Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns S&W 18 vs 43.

It sometimes gets hard to keep track of what one has sold off and what one just hasn't seen in a few years because it's way in the back of the safe.

Go for the M 18. I had his bigger brother, the M17 I unfortunately sold some years ago. It was not the lack of money but the lack of a reasonable gun law in Germany. If I would ever buy a 22 revolver again it would be the M18. And as an addition: The M 15 or his stainless cousin the M67

That's a nice combo to have.

The barrel rib on the 15 was wider(heavier) than the rib on the 18 to add weight due the loss of it on the 15 with it's bigger bore, making both guns weigh & balance nearly identical. I think that's neat as hell, & shows how much thought S&W put into building something.

So yes, what a pair to have.

I had a 4" model 18 and later a model 17 6 " which I still have. The model 18 shot ok but nothing like the 17. Also have a 43 that I never use.

Throwing in another 1,000 votes for the Model 18 (Democrat voting rules ).

Have owned 18's, 17's, 63's - the original 4" version - and 34's. All are accurate, the first two are generally more shootable.

The 18 will weigh roughly 33-34 ounces loaded which isn't obtrusive with a good belt holster and there are a ton of K-frame grips available to fit all hand sizes and individual tastes. Love me some J-frames but unless there is a criteria for a smaller grip they always felt a bit tiny in the hand, especially with the standard or service style grip.

Based on your stated purpose and that you're new to handguns I think the weight and grip size of the 18 will really help your shooting which will help your confidence which will help your shooting even more.

They are expensive at this time but it's still worthwhile to look and wait for a good one - pay once cry once.

I'll mention the Ruger SP101 4" .22, that's a nice little 8 shot that's a bit bigger and heavier than the J-frame Smiths but unfortunately Ruger's QC these days just isn't that hot. If you can examine one in person and it has a straight barrel and the front sight is on straight it'd be a good shooter.

But overall, that Model 18 is really a Cadillac of .22 revolvers, you would never regret buying one.




And now that I've promoted the K-frame over the J-frame I'll go back and say that this one really floats my boat for some reason. Model 35-1, J-frame with a 6" barrel. Basically it is to a Model 34 as the 17 is to a Model 18. Folks are very proud of these things nowadays.

Thanks again all for the informative post.

18 it is.

Ah, common! not gonna look at 617's & stuff?

Just kidding. A model 18 should bring 10's of thousands of rounds of enjoyment. Enjoy!!

Don’t confuse me more, I’m like a kid, don’t give me to many choices.

Besides, ‘Gruff suggested the 18, maybe I can grow a beard like his if I get the 18.

A beard will improve damn near every aspect of your life.

K-frame .22's are rimfire nirvana.

18s/17s usually lock up tighter and Kframe triggers are miles better than Js.

Wish you guys would have talked me into something cheaper.

That’s alright, the beard will be worth it.

Buy the Model 18.

Thank you for this information. I always wondered how they managed to achieve the same balance as the M17/M14 and M18/M15 were advertised to complement each other.

Indeed there must be a difference considering that the outside measurements are the same but there is more "meat" on the M18/M17 due to the smaller "hole/s" in the barrel and cylinder. Years ago I read an arcticle by Mike Venturino who stated that he didn't like the Colt SAA 357 because of a totally different balance than it's bigger bore cousins.

Have both. The 3.5 inch model 43 from the early 70s would be better hiking gun due to size and weight. Much harder to shoot however since it is so light

Ok, now that you guys have me spending a lot of money. Is there years/ -‘s better than others?

Pre 18’s better?

Yes they are 😁. I bought one last year, probably paid a little more than I should have but it’s really slick and accurate.