Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 22 Trail Guns....

Nice photo!!

Mine is a little more beat up from years of use, but still functions perfectly.

I agree, the SW 63 is a great little trail gun. A sweet heart to teach newbies with as well.

My elk hunting pal just picked up the newer SW J frame .357 with a 5" barrel. It has adj sights and is an awesome little piece. Same weight as my 63 and lighter than my Ruger SP101.
Since magnum ammo is rarely needed, but often carried.... the gun is a very flexible fire arm.

Nice gun. The only one I've found that I like better is the model 43. Same gun in airweight version. Only 14 ounces, you forget you are carrying it until you need it.

Norm

Here's the boys when they were young, shooting the SW 63 in .22 lr and my SW 19 with wad cutters. They loved these little impromptu shooting sessions

Smith M51 22Magnum

Have the exact same gun. Would like to have the trigger pull lightened and the action smoothed a bit.

I have a BuckMark and like it very well for a accurate little knock around .22 pistol. A .22 mag handgun would be nice as well.

Who likes the little Ruger Bearcat? Do they suffer from the Ruger rimfire relatively inaccurate disease?

i've been craving for one since i was 10 years old...

i have owned a smith 17 and a 63... both perfectly fine and accurate revolvers, but i've always itched for that bearcat... seversal friends own them, and some are more accurate than others... i've been told that i look ridiculous holding them... i'm a pretty large guy...

i'm not real big into handguns, and most of them lose my attention and get traded or sold to acquire rifles....
i think that if a bearcat comes my way, it will stay... accuracy will not be a big factor.....

Steelhead;

I got play with a SW 51 for a while... 3" or 3.5" barrel IIRC.
It was a wonderful revolver and very accurate, but I had to return it to it's owner.

I bought a Taurus 94 (i think thats the model )in .22 mag to satisfy that itch. I didn't like the Taurus anywhere near as much.
It was accurate enough, but a fired cylinder full would be a bitch to eject..? I'd have to lean pretty hard on the ejector rod to punch them out.

Although I killed quite a few ground squirrels with the .22 mag, I found that I could do the same job easier and for pretty much the same cost with my .38 spcl.

Great little revolver, that 51.

A High-Standard Sport King LW is an excellent choice, and a S&W 22-32 Kit Gun with a 3" barrel is my favorite.

Don't know what happened to my picture ( I must have screwed up) but here it is again.... I like j frame S&W's what can I say? Model 34's, a 63 and 2 651's

It's now official...I HATE you!!

...don't want to sell one, do you...trades??

I'll chime in and say I like my Buck Mark better than my old Ruger Mk for balance and takedown. It is very accurate and reliable - moreso than the Ruger MKIIs my buds own and have shot lately on our outings. A guy who used to tune triggers for Browning did my trigger. I'll take one any day over a Ruger.

I have an original Ruger Bearcat. Really nice little packing SA and a terrific starting handgun for my daughter. I think that the rudimentary notch sights are the biggest hindrance to accuracy with that handgun - but I ain't sellin'!
My son has the bigger Single-Six and it is more accurate - or easier to be more accurate with. Good outfit.

My brother had a Colt Woodsman and it was really terrific (but really no better than the Buck Mark), I just don't want to pay what they are asking on the market for them.

I always thought the S&W Kit gun would be a great trail gun - I just haven't gotten around to getting one yet.

Another discontinued "sleeper" .22 auto I have experience with (owned by a shootin' bud) is the S&W 2206. Same size as the Buck Mark and a fabulous shooter - if you find one on the market for a decent price - BUY!!

Steelhead, what is the barrel length on your 51 ?

Frisco, about 12 or so years back I had a MKII SS std. 4 3/4, did a trigger hone myself, and I would put it against anything I have shot....crazy how good it was, and after that, it hit wherever you aimed it,,,,,and it was another of many I sold.

Also, had a 34, 4", sold it, wanted a larger grip, bought a 17-4, HB 4", TT TH, etc. Patridge sight, and it was perfect in my hand, tight times after being married in college allowed a truck driver to take it away.....rarely see them.

I am looking hard at a SS URX 4.5 or 5.5 but I had spied a Sport King SK-100 or something like that, as new....fit real well in hand, 4.5"..(going to call the shop about that HS and see if its still around)...something about older 'quality' good quality steel - hand finished parts that sucks me in.....or green out the wallet...

Like a 1906 Smith 44 "Hand Ejector" 5" nickel (not factory done-killed value), I let go for a SONG....it was slicker than a Python I had once.....just are not made like they were back in the day!

Fine collection there, Elk. Just the way I like and prefer then too, sans the sideplate lock.

Correction, must be 17-5 I had. Made around 85-88.

Me too. I refuse to buy a new S&W with the idiot lock!

I have a number of trail carry pistols but my favorite is my Colt Woodsman.