Author Topic: .22 Revolver, help choosing : / (Read 4277 times)

Gdbyrd · « **on:** January 24, 2008, 07:04:58 PM »

I'm having a hard time deciding on a revolver. I want something I can plink with. My main focus is accuracy. So far I'm looking at the 617 and Single Six. I really think I'd like the DA of the S&W, but it seems like you can't go wrong with Ruger..where as build quality and consistency from the Smith seems to be hit or miss..more hit than miss, but still less consistency...that may have changed, just what I've been reading.

I was also recommended to look into Taurus, with the 94 and the Tracker....But again, I'm not sure out of these guns what is the better, more reliable choice. I am prepared to spend the money to get good quality(I want something I can keep awhile and pass down)...the ability to have two caliber choices with the Single Six doesn't really interest me. This gun will remain open sighted.

This is something I've been considering awhile, but I'd like to get a feel from you guys. It's getting too pricey for me to shoot my biger caliber guns, so I'm going back to the smaller stuff so I can continue to have fun, without breaking the bank too much.

Also, out of curiosity, what barrel lengths would you recommend? It's pretty much 4 or 6 inch, or near it. If all else fails, I'm going to buy a hunter Mark III

Local gun shop is going out of business and I can pick up the hunter version for pretty cheap...I just really want a revolver...should be more fun and it would be something different for me with rimfires.

Thanks guys.

Keith L · « **Reply #1 on:** January 24, 2008, 10:37:14 PM »

I have a Single Six that I really enjoy, but I like single action revolvers. I also like K frame Smiths and would have a 517 if they weren't so darned expensive. The Smiths are more accurate from the factory than the Single Six but both are more accurate than I am able to shoot them, so either performs about the same for me.

I don't know anyone who has been happy with their recent purchase of any Taurus. Older ones seemed to be better made and apparently customer service isn't what it once was. This is not from my personal experience, but second hand information. Take it for what its worth.

I also have a Browning Buckmark that I shoot more than the SS. I really like shooting that little automatic, and I don't think you would regret the Mark III. I very nearly bought one of them as well, but so far have not.

I think barrel length is pretty much what ever turns you on. I tend to buy used, so get what is available.

I can't think of much that is more fun than a .22 pistol. Enjoy.

Gdbyrd · « **Reply #2 on:** January 25, 2008, 03:59:06 AM »

Well hell..I started thinking about it last night..they have a Mark III hunter for sale for 380, new. I don't think that can be beat. It'll be more accurate than I can shoot it..and I do want a revolver, but there's no harm in buying something to hold me over

I like the 617 a lot. It's a solid looking gun, the price is scary...but this will be something I'll keep for a long time. But right now, I'm trying to decide if I should get that Mark III just for price's sake.

Keith: I love the Browning's. When I was a kid my mom had one that she'd let me mess around with. Very, very well built guns. And I hear they're very accurate. Thank you for the advice with the Taurus. I will stay away from that.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #3 on:** January 25, 2008, 04:11:57 AM »

the light weight S&W is not the best for accy. shooting I had one and traded it . I have been looking for a deal on a Ruger SP-101 in 22 , a 3-4 in bbl . a S&W of blue steel or SS would be nice also !
you said plinking , we do that alot ! if ya get a revolver and want to have fun and get good with your gun , get some snake shot , the Winchester is least cost ! find a place where wasp are flying ( not next to the nest but in a flight path or around a light . now it has to be a safe place . load up and shoot wasp on the wing !
in an auto the Ruger and Browning guns are nice ! Walther make a nice looking one but i have not shot one yet !

Keith L · « **Reply #4 on:** January 25, 2008, 05:39:32 AM »

Shootall, did you ever post that wasp recipe? I never know just how to cook them.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #5 on:** January 25, 2008, 05:43:11 AM »

just cover with chocolate and eat , bite soft in case a shot is in one !

Gdbyrd · « **Reply #6 on:** January 25, 2008, 06:25:33 AM »

lol. You guys need more hobbies

So..With Taurus out of the picture. That really leaves me with the 617 and the Single Six...and between those two I have the Mark III. The 617 has a very solid feel, and I like it's styling over the Single Six. But there's a big price difference there. That Mark III just seems so cheap. And I like that you can upgrade those guns. There isn't much you can do for revolvers is there?

Is there any gun I'm leaving out here?

617 or Single Six?

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #7 on:** January 25, 2008, 07:03:23 AM »

sp-101

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #8 on:** January 25, 2008, 07:05:01 AM »

Freedom arms has one also . which will make the S&W price look great !

Gdbyrd · « **Reply #9 on:** January 25, 2008, 07:13:45 AM »

I prefer to buy new : / I know some of the old guns are amazing, as I have a few of the oldies..but I always worry about what they went through before I got them.

Freedom arms I'm not interested in. Too much money and they didn't make a lot of them to my understanding. I'm not going to complain about the price of the S&W

Get what you pay for.

superdown · « **Reply #10 on:** January 25, 2008, 08:43:13 AM »

I would get the single six or the smith i have had a single six for a long time never had any trouble with it. it has been pretty accurate with almost everything i feed it good gun all the way around. with the 617 my dad had the ss 22mag version it was really accurate with rem 40grn psp ammo i shot few rabbit's and forest grouse with it but he only had it for a few years never had single problem with it either . personally i find the grip of the Buckmark much more comfortable than the Ruger mark III not that their is anything wrong about the ruger . the cool thing about the single six is that you get both 22lr/22mag cylinders. superdown

navylawdog · « **Reply #11 on:** January 25, 2008, 10:39:38 AM »

Personally I would go with the Single six. Two cylinders (just in case sometime you want more pop) plus since you want to pass it down and make it an heirloom I would try to find a 50th anniversary model. They are getting harder and harder to find and the price keeps steadily rising. I bought a low serial number anniversary model for my dad back in '03 when they came out and it really shoots. Just something to think about.

Navylawdog

Golfswithwolves · « **Reply #12 on:** January 25, 2008, 10:53:05 AM »

I highly recommend the S&W Model 34. I own one with a 4" barrel, and it is accurate enough for squirrel hunting or target shooting. It is a great plinker too. Compact and easy to carry.

Greeenriver · « **Reply #13 on:** January 25, 2008, 04:41:45 PM »

Everyone has opinions, and this is mine.

I like single actions better than any other kind of revolver or pistol. I like fixed sighted revolvers and pistols. I own a Ruger Mark II 22/45 with a 4in bull bbl, a single six with a 3&3/4 in bbl, both with adjustable sights, and a pair of Ruger Bearcats, with fixed sights.

When I take a 22 with me to the woods, it's nearly always one of the bearcats, the one with the real Stag grips. I havn't shto the 22/45 in over a year, and have only shot a couple boxes in the single six, but the bearcats get shot every week, several times each week.

Gess I like them better than the others.

Greeenriver

jy951 · « **Reply #14 on:** January 29, 2008, 08:41:13 AM »

I have both a 617 6" S&W and a 94 5" Taurus. The Smith has a much better and lighter da trigger pull. The single action pull of the taurus is actually very good. I like the 9 shot of the taurus. I have not tested the taurus much for accuracy, but the Smith is pretty good. I much prefer the da over the single action. Easier and faster to load and i don't think they give up anything in terms of accuracy. I like shooting double action also. The smith is much nicer than the taurus, but i'm not sure it's worth double. i'm thinking of selling one of these, but i'm not sure which.

Gdbyrd · « **Reply #15 on:** January 30, 2008, 09:26:43 AM »

After reading so much and holding a 617 yesterday...I think when I am ready to buy a revolver it will be the Smith over the Ruger. At least for .22's. <3 my Super Redhawk in .44

I've read a lot of bad things recently about Taurus. Their old guns seem to be pretty nice, but the stuff they're putting out now looks like it's suffering.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #16 on:** January 30, 2008, 09:34:58 AM »

Been holding out for a 22LR SP-101 and haven't seen one so i got one in 327 FED MAG. will shoot 32 shorts and longs instead of 22 LR at least i can reload them .
funny how hard it has become to get a good 22 LR

navylawdog · « **Reply #17 on:** February 02, 2008, 05:21:09 PM »

Quote from: SHOOTALL on January 30, 2008, 09:34:58 AM

Been holding out for a 22LR SP-101 and haven't seen one so i got one in 327 FED MAG. will shoot 32 shorts and longs instead of 22 LR at least i can reload them .
funny how hard it has become to get a good 22 LR

I have been considering buying one of those. How does it shoot for you?

Navylawdog

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #18 on:** February 04, 2008, 07:32:24 AM »

well so far it hasn't shot !
327 ammo is not aval. , i have been on line , been to the gun shop( s ) and none aval. is all i get !
so i got some 32 H&R mag. , will post how that works when i shoot it !
like the gun !

Tobiano · « **Reply #19 on:** February 04, 2008, 12:30:49 PM »

I've been shooting the same Ruger SSix since 1968 or 69 and still love it after a KaBillion rounds fired.

Also have had a Browning Buckmark since they first came out and it's absolutely fine too - but it will never replace my SSix.

Ramjet · « **Reply #20 on:** February 05, 2008, 08:38:38 AM »

I just bought a Charter Arms Pathfinder 4" in 22lr . It's a little liter than my Taurus 941 22 mag .It seems like a well made gun and feels tighter than the 941 . However ,the action does not seem as smooth. I haven't shot it but I do like the way it feels and looks .If you want to read more on this gun go to Gunblasts.com and there is an article in the archives .

Jim n Iowa · « **Reply #21 on:** February 11, 2008, 03:08:45 PM »

I bought my first 617 when my first grandchild was born, a 6"10 shot. I now have 3 grandsons, so I will have 2 more 617's, that how I feel about them, as they will stay in the family. One great pistol.
Jim

kennisondan · « **Reply #22 on:** February 11, 2008, 04:48:13 PM »

my ruger semi mark 2 is the most accurate gun I would ever need and it lasts and lasts... but I did get a single six and intend to use it a lot , not cause it is the most accurate but cause I like it.. I had the smith and did not like it as much as I thought I would.. i had my ruger semi for a long time got one in 72 then around 93 I gave it to my brother and got a new ruger semi..
I can shoot far and small targets with the semi and its bull barrel at 5.5 inches and the good sights are the top choice if I had to use the gun for hunting and had only one choice.
since I have enough guns for game and it is really all about fun I am getting with the single six.
dk

sulaco · « **Reply #23 on:** March 04, 2008, 09:01:16 AM »

I own an SP101 in .357 Magnum and love it. I'll never part with it. It'd be neat to have the same gun in 22LR but I think I'd rather have a Single Six. I am not a big S&W fan anymore and never have liked Taurus.

Old Griz · « **Reply #24 on:** March 04, 2008, 05:58:26 PM »

I've got a 6" 617 scoped, a 6" 17, 4" SP101, and a 6.5" Bisley. (Also a S&W 2206, but we're talking revolvers here.

) You can never have too many .22s!

I've taken more squirrels with the scoped 617 than any of my .22s, even my rifles. It is extremely accurate. It may cost more than the Rugers, but it's worth every cent.

I just found the 17. It looks terrific, but I've only had one chance to shoot it at the range. I'm sure it will be as good as the 617.

The SP101 is a great plinker. It's a solid piece. It will go in my survival bag. Accurate enough to take small game at close range, and tough enough to make it through any emergency. Smaller than the Smiths, but still built on a .357 frame.

The Bisley is Single Six with a long grip. According to old Ruger information it is supposed to be a target pistol. It's pretty accurate, and fun to shoot, but it is not as accurate as the 617.

I love them all, but the S&Ws are the best. The only negative thing I have ever heard regarding the 617 is that folks wish they had gotten one sooner. The all steel 6-shots are more popular than the 10-shot models. I think the 10-shot models only come with a 4" barrel these days. I think the S&W 317 might be next . . .

Tom C. · « **Reply #25 on:** March 20, 2008, 03:16:20 AM »

I have a 6” 17, a 4” 10 shot 617, a 6” 6 shot 617, a 5” 8 shot 63 and a 6 ½” Single Six. All are now accurate, but the Single Six took the most work to get it that way. I sent it back to the factory for rebarreling and new cylinders. Of these, the newest is the 63. With Pachmayr grips, it weighs 30 oz. I have been breaking it in with high speed Federal bulk stuff. It seems to have worked nicely. It seems to shoot very well now, including Aquilla Colibri stuff, that doesn’t shoot well in many guns. I need to get out and test the 63 against the 617s. I have put an inexpensive BSA red dot on the 6” 617. It shot very well, but the red dot is pretty bulky and I took it off.

I have no personal experience with Taurus, but the guns of friends seem to be junk.

S A Webbx1 · « **Reply #26 on:** March 22, 2008, 03:43:38 PM »

I have the 6" 10 shot 617 and a 4" SP 101 with a fully adjustable sight which IMHO is how it should have been made. Both great guns and not much different in price after the work on the Ruger. I haven't shot the Ruger as much on paper, but I'm sure the Smith is more accurate. It is a real sweet shooter. I favor the D.A. over the S.A. for volume shooting and shooting lots is a good reason to shoot a 22. I did have a single six but let it go. Like that simultaneous ejection and loading 2 at a time. I am getting more partial to the 4" as time goes on but the 5" model 63 sounds pretty nice. I had one of those in a 4" but got an offer I coudn't refuse from a friend and he won't sell it back. At least its in good hands.

Country Boy · « **Reply #27 on:** May 24, 2008, 06:50:28 AM »

Darn ! I ordered a Tarus 94SS5 yesterday I hope it is better than you guys say. I had to give up my Semi due to hand and coordination problems. and I wanted something simpler to operate. I once had a Tarus in .357 it was a really nice gun and shot good but was too loud to shoot without muffs.
I'm concerned about the Tarus bbl length, should I have gotten the 4 instead of 5 ?

oldandslow · « **Reply #28 on:** May 24, 2008, 09:13:17 AM »

Country Boy, I don't even know what a Taurus 94 looks like but I can offer an opinion on Taurus quality. In the past two years I have purchased three guns made by Taurus. A gaucho in .45 Colt, a PT92 in 9mm, and PT1911. The fit and finish of all three is excellent. All are more accurate than I can shoot anymore and I haven't had one problem with any of them. Hope this will make you feel a little better about your purchase.

Tom C. · « **Reply #29 on:** May 25, 2008, 03:47:00 PM »

Quote from: Country Boy on May 24, 2008, 06:50:28 AM

Darn ! I ordered a Tarus 94SS5 yesterday I hope it is better than you guys say. I had to give up my Semi due to hand and coordination problems. and I wanted something simpler to operate. I once had a Tarus in .357 it was a really nice gun and shot good but was too loud to shoot without muffs.
I'm concerned about the Tarus bbl length, should I have gotten the 4 instead of 5 ?

My problem with the Taurus is inconsistent heat treatment. If they do it right, you will probably be fine.

5" is, IMO, an ideal barrel length. I had my 6" 617 cut to 5".