Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Itching for a smallish 22 revolver.......

Thinking along the lines of a S&W M63 w/ 3" bbl. Not sure I want to go superlight like the M317 but just dreaming a little anyway. Anybody have experience with either of other options along the same lines?

A vintage Kit gun would be hard to beat. (May be hard to find at a decent price).

This one dates back to the '60's and is a keeper.

DF

It's been a lot of years since I did much with a Model 63.... nice gun, without a doubt. My "Kit gun" these days is a 3" 317 and it doesn't have the panache of a 63, but it's probably a lot more practical choice for the purpose. It weighs almost nothing and I sometimes carry it in the bib pocket of my bib overalls. It's pretty handy.

Check out the S&W model 34 kit gun....

317 by light years. Go 3" and bank the adjustable sights. S/S for THE Win and 8-shots. Hint.





The CT grip only speeds things up,for when things go "BUMP!" in the night. Hint.................

A second hand S&W 63-3 2” would make an excellent choice, though they’re getting pretty pricey these days:



Got this one new way back when. Put a zillion rounds through it (by actual count) since then. Still performs well.

For light weight, look at a new S&W 43C, currently marketed:

Love my 3” 63 8-shot, and it’s big brother M60 Pro (or whatever) with the night sights and laser. Wouldn’t mind one of the light ones too, but currently a Ruger LCP2 fills that niche, and is surprisingly easy to hit with.

Need to look at that 43C…..

I like Elsie Pitu, as well:



It’s extraordinarily reliable and shoots tightly to the sights at three yards (Copperhead distance). But, beyond that, it starts shooting high to the point where it’s nearly off the paper at 15 yards. Not sure yet what I want to do about that, if anything.



For hitting stuff a bit farther away with a lightweight, I certainly recommend the 43C:



Target at 50 feet. I did install a Baughman ramp front sight in place of the original big dot.

SW 317 is a spot on. I love it.. Only problem is my wife likes and wants her own. Neighbors are a half mile away, she carries outside . Also keeps handy inside.

Not a lot of choices in this category these days - one of the Smith J-frames, either new or older, a Ruger SP101 or a Ruger LCRx which is a wee bit larger but not enough to matter. Any of those is going to set you back $500 or more, mostly lots more for the Smiths or the SP101, unless you can luck into a real bargain.

In the long run you're probably better off to just buy once, cry once and get a good S&W of your choice. They will give excellent service and keep their value.


You could go older school and get an H&R 926. They can be had in very good condition for $400 or a bit under. They weigh about the same as a Ruger SP101 and would probably have good to excellent accuracy with a so-so trigger based on my sample of one H&R Model 939 some 57 years ago.

smallish 22lr double action revolver? ruger lcr.

taurus 94 has an atrociously hard trigger pull. s&w 317’s aluminum cylinder heat binds by 50 range rounds. anything charter arms is roughly made. i had all of these turds and still have the ruger lcr.

My wife loves her 317. She shot a 6" blued 17 but didn't like the weight. I bought her the 317 and she really
enjoys shooting it.

Centershot: I have been shooting with and Hunting with Smith & Wesson Model 34's for 55+ years now and shooting with and Hunting with Smith & Wesson Model 63's for 45 years now - and both in different barrel lengths!
My extensive experience leads me to recommend (highly recommend!) the 4" barrel length for your uses.
Accuracy and balance are the motivations here.
I also greatly enjoy my Smith & Wesson Model 651 (22 Magnum, stainless "J" frame) with the 4" barrel.
YOU will shoot better with the 4" barrel versus a 3" barrel and the minute difference in weight between the 3" and 4" models will be forgotten instantly with the increased accuracy and balance (feel)!
First choice then is the Smith & Wesson Model 63 with the 4" barrel.
Second choice is the Smith & Wesson Model 34 with the 4" barrel.
FORGET anything with the "hillary hole"! Thank me later.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I bought a S&W 317 because the price was too low to pass on, but after shooting it a little, I found that I didn't care for it. I have big hands and putting stocks that fit my hand on a J-frame makes a K-frame just as handy and better balanced.

Same/same sort of thing on the 422/622 vs. 2206. The alloy guns are lighter to carry, but I shoot the heavier stainless guns better.

There are often compromises and only you know which attributes are the most important to you.,

Despite having S&W 17s, 18s, 48s, ans a 617, the rimfire revolvers that I carry and shoot the most are old Rossi 511/515/518 series.

My S&W 17 6" K-frame morphed into a 4" 34 J-frame with a larger grip set. I thought about a 63 stainless, but the ones that I tried were rough compared to my blued 34. I had that one Armaloy plated, which is a non shiny nickel as I understand it, so it looks like stainless buy kept the blued steel smoothness. S&W did make an alloy J-frame version, but the 34 was light enough for me and probably most people.

My wife really likes shooting my S&W 34. I like my S&W 63 with a 5” barrel. I also have a S&W model 35 with a 6” barrel but I don’t have much trigger time with it yet.
For general purposes I would go with a 4” mod 63 because they’re fairly available and being stainless, pretty indestructible.

Nice to pin the CT of a 3" 317 on an Intruder,even if'n you gotta Woof 'em away and drop the camera. Hint.



Fhuqking LAUGHING!................

Ha, might have not brought enough gun. Good thing for the Woof!

22LR ain't never been more than wayyyyyy enough,as EVERYTHING leads with it's head. Hint.

Been schlepping a Pistole chambered same for 36yrs non stop,only including Admirality,Baranoff,Chichagoff,Kodiak,Afognak and The Mainland from Annette to Yakutat...with "only" lotsa stops between. Hint..................