Description
The Smith Wesson Model 617 22LR 4 Inch is a ten shot 22 LR on a full-size stainless K-frame. It is a training and target revolver built to the same standard as the centerfire guns it mimics, which is exactly why serious shooters own one alongside their 357.
Smith Wesson Model 617 22LR 4 Inch Ten Rounds on a K-Frame
Because 22 LR cases are small, the Smith Wesson Model 617 22LR 4 Inch fits ten rounds in a cylinder that holds six in 38 Special. Ten shots between reloads changes how a range session flows, and it makes the revolver considerably more useful for plinking and small game than a five or six shooter.
The K-frame is the medium Smith and Wesson double action frame, and it is the same size and weight as a Model 10 or a Model 19. That is entirely deliberate: a shooter who owns a centerfire K-frame can practise with this one and have the grip, balance, trigger and sight picture feel identical.
Twenty two LR ammunition costs a fraction of what centerfire does, which means the practice you get from a 617 is practice you can actually afford to repeat. For building double action skill, that is the whole argument.
Sights, Steel and the Four Inch Barrel
Sights are adjustable, which lets you zero precisely for whichever ammunition your revolver shoots best. That matters more on a 22 than on almost anything else, because rimfire varies enormously between brands and a revolver this accurate will show the difference clearly.
The four inch barrel gives a usable sight radius while keeping the revolver balanced rather than muzzle heavy. It is the practical length for a gun that will be used for plinking, small game and training in roughly equal measure.
Stainless steel construction handles the conditions a range and field revolver lives in. Rimfire ammunition is dirty and corrosive residue is a real concern with some older ammunition types, and stainless is considerably more forgiving of a delayed cleaning than blued carbon steel would be.
The weight of an all-steel K-frame is what makes this revolver so pleasant. With a cartridge that produces essentially no recoil, all that mass simply steadies the gun.
Shooting the Smith Wesson Model 617 22LR 4 Inch
The Smith Wesson Model 617 22LR 4 Inch pairs K-frame weight and a cartridge with no recoil makes this one of the easiest revolvers in existence to shoot accurately. Nothing moves, nothing surprises you, and the only variable left is your trigger stroke. That is precisely what makes it such an effective teaching gun: every error you make is visible and attributable.
Running it double action is the skill worth building, and this is the ideal revolver to build it on. A shooter who develops a smooth double action stroke here will carry it directly to a centerfire K-frame, because the trigger geometry and the grip are the same.
Expect to experiment with ammunition. A revolver this accurate will show real differences between a bulk pack and a match load, and the adjustable sights let you zero properly once you have chosen. Buy a few brands, shoot groups, then buy the winner in quantity.
Maintenance Notes
The Smith Wesson Model 617 22LR 4 Inch runs dirtier than a centerfire revolver, because rimfire ammunition is dirtier. Twenty two LR leaves unburned powder and wax 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.
Ten chambers take longer to clean than six, and it is worth doing properly rather than quickly. A chamber with residue build-up will start to make extraction sticky, which on a rimfire shows up as cases that need pushing out rather than dropping free.
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. Stainless is corrosion resistant rather than corrosion proof, so a wipe with an oiled cloth after a session still pays off.
Smith Wesson Model 617 22LR 4 Inch Specifications
- Manufacturer part number: 160584
- UPC: 022188605846
- Caliber: 22 LR
- Capacity: 10 rounds
- Barrel: 4 inches
- Frame: stainless steel K-frame
- Sights: adjustable
- Action: double action and single action
Why Buyers Choose the Smith Wesson Model 617 22LR 4 Inch
This is one of the best training tools in shooting. Identical handling to a centerfire K-frame, ten rounds per cylinder, and ammunition cheap enough that you can shoot it as much as you want.
Rimfire ammunition is lot-to-lot inconsistent, and it 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.
A ten shot 22 revolver is not an inexpensive gun, and it costs considerably more than a rimfire semi-automatic pistol. What you get for that is a proper steel revolver built to the same standard as the centerfire line rather than a plinking toy.
Who Should Buy It
The Smith Wesson Model 617 22LR 4 Inch suits target shooters, trainers and revolver enthusiasts: anyone who owns a centerfire K-frame and wants matching practice, shooters teaching double action fundamentals, and small game hunters who want ten rounds and adjustable sights.
Learn more from Smith and Wesson, or browse the rest of our firearms selection.
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