Suggest a .22 for the wife

[levrluvr]

The better half had some fun at the gun club's open house last weekend; first time handling a revolver and she was knocking down steel plates one right after another. The range officer couldn't believe she'd never handled one before (neither could I). She's decided she wants one of here own to have some fun at the range.
I think she was shooting a S&W 5"; She felt comfortable with it both single and double action, and only has interest in a revolver-no autoloaders.
I have a few .22wmr rifles, if that makes any difference- I usually stock lots of ammo for them as well as regular .22lr's. I'm not familiar with all of the Smith model #'s- I have a couple of Dan Wesson .357's. I would like to keep this within reason $$-wise- maybe $400 or less, used but nice just fine.
Jim

[skoro]

A fun little 22 revolver (single action) is the Ruger Bearcat. It's like a down-sized .45 Colt revolver from the Old West. My GF loves it and calls it the "little cowboy gun." They're usually a lot less expensive than the S&W double actions. The Smiths are fine guns, but their current prices are WAY out of line.

[Daryl]

Why not take her down to the gunshop and let her pick out her own?

My wife picked out her own, and that seems to work pretty well.

Daryl

[THEZACHARIAS]

Yup, take her to the store and let her pick. If marriage has taught me nothing else, its to let women pick their own stuff.

[glenncal1]

I don't think you will find a good SW for under $400. Some of the Model 48's were supplied with a .22mag and lr cylinder. I just bought a very nice H&R 939wheelgun for $175 at a gunshow. It is not a SW or a colt but it is a good plinker and a solid piece.

[Huskerguy]

My wife has shot 44's, 9's and 357's and she had been looking at some 22's lately. She liked several - thought they were OK. Then she found a Mark III Hunter, stainless and it felt right. She brought it home. I agree with letting them pick one out for themselves.

[scottaschultz]

Ruger Single Six. These come with 2 cylinders, 1 for .22LR and 1 for .22WMR.

'nuff said!

Scott

[woad_yurt]

Were I you, I'd get her the gun she loved even if it was a bit more. Then, I'd know she'd be happy. Because, for real, nothing's going to be as nice to shoot as a S&W. She's been spoiled already, you know? For sheer niceness, what's going to be better than a S&W? Everything else will be a step down. S&W rules in DA trigger quality. Make your new shooting buddy really happy; go S&W. She'll be shooting a Model 10 in no time! Always encourage DA shooting.

Note: This isn't my money we're discussing here so the above was very easy to say.

[HellBillySuperstar]

I had a Ruger Bearcat, but I can't seem to get it out of my girlfriends hands any more.

[levrluvr]

Note: This isn't my money we're discussing here so the above was very easy to say.

It's always easiest to discuss spending other folks money, isn't it?

I'd love to let her pick one out on her own here locally, but there isn't one store here that has a .22 revolver in the case, new or used.
Could someone enlighten me on the S&W model #'s for .22's (or a link) so I have an idea what to look for? I only knew about the 48 and 648 because I've been shooting wmr for so long. They are a little out of the price we want to spend.

I like the Ruger Single Six, but I agree it would be nice for her to get used to DA so she can graduate up to a 10 or one of my DW's.

[Lost Sheep]

levrluvr,

Of course, finding one may be a problem, but my Dan Wesson 22 Rimfire 6" barrel (I only have the one barrel) is very accurate and the switch to my 6" DW 357 is as natural as can be.

Until you actually FIND one for sale, though. Take this advice into account.

It only hurts buying the best once. When you pay for it.

When you buy less than you need, it hurts every time you use it.

Buying a good S&W (if you don't overpay) will be an investment not only in the gun, but in your relationship. NEVER skimp on your significant other.

Lost Sheep.

[rauke]

"NEVER skimp on your significant other."

If it means giving up a bit of something else to get her the piece she wants, do it! If it means traveling 100 miles out of your area to find that S&W, so be it. It will all come back to you in the long run, and you'll both be happier.

Great advice, Lost Sheep!

[Dismantler]

A few years ago I was looking for a .22 DA revolver and just could not find one in mya area. I am a wheelgun man...but I broke down and bought a Ruger MK II. I love it, and it is the only gun that I would never consider selling. Fact is...if I had to run with only one gun, it would be the Ruger.

Find out if any of the shooters at this club have a Ruger MK II that she can try. She may really like it. These can be had in good used condition for $200 to $300. Better yet...get it for yourself and give it to her if she likes it!

[ckd]

A lot of good advice.

We, wife and I, picked up a barely used 22lr four inch stainless model 94 Taurus a couple of years ago for under $200, and it may not be a S&W, but it is nicely finished and HKS makes speed loaders for it.

Though I think it is always best to at least handle, if you can't shoot it before buying, used if you know what you want, can usally be found on one the internet brokers, i.e., gunsamerica, gunbroker, etc...

Glad your wife did so well and is eager to continue.

[tschmittel]

Here are the current smith revolver .22's offered : model 17 masterpiece, model 18 masterpiece, modl 317, model 617, and model 63.

[Don P]

Post #3 and post #7 have it covered.

[Papa John]

Smith & Wesson Model 63. Small and a delight to hold.

[carguychris]

I'm not familiar with all of the Smith model #'s

OK, you asked. Long post ahead...

S&W has sold modern .22 rimfire Hand Ejector (swing-out cylinder) revolvers in 2 basic frame sizes, the J (small) and K (medium) frames. The J frame replaced the earlier I frame in 1962; the I frame is marginally smaller, but the two are nearly equivalent in .22 rimfire.

J/I frames have very small grip frames, which can be good or bad depending on the shooter. For most people, they're hard to shoot well, but for some women with very small hands, a S&W J/I frame is one of the only guns that's comfortable.

The K frame's mainspring design usually makes for a smoother trigger, but the difference often has more to do with the production tolerances and/or wear on the individual gun. S&W triggers get better with use.

Pre-1957 S&W revolvers were named, not model-numbered. I've listed both the names and numbers to help you shop. If you've never looked before, you might be surprised at the number of pre-57 guns that will turn up. Also, S&W has a well-known habit of producing guns with odd barrel lengths or non-standard combinations of options, so there are exceptions to what I've listed below, but this should cover 99% of the guns you're likely to find. OK, the list...

K frame:
Model 17 K-22 Masterpiece aka Target Masterpiece- .22LR, 6" or 8-3/8" barrel, adjustable rear sight, Patridge front sight, blue finish, nickel finish rare, a few recent guns have 10-shot cylinder
Model 18 K-22 Combat Masterpiece- .22LR, 4" barrel, adjustable rear sight, ramp front sight (vintage) or Patridge front sight (current production), blue or nickel finish
Model 45 .22 Military & Police- .22LR, 4" or 6" barrel, fixed rear sight, blue finish, very rare and valuable gun
Model 48 K-22 Magnum Masterpiece- .22WMR 4", 6", or 8-3/8" barrel, adjustable rear sight, various front sights available, blue or nickel finish, some guns came with auxiliary .22LR cylinder
Model 53 .22 Jet- 6"+ barrel, adjustable rear sight, chambered in .22 Remington Jet but came with a set of .22LR chamber inserts, blue finish, came in fancy wood presentation case, rare and valuable gun
Model 617- Stainless finish Model 17, recent versions have 10-shot cylinder
Model 648- Stainless finish Model 48

J frame:
Model 34 .22/32 Kit Gun- .22LR, 2" or 4" barrel, normally has adjustable rear sight, fixed rear sight rare, ramp front sight, blue or nickel finish
Model 35 .22/32 Target- .22LR, 6" barrel, adjustable rear sight, Patridge front sight, blue finish, nickel finish rare, uncommon gun
Model 43 .22/32 Kit Gun Airweight- Lightweight alloy-frame version of Model 34
Model 51- .22WMR Model 34, some guns came with auxiliary .22LR cylinder
Model 63- Stainless finish Model 34, recent versions have 8-shot cylinder
Model 317- .22LR, super-lightweight scandium frame, stainless finish, fixed or adjustable rear sight, 2" or 3" barrel, 8-shot cylinder
Model 351PD- .22WMR, super-lightweight scandium frame, matte black finish, 2" barrel, 7-shot cylinder
Model 650- .22WMR, fixed sights, 3" barrel, stainless finish, uncommon
Model 651- Stainless finish Model 51


Footnotes:

The currently-produced rimfire S&Ws are the Models 17, 18, 63, 317, 351PD, and 617.

The K frames are renowned for fabulous accuracy.

This is contentious whenever it's brought up, but many shooters (including this one) don't think the 317 is a good range/target gun for an inexperienced shooter. The combination of a short barrel, featherlike weight (only ~12 oz loaded!), and a heavy, long DA revolver trigger makes it really hard to hold steady enough to get decent groups.

These same factors also apply to the 351PD, which is marketed primarily as a short-range SD gun.

[FlyFish]

Great post by carguychris (again) - an absolute wealth of knowledge about S&Ws.

Recommendations are always prejudiced by the person giving them, but, that said, here's mine. Get a nice used K-22 Target Masterpiece/Mod. 17 in the barrel length she prefers (but I'd recommend 6" for a range gun). It's the standard against which all .22 revolvers are and forever will be judged, and a joy to own and shoot. You'll likely have to go a bit over your $400 ceiling for a nice one (maybe not if you get lucky), but it will maintain - likely increase, actually - its value over time, so it's not like you've actually spent the money, only changed it into a different form (at least that's the argument that usually works on my wife).

[levrluvr]

carguychris- That's exactly what I was looking for- thanks!

Some great ideas here- thanks much!
Obviously I like DW's, and if it were up to me, that's probably where the search would start and end, but there is this other little voice in my ear. She loved the feel of that Smith, and if that's what she wants, that's what she'll get (usually turns out that way)
All I know is that I had a big smile on my face in the simple fact she enjoyed the heck out of shooting that pistol at the range and our entire day at the open house (as did the 4-year old).
I got to fire a Barrett .50BMG and .338 Lapua, so my day was made.

[carguychris]

Recommendations are always prejudiced by the person giving them, but, that said, here's mine. Get a nice used K-22 Target Masterpiece/Mod. 17 in the barrel length she prefers (but I'd recommend 6" for a range gun). It's the standard against which all .22 revolvers are and forever will be judged, and a joy to own and shoot.

+1. FWIW I own a Model 18; I opted for the 4" barrel for low-cost practice for shooting my 4" .38Spl Model 10, but the 6" barrel would be better for pure range use.

A couple of other things I forgot to mention in my prior post...

Most (if not all) older .22 Magnum aka .22WMR S&W revolvers are rollmarked ".22 M.R.F." on the barrel for .22 Magnum Rim Fire. Yes, the nomenclature is peculiar, but you can be assured that such a gun is chambered for the same old .22 Magnum cartridge that you know and love.

Many of the .22Mag guns seem to be a bit unloved on the used market; they often sell for less than their .22LR equivalents. I assume that this is because .22WMR is more expensive to shoot. The exceptions are a) the Model 650, which is rare enough that it sells for high prices simply due to its value as a collectible, and b) any .22WMR gun with a correct numbers-matching auxiliary .22LR cylinder, again because of their rarity.

.22LR S&W revolvers have match chambers with notoriously tight throats. You'll probably find that many types of .22LR ammo (usually cheap mass-produced bulk pack) won't chamber to begin with, or won't chamber if the cylinder has any dirt in it. Many .22LR S&W shooters stick with high-quality ammo and/or take a pull-through to the range for quick mid-session chamber cleaning. (This has been extensively discussed in prior threads.)