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BigJimP · August 13, 2013, 10:23 AM

A good - long term purchase - is certainly smart.

A couple of thoughts ....the S&W 617 is a nice gun ...but its limited to .22 obviously. I'm not a huge fan of the 10 shot / instead I might say wait on the .22 revolver and pick up a more traditional gun ( like a S&W model 18 or an older 617 in a 6 shot).

In your situation, I would recommend the Sig 226 in 9mm probably....and then get a .22 conversion kit for it....so you can shoot .22 in it as well. Kind of the best of both worlds. There are other mfg's that make conversion kits as well....for 1911's, Glocks, etc.../ down here, the Sig 226 is around $ 900 and the conversion kit is around $ 250.../ but factor in that all of the conversion kits run best on CCI Mini Mag .22 ammo vs the cheaper bulk stuff - and CCI Mini Mag .22 ammo down here is about $ 13 for 100 rds right now. But a conversion kit is a good way to make essentially one gun / do other things.

A heavier caliber revolver is never a bad choice...like the 686 / where you can shoot .357 Mag and .38 spl in one gun. As a first revolver, I'd suggest a 4" or maybe a 6" barrel. The L frame 686 is a solid gun.

Ammo cost is certainly a factor ...and in the states, .22 is not inexpensive compared to 9mm....so it depends on what you can get locally. But if you go with a semi-auto, I would certainly keep it in a 9mm vs .357 Sig, .40S&W or .45 acp...all of which are way more expensive to shoot - at least down here.

If I were to suggest one long term semi-auto in .22....I'd recommend one of the Browning Buckmark's ...they make a lot of models....the least expensive is the "camper"...but you can look at them on Browning.com

Good luck in your search.....and remember to have fun with the process.

August 13, 2013, 10:23 AM	#10
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	A good - long term purchase - is certainly smart. A couple of thoughts ....the S&W 617 is a nice gun ...but its limited to .22 obviously. I'm not a huge fan of the 10 shot / instead I might say wait on the .22 revolver and pick up a more traditional gun ( like a S&W model 18 or an older 617 in a 6 shot). In your situation, I would recommend the Sig 226 in 9mm probably....and then get a .22 conversion kit for it....so you can shoot .22 in it as well. Kind of the best of both worlds. There are other mfg's that make conversion kits as well....for 1911's, Glocks, etc.../ down here, the Sig 226 is around $ 900 and the conversion kit is around $ 250.../ but factor in that all of the conversion kits run best on CCI Mini Mag .22 ammo vs the cheaper bulk stuff - and CCI Mini Mag .22 ammo down here is about $ 13 for 100 rds right now. But a conversion kit is a good way to make essentially one gun / do other things. A heavier caliber revolver is never a bad choice...like the 686 / where you can shoot .357 Mag and .38 spl in one gun. As a first revolver, I'd suggest a 4" or maybe a 6" barrel. The L frame 686 is a solid gun. Ammo cost is certainly a factor ...and in the states, .22 is not inexpensive compared to 9mm....so it depends on what you can get locally. But if you go with a semi-auto, I would certainly keep it in a 9mm vs .357 Sig, .40S&W or .45 acp...all of which are way more expensive to shoot - at least down here. If I were to suggest one long term semi-auto in .22....I'd recommend one of the Browning Buckmark's ...they make a lot of models....the least expensive is the "camper"...but you can look at them on Browning.com Good luck in your search.....and remember to have fun with the process.