.22 magnum in a S&W 317 kit gun?

moonwilson

moonwilson

Joined
Aug 10, 2006
Messages
7,250
I recently picked up a S&W 317 kit gun, and was wondering if it will safely fire .22 magnums. It looks like they'll fit, but the barrel only says ".22 Long Rifle". It's an airweight, with an aluminum cylinder, and I don't want to blow the thing up doing something stupid. But being able to shoot magnums would be cool.

Anyone have any ideas on this?

Thanks! :)
 
DO NOT shoot magnums in a reciever marked S L or LR they will fit BUT are longer case lenght therefore when shot that extended lenght and the and the mix of projectile (Bullet) OVERFill the barrel chamber thefore adding higher pressure and a VERY HIGH Likely hood of a catastrophic faliure!!!

DONT DO IT!!!!!
 
They won't fit. The 22 mag case is larger in diameter than the 22lr case as well as being longer.

Smith makes a 7 shot 2" fixed sight 22 mag, the 351. I had one for a while and I can't recommend it. Mine was lucky to get 5 out of seven to fire even after a trip back to the factory. Point of aim/point of impact was so casual as to suggest coincidence.

If you want a 22 mag, look for a Smith Model 51, 651 or 650. All have been discontinued but occasionally come up on the gun auction sites. Bring Money.
 
Having owned a series of 317's (4 to be exact, all new) I have finally given up on that model. Such great potential. Currently I am very happy with a NAA Black Widow (SS, 2" barrel) which will place all 5 shots, at point of aim, inside 1" at 7 yards. Something none of my 317's came close to doing.

I'll pick up a 22 mag cylinder for my BW so I can try out some of the new short barrel ammo coming to market.
 
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As people have said DON'T DO IT!

If you want a gun that can shoot both, get a Ruger Single Six with the two cylinders; one for .22lr and one for .22mag. That was one sweet little gun.
 
No problem! Thanks guys! Having a gun blow up in my face is something I'm not interested in at all. I was just curious. I'm hoping this 317 shoots well, it may be a few days before I get it to the range. I'm surprised stormbird had so much trouble with his 317s. My dad has had one of the little snub versions for years, and he's carried and used it so much that he's worn almost all of the finish off. I think it's his favorite gun, and he has EVERYTHING. It's a super accurate little gun, if you do your part. That's why I wanted one, I've always coveted his, it's a lot of fun to shoot. This one has a longer barrel and better sights, but still weighs basically nothing. I have a pair of G10 VZ grips on order for it.

One thing I'm concerned about is the trigger on this gun. It's too good. I'm afraid its previous owner might have fiddled with it (I bought it used). 317s are supposed to have heavy triggers, this thing is light and silky smooth. Lighter than any J frame I've ever handled actually. I'm hoping the springs still have enough "oomph" for reliable primer ignition.
 
I too am very surprised to hear of 4 bad ones in a row. My better half has had hers since November of 1998, and she shoots it a lot. Loves it. It has the 3 inch barrel and adjustable sights, and will group right up there with my old model 63 kit gun with a 4 inch barrel. I was so impressed with her's, that I bit the bullet in 2002 and bought one. It also has been a great gun with very good accuracy. The double action trigger pull sucks, very heavy, but the single action breaks very clean.

Moon, if yours has had lighter springs put in by some shade tree gunsmith, you may have to go back to the factory ones. ( Why can't people leave nice guns alone!) Hope you have as good a luck with yours that we have had!:thumbup:

Stormbird- were these used guns, or new, and did you ever send them back to Smith and Wesson? The people who made them would be the ones to make it right.

Carl.
 
Hey Guys,

All of my 317's were brand new. First one had a angled cut on the cone. Took it back to the dealer, showed him the issue, exchanged it for a Ruger Mark 2.

#2 shot to the left at short range, still I put 3500 rounds through it.

#3 shot high about a foot at 7 yards. Traded to a friend who said he could deal with that issue.

#4 I picked up this past December. Locked up on first cylinder full. Sent it back to S&W, they said it had so many issues that it wasn't worth repairing. To S&W's credit they sent me a 317 3" with adjustable sights as a replacement for my FS 1 7/8" gun. I traded that one immediately for a S&W 625-3 3" my lgs has just gotten in.

When I finally did use S&W's service dept. they were outstanding.

First 317 was ~ 1997, #4 was just 6 months ago. I gave them another try every 2-3 years. BTW, #1 had plenty of machine marks on it. Latest model was extremely well made.
 
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I only had 1 317. It shot, but that's about all. I hoped the 351 would be an improvement, but it wasn't. I really wanted 'em to work but they never did.
 
My experience was the opposite of stormbird's. My Blackwidow lives in the safe now, couldn't be happier with the 317.
 
fishshooter said:
My experience was the opposite of stormbird's. My Blackwidow lives in the safe now, couldn't be happier with the 317.
Click to expand...

I believe it! I've owned enough multiples of a couple different guns (4x SW317, 3x Walther TPH, 3x Ruger MKII, 2x Ruger Blackhawk) to know that sometimes it is just the luck of the manufacturing draw. My NAA Black Widow is a lot more accurate than the NAA Mini Master I had. You'd figure the 4" barrel MM would be more accurate than the 2" barrel BW. But, that was not the case. Others on the NAA forum have had the same experience.
 
My buddy has got rid or his MM for a BW. He can shoot the hell out of his BW. His MM had a large cylinder gap that isn't present in either his or my Black widow. I have a little Pug that is surprisingly accurate for what it is.
 
Those NAA revolvers are really well designed, well made, and a lot of fun to shoot. I think the BW/Pug are the best small hideout guns available. Very reliable, vs the really small auto's. The safety notch system would require a really stupid action to cause a accidental discharge. Reasonable $ and lots of cheap ammo to practice with. Great backup gun.
 
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