

 

[MCgunner]

Are you going to use it for self defense? Why adjustable sights? If you're not worried about concealment, why a 2" barrel?

I'm just sayin'.

The DA on most kit guns is pretty stiff regardless of the maker. I don't think the M17 was made in less than 4" being a K frame, fantastic DA revolver, though, perhaps the best. If you don't wish to carry it and you want an accurate DA with a good trigger, the K22 masterpiece has no equal.

JMHO, though. I used to shoot my uncle's all the time, never bought one. I could own two Ruger Mk2s for what I'd give for one M17. As .22s go, the Ruger is pretty danged awesome. No, it's not a revolver.

I also have a NAA mini, but it's a single action.

 

[Master Blaster]

Take a look at a new S&W stainless steel J frame .22lr, you can get various barrel lengths and they make them with 8 shot cylinders. Other folks have made fine suggestions but those older revolvers may be challenging to find. You could also roll the dice if ya feel lucky and buy a 9 shot taurus 94 model for about half the price of a smith. DA trigger pulls are stiff, on any Jframe size rimfire, in double action, but for aimed fire you can thumb cock it for Single action.

 

[22-rimfire]

Probably the best snubbie currently made is the Smith 317 which is very similar to the Model 34 mentioned earlier. 34's had steel frames and the 317 aluminum. Smith makes the Model 63 (J-frame mentioned in last post) which is a stainless gun but only comes with 5" barrel last I looked. Still a real nice little revolver and a nice pointer. The trigger on the one I messed with was suprisingly smooth. I want one.

The 22 Colt Diamondback mentioned above in 2.5" is mostly a collector's item now and quite uncommon. They sell in the area of $2500-$3000 in as new condition. The 4" is a great little revolver which is my favorite and they sell in the $1000 area these days.

Another possibility is to dig up a Model 18 which is nicely packable with its 4" barrel. The are mostly found with a blued finish.

Ruger made the SP101 in 22LR a few years back. I found the triggers on them to be very stiff and never bought one.

The Taurus M94 is the next tier in quality. Many like them, but many have to go back to the factory for one reason or another.

 

[rich e]

I like my Taurus 94

I've had my Taurus 94 for several years..Its the 2.5 inch barrel model with adjustable sights..With a clean barrel its accurate out to 20 yards,, maybe further...For the price you can't beat them..

Rich

 

[MCgunner]

I have a Rossi 511, but it's a 4" kit gun. Like the Taurus, it's hampered with a stiff DA, but I can shoot it rather well. I don't consider it a "high end" revolver, but it sure shoots like one, especially in single action. It's a good quality revolver, just no K22 masterpiece. It will group Federal lightening into 2" and RWS Target into an inch at 25 yards, pretty friggin' good for a kit gun and outdoor use as well as killin' those falling plates at the range. In this case, in the case of a self defense rimfire, I'd want a smoother, lighter DA trigger. Accuracy is REALLY important with less than 100 ft lbs and a 40 grain (or less) pill to play with, I mean, if this is for self defense. Personally, I'd rather carry my .38. You can get a few boxes horded for your .38 and practice with your .22, ya know. I figure if I can hit with the DA that Rossi has (and I can), my little .38 is gravy. I do handload, which helps a lot. But I ain't gonna rely on a .22 for MY hide, not when I have 9x19s, .38s, .357s, and .45s in my collection and primers and brass and powder and bullet molds if worst came to worst on the ammo thing.

 

[22-rimfire]

I think too much is made of the stiff double action trigger on double action revolvers. I honestly seldom shoot them in double action. I had an H&R 999 Sportsman years ago which I bought new. I liked it and shot it a bunch. I was very proud of that revolver. I almost always shot it in single action and only used double action if I was plinking.

Time passes and I handled both Smith & Wesson and Colt revolvers. I always considered them too expensive. Why would you want one?.... the less expensive gun shoots just fine. After a lot of deliberation (I was in grad school.) I purchased a 4" Colt Diamondback in 22LR. The difference was like night and day relative to the H&R. Never shot the H&R again after some initial testing where I compared both side by side. I owned two handguns at that point in my life. Sold the H&R a few years later and it was my first handgun.

I could have a lot of fun with a Heritage, Rossi, H&R, Ruger, Taurus, High Standard, Charter Arms etc revolvers.... no question, I seldom have shot a gun I didn't like unless it didn't like me. My suggestion is if you can afford it, buy a quality piece, but buy what you can afford. There is always tomorrow. If there is no tomorrow, who really cares?

 

[ArchAngelCD]

If we are talking about current production .22 Cal revolvers I would have to say the S&W M63. It's a 8 round J frame revolver with a 5" barrel. As soon as I can find a good used one for a fair price I'm buying one!

If you're looking older and blue I would say a S&W M17 or M18.

 

[doc2rn]

^alot of sense in that^
Thank You Rimfire for being so eloquent. Buy quality pieces that you like to shoot, failing that if its a need right now maybe take another look at Ruger MK II or Buckmark. Both come in a wide array including stainless steel, and parkerized Nickle. I am saving for a Diamondback...

 

[earlthegoat2]

I know most people aren't fond of the .22

As a defense round yes.

For everything else I am sure it is on the top of most any experienced shooters list of favorite cartridges.

 

[PzGren]

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=461602

I know most people aren't fond of the .22.

Maybe you did not read your other thread through carefully enough! There is a very favorable attitude towards rimfire handguns for practice. Consensus is that most avid shooters are] fond of rimfire handguns.

Here is a list of rimfire D/A revolvers with no claim of it being complete:

S &W 36 Out of production (O.O.P.)
S&W M34 o.o.p
S&W M63
S&W 617
S&W K-22, M17,O.O.P-
Dan Wesson
Colt Officers,O.O.P
Colt Diamondback, O.O.P.
Sauer Sohn , O.O.P.
Weihrauch
the infamous Roehm models, O.O.P.
Korth
Ruger SP101,O.O.P.
Taurus 94

 

[woad_yurt]

What about an H&R 922/3 or 029 snubbie? 9 rounds of double action Supermaximums for around $100-$150 is a great thing. The one below cost me around $100 on Gunbroker a couple of years back. They're accurate, dependable and lots of 'em are C&R, too.

​

 

[gwnorth]

Since they don't make it new anymore, you would have to find a used one, but Ruger's SP101 was offered in a 4" barrel .22 for awhile. They do come up for sale every now and then on rugerforum.com - all stainless and well made revolvers.

 

[wnycollector]

High Standard Sentinals are sweet snubbie .22's. Also dont overlook H&R or NEF .22's. Decent quality, built to last a lifetime and inexpensive.

Here is a link to a nickel plated H&R 929 http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=133595237

 

[MCgunner]

doc2rn, comparing autos like the Ruger Mk 2 and Buckmark with high end revolvers is apples and oranges, but I think you get FAR more for your dollar with the autos in rimfire. I wouldn't trade my Ruger Mk2 as a SHOOTER with a Smith M17 at all. Now, I would trade it based on monetary worth, of course, then go buy myself another Ruger. LOL But, as a shooter, the Ruger is more fun, more accurate, way more bang for the buck than any revolver I know of. Of course, rimfire in an auto can cause reliability problems, but that Ruger has been through thousands of rounds since I got it and never jammed. It's failed to fire a few times in all that shooting on cheap bulk ammo, but never jammed. It shoots 2 MOA at least to 50 yards. It outshoots a lot of rifles, even its own sibling in my stable, a Ruger 10/22.

To me, if you truly want a quality .22 handgun and you are short on cash, your best bet is an autoloader like the Ruger or the Browning Buckmark. You can buy one of those for the price of a Taurus 94. You can also find Rugers all over the place used for fantastic savings. That's how I got mine.

 

[PzGren]

doc2rn, comparing autos like the Ruger Mk 2 and Buckmark with high end revolvers is apples and oranges

S&W's J and K frame rimfires, Ruger SP101s, and Colt Diamondbacks aren't high end. They are standard revolvers, properly referred to as the standard.

Korths and Manurhins are high end. A lot of others are sub standard.

 

[snooperman]

What is the use

For target shooting I like the Dan Wesson. They are out there and you will not be disappointed. For general plinking or kit gun I like the S&W model 63.

 

[snooperman]

S&W model 63

S&W model 63 is one I like a lot. It is one I enjoy the most. There are others good 22 revolvers that I have for Target such as Dan Wesson, that are on gun broker.com as well as S&W model 18 . Also some of the High Standards would serve you well.

 

[MCgunner]

S&W's J and K frame rimfires, Ruger SP101s, and Colt Diamondbacks aren't high end. They are standard revolvers, properly referred to as the standard.

Korths and Manurhins are high end. A lot of others are sub standard.

Spoken like an oil baron. On my budget, a M17 is high end. I've never seen a Korth. I think it's a myth someone at S&W made up so they wouldn't look like so arrogant.

 

[PzGren]

MCGunner,

there are more oil barons in Texas than in Florida but Korth does exist, they factory/shop in a small northern German town is still open and they do cost a fortune now. My patience was rewarded and after twenty years of looking for one, I got one for a decent price.

I was just thinking, there is another .22 revolver out there, made by CZ/Brno but that one is rather rare.

Anyway, the threadstarter has plenty of good revolvers to choose from and if he buys used, the pool of great guns is just so much larger.

 

[Bush Pilot]

What is the approximate price of an SP101 in .22 these days? Looking for a fairly clean gun, it doesn't have to be NIB.

 

[Stainz]

I owned a lot of SA & DA Rugers over the years. The 'fun' gun was my 4" .32 H&RM SP-101 - but only after more work to correct the most QC issues of all of my Rugers. One - chambers at the SAAMI max ID - wasn't repairable. It was the straw that broke the camel's back. Highly desired by many, I would steer a .22 SP-101 a wide berth, I got rid of all of my Ruger handguns a year ago - save one - a MKII.

My MKII, a KMK-678GC, was fun - but huge and just bulky to shoot. Last September, I bit the 'bullet', so to speak - and sold it. I had sold a few other small items - and had the $609 + s/t the new 4" 617 I wanted cost. It hurt - just a couple of years earlier found me spending $569 + s/t on my then new 6" 629. Times change - so do prices!

To be blunt, why did I wait so long? Here it is with some Ahrends Retro Target grips and a DS-10 speedloader and loading plate:



Monday afternoon, I grabbed my 627 Pro, new 5/08 and paid for with Ruger-sale money, and the 617 and ammo, etc. When I opened the bag at the range, there was no 627 Pro, an 8-shot .357M, although the container full of moonclipped .357Ms was there. I did have my 5-shot .44 Special, a 696, and no .44 Specials for it. Senior moment?? Anyway, I had fun... I shot hundreds of .22s. The .38/.44 steel flip target I brought barely moved with a .22 hit at 25 meters, but DA shooting it was fun. Literally, I had a blast... there is happiness with 'just' a .22.

Don't get me wrong - I reload - and love my centerfires. But... if a significant 'downsizing' ever had to happen here - I could find plinking happiness with a .22 revolver. As to round count, I bet that by my one year purchase anniversary of the revolver I will pass the ten plus years of my MKII ownership. It really is fun. Getting past the cost of the new 617 was hard - but was also forgotten quickly - a true 'lifetime' purchase. YMMV.

Stainz