smallest .22lr revolver apart from the NAA mini design...?

S

simonrichter

New member
Is there any other REALLY small 22lr. revolver apart from the NAA / Freedom Arms "mini revolver design". I mean something with a trigger guard and maybe SA/DA or DAO, but still really small?
 
Some of the old Iver Johnsons were on a tiny frame. I've got a Target
Sealed 8 that makes my Model 34 S&W look chunky.
Lots of old folding trigger guns out there--Kolb, Sedgley.

If i were looking for a small light 22 on a modern design that I could shoot
any 22 ammo through (you do not want to run hi velocity through a
100 year old mini 22!) I would look hard at a Ruger LCR.
 
A few years ago some company (Rossi?) made a copy of the original S&W Ladysmith, a 7-shot, .22 caliber revolver about as small as you can get and have a real DA/SA mechanism. They make a Model 36 look like a cannon.

Jim
 
The Rossi Princess is the smallest I know of,,,

The Rossi Princess is the smallest .22 revolver I know of,,,
it's is officially on my "wanna get one" list.

Click here to see a picture that Bill DeShivs posted,,,
It's a Rossi Princess by a S&W J-frame.

If I ever see one at a reasonable price,,,
I'll probably snag the little thing.

Aarond

.
 
Yep, that Rossi "Princess" is a copy of the old M-frame Ladysmith (not the newer J frame gun). You can see how it compares to a J-frame.

The cylinder is the same diameter as that of the S&W No.1, about the same diameter as a $.25 piece. They are the smallest practical revolver I know, and some think they are not really very practical.

Jim
 
I'd be all over a revolver that size. The M60 is a nice size, a bit smaller than modern J-frames, but the Princess is smaller in every direction. I believe the Rossi was made from Zamac alloy and weighed about 12-oz. From what I've read, however, it was best to use .22 shorts in it, as modern .22lr would damage the forcing cone or make the cylinder go out of time.
 
The S&W Ladysmith was made for .22 Long; modern LR will often crack the cylinder.

The way I got a Ladysmith was interesting. I was looking over a table at a gun show and saw a Rossi copy. I said to the dealer that I was looking for the "real" one; he rooted around in the pile a bit and said, "Like this?" I did a fast draw on my wallet. Not the best condition, it is a Second model, #692x, but with guns that scarce, you don't wait until a better one comes along.

Original factory pearl grips, BTW, with gold medallions, in perfect condition.

Jim
 
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I read somewhere that the S&W LS .22 specified Long instead of LR because LR bullets could creep out from their cases and prevent the cylinder from rotating. I think it was written in a LS box top, but I'm not sure.

Found it, the second pic is much easier to read. From the S&W box top:
"The cartridge known as .22 Long Rifle must not be used in this revolver as the shells, not being crimped, will allow the bullets to start forward, and obstruct the rotation of the cylinder."

http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-ha...und-22-lady-smith-2nd-model-w-box-prices.html
 
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I just fired my RG 22lr for the first time friday. It was petty small, one of the reasons I got it. The trigger was decent and the sights didn't seem inherently bad.
I shot it at about ten yards and was unable to find any sort of group on a target apx. 14X14 though. Really, not able to hit the paper with any consistency. It was absurd. I may have been doing something wrong, but I could call "good shots" with my Ruger single six within 2 inches at the same target offhand.
I bought it to introduce brand new shooters to the sport without putting my single six in harms way. It may not even work for that. So cheap I may try a few and see if I can find one that patterns well though.
 
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Carmady is correct. The reason the company originally gave for not using the .22 LR was that the combination of a light crimp, a heavy bullet, and a light gun caused the bullet to jump forward on recoil and tie up the gun. Nothing was mentioned about pressure (and SAAMI spec for the .22 Long and LR is the same, 24,000 psi), but I have seen one Ladysmith with a cracked cylinder and several sources mention bulged barrels. I would avoid using .22 Long and using lightly loaded shorts. Or maybe better yet, not firing those guns at all.

(Of course today's .22 LR rounds are heavily crimped but in those days, the cartridge was shot only in heavy target rifles and it was thought that a heavy crimp spoiled accuracy.)

As far as I can find out, the term ".22 S&W" was simply marketing. While some ammunition companies sold it, I cannot find how, or if, it differed in any way from regular .22 Long.

Jim
 
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