Description
The Smith Wesson 351PD 22 Magnum is the modern descendant of the 22/32 Kit Gun Magnum, a design that dates to 1960 and was built for exactly the job the name describes: living in a hunter or fisherman kit bag. The AirWeight treatment brought the weight down dramatically, and this is the result.
Smith Wesson 351PD 22 Magnum Why 22 Magnum in a Kit Gun
Twenty two WMR sits between 22 LR and the small centerfires. It produces meaningfully more velocity and energy than 22 LR from a handgun barrel, which extends what it can do on small game and puts it in a different category for defensive use, while ammunition remains light and inexpensive to carry in quantity.
The Smith Wesson 351PD 22 Magnum holds seven rounds, two more than a 38 Special J-frame manages in the same cylinder. On a trail gun that is a real advantage.
The frame and cylinder are lightweight aluminum alloy with a stainless steel barrel, which is what makes the revolver light enough to carry all day without noticing. Weight is the single biggest reason people leave a gun at home, and this one solves that problem.
Sights, Grips and the J-Frame Underneath
A HI-VIZ fiber optic front sight is a genuine upgrade over a plain milled ramp. Fiber optic gathers ambient light into a bright coloured dot that your eye finds instantly, which matters enormously on a short sight radius and matters more in the dappled light of woods and water. It goes dark in genuine darkness, since it gathers ambient light rather than glowing on its own.
Wood grips give a warmer feel in the hand than rubber and fill the palm properly on a small frame. On a revolver with mild recoil the grip does not need to be aggressive, and comfort matters more than retention here.
Smith and Wesson J-frame revolvers have been in continuous production since 1950, and the design is about as proven as a firearm gets. Small, simple, reliable, and utterly indifferent to how long it sits in a bag between outings.
A word on rimfire reliability: 22 WMR produces the occasional failure to fire from a dud rim. That is a property of rimfire priming rather than a fault in the revolver, and a revolver handles it far better than a semi-automatic does. Pull the trigger again and the next round comes up.
Carrying and Shooting the Smith Wesson 351PD 22 Magnum
The revolver disappears in a pack, a tackle box or a jacket pocket, which is exactly what it was designed to do. If you carry it in a pocket, use a pocket holster: it keeps the revolver oriented consistently, covers the trigger, and keeps lint out of the action, which matters more on a rimfire than most people expect.
On the range and in the field the fiber optic front sight does a lot of work. Against a cluttered woodland background a plain black post disappears while a bright dot does not, and that is the difference between a quick shot and a missed opportunity on small game.
Expect to experiment with ammunition. A short 22 WMR barrel will show real differences between brands, and the cartridge in particular loses more velocity in a handgun than most people expect since it was designed around rifle barrels. Find what your revolver shoots best and buy it in quantity.
Maintenance Notes
Rimfire runs dirtier than centerfire. Twenty two WMR leaves unburned powder and residue everywhere, so plan on cleaning more often than you would with a centerfire revolver, particularly around the cylinder face and the forcing cone where build-up can eventually bind the cylinder.
Check that the ejector rod stays tight. It can back out over time and lock the cylinder closed at exactly the wrong moment, and it is a thirty second check that saves a frustrating afternoon.
The aluminum alloy frame and cylinder are what make the revolver so light, and they are also softer than steel. Treat the gun as the light-duty tool it is, keep it clean, and wipe the wood grips with an appropriate finish every year or two to keep them from drying out.
Smith Wesson 351PD 22 Magnum Specifications
- Manufacturer part number: 160228
- UPC: 022188602289
- Caliber: 22 WMR
- Capacity: 7 rounds
- Frame: lightweight aluminum alloy J-frame
- Cylinder: aluminum alloy
- Barrel: stainless steel
- Sights: HI-VIZ fiber optic front
- Grips: wood
- Action: double action and single action
Why Buyers Choose the Smith Wesson 351PD 22 Magnum
Weight is the whole argument for a kit gun. A revolver you actually carry on every hike and every fishing trip is worth more than a better one that stays in a drawer.
Twenty two WMR is louder and sharper than 22 LR, and from a short barrel it produces a genuinely impressive muzzle blast. Hearing protection matters at the range more than the mild recoil would suggest.
Ammunition is more expensive and less widely stocked than 22 LR, and it varies more between brands in a short barrel than it does in a rifle. Try a few and settle on what your revolver shoots best.
Who Should Buy It
The Smith Wesson 351PD 22 Magnum suits hikers, campers, anglers and small game hunters: anyone who wants a light trail revolver with more punch than 22 LR, and shooters looking for a seven shot rimfire that carries like nothing at all.
Learn more from Smith and Wesson, or browse the rest of our firearms selection.
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