Gone Over to the Dark Side with a 617

C

CarbineCaleb

New member
So, having had a Beretta 9mm semiauto for a couple of years and being an OK shooter, I decided to take my own advice, and buy a .22LR revolver and try to improve my shooting. The Beretta will be sold!

So, the new toy is a S&W 4" 617 revolver. I shot one at the S&W Shooting Sports Center in Springfield this evening (after liking the 6" 617 very much at a rental range a few weeks back), and decided tonight was the night to make the switch!

I really do love the easy loading of the revolver - no mag springs to struggle with. I tend to fire these double action revolvers in single action mode though, thumbing the hammer for each shot - is that considered a faux pas?

Do any 617 owners have any tips? What is the cleanest common .22LR range ammo? Has anyone mounted a High-Viz front sight on theirs? Is it ok to dry fire these without snap caps?
 
Jonathon - the one gun thing was the outcome of a negotiation with the spouse - we have a toddler, which is part of that. It's no biggie - I will try to get this thing setup well and concentrate on shooting, and enjoy saving money on ammunition! :cool: You never know, my wife may take an interest in shooting as well - and this is the perfect gun to let her try if she does. :)
 
I've owned many S&W rimfire revolvers over the years, dry firing them thousands of times. Never had a firing pin break, or peen a chamber.
 
That's a shame about the Beretta but congratulations on the 617. I've been there when personal finances required that one had to leave to make room for the new one. Personally, my purchase of a model 17 about 25 years ago was a decision that allowed me to become a MUCH better shooter. Although I had previously made the cut to be on our base rifle and pistol team for 3 years, the .22 allowed me to focus on the fundamentals and shoot in the volume neccessary to refine my skills. You've made a decision that will benefit you in the years ahead.
 
Hi tlm225 - thanks for the encouragement. Even at the 4" barrel length, the beefy 617 construction and it's squishy Hogue grips just soak up the .22LR discharges to a very modest level. Can shoot this thing all day, I'll bet, and with the .22LR prices, could conceivably afford to! :D

For my aging eyes, I expect to get a green Hi-Viz front sight. and although it was certainly smooth operating on the S&W range alright, I may break down for a locally performed action job to try to make this thing slick as butter. :cool:

Sounds like you are a service man - have you read this Army Pistol Marksmanship Manual? Can you recommend it? I'd like some detailed, rigorous no-nonsense marksmanship literature to advance my currently average shooting skills (I shoot offhand at 25' and typically get 5 shot groups of 3-4").
 
Yeah, I agree. The 617 is so much fun, so accurate, and very cheap to practice with. I'm dreaming of mounting a scope on mine someday to try and work on more distance with it. It is really accurate in SA, although I know I need to practice more DA.
 
Gone to the Dark Side???

I have a 4 inch 617 that I trulley love. I don't shoot my Ruger autos much any more because of it. You will have a lot of fun with yours I'm sure.

I thought "Going to the Dark Side" was getting a Glock...... :confused:

Getting a Nice S&W 617 is like going out into the sunshine on a nice spring day!!!! :D
 
Gone to the darkside with a shiny silver revolver. :D
For dry firing just leave the last cylinder full of empty cases in the chambers. Cheapest snap caps on the market.
As to ammo every .22 rimfire firearm has a mind of it's own. Buy a box (50 rounds not the 500 bulk packs) of every brand and style that you can find. Then you will find that your revolver will have a definite preference for 1 or 2 of the loads tried. For pure accuracy testing remember to clean the barrel between different loads and then reseason the bore by firing a cylinder full of the next load before testing it.
Don't expect .22lr ammo to be very clean. Just the nature of the beast. The revolver will wipe clean rather easily.
 
I feel your pain about the wife thing....

Mines the same way. I have a gun quota. I was 4 now its five. I suggest,
mentioning to her that they make another to complete the set. Its
the 686. They truly go perfect together, and mention that it's on sale.
My wife, and most women, understand that language. :D . I also
went totally revolver ( sold my s&w 9mm), and have never looked back.


Good on ya mate!!! ;)
 
Thanks for the tips guys - the reason I called it "The Dark Side" is that revolvers seem to have fallen out of fashion... and I suppose for combat use have been largely superceded by semiautos. I still recall when I took my pistol class and the instructor held up the .357 revolver and said "What do you think of this?" ...and I answered "Old technology..." :o

The very first time that I *tried* a revolver (a S&W 686) though, I discovered that hey - actually I *quite like* this "old technology" :D Finally, I have stopped resisting :)
 
single action firing is okay to use for paper targets...

I would also learn to use that thing double action.....considering the fact that if you plan to use it for self defense a person can take a few steps while you take time to pull the hammer back...the closer they are the more precious time is.....
 
I have the 4" 617 10-shot and it is turning to one of my favorites too. I also have the Beretta 92FS and it is also a lot of fun. I bought the factory .22 lr top end for the Beretta and it is fun as well, though spendy. I got a deal on mine used, but new they run close to $300 and extra mags $30-40. It is probably as good to just get a whole gun like the Ruger MKII for about the same price. I got the kit so I could get cheap practice on the trigger of the 92FS. The adjustable sights don't adjust low enough for me though, but that is my only complaint.....well, that and the cost of the kit.
 
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