I am looking to add a .22lr DA revolver to the collection. I came across a S&W 617 at an auction and liked it. The guy who "won" it must have liked it too since he paid more than it goes for new. But that ignited the desire to have one for myself.

I don't have much revolver experience so would appreciate any thoughts and feedback on the 617. Any issues I should be aware of? Also does anyone have experience with it vs the Ruger GP100?

Thanks in advance for the replies.

No experience with the 617 precisely, but I do have a 63-5 and absolutely love it. S&W makes a nice .22 revolver.

have had a few in the shop inventory, both 6 and 10 round, and they sell quickly,

I have a 17 that was worked on, trigger wise, and it is the full lug model (17-4?)

fantastic revolver, everyone should have one,

They are a great revolver, I have had a 10 shot 17, a 617, and own two six shot 17s (well one is a pre-17), and they demand "great revolver" prices at new or like new condition, and finding one at MSRP will be reflected per this lens. Ones, like my two that I currently have, that have been used are just as nice, but have digs and such that show "character" and "experience" and "love" are less if that doesn't turn you off.

No experience with the GP100 version.

I love mine, 617-6 10 rd cylinder.

It is one I usually put in my range bag. It makes pistol shooting fun.

A friend just bought one as well.
It and my Ruger MkII Government Target are two of my faves, love shooting .22.

The 617 has been offered in many revisions since it was introduced. The one that I remember most with best factory trigger and most accurate, was a 617-1 6". It was a round butt with factory rubber grips, had no MIM parts, case color smooth face target trigger, case color target hammer. This was the best in my experience. Don't get caught up in 10 shot, the six has nothing less, but more, in my experience. Cleaning the 10 was a PITA.

Good luck in your search, assuming you find a good one, there will be many more...

The 617 is the best 22lr revolver made.

I’ve had several over the years. The 4” balances much better than the 6” .

I bought a new 4”, 10 shot 617 a couple of months ago since I like shooting revolvers and shoot weekly. .38 and .357 ammo prices are insane. My handloaded stock was dwindling and reloading components also suck.

So far I have 1000 or so rounds through it. Initially the trigger really stacked bad affecting my accuracy. It has since smoothed out a bit but I’m going to put a Wolff 15# rebound spring and their standard weight mainspring in it to see if that makes it better.

The gun doesn’t like Federal bulk .22 ammo and I’ve had a couple dozen or so misfires out of a 275 round box. Some of these fired on a second strike and some didn’t so I’m blaming the ammo, not the gun. After all, it is bulk ammo. It has been perfect with Winchester bulk ammo and it loves CCI Mini Mags.

Additionally, running the cheap ammo through it, extraction is difficult after a hundred rounds or so. I started taking a .22 caliber bronze brush with me and run it through each chamber a couple times after shooting a hundred rounds of cheap bulk ammo and it seems to help. I’ve not had any hard extraction with the Mini Mags.

Oh, and the extractor rod loosened up two range trips ago making it difficult to open. I tightened it up at home and it was perfect on the last trip. We’ll see how it holds up.

I wish the front sight was anything but black as I almost exclusively shoot at an indoor range and the lighting sucks, making it hard to pick up with my 71 y/o old eyes. I put a dab of fluorescent orange nail polish on it. It helped some but it’s still hard to pick up. I’m probably going to have a fiber optic front sight installed.

Overall, I’m glad I got it even though with CA prices, tax and shit, I was knocking on the thousand dollar door. But I’ll be keeping it till I’m gone and plan on putting a ton of ammo through it. It will allow me to keep my revolver skills up with .22 ammo prices.
I hope this helps.

Years ago, I purchased a 4", 10 shot 617.

It is a favorite of mine, although I do not shoot it enough.

For me, the 4" is really well balanced.

K frame 22’s are plain awesome

They shoot well and last forever

The ejector rod unscrewing is a common S&W issue

Stiff extraction is a common problem with many varieties of S&W 22 revolvers going back decades. A touch with a chamber reamer fixes this.

Make sure you keep a strain screw fully tightened or misfires are a problem

I hate stainless so the 617 is a no go for me. I wish they made a BLUE 10 shot. And without the Hillary hole or stupid full underlug

I have a 4" 617-4 that was one of my, "Grail Guns" for a long time. That version is the 10 shot steel cylinder with no lock. Turns out that variation was only available for 18 months before they went to the lock. Don't know the specifics of the one you were looking at on Gunbroker, but I could easily see a used 617-4 selling for more than a new production 617.

I had just moved to Alaska and walked into Wild West Guns to look around and they had it in the case. I begged with the sales staff to let me leave them money to hold it until I could get my Alaska driver's license and purchase it outright. They agreed and that's what I did. A couple of weeks later I came in with my freshly issued Alaska driver's license, filed out the paperwork and made it official. Jim West the owner was there, saw it and stated, "If I had known we had that, it never would've made it to the case."

I love it and it is one of my favorite revolvers. It's one of those guns I frequently throw in the range bag. I have a philosophy of always take something that I shoot well to the range. That way if I have a frustrating day, I can always pull out one of my, "Go To" guns, put a few rounds down range and end on a positive. The revolver itself has been solid. One issue is that at times with dirty ammo extraction can get a little tough. Couple of passes with a bronze brush through the chambers and it's good to go again.

They're just a fun revolver! Besides the fun factor, it's also a great training revolver to work on fundamentals such as trigger control. If you can find one, go for it.

quote:

The guy who "won" it must have liked it too since he paid more than it goes for new.

Was it an older one without the lock? If so, that is why.

quote:

Stiff extraction is a common problem with many varieties of S&W 22 revolvers going back decades. A touch with a chamber reamer fixes this.

This is true. Many who complain about it on forums are told by those unfamiliar to just 'keep it clean', but that is not the problem. Chamber size is the problem, and S&W has admitted it.

My way around it is shooting a particular ammo, Federal bulk pack 36g copper plated HP. They are sized differently, and will shoot continiously in S&W without extraction issues. I have tested it against a dozen or more ammo types, and this is the answer.

I’ve had a 617 6inch 10 rd for 15ish years.Put a laser grip on it and it has killed a ton of rabbits and has been just a fun gun all around. I put the plug in and removed the lock mechanism and it’s been trouble free. My .22lr keeper

I have no experience with the stainless 617. But I have several other S&W K-22s. I think they are great. I have had a 6" K-22 since 1974. Any time an "If you could only keep one gun, which would it be' thread come up, the K-22 is right near the top of my list. I think if you don't have one, you should get one.

The 617 is a fantastic gun, be it 6 or 10 shot. I've got a scarce 17-8 10 shot from the 90's that has become too collectable to shoot, so it just sits.

All that said, the new Colt King Cobra 10 shot .22 4.25" barrel has become my new favorite .22 revolver. Perfect packing size, great sights, 10 shots, proving to be 100% reliable, trigger feels smoother than the S&W 617's....different but better is how I'd describe it. They are becoming more and more available and priced fairly.

The one thing I've found is Aguila ammunition sticks in the cylinder and is difficult to eject. Everything else slides right out just fine. I've read this is a common trend with Aquila in many revolver cylinders, so I'll just set it aside for use in the rifles and pistols.

Thanks for all the replies so far.

Does the lock make a difference in how it shoots? I would be unlikely to ever engage it.

quote:

Originally posted by Green Highlander:
Thanks for all the replies so far.

Does the lock make a difference in how it shoots? I would be unlikely to ever engage it.

It does not...in fact, it's probably revolver-guy blasphemy to say this, but my MIMed, lock-equipped, sleeved-barreled Model 69 has the nicest action of any S&W revolver I own...even better than my pinned and recessed Model 19.

The main complaints about the lock are related to aesthetics, the basic principle of the thing itself, and most significantly, stories of the lock mechanically failing and engaging when the user did not want it to. While I've never seen that happen in person, I've read some stories on the internet. I'd prefer not to have the lock on my revolvers, for all of the reasons mentioned above, but my distaste for it is not strong enough to prevent me from owning guns equipped with it. I'd have missed out on some really great guns if it had.

There are plug kits available for the hole, if you're so inclined, but IMO they're kind of expensive for what they are and fail to address the gap for the flag by the hammer. I've not bothered to pursue them. Maybe someday I'll regret that when my gun locks up and I get killed in the streets, but I kinda doubt it.

I have a 617 as well, mine is a 4”. Shoots great out of the box. It’s a laser beam as accurate as any 22 I have including a Ruger Mark II with a trigger job.