Smith Wesson Model 63 Kit Gun 22LR 3 Inch – Superb Rimfire Revolver

Description

The Smith Wesson Model 63 Kit Gun 22LR 3 Inch is The Smith Wesson Model 63 Kit Gun 22LR 3 Inch revives one of the most useful ideas Smith Wesson ever had. A kit gun was meant to live in a tackle box, a pack or a glovebox, small enough to forget about and cheap enough to feed all day.

This one is built on the small stainless J-frame, chambered in 22 Long Rifle, and holds eight rounds rather than the five you get in a centerfire J-frame. The three inch barrel gives you enough sight radius to actually hit something, and the fiber optic front sight with a fully adjustable rear means you can zero it for the ammunition you buy instead of living with whatever the factory decided.

Smith Wesson Model 63 Kit Gun 22LR 3 Inch Smith Wesson Model 63 Kit Gun 22LR 3 Inch Sights, Capacity And Practical Accuracy

Most small revolvers come with a groove milled in the topstrap and a fixed front blade, which is fine for arm-length defensive work and useless for shooting a squirrel at twenty yards. The Smith Wesson Model 63 Kit Gun 22LR 3 Inch takes the opposite approach. The rear sight adjusts fully for windage and elevation, so you can zero for a specific 22 load and know where the bullet goes.

The green fiber optic front sight gathers light and shows up against dark backgrounds, which is exactly the condition you meet under trees or at dusk. Together they turn a pocket-sized revolver into something you can shoot deliberately.

Eight rounds in a J-frame cylinder is the other quiet advantage. Rimfire cartridges are small enough that the same frame that holds five 38 Specials holds eight 22s, and that extra capacity matters more than it sounds when you are plinking or dispatching pests. The three inch barrel is a sensible middle ground, long enough to give the 22 Long Rifle round most of the velocity it is going to get and short enough that the revolver still slips into a pack without catching on everything.

Smith Wesson Model 63 Kit Gun 22LR 3 Inch Honest Limits And Rimfire Realities

Rimfire ammunition is not as reliable as centerfire, and anyone telling you otherwise has not shot enough of it. Expect an occasional dud rim, particularly with bulk-pack ammunition, and expect the Smith Wesson Model 63 Kit Gun 22LR 3 Inch to be picky about which brands it likes. A revolver handles this better than a semi-automatic, since a dud is a trigger pull away from the next round rather than a malfunction to clear, but it is still a reason not to treat any 22 as a serious defensive tool.

The double action trigger is heavy, as J-frame triggers are, and a rimfire needs a firm hammer strike to set off the rim, so do not expect a light pull and do not have one fitted. Shoot it in single action for accuracy work and use double action for speed.

Cleaning is the other reality. Rimfire ammunition is dirty, and the front of the cylinder and the forcing cone build up carbon quickly. Left alone long enough, that ring makes the cylinder hard to close and the extraction sticky. It cleans up with solvent and a bronze brush, but it needs doing more often than a centerfire gun would.

The stainless finish is forgiving of damp tackle boxes and sweaty packs, though it is not immune to rust and still wants a wipe with an oiled rag after a wet day.

Smith Wesson Model 63 Kit Gun 22LR 3 Inch Specifications

• Manufacturer part number: 162634
• UPC: 022188626346
• Caliber: 22 Long Rifle
• Capacity: 8 rounds
• Barrel: 3 inches
• Frame: stainless steel J-frame, round butt
• Front sight: fiber optic
• Rear sight: fully adjustable
• Grips: synthetic
• Action: double action and single action

Shoppers comparing the Smith Wesson Kit Gun 22LR against other trail guns usually weigh capacity, sights and corrosion resistance. As a 22LR J Frame Revolver this one carries three more rounds than its centerfire siblings and wears target-grade sights instead of a fixed groove. If a Stainless Rimfire Revolver small enough to forget in a pack is the goal, this is the shape that idea takes.

Why Buyers Choose the Smith Wesson Model 63 Kit Gun 22LR 3 Inch

Buy the Smith Wesson Model 63 Kit Gun 22LR 3 Inch if you want a small, rust-resistant revolver you can shoot cheaply and often. Rimfire ammunition costs a fraction of centerfire, which means real practice rather than the fifty rounds a year most people put through a carry gun. The adjustable sights and eight round cylinder make it genuinely useful for small game, pest control and teaching new shooters.

Skip it if you want a defensive handgun, because 22 Long Rifle is a poor choice for that job and rimfire ignition is not dependable enough to bet on. Skip it if you will not clean it regularly, since rimfire fouling builds fast. And skip it if you expect a light trigger out of the box, because a rimfire needs a hard hammer fall to work at all.

Who Should Buy The Smith Wesson Model 63 Kit Gun 22LR 3 Inch

The Smith Wesson Model 63 Kit Gun 22LR 3 Inch suits This revolver suits campers, hikers, anglers, small game hunters, farm and ranch owners dealing with pests, and anyone teaching a new shooter the fundamentals without the cost or recoil of centerfire. It also makes a good understudy for anyone who carries a centerfire J-frame, since the manual of arms is identical. All firearm sales ship to a licensed FFL dealer for transfer, and handgun rules vary by state, so confirm your local law before ordering.

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Every firearm we list ships to your chosen FFL and is transferred there after a background check.