Smith Wesson Model 617 22LR 6 Inch – Superb Ten Shot Target Revolver

Description

The Smith Wesson Model 617 22LR 6 Inch is the target configuration of the ten shot 617. A six inch stainless barrel on a full-size K-frame produces a rimfire revolver accurate enough for serious competition and heavy enough that nothing moves when you press the trigger.

Smith Wesson Model 617 22LR 6 Inch Ten Rounds and a Long Sight Radius

Because 22 LR cases are small, the Smith Wesson Model 617 22LR 6 Inch fits ten rounds in a cylinder that holds six in 38 Special. On a target line that means fewer interruptions, and in a match format it can mean shooting a full string without reloading.

Six inches is the target length. It gives the longest practical sight radius on a K-frame, which makes small errors in sight alignment produce smaller errors downrange, and it puts weight out front where it steadies the hold through a long slow-fire string.

Adjustable sights let you zero precisely for whichever ammunition your revolver shoots best. That matters enormously on a 22, because rimfire varies significantly between brands and a revolver this accurate will show the difference clearly on paper.

Steel, Weight and the K-Frame

The K-frame is the medium Smith and Wesson double action frame, 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.

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, and the six inch barrel adds more of it exactly where it helps.

Stainless steel construction handles the conditions a range revolver lives in. Rimfire ammunition is dirty, and stainless is considerably more forgiving of a delayed cleaning than blued carbon steel would be.

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.

Shooting the Smith Wesson Model 617 22LR 6 Inch

The Smith Wesson Model 617 22LR 6 Inch pairs K-frame weight with a cartridge that produces no recoil, which makes it one of the easiest revolvers in existence to shoot accurately. Nothing moves, nothing surprises you, and the only variable left is your trigger stroke. Every error you make is visible and attributable, which is exactly what makes it such an effective teaching and diagnostic tool.

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.

For target work the single action option comes into its own. Six inches of sight radius and a light single action break is a genuinely precise combination, and bullseye shooters have used revolvers in exactly this configuration for decades.

Maintenance Notes

The Smith Wesson Model 617 22LR 6 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, 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 6 Inch Specifications

• Manufacturer part number: 160578
• UPC: 022188605785
• Caliber: 22 LR
• Capacity: 10 rounds
• Barrel: 6 inches
• Frame: stainless steel K-frame
• Sights: adjustable
• Action: double action and single action

Why Buyers Choose the Smith Wesson Model 617 22LR 6 Inch

This is one of the best training tools in shooting, and in six inch form it is also a genuinely competitive target revolver. Identical handling to a centerfire K-frame, ten rounds per cylinder, and ammunition cheap enough to shoot 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 6 Inch suits target and competition shooters, trainers and revolver enthusiasts: bullseye competitors, anyone who owns a centerfire K-frame and wants matching practice, and shooters who want the longest sight radius available on a rimfire revolver.

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