Who owns a S&W 317?

M

Mastrogiacomo

New member
Just at the range today -- boy do I stink. :barf: Revolvers are definately harder to use than autos, at least for me. What a day: forgot the water, the cell phone, the hand wipes, one ear muff was missing the other ear piece...it went like that. My father and I took turns going into the car while the other fired. The magnums surprised me how loud they were even with .38s. It had me wondering - who uses a .22 for defense? I wear hearing aids so by the time we were done with the 60 and GP100, I could just turn them off and give the muffs to my father since the noise wasn't extreme. I'm not sure who would buy the 317, because for that size, there's no way it's a target gun. Yet, it's a snubby, quiet on the ears - is this the intent of this revolver or is there another reason the company has this model in production? It seems to suggest a carry gun but the .22 doesn't strike me as the ideal caliber.
 
Don't own a 317 but have fired one. :D I like it.

You're right. It's not loud, recoil isn't objectionable and the one I fired had a 10-shot cylinder. Hardly an idea CCW gun, however if you need something small and incredibly light, this is hard to beat. And there are those who want a gun, but are recoil shy so a .22 snubbie might be their first carry gun.

Marketing - I've known some joggers who would carry a light .22 for warding off dogs and other critters where they take their morning runs. For a fisherman looking for a lightweight .22 for his vest or kit, the 317 is perfect. If you've never seen how much thrashing a Tuna can do on a boat deck it's hard to understand why fishermen often carry a .22. There used to be a video on the net showing a swordfish thrashing on deck of a boat that impaled a guy's lower leg before the skipper managed to use a .22 to turn off the lights.

The .22 is no manstopper, but at close range and with 10 shots at hand it's quite possible to stop an attacker.
 
Boy, that's something to think about. I suppose if I pointed it at a guy's family jewels, that'd stop him too. ;) I wonder it's as inexpensive as other .22s or if the price would go through the roof. Anyone know? I'd still keep my 60 handy - magnums make more of an impression.
 
I had one and sold it. I just didn't like the heavy trigger pull. I didn't want to mess with it, so good bye.

I just wanted a 22 plinker revolver so now I have a Ruger SS Bearcat.

If I wanted a J frame self-defense gun, I go for the 38s like the 642ish guns.
 
I have one, I like it - next to no recoil and quite accurate. It won't knock down Hoover Dam, but I figure 8 Velocitors, up close & personal, ought to send a message. As always, a hit with a .22 beats a miss with a .45 - shot placement counts more than caliber.

As previously noted, the trigger out of the box is kind of heavy, but this is easily remedied with a spring kit from Wolff (www.gunsprings.com), about $8. Also available from Midway or Brownell's. The kit includes a reduced rate hammer spring and 3 strength trigger springs (12#, 13#, 14#,IIRC, I used the middle one - big improvement). If your mechanically inclined, it's not a hard thing to do yourself. I had never worked on a revolver before, and it took me about an hour and a half ( a good smith could do it considerably quicker). If you do change out the springs, absolutely, positively be sure and test it thoroughly with any and all typpes of ammo you might use before you consider caryying it for SD.
 
I always wondered about that model revolver

I've never had a chance to shoot one, but I can picture it being very handy. From what I hear, they normally need a trigger job, but given this, I'd think the compactness and light weight would make for an excellent field accessory. The generous cylinder capacity would certainly make it at least as viable as any .25 ACP pistol for personal defense.

I base my opinion on the amount of use I've had from my S&W Model 34, .22/.32 Kit Gun over the last 30 years or so. It has a two-inch barrel and round butt. Capacity is only six rounds and it is a touch heavy for its size. Even given the short sight radius, it is amazingly accurate and easy to shoot well. I have carried it in hunting vest or pants pocket on many a dove hunt or wandering through the woods. It is about to take on a new role, too - - I'm about to begin field training with my first bird dog, and the Kit Gun full of blanks is far more portable, and less expensive for the purpose than any shotgun I own. I think a 317 would be even better.

Best,
Johnny
 
I carry a 642 and use my 317 for additional practice. Abt 50 rds of 158 gr thru the 642 is quite enough fun for a day, but I can run a lot of additional ammo thru the 317. Takes a bit of effort to gain and retain real proficiency w/a J frame.
 
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