Put money down on a S&W 617

bbqbob51 · March 29, 2013, 11:55 AM

I was in my local gun shop and inquired about my chances on getting my paws on a 6" bbl Smith and Wesson 617. They called their distributor and they had over 400 on order and were informed they expected some from S&W in April. They had gotten some in February which sold out pretty quickly. I decided to take a chance and placed $200 down and they ordered one for me.
I'm not really getting a great deal by paying full MSRP but I've been wanting one for awhile so I went for it. I've got my fingers crossed they will come through on time!

Colt .45 · March 29, 2013, 12:26 PM

I just picked one up at a Turner's Outdoorsman in California last Friday. I never ordered it. There was another one on the shelf at a different Turner's. So, you probably won't have to wait too long to get your hands on one.

Buzzcook · March 29, 2013, 01:58 PM

Don't worry about the price. Once you've put a few hundred rounds through the gun you'll wonder how you were able to live without one.

bbqbob51 · March 29, 2013, 02:03 PM

Colt, That's good to hear! Did you get it for a good price? It seems like when it comes to Smith revolvers they are hard to get a decent discount, at least around here and in these times.

bbqbob51 · March 29, 2013, 02:15 PM

Buzzcook said:"Don't worry about the price. Once you've put a few hundred rounds through the gun you'll wonder how you were able to live without one."

Yeah, that's really my thinking. The one firearm I don't have is a 22LR double action revolver (I have a Ruger Single Six and a S&W 22A) so it fills a need. I looked at the Taurus 992 convertible and other lesser guns but really didn't want to settle. I got my income tax refund so I can pay cash for is so why not? My buddy has an older 22lr S&W revolver with the full lug 8-3/8 barrel and it is a great shooter. This gun will also be a nice companion in my gun safe to my S&W 686+!

Insofar as price goes even last year when I priced them they were only about $30 less than I'm paying now.

Lavan · March 29, 2013, 03:39 PM

Always check out the M63.

I like mine better than my old K-22.

bbqbob51 · March 29, 2013, 07:24 PM

Lavan,
What do you like about your Model 63 and why do you like it better than the k-22?

Zhillsauditor · March 29, 2013, 08:38 PM

I'm not Lavan, but I do have both a 617 and a 63 (and two 17s and an 18). The 63 is a fun gun, easy to carry or pack. My gripe about it is that the trigger is . . . a j-frame trigger, except worse since it's a rimfire.

A buddy of mine has one too, and he enjoys it more than the medium frames. But my feeling is that the k-frames are more fun to shoot, if less to carry.

VonFatman · March 30, 2013, 11:43 PM

Bob,
Good choice! I have one I bought used a year or two back. It's a keeper for sure. I never warmed to M-18s or M-17s like I have to this revolver....such nice balance!

Congrats and wishing you a speedy delivery.

Bob

DaleA · March 31, 2013, 12:40 AM

Besides being an excellent gun you can look at it this way too - you'll shoot it for a long, long time, your kids will shoot it even longer and you might get to see the grand kids enjoying it.

It's a mind game I know but if you consider spreading the cost over three or four generations it's down right cheap! If you think you could have waited for a 'deal' think of all the time you'll be enjoying it instead of searching for one. And the price might even continue to go up - so this might actually be a 'good' deal.

bbqbob51 · March 31, 2013, 08:49 AM

DaleA said: "It's a mind game I know but if you consider spreading the cost over three or four generations it's down right cheap! If you think you could have waited for a 'deal' think of all the time you'll be enjoying it instead of searching for one. And the price might even continue to go up - so this might actually be a 'good' deal."
DaleA,
That's kind of my thinking also. In the case of the 617 it is not exactly plentiful, at least in the shops with 100 miles of me. I usually see all kinds of Single Six and Taurus 22LR revolvers and not many with a barrel over 4" and by far the most 22 handguns I see are semi-autos. I only recall seeing a few 6" models in shops in the past 2 or 3 years. None were exactly value priced so it makes it hard to compare shop and go with the best deal.
I finally decided to stop the running around and haunting Gunbroker.com and GunsAmerica.com. The one time I got to bid on a NIB 617 on Gunbroker it shot through the roof to nearly $1000! This was disheartening so I chose not to bid on the next one I saw and that one went for less than $800.

The few I saw on Gunsamerica I chose to buy were already spoken for by the time I tried to purchase. Even though they were priced right by the time I paid for shipping and handling and transfer fees the price was right up there anyway.

Zhillsauditor · March 31, 2013, 09:25 AM

My 4" 617 search experience is similar. I did stumble on a decent used 6" 617 a few years ago, but I turned around and sold it as I did not like the balance of the 6" full lug. On the search for a 4" 617 I finally bit the bullet and bought new at a gun show a couple of months ago.

mxsailor803 · March 31, 2013, 09:37 AM

Got a suggestion for a accessory that you will like with that 617. Look up speedbeez speed loaders. They carry ammo blocks that you can prestage before you go shooting. And you will shoot it a lot!!!

bbqbob51 · March 31, 2013, 10:18 AM

Mxsailor803 said: "Got a suggestion for a accessory that you will like with that 617. Look up speedbeez speed loaders. They carry ammo blocks that you can prestage before you go shooting. And you will shoot it a lot!!!"
Mxsailor,
Oh yes, I have already got them in my Amazon.com cart and will get them once I have my 617 in my sweaty hands. The beauty of any firearm, not just the AR15 platform, is the accessories you can get to enhance your enjoyment. Good thing I have several bricks of 22LR on hand as I will be needing them!

deepcreek · March 31, 2013, 10:33 AM

You can't go wrong with a S&W revolver, you will like it.

Lavan · March 31, 2013, 01:14 PM

The trigger on my M63 is what sold me on it. Imperceptible overtravel and easily as smooth as my old mid 60s K-22.

Add the weight (or lack of) and it pleases me FAR more than the K did.

Plus women love to shoot it. (with all the attendant advantages of that

)

Easily as accurate as the old blue K-22 also.

dgludwig · March 31, 2013, 03:12 PM

It's been my experience that, although the trigger pulls in the single-action mode is similar on both frame sizes, the double-action pull on most K-frames is markedly superior to those found on most J-frames. In terms of accuracy, though the intrinsic accuracy of both frame sizes may well be equivalent, the larger K-frame is easier to shoot accurately for most shooters. In Bullseye matches through the years, you would have to look long and hard to have found a shooter competing with a J-frame revolver, whereas K-frames were common-place.

9mm · March 31, 2013, 03:54 PM

Over the summer I got mine for $678+Tax/ship/trans = $735otd

bbqbob51 · March 31, 2013, 05:10 PM

9mm said: "Over the summer I got mine for $678+Tax/ship/trans = $735otd"
9mm,
Yeah, I kept hearing about people picking up a new 617 for less than $700 but have not seen any here, even before the current madness. I have spent the past 6 weeks or so also looking online but that kind of deal is scarcer than hen's teeth! I kept poking around shops looking for a good used one but saw none. I'll buy new online but won't buy used unless I can handle the gun.

Zhillsauditor · April 1, 2013, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Over the summer I got mine for $678+Tax/ship/trans = $735otd

Mine was about $10 more OTD.

Big Hoggy · July 4, 2013, 04:48 PM

My two local gun shots did not have any 617's.
I finally located one at Shoot Straight in West Palm Beach.
Although the one I got was the last one they had in stock, I felt the asking price of $759 was fair. (Mine has a 4" barrel.)
This model does seem hard to find, but is almost universally given high praise.

b.thomas · July 8, 2013, 05:14 AM

My old 617 is going on twenty-five or so years old now.
After all those years and I don't know how many thousands of rounds I've put thru it....................it's still locks up tight...........just like it did way back when.

ScotchMan · July 8, 2013, 07:24 AM

My LGS always has at least one, every time I've been in. I traded mine (the same date this thread was started, ironically), and it is still there as well. So they have two, one used one new

Must be a location-specific thing. Not much demand here I guess.

Zhillsauditor · July 8, 2013, 07:48 AM

It's a high price item. My LGS has had one one forever.

salvadore · July 8, 2013, 08:56 AM

I shoot these two more than any of my other handguns, or rifles for that matter.

March 29, 2013, 11:55 AM	#1
bbqbob51 Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2005 Posts: 775	Put money down on a S&W 617 I was in my local gun shop and inquired about my chances on getting my paws on a 6" bbl Smith and Wesson 617. They called their distributor and they had over 400 on order and were informed they expected some from S&W in April. They had gotten some in February which sold out pretty quickly. I decided to take a chance and placed $200 down and they ordered one for me. I'm not really getting a great deal by paying full MSRP but I've been wanting one for awhile so I went for it. I've got my fingers crossed they will come through on time!

March 30, 2013, 11:43 PM	#9
VonFatman Senior Member Join Date: November 23, 2000 Location: Kansas City Posts: 587	Bob, Good choice! I have one I bought used a year or two back. It's a keeper for sure. I never warmed to M-18s or M-17s like I have to this revolver....such nice balance! Congrats and wishing you a speedy delivery. Bob __________________ "Onward thru the Fog"

March 31, 2013, 09:25 AM	#12
Zhillsauditor Senior Member Join Date: October 19, 2008 Posts: 635	My 4" 617 search experience is similar. I did stumble on a decent used 6" 617 a few years ago, but I turned around and sold it as I did not like the balance of the 6" full lug. On the search for a 4" 617 I finally bit the bullet and bought new at a gun show a couple of months ago. Last edited by Zhillsauditor; March 31, 2013 at 09:32 AM.

March 31, 2013, 03:12 PM	#17
dgludwig Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2005 Location: North central Ohio Posts: 7,486	It's been my experience that, although the trigger pulls in the single-action mode is similar on both frame sizes, the double-action pull on most K-frames is markedly superior to those found on most J-frames. In terms of accuracy, though the intrinsic accuracy of both frame sizes may well be equivalent, the larger K-frame is easier to shoot accurately for most shooters. In Bullseye matches through the years, you would have to look long and hard to have found a shooter competing with a J-frame revolver, whereas K-frames were common-place. __________________ ONLY AN ARMED PEOPLE CAN BE TRULY FREE ; ONLY AN UNARMED PEOPLE CAN EVER BE ENSLAVED ...Aristotle NRA Benefactor Life Member

July 4, 2013, 04:48 PM	#21
Big Hoggy Junior Member Join Date: July 3, 2013 Posts: 1	Located a 617 0n the third try. My two local gun shots did not have any 617's. I finally located one at Shoot Straight in West Palm Beach. Although the one I got was the last one they had in stock, I felt the asking price of $759 was fair. (Mine has a 4" barrel.) This model does seem hard to find, but is almost universally given high praise.

March 29, 2013, 12:26 PM	#2
Colt .45 Junior Member Join Date: March 4, 2013 Posts: 10	I just picked one up at a Turner's Outdoorsman in California last Friday. I never ordered it. There was another one on the shelf at a different Turner's. So, you probably won't have to wait too long to get your hands on one.

March 29, 2013, 01:58 PM	#3
Buzzcook Senior Member Join Date: November 29, 2007 Location: Everett, WA Posts: 6,126	Don't worry about the price. Once you've put a few hundred rounds through the gun you'll wonder how you were able to live without one.

March 29, 2013, 02:03 PM	#4
bbqbob51 Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2005 Posts: 775	Colt, That's good to hear! Did you get it for a good price? It seems like when it comes to Smith revolvers they are hard to get a decent discount, at least around here and in these times.

March 29, 2013, 02:15 PM	#5
bbqbob51 Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2005 Posts: 775	Buzzcook said:"Don't worry about the price. Once you've put a few hundred rounds through the gun you'll wonder how you were able to live without one." Yeah, that's really my thinking. The one firearm I don't have is a 22LR double action revolver (I have a Ruger Single Six and a S&W 22A) so it fills a need. I looked at the Taurus 992 convertible and other lesser guns but really didn't want to settle. I got my income tax refund so I can pay cash for is so why not? My buddy has an older 22lr S&W revolver with the full lug 8-3/8 barrel and it is a great shooter. This gun will also be a nice companion in my gun safe to my S&W 686+! Insofar as price goes even last year when I priced them they were only about $30 less than I'm paying now.

March 29, 2013, 03:39 PM	#6
Lavan Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 1999 Location: California Posts: 2,716	Always check out the M63. I like mine better than my old K-22.

March 29, 2013, 07:24 PM	#7
bbqbob51 Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2005 Posts: 775	Lavan, What do you like about your Model 63 and why do you like it better than the k-22?

March 29, 2013, 08:38 PM	#8
Zhillsauditor Senior Member Join Date: October 19, 2008 Posts: 635	I'm not Lavan, but I do have both a 617 and a 63 (and two 17s and an 18). The 63 is a fun gun, easy to carry or pack. My gripe about it is that the trigger is . . . a j-frame trigger, except worse since it's a rimfire. A buddy of mine has one too, and he enjoys it more than the medium frames. But my feeling is that the k-frames are more fun to shoot, if less to carry.

March 31, 2013, 12:40 AM	#10
DaleA Senior Member Join Date: September 12, 2002 Location: Twin Cities, MN Posts: 5,313	Besides being an excellent gun you can look at it this way too - you'll shoot it for a long, long time, your kids will shoot it even longer and you might get to see the grand kids enjoying it. It's a mind game I know but if you consider spreading the cost over three or four generations it's down right cheap! If you think you could have waited for a 'deal' think of all the time you'll be enjoying it instead of searching for one. And the price might even continue to go up - so this might actually be a 'good' deal.

March 31, 2013, 08:49 AM	#11
bbqbob51 Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2005 Posts: 775	DaleA said: "It's a mind game I know but if you consider spreading the cost over three or four generations it's down right cheap! If you think you could have waited for a 'deal' think of all the time you'll be enjoying it instead of searching for one. And the price might even continue to go up - so this might actually be a 'good' deal." DaleA, That's kind of my thinking also. In the case of the 617 it is not exactly plentiful, at least in the shops with 100 miles of me. I usually see all kinds of Single Six and Taurus 22LR revolvers and not many with a barrel over 4" and by far the most 22 handguns I see are semi-autos. I only recall seeing a few 6" models in shops in the past 2 or 3 years. None were exactly value priced so it makes it hard to compare shop and go with the best deal. I finally decided to stop the running around and haunting Gunbroker.com and GunsAmerica.com. The one time I got to bid on a NIB 617 on Gunbroker it shot through the roof to nearly $1000! This was disheartening so I chose not to bid on the next one I saw and that one went for less than $800. The few I saw on Gunsamerica I chose to buy were already spoken for by the time I tried to purchase. Even though they were priced right by the time I paid for shipping and handling and transfer fees the price was right up there anyway.

March 31, 2013, 09:37 AM	#13
mxsailor803 Senior Member Join Date: February 8, 2010 Location: SC Posts: 1,344	Got a suggestion for a accessory that you will like with that 617. Look up speedbeez speed loaders. They carry ammo blocks that you can prestage before you go shooting. And you will shoot it a lot!!!

March 31, 2013, 10:18 AM	#14
bbqbob51 Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2005 Posts: 775	Mxsailor803 said: "Got a suggestion for a accessory that you will like with that 617. Look up speedbeez speed loaders. They carry ammo blocks that you can prestage before you go shooting. And you will shoot it a lot!!!" Mxsailor, Oh yes, I have already got them in my Amazon.com cart and will get them once I have my 617 in my sweaty hands. The beauty of any firearm, not just the AR15 platform, is the accessories you can get to enhance your enjoyment. Good thing I have several bricks of 22LR on hand as I will be needing them!

March 31, 2013, 10:33 AM	#15
deepcreek Senior Member Join Date: March 30, 2013 Location: Colorado Posts: 320	You can't go wrong with a S&W revolver, you will like it.

March 31, 2013, 01:14 PM	#16
Lavan Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 1999 Location: California Posts: 2,716	The trigger on my M63 is what sold me on it. Imperceptible overtravel and easily as smooth as my old mid 60s K-22. Add the weight (or lack of) and it pleases me FAR more than the K did. Plus women love to shoot it. (with all the attendant advantages of that ) Easily as accurate as the old blue K-22 also.

March 31, 2013, 03:54 PM	#18
9mm Senior Member Join Date: January 9, 2011 Location: Land of the Free Posts: 2,834	Over the summer I got mine for $678+Tax/ship/trans = $735otd

March 31, 2013, 05:10 PM	#19
bbqbob51 Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2005 Posts: 775	9mm said: "Over the summer I got mine for $678+Tax/ship/trans = $735otd" 9mm, Yeah, I kept hearing about people picking up a new 617 for less than $700 but have not seen any here, even before the current madness. I have spent the past 6 weeks or so also looking online but that kind of deal is scarcer than hen's teeth! I kept poking around shops looking for a good used one but saw none. I'll buy new online but won't buy used unless I can handle the gun.

July 8, 2013, 05:14 AM	#22
b.thomas Senior Member Join Date: October 8, 2006 Posts: 461	My old 617 is going on twenty-five or so years old now. After all those years and I don't know how many thousands of rounds I've put thru it....................it's still locks up tight...........just like it did way back when.

July 8, 2013, 07:24 AM	#23
ScotchMan Senior Member Join Date: July 3, 2011 Posts: 1,368	My LGS always has at least one, every time I've been in. I traded mine (the same date this thread was started, ironically), and it is still there as well. So they have two, one used one new Must be a location-specific thing. Not much demand here I guess. __________________ Everyday Loadout NRA Instructor NRA Member

July 8, 2013, 07:48 AM	#24
Zhillsauditor Senior Member Join Date: October 19, 2008 Posts: 635	It's a high price item. My LGS has had one one forever.

July 8, 2013, 08:56 AM	#25
salvadore Junior member Join Date: January 1, 2007 Location: Idaho Posts: 2,282	I shoot these two more than any of my other handguns, or rifles for that matter.