S&W 617 Revolver

glenspen · March 20, 2018, 07:41 PM

Is there anything I should know about the S&W Model 617? The only 22LR gun I have is a 10/22 rifle

I want to improve my accuracy with my 686 so I am thinking about getting a 617 so I can plink away and work on my trigger control cheaply

Does this seem like a reasonable plan?

lamarw · March 20, 2018, 07:52 PM

I personally thing you would do better training with .38 Special round in your 686.

AzShooter · March 20, 2018, 08:06 PM

My 617 is my favorite gun. I've shot thousands of rounds out of it and it keeps on shooting great. I've also shot many thousands of rounds from my .38 revolvers. The biggest difference is the price of the ammo.

You have to consider how many rounds you will be firing and will the cost of .22s add up to the cost of your .38. If you don't think you will save that much just shoot light loaded .38s. Reloading is a good choice but recently I calculated that it's as expensive to make your own as it is to buy it. Even if you cast your own bullets, between the cost of lead and electricity the price come so close to loaded ammo that you better enjoy reloading as a second hobby.

As a competition shooter I was firing close to 25000 rounds a year out of my centerfire revolvers. I fell in love with the cheaper to shoot 617 and now shoot it for Steel Challenge matches.

223 shooter · March 20, 2018, 10:19 PM

Quote:

I want to improve my accuracy with my 686 so I am thinking about getting a 617 so I can plink away and work on my trigger control cheaply

Does this seem like a reasonable plan?

Having a 22 version of a similar style centerfire gun always sounds reasonable to me.

With that said when I bought my first 686 back in 1987 I ended up reloading not too long after and loaded quite a few 38s to finally learn to shoot without flinching.

Still have 22lr models of a few other guns.

DaleA · March 21, 2018, 01:35 AM

An S&W 617 is on my bucket list. I'd get the 10 shot if given a choice.

AzShooter, I really like the look of yours.

The S&W 617 is a little bit expensive but IMhO it's a sweet shooting revolver and with a little bit of care you'll be able to shoot it a *lot* and then pass it down to the next shooter in your family someday and they'll be able to do the same.

A lot of times I think maybe get a Ruger because I really like Ruger firearms
https://ruger.com/products/gp100/specSheets/1757.html
but the S&W, IMhO, just has a little more class and I'm starting to think like maybe a person should realize they better make the most of what they've got while they still got it.

Good luck.

muzzleblast... · March 21, 2018, 06:08 AM

Buying a 617 to match your 686 makes sense to me.

NoSecondBest · March 21, 2018, 06:35 AM

You can't go wrong owning a nice .22lr revolver. I have, and have had, a good number of them over the years including the 617. That being said, if you reload you can shoot your 686 for about the same price if you use cast/swaged bullets and powders like Unique or Bullseye and use target 38Spl loads in your .357 brass......or just use 38Spl brass. It's really cheap to load centerfire rounds.

MR.G · March 21, 2018, 08:35 PM

Had the same plan. Bought a 617 4" some time ago to shoot with my 686, which was my SD and range gun. Similar guns with same grips and .22 was a lot cheaper to shoot. Stopped shooting at that time and never fired the 617. They make a nice pair.

Driftwood Johnson · March 21, 2018, 09:00 PM

Howdy

I am biased. I think the full length under barrel lug S&W is putting on most of their revolvers these days is butt ugly. I bought this Model 617-6 used a few years ago. It was made in 2003. It shoots pretty good, but it is very muzzle heavy.

I much prefer the older Smiths.

I bought this Model 17-3 brand-spanky new in 1975.

I found this K-22 Combat Masterpiece (Pre Model 18) from 1953 a couple of years ago.

This K-22 Masterpiece is from 1950.

But this worn old K-22 Outdoorsman from 1932 outshoots them all.

Nothing wrong with the current 617, but there are still lots of terrific used S&W K-22s and Model 17s out there.

Cheapshooter · March 22, 2018, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Is there anything I should know about the S&W Model 617? I want to improve my accuracy with my 686 so I am thinking about getting a 617 so I can plink away and work on my trigger control cheaply

Yes, $800 would buy a lot of 38 Spcl. target ammo to actually learn on your 686.
Or for a fraction of the cost of a 617 you could get a reasonably priced reloading set up, and have a lifetime of low cost 38 Spcl. and even 357 Magnum.
But hey, if it's an excuse to buy another gun, and you don't mind the price, go for it!

Pilot · March 23, 2018, 12:18 AM

A nice .22lr revolver is always great to have. I hope Colt would reintroduce a modernized .22lr Diamondback, but the 617 is a great choice.

If you reload, you can shoot very light .38 Specials in your 686 until you get a 617.

jackmoser65 · March 23, 2018, 08:01 AM

A rimfire understudy is a great idea. Can't beat it.

Quote:

Yes, $800 would buy a lot of 38 Spcl. target ammo to actually learn on your 686.

Yeah right. 2000 rounds of 38 special will cost you roughly $750. 2000 rounds of 22 long rifle about $120. YOOGE difference! How many hours at the reloading bench to load the 500 rounds you can buy for $30? Sorry to burst your bubble but long term nothing beats a 22 long rifle.

Cheapshooter · March 23, 2018, 08:23 AM

Quote:

2000 rounds of 22 long rifle about $120.

Plus the $800 to buy the gun he wants to use to learn how to shoot the gun he already has.

Quote:

How many hours at the reloading bench to load the 500 rounds

Well, maybe not for everybody, but I enjoy my relaxing time at the loading bench.
But like I said, if it's an excuse to buy another gun, why not? I've used more lame excuses s than his.

jackmoser65 · March 23, 2018, 09:32 AM

Not lame at all but actually very wise. There is no substitute for cheap trigger time.

Sorry but financially, your argument falls on its face in no time flat. Right now a lot of 22 ammo is on clearance at Midway. Order a case of 525 bulk packs for $200. That's 5250 rounds, which would be $2000 for cheap 38 special factory loads. Or if you handload you'd spend almost $400 just for cheap cast bullets. In the first case of ammo you've netted $1200 and you didn't have to spend 20 hours at the reloading bench to do it. Your logic is too simplistic and superficial.

Learning to shoot or honing your skills and the enjoyment of handloading are two different things. Time is money and the time saved from not reloading 22's can be time spent shooting.

Cheapshooter · March 23, 2018, 10:39 AM

But you also miss my point completely. I enjoy my time at the loading bench. I don't consider it a waste one bit. In fact I have even taken an extra gun to the range when my first pryority was shooting something else. Just to shoot up some reloads I had so I could load some mote. Tends to get me a lot more trigger time that way.
I didn't mean the OP had a lame excuse for buying the 617, but rather that I have come up with some dandies!

I think the difference in our thinking is that you are in the "guns are only a tool" camp. While I see the usefulness of purpose I also recognize, and enjoy the recreational aspect. Not only of guns, but handloading as well.

jackmoser65 · March 23, 2018, 11:57 AM

The question was not about the enjoyment of handloading.

Quote:

I think the difference in our thinking is that you are in the "guns are only a tool" camp.

100% wrong. I enjoy shooting. Handloading is just a necessary chore, like mowing the yard. There is absolutely no way a centerfire can ever compete with the 22 long rifle for cheap, plentiful, worry-free, pure shooting enjoyment. No matter how much one might enjoy handloading. There are only so many hours in the day.

Master Blaster · March 23, 2018, 11:59 AM

Get it you will love it, .22lr is fun to shoot and the lack of recoil will enhance your accuracy with centerfire calibers.

glenspen · March 23, 2018, 12:24 PM

Thanks for the advice everyone.

Great debate about costs of shooting.

I'm just headed out to DROS the 617!

I currently don't own a 22LR handgun so this should be a good starting place

dgludwig · March 23, 2018, 04:30 PM

You made the right decision, glenspen. Just curious though: If you were buying the gun in Ohio, you could take it home with you within minutes of the transaction. How long of a wait does a citizen from California have to make before he/she can legally possess the gun?

glenspen · March 23, 2018, 06:33 PM

10 day wait...April 2nd pickup

JERRYS. · March 23, 2018, 06:57 PM

38s and snap caps in the gun you already have.

Nathan · March 23, 2018, 08:47 PM

Quote:

I'm just headed out to DROS the 617!

Nice choice. Just closed on a 17-3 myself......now, about that k38!

Master Blaster · March 24, 2018, 09:39 AM

I will never understand folks who argue against getting a great .22lr pistol or revolver.

Arguements of the anti .22lr camp.

1. You can reload and shoot centerfire for the same price.
2. .22lr is not a REAL gun so you are wasting your time.
3. You should not spend a lot of money on a good .22lr firearm because it's not a REAL caliber.

None of the arguments make any sense. I really enjoy shooting my .22lr revolvers and pistols. It's not about cheap or Real.. It's about fun to shoot. I love my .22lr. Firearms.

AzShooter · March 24, 2018, 10:02 AM

At this months Steel Challenge I had to shoot my 617 instead of my automatic since it was in the shop. I enjoyed every minute of it. It was the most fun I've had at a match this year and I actually had my best overall time. I love shooting revolvers and the 617 is no exception. Add one to your arsenal and enjoy!

Viper225 · March 24, 2018, 11:17 PM

My brother and I both have 617's. Probably our most shot revolvers. Both of ours are 6 shot to match our other centerfire revolvers. I carried a 610 for years as a reserve deputy sheriff. I did lot of training with the 617. I got mine before the 10 shots came out. We hunted down a 6 shot for my brother.

My local dealer just got a new one in stock. They are a little pricey these days.

Bob

March 20, 2018, 07:41 PM	#1
glenspen Member Join Date: January 17, 2017 Location: San Francisco CA Posts: 29	S&W 617 Revolver Is there anything I should know about the S&W Model 617? The only 22LR gun I have is a 10/22 rifle I want to improve my accuracy with my 686 so I am thinking about getting a 617 so I can plink away and work on my trigger control cheaply Does this seem like a reasonable plan?

March 23, 2018, 12:18 AM	#11
Pilot Senior Member Join Date: December 21, 2000 Posts: 4,193	A nice .22lr revolver is always great to have. I hope Colt would reintroduce a modernized .22lr Diamondback, but the 617 is a great choice. If you reload, you can shoot very light .38 Specials in your 686 until you get a 617. __________________ Pilot

March 23, 2018, 10:39 AM	#15
Cheapshooter Senior Member Join Date: December 2, 2007 Location: Missouri Posts: 8,306	But you also miss my point completely. I enjoy my time at the loading bench. I don't consider it a waste one bit. In fact I have even taken an extra gun to the range when my first pryority was shooting something else. Just to shoot up some reloads I had so I could load some mote. Tends to get me a lot more trigger time that way. I didn't mean the OP had a lame excuse for buying the 617, but rather that I have come up with some dandies! I think the difference in our thinking is that you are in the "guns are only a tool" camp. While I see the usefulness of purpose I also recognize, and enjoy the recreational aspect. Not only of guns, but handloading as well. __________________ Cheapshooter's rules of gun ownership #1: NEVER SELL OR TRADE ANYTHING!

March 23, 2018, 04:30 PM	#19
dgludwig Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2005 Location: North central Ohio Posts: 7,486	You made the right decision, glenspen. Just curious though: If you were buying the gun in Ohio, you could take it home with you within minutes of the transaction. How long of a wait does a citizen from California have to make before he/she can legally possess the gun? __________________ ONLY AN ARMED PEOPLE CAN BE TRULY FREE ; ONLY AN UNARMED PEOPLE CAN EVER BE ENSLAVED ...Aristotle NRA Benefactor Life Member

March 24, 2018, 09:39 AM	#23
Master Blaster Senior Member Join Date: October 11, 1999 Location: One of the original 13 Colonies Posts: 2,281	I will never understand folks who argue against getting a great .22lr pistol or revolver. Arguements of the anti .22lr camp. 1. You can reload and shoot centerfire for the same price. 2. .22lr is not a REAL gun so you are wasting your time. 3. You should not spend a lot of money on a good .22lr firearm because it's not a REAL caliber. None of the arguments make any sense. I really enjoy shooting my .22lr revolvers and pistols. It's not about cheap or Real.. It's about fun to shoot. I love my .22lr. Firearms. Last edited by Master Blaster; March 24, 2018 at 09:45 AM.

March 20, 2018, 07:52 PM	#2
lamarw Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2010 Location: Lake Martin, AL Posts: 3,311	I personally thing you would do better training with .38 Special round in your 686.

March 20, 2018, 08:06 PM	#3
AzShooter Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2006 Location: Surprise, Az. Posts: 766	My 617 is my favorite gun. I've shot thousands of rounds out of it and it keeps on shooting great. I've also shot many thousands of rounds from my .38 revolvers. The biggest difference is the price of the ammo. You have to consider how many rounds you will be firing and will the cost of .22s add up to the cost of your .38. If you don't think you will save that much just shoot light loaded .38s. Reloading is a good choice but recently I calculated that it's as expensive to make your own as it is to buy it. Even if you cast your own bullets, between the cost of lead and electricity the price come so close to loaded ammo that you better enjoy reloading as a second hobby. As a competition shooter I was firing close to 25000 rounds a year out of my centerfire revolvers. I fell in love with the cheaper to shoot 617 and now shoot it for Steel Challenge matches.

March 21, 2018, 01:35 AM	#5
DaleA Senior Member Join Date: September 12, 2002 Location: Twin Cities, MN Posts: 5,313	An S&W 617 is on my bucket list. I'd get the 10 shot if given a choice. AzShooter, I really like the look of yours. The S&W 617 is a little bit expensive but IMhO it's a sweet shooting revolver and with a little bit of care you'll be able to shoot it a lot and then pass it down to the next shooter in your family someday and they'll be able to do the same. A lot of times I think maybe get a Ruger because I really like Ruger firearms https://ruger.com/products/gp100/specSheets/1757.html but the S&W, IMhO, just has a little more class and I'm starting to think like maybe a person should realize they better make the most of what they've got while they still got it. Good luck.

March 21, 2018, 06:08 AM	#6
muzzleblast... Senior Member Join Date: April 16, 2015 Location: Obwat, TN Posts: 285	Buying a 617 to match your 686 makes sense to me.

March 21, 2018, 06:35 AM	#7
NoSecondBest Senior Member Join Date: December 7, 2009 Location: Western New York Posts: 2,736	You can't go wrong owning a nice .22lr revolver. I have, and have had, a good number of them over the years including the 617. That being said, if you reload you can shoot your 686 for about the same price if you use cast/swaged bullets and powders like Unique or Bullseye and use target 38Spl loads in your .357 brass......or just use 38Spl brass. It's really cheap to load centerfire rounds.

March 21, 2018, 08:35 PM	#8
MR.G Senior Member Join Date: July 20, 2001 Posts: 641	Had the same plan. Bought a 617 4" some time ago to shoot with my 686, which was my SD and range gun. Similar guns with same grips and .22 was a lot cheaper to shoot. Stopped shooting at that time and never fired the 617. They make a nice pair.

March 21, 2018, 09:00 PM	#9
Driftwood Johnson Senior Member Join Date: January 3, 2014 Location: Land of the Pilgrims Posts: 2,033	Howdy I am biased. I think the full length under barrel lug S&W is putting on most of their revolvers these days is butt ugly. I bought this Model 617-6 used a few years ago. It was made in 2003. It shoots pretty good, but it is very muzzle heavy. I much prefer the older Smiths. I bought this Model 17-3 brand-spanky new in 1975. I found this K-22 Combat Masterpiece (Pre Model 18) from 1953 a couple of years ago. This K-22 Masterpiece is from 1950. But this worn old K-22 Outdoorsman from 1932 outshoots them all. Nothing wrong with the current 617, but there are still lots of terrific used S&W K-22s and Model 17s out there.

March 23, 2018, 09:32 AM	#14
jackmoser65 Senior Member Join Date: October 11, 2014 Posts: 754	Not lame at all but actually very wise. There is no substitute for cheap trigger time. Sorry but financially, your argument falls on its face in no time flat. Right now a lot of 22 ammo is on clearance at Midway. Order a case of 525 bulk packs for $200. That's 5250 rounds, which would be $2000 for cheap 38 special factory loads. Or if you handload you'd spend almost $400 just for cheap cast bullets. In the first case of ammo you've netted $1200 and you didn't have to spend 20 hours at the reloading bench to do it. Your logic is too simplistic and superficial. Learning to shoot or honing your skills and the enjoyment of handloading are two different things. Time is money and the time saved from not reloading 22's can be time spent shooting.

March 23, 2018, 11:59 AM	#17
Master Blaster Senior Member Join Date: October 11, 1999 Location: One of the original 13 Colonies Posts: 2,281	Get it you will love it, .22lr is fun to shoot and the lack of recoil will enhance your accuracy with centerfire calibers.

March 23, 2018, 12:24 PM	#18
glenspen Member Join Date: January 17, 2017 Location: San Francisco CA Posts: 29	Thanks for the advice everyone. Great debate about costs of shooting. I'm just headed out to DROS the 617! I currently don't own a 22LR handgun so this should be a good starting place

March 23, 2018, 06:33 PM	#20
glenspen Member Join Date: January 17, 2017 Location: San Francisco CA Posts: 29	10 day wait...April 2nd pickup

March 23, 2018, 06:57 PM	#21
JERRYS. Senior Member Join Date: September 23, 2013 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,969	38s and snap caps in the gun you already have.

March 24, 2018, 10:02 AM	#24
AzShooter Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2006 Location: Surprise, Az. Posts: 766	At this months Steel Challenge I had to shoot my 617 instead of my automatic since it was in the shop. I enjoyed every minute of it. It was the most fun I've had at a match this year and I actually had my best overall time. I love shooting revolvers and the 617 is no exception. Add one to your arsenal and enjoy!

March 24, 2018, 11:17 PM	#25
Viper225 Senior Member Join Date: September 20, 2009 Location: SC Missouri Posts: 663	My brother and I both have 617's. Probably our most shot revolvers. Both of ours are 6 shot to match our other centerfire revolvers. I carried a 610 for years as a reserve deputy sheriff. I did lot of training with the 617. I got mine before the 10 shots came out. We hunted down a 6 shot for my brother. My local dealer just got a new one in stock. They are a little pricey these days. Bob