17 hmr Revolver?

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DealHunter

New member
I like to have both a revolver and a carbine/rifle in each of my pistol/rimfire calibers and I currently have 2 17hmr rifles but no sidearm to go with them.

Would it be worth it to get a .17hmr revolver (I don't think they make any semis for it) or is it just not worth it with such a short barrel?

I like the Single Six but it only comes blued and I prefer stainless if possible, the only S&W I could find is basically a PC Rifle sized 6xx platform and I'm not sure about a Taurus tracker (don't have anything Taurus so far).

Any thoughts?
 
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Gunblast did a review of the Tuarus tracker in .17 HMR it's a nice write up and there is some distance, trajectory, and chrono information in the article. A gentleman at the club I shoot at has one of these and they are very flat shooting. I like it and plan to purchace one as a varmit gun and paper puncher.
 
I did read that review and although I like the data on that site, I'm always a little wary of reviews that are never negative and/or never find anything wrong with any item reviewed (perhaps I'm a cynic).

Ideally there would be an SP101 or a Smith J-frame like that (or even a stainless single six) since I'm familiar with those platforms :)

I've seen quite a few reviews of the Taurus with questionable accuracy or broken parts (not bashing, just relating what I've read). If I could be sure the .17hmr Tracker would be accurate and reliable I'd just go that route but I'm just not sure based on what I've read (and can't seem to find anyone who has one to "try out"). :confused:
 
I like gunblast reviews but those guys never reviewed a gun that wasn't perfect in every way so It's hard to take them seriously. Look into the S&W 17 HMR revolvers they're more expensive but they're almost certainly better than the Taurus.
 
Look into the S&W 17 HMR revolvers they're more expensive but they're almost certainly better than the Taurus.
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Id' love to, but the only one currently made is a PC super long barrel "rifle-sized" model (with a red dot and bi-pod). I think they used to make a 617 like version w. an 8 inch barrel but they're quite large and no longer made.

I was looking for something a little more compact (figure 5-7.5 inch barrel) :)

Guess I might just have to go with the Ruger since at least I know the SSix platform.
 
Well, no smaller framed S&Ws and after handling the Taurus I just wasn't that impressed (with the particular one I held)...

I saw that Davidson's got another "special" run of Stainless SSixes in 17hmr and decided to go that route (especially since it was for a decent enough price). We'll see how the 6.5 inch barrel performs with the round now :)
 
Bottleneck cartridges and revolvers don't generally play well together (see link). I suppose if one's going to go that route anyway, a SA revolver is the better choice. Range report soon, eh?
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Well the Rugers and Smiths tend to get decent reviews so I guess we'll see :)

And aren't the .32-30, the .44-40 and the .22 Jet bottleneck cartridges? Okay maybe they're more of a taper than a true bottleneck ;)
 
I own a Taurus Tracker .17 HMR 6.5" barrel

I'll give you my thoughts on it. It is a mean rimfire revolver, quite heavy, and very loud. Shooting it without hearing protection will make your ears ring. I wish the sights had a slightly more constricted sight picture, it would bring out the potential accuracy this thing can produce. I have a picatinny rail, and when I had my Burris Fastfire III, I killed a squirrel with it. Recoil is non existent, and it is a very flat shooter. I put a set of Hogue monogrips on it as I hated the ribber grips that came on the gun. The better grip goes a long way towards making it a shooter.

You want a long barrel with this caliber, the velocity is what makes this caliber as awesome as it can be, and the shorter the barrel the louder and slower it will be.

In a revolver, its like a little dog with a very loud bark and a mean bite. The squirrel I shot with a hornady v-max at about 10 yards, and the wounding it produced was less than the rifle. Exit wound was about 1/4 inch, squirrel dropped in its tracks. With a scope and a good rest, I would feel comfortable punching them or paper at quite a distance.
 
I own a Taurus Tracker .17 HMR 6.5" barrel
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I'd have liked a nice DA revolver but unfortunately the Tracker I saw I think was one of the "not so nice" ones. It miffed me because I really liked the design and from the sound of it, if you get a good one like you did they're quite nice.

You want a long barrel with this caliber
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Yup, that's why I went w. the 6.5 inch SSix vs. the 5.5 inch one.

Just need to make some time for the range this weekend now :)
 
A SA will do everything you need it to with this caliber, Ruger makes excellent firearms. It's a bit of a novelty for most people, but still a lot of fun. I would expect the Ruger to perform quite well.

Everyone I have let shoot mine loved it. It would be a good one for someone not very experienced shooting handguns other than .22 or those that are recoil sensitive, it makes as noise much more like a center fire without the recoil.
 
...the only [.17HMR S&W] currently made is a PC super long barrel "rifle-sized" model (with a red dot and bi-pod). I think they used to make a 617 like version w. an 8 inch barrel but they're quite large and no longer made.
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Actually, IIRC the previous Model 647 had a 10-1/2" +/- full-underlug barrel, so it was even longer and heavier than the 8-3/4" M617.

IOW the previous M647 was arguably not much of an improvement over the current PC version, particularly if you consider the difficulty of fitting a bipod to that M617-type barrel.
 
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