44caliberkid
New member
A Ruger Single 9 or Single 10.
.22 Revolver Recommendations
- Thread starter chris downs
- Start date
chris downs
New member
barrel length for .22
What's a good barrel length for a .22 revolver? I want it to be a suitable length for a kid's 1st pistol shooting experiences. Thanks.
What's a good barrel length for a .22 revolver? I want it to be a suitable length for a kid's 1st pistol shooting experiences. Thanks.
chris downs
New member
First off, I am convinced I need two additional SA .22 revolvers, one inexpensive and one nicer. So I am searching GunBroker for Ruger .22s. (I like Rugers) The Wrangler is my only choice for inexpensive. In the nicer category is the recommended (in this thread) Single Six as well as the Bearcat.
Anybody have anything nice or unkind to say about the Bearcat (especially vis-a-vis the Single Six.)
Anybody have anything nice or unkind to say about the Bearcat (especially vis-a-vis the Single Six.)
The Bearcat is too small for my liking but if kids are going to be shooting it its a good choice.
Aguila Blanca
Staff
chris downs said:
I agree. My hands are not especially large for male paws, and I can't [properly] hold a Bearcat, because the grip is too small. Not just "a little" too small -- it's way too small. As Hawg said, it's great for younger children but, IMHO, it's simply not made for adult hands. At least not adult male hands.Hawg said:
On the other hand (no pun intended), I have owned a Super Single Six convertible for more than twenty years. (The "Super" was the name Ruger used at the time for the model with adjustable target sights.) It's great. I rarely use the magnum cylinder, but I'm glad I have it.
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Dad got Mom a Super Bearcat (steel frame) in the early 70s. Paid $57 and got them to throw in a left hand holster (Mom was left handed).
I got to shoot it a bit when I was younger, but by the time I was 15 it was just too small in the grips. Mom was 4'10" (and a half! Damnit!) wore a size 3.5 ring and it was perfect for her. My class ring was size 8.5 (mom's ring would pass through mine) and the "Cat" was just too small for my comfort.
Other than that, the fixed sights and the old style (Colt pattern) lockwork it was a great gun.
Don't know bout the new ones, sorry.
I've had a Super Single Six since about 83 or so, its my go to .22LR revolver and I'm fond of it. New Model lockwork, shoots well and the magnum cylinder has lived in a box for about the last 30 years or so...
Driftwood Johnson
New member
Howdy
This S&W K-22 Outdoorsman left the factory in 1932. It was shipped to the Providence Rhode Island Board of Safety, probably shot by the police pistol team. This is the worst side, the other side looks much better. The bare spot in the blue above the trigger is probably from shooters resting their finger there at bullseye matches. This is the most accurate 22 revolver I own (I have lots of them). It cost me $600 a few years ago. Well worth it.
I really do not understand the guy who thinks S&W 22 Rimfire revolvers are inaccurate. I love them. Left to right, Model 17-3 that I bought brand-spanky new in 1975, K-22 Masterpiece that shipped in 1950, the K-22 Outdoorsman mentioned above, another K-22 Outdoorsman that shipped in 1935, a K-22 Combat Masterpiece that shipped around 1953 or so.
A word about S&W 22 rimfire revolvers. All of the above revolvers are built on the S&W K frame. This is the frame size S&W originally developed in 1899 for 38 Special revolvers. The K in the K-22 series denotes this. Personally, I think this is the ideal size for a 22 Rimfire revolver. Here is a photo that compares various double action revolvers made by S&W over the years. The two on the left are no longer made. The tiny revolver at bottom left is a 22 Rimfire Ladysmith. Too small to be any practical use. Just above that is an I frame revolver, this one happens to be a 38 Regulation Police. Also not made any more. The giant at top right is a N frame 44 Special Triple Lock. S&W still makes N frame revolvers, they do not make the Triple Lock any more. I'm pretty sure they never chambered the N frame for 22 Rimfire, just too big. Directly below that is a K frame 38 Military and Police. This is the same size as the K-22s and the Model 17. As I said, this is my favorite size for a 22 Rimfire revolver. Below that is a J frame 38 Special Chiefs Special. Lots of 22s made on this frame, particularly the 22/32 Kit guns.
This is a S&W stainless Model 63. An example of a 22/32 Kit gun. These were built on the J frame, so they are smaller than a K frame revolver. They were called the 22/32 Kit Guns because they were originally made on the I frame, which was designed as a 32 caliber revolver. Kit guns because they were the perfect size for a fisherman to put in his tackle box, sometimes called his kit. This one is stainless, they came blued too, as the Model 34. Really nice, compact 22s. This one has a 4" barrel.
A word about rear sights on S&W revolvers. Look at the photo of the K-22 Outdoorsman at the top of this post. Notice the tiny screw in the rear sight. A shooter needed a tiny screwdriver to adjust that sight. There were two screws, one on each side. First you backed the screw out on one side, then pushed the sight with the screw on the other side, then snugged up the first screw against the sight in its new position. In the late 1940s S&W went to their current Micrometer Click rear sight. Just one big screw on the right side. No more need for a tiny screw driver, and the one screw could push or pull the sight wherever you wanted it. The K-22 Masterpiece and K-22 Combat Masterpiece in this photo both have the modern style rear sight, that is still being used by S&W today.
Barrel lengths? I like 6" on my K frames, but 4" are good too. Neither is more accurate than the other, but the longer sight radius of a longer barrel makes it seem more accurate.
I like Ruger Single Sixes too. These are the old Three Screw models that are not made anymore. They do not have a transfer bar inside as all modern Ruger revolvers do. The rear sights on two of these are only adjustable for windage by driving them to one side with a punch. The one on the right has a modern adjustable rear sight.
chris downs
New member
ty for pics!
lee n. field
New member
Any idea what MSRP is on that? (Not that we're going to find any available out in the world right now.)
Aguila Blanca
Staff
I don't know. I'm trying to find out.lee n. field said:
@lee n. field: According to a distributor, Davidsons, the RIA, .22 LR blued revolver is 549 $, and the stainless version is 749 $.
I wasn't aware of that RIA model, but as aguila blanca says, they look impressive.
In the past, I've dismissed the Philippines firearms, but after examining and shooting a friend's RIA 1911, I'm starting to change my mind. His .45 ACP wasn't a Kimber or Colt Gold Cup, but it seemed a good value for its price point.
To stay on point, I've always like the ruger sp101. It's sort of a goldilocks size - not too big and not too small. The trigger can be heavy, but a replacement 14 pound hammer spring, and a replacement 8 pound trigger return spring will improve it a lot, without misfires. If the weight of the sp101 is too heavy, then a charter arms pathfinder with panel grips, or a 3 inch ruger LCRx would be light and compact.
I wasn't aware of that RIA model, but as aguila blanca says, they look impressive.
In the past, I've dismissed the Philippines firearms, but after examining and shooting a friend's RIA 1911, I'm starting to change my mind. His .45 ACP wasn't a Kimber or Colt Gold Cup, but it seemed a good value for its price point.
To stay on point, I've always like the ruger sp101. It's sort of a goldilocks size - not too big and not too small. The trigger can be heavy, but a replacement 14 pound hammer spring, and a replacement 8 pound trigger return spring will improve it a lot, without misfires. If the weight of the sp101 is too heavy, then a charter arms pathfinder with panel grips, or a 3 inch ruger LCRx would be light and compact.
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lee n. field
New member
FWIW, the revolver in question was made in the Czech Republic, not the Philippines. Alfa-Proj, used to be imported into the US by a different company. Not at all like RIA's .38 sort-a Colt clones.
(And yes, my Phillippine Rock Island .45 is a super great value.)
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www.czechpoint-usa.com This is the old site for the revolvers.
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Nice gun and it's a Ruger, but .... small. I'd try one in your hand to see if it suits you.
I have size "L" hands, buy XL neoprene gloves from Harbor Freight so I'm not 'pinched', and do shoot most single actions with the pinkie under grip. An old friend, read: over 50 yrs we've been friends, has no trouble shooting his wife's Bearcat. It, like any Ruger Single Six, will be a lifetime gun for you...they're that good. Rod
When I was a kid I got a Ruger Single-6 nib on a trade. This was my first quality 22. My buddies all had H&Rs, IJs or import knock offs. My S-6 was Target grade compared to them. A little later I got a K22 nib on another deal. I had no interest in DA revolvers. Most because of the H&Rs and IJs. Anyway a buddy of mine pestered me to shot the K22. I didn’t want to make it “used “ but finally gave in.
It was a long time before I shot my S-6 again. We were positively astounded by the accuracy of the K22. You have to cut some slack on this. It was 1964 and a lot of people didn’t have the money to buy a high quality 22 pistol. Also because of the reputation of the cheap 22s at the time they were considered toys. I still have my original K22 and several extras as well as m18s and m34s. When I’m going to do some serious 22 shooting it the old k22 every time. Still have the old S-6 too. I have around 3 dozen 22 handguns and I have been selling them off, the last one to go will be the k22
It was a long time before I shot my S-6 again. We were positively astounded by the accuracy of the K22. You have to cut some slack on this. It was 1964 and a lot of people didn’t have the money to buy a high quality 22 pistol. Also because of the reputation of the cheap 22s at the time they were considered toys. I still have my original K22 and several extras as well as m18s and m34s. When I’m going to do some serious 22 shooting it the old k22 every time. Still have the old S-6 too. I have around 3 dozen 22 handguns and I have been selling them off, the last one to go will be the k22
slimchancepistolero
New member
was at a LGS today to look at a NIB Wrangler .. they had 2 guns on display, handled both with the thought of using these for a new category, during this ammo shortage, at our club shooting CAS .. have been shooting CAS for 13 yrs, shoot either my pair of 510 stainless Rugers or my SASS Rugers .. much prefer the 510's .. both these Wranglers had hammer springs that felt over 20#, i doubt a kid could cock the hammer with one hand, while you could turn the cylinders in either direction, you could NOT get even a half cyld spin out of them ... i also have a set of the old 3 screw single sixs and a set of the Vaquero single sixs and none of them have a heavy hammer spring ... is this normal for a Wrangler to have such a heavy hammer spring?? do these Wranglers have the same type hammer spring, ie, coil spring that can be lightened??
Well I just picked up, what could become one of my favorite's, if not my favorite .22LR handgun. It is the Smith & Wesson Model 617 Revolver holding 10 rounds. This gun is on the same frame (K Frame) as the Model 686 chambered in 357magnum. This gun is hefty and recoil is almost non-existent due to the diameter of the barrel and the full length underlug. I have been reading about problems within the first few rounds, but I put 40 rounds into a softball sized dirt clod, until I can get to the range, without any problems. This is a 4" barrel model and there is even a 6" model available. Right out of the box, it shot to aim at 15 yards using the Browning BPS 40gr. rated at 1435fps. I don't know how it groups yet, but in 40 rounds I never missed destroying a dirt clod. The single action trigger felt like about 3-4lbs. and the double action pull was smooth as glass and probably around 7-8lbs. This is the first S&W Revolver I have owned in 30 years. It has the frame safety which does not bother me in a .22 caliber gun, so to prevent any possible warranty coverage issues, it will stay unmolested. The grip is a bit small for my big hands, but not so uncomfortable that I want to change it. I will be changing the front sight to one that is fiber optic, to help my old eyes. The black on black just doesn't work for me. Rear sight is a nice adjustable one, but I wish it had a white outline blade. Again for the old eyes. It will be a nice companion to my Ruger 10/22 for cottontail and bushytail hunting.
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spacecoast
New member
The 686 is an L frame gun, a little bigger and beefier than the K frame. But I agree on the Model 17 recommendation.
I think the Ruger Single-Six Convertible is the best bet for you, overall.
There are many online resources describing how to smoothen/slick up the action, but remember that there is a ratio between how strong the hammer spring is and how frequently there are misfires.
Yet, even with the factory main/hammer spring, there is a chance of misfire/hangfire with .22 rimfire- as bulk ammo isn't the most reliable.
You WILL need 2 cylinders to be able to shoot every .22 rimfire handgun cartridge, as others have indicated. Seems like you know that already.
IF you want your kid to have fun with the Ruger S6, get a shorter barrel length.
Ruger S6 grip frames are aluminum [unless you buy a stainless gun], so a 6" barrel might be nose heavy for a kid.
I took the time to fit steel grip frames to my S6 and Blackhawk guns with 6" barrels so that I will like the balance better.
My 4.62" barreled S6 and Blackhawk I've left alone, as they seem to balance ok as it is.
I can't think of any other pistols with swappable cylinders that are as reliable and can be tuned to have as smooth of a trigger as the Ruger S6 pistol platform, for SA pistols.
I don't know of a DA pistol with swappable cylinders except the old High Standard Durango revolvers- which were a western six-gun look but a DA/SA action. I think they had some with swappable cylinders.
The High Standard Sentinel revolver was the police/duty looking version, and they cannot be as easily tuned for slick/light action as the Ruger can.
If you are getting 2 revolvers anyway, I'd say to get a Ruger Single Six convertible AND a DA/SA quality revolver- rather than something smaller/cheaper than the S6.
There are many online resources describing how to smoothen/slick up the action, but remember that there is a ratio between how strong the hammer spring is and how frequently there are misfires.
Yet, even with the factory main/hammer spring, there is a chance of misfire/hangfire with .22 rimfire- as bulk ammo isn't the most reliable.
You WILL need 2 cylinders to be able to shoot every .22 rimfire handgun cartridge, as others have indicated. Seems like you know that already.
IF you want your kid to have fun with the Ruger S6, get a shorter barrel length.
Ruger S6 grip frames are aluminum [unless you buy a stainless gun], so a 6" barrel might be nose heavy for a kid.
I took the time to fit steel grip frames to my S6 and Blackhawk guns with 6" barrels so that I will like the balance better.
My 4.62" barreled S6 and Blackhawk I've left alone, as they seem to balance ok as it is.
I can't think of any other pistols with swappable cylinders that are as reliable and can be tuned to have as smooth of a trigger as the Ruger S6 pistol platform, for SA pistols.
I don't know of a DA pistol with swappable cylinders except the old High Standard Durango revolvers- which were a western six-gun look but a DA/SA action. I think they had some with swappable cylinders.
The High Standard Sentinel revolver was the police/duty looking version, and they cannot be as easily tuned for slick/light action as the Ruger can.
If you are getting 2 revolvers anyway, I'd say to get a Ruger Single Six convertible AND a DA/SA quality revolver- rather than something smaller/cheaper than the S6.