The original K22 Masterpiece really is a masterpiece. It is a beautifully made revolver. My parents bought me a used S&W model 17 (The descendant of the K22) for Christmas in 1980. Dad found a crazy good deal on it, and it followed him home one day. It was made around the mid 60's and in near new condition. It was my 1st handgun and I still have it and still shoot it often today. Mine is incredibly accurate. With match ammo it will shoot groups that can be covered with a quarter at 25 yards. I've taught so many people to shoot handguns with this gun that I've forgotten the total. It's also spent a lot of time in the woods killing small game.
I have one. Absolutely love it. Typical 5 screw configuration. Some refer to the 5 screw models as the short actions...that hammer hits the firing pin just that tiny little bit quicker...on the rimfire models. I have several old 5 screw S&W revolvers. Thanks for all you do, Big Feller...and hope the rest of your week goes well.
I have had in my collection for a number of years now, a Colt Officers Match 22LR with a 6” barrel. I wanted a Smith K22 Target Masterpiece or a Model 17 with a 6” barrel as a comparison but couldn’t find one, apparently people like them too much to let them go. So I finally broke down and had my local enabler order a Model 17 Classic for me. When I went to pick it up, the scoundrel had a new Colt King Cobra Target 22 with a 6” barrel. Yep it followed me home too. Then I started looking for a 6” 10 shot model 617 to match the Colt. Well my dealer didn’t have one, but he showed me a Ruger GP100 22. As I have stated before the good news is there is no 12 step program for my problem and if you know of one just don’t tell my wife.
I traded for a 1936 year model in the late 80s. I loved that gun but fell on hard times and had to part with it. I've never had a revolver since that shot that well or I could shoot as well
That's a shame. I know how it feels. Back then S&W had the K22 (22LR), K32 (32 S&W Long) and the K38 (38 Special ) The came close to matched in weight and balance by varying the size of the barrel rib so whichever you handled they felt nearly the same. I've often seen sets and mostly due to price never sealed the deal. But I wish I had.
Gun shopping vicariously through this channel. Always liked these and have seen them (or 17s etc) at shows and in the used sections, but I already have an H&R Sportsman and a LCRX in .22, and S&W revolvers in .357 and .45 so it’s hard to justify apart from just wanting a .22 with a Gucci trigger. That said if a fancy color case hardened one or one with really tasteful engraving came up…
if i remember correctly my daddy bought two of these at camel pawn shop new in 1964 for 64 dollars each. one for him and one for my grand pa.my brother has daddy's revolver and i have grandpa's revolver. so i gave mine to my grand son . he leaves it ni my gun safe and he can come get it any time he wants it. it's a wonderful firearm. Papa 😊
Very nice wheel gun! Will probably outlive all of us. They built things to last back then... I had a S&W 617 6" 10rd, was a great little shooter, had to sell it unfortunately... Replaced it with it's rowdy, red-headed, step-cousin, a Taurus 992 6.5", w/ additional 22mag cylinder. Not a bad shooter either, and much better on the wallet, but not as well made as the S&W.
When I was growing up (I'm 58 now), my father used to talk about a S&W K-22 Masterpiece that belonged to his uncle. He spent summers on his uncle's ranch and would shoot the K-22 frequently. He always wanted to get one but never found the opportunity. My father would never buy guns that required "paperwork," as he didn't want the government to know what he had, and unfortunately, we lived in California, where "paperwork" has been required for decades. One day in the 1990s, my aunt, who had a secondhand goods store, came across a S&W K-22 in a box of goods she bought. The gun appeared to be in quite good mechanical condition and the bore looked excellent, but mysteriously, it had no bluing or any finish at all on it, and it had no grips. I had a LEO friend run the serial number to see if it was stolen, but it showed no record on file. I bought the gun from my aunt for $50 and took it to a gun smith to be inspected and re-blued for another $100. It came out looking almost new. I then went to a couple of gun shows looking for some S&W factory grips for it (remember, this was pre-internet days), and found some slightly used ones for $20. I put the grips on it and gifted the gun to my father, who was very pleased with it. He's 89 years old now, and has numerous firearms, but he seems to enjoy shooting that K-22 over all his other guns. I like to think it's because it was a gift and reminds him of his childhood, but it's more likely, at 89 years old, he just appreciates the mild recoil of the gun! 😄
Old S&W revolvers are great! I am a long time (since 1960s) Bullseye shooter so, of course, I own a S&W Model 17 (AKA K-22). And a Model 14 (AKA K-38). Great revolvers, and they are not for sale. That said, I also own a Colt Officer's Model Match .22 LR and 2 OMMs in .38 Special and prefer the Colt double action trigger to the S&Ws. The double action is particularly important for the timed and rapid fire stages. But such is a personal preference, or even particular to the revolvers themselves. But I rarely use any of them for the .22 LR class, preferring a High Standard Supermatic Citation for that. It has the best trigger pull of any handgun I've ever owned and there is no "DA" to a semi-auto. It is always the same trigger pull whether for slow fire, timed fire or rapid fire. The S&W K-22 (Model 17) is a great revolver and if you are looking for a .22 revolver for something more than plinking, or for actual competition, the S&W is an excellent choice. They are easier to find than the Colt's OMM and (usually) available for somewhat less cost. None of them are cheap. All of them are worth the price.
Love the content, and the in depth look at the older guns! On a side note, since you seem to have found a way around time, and are sending a couple of the last videos from a month in the future, can you please let us know who won the election?😅 (Seriously, I'm a bit detail orientated, and the time stamp in a couple of the videos show that they were recorded in November of this year... had to be a bit of a smart aleck, sorry...)
I don't know about the newer production, but it was widely acclaimed as one of the finest revolvers you could get through the 60's and 70's.
The original K22 Masterpiece really is a masterpiece. It is a beautifully made revolver. My parents bought me a used S&W model 17 (The descendant of the K22) for Christmas in 1980. Dad found a crazy good deal on it, and it followed him home one day. It was made around the mid 60's and in near new condition. It was my 1st handgun and I still have it and still shoot it often today. Mine is incredibly accurate. With match ammo it will shoot groups that can be covered with a quarter at 25 yards. I've taught so many people to shoot handguns with this gun that I've forgotten the total. It's also spent a lot of time in the woods killing small game.
I have one. Absolutely love it. Typical 5 screw configuration. Some refer to the 5 screw models as the short actions...that hammer hits the firing pin just that tiny little bit quicker...on the rimfire
models. I have several old 5 screw S&W revolvers. Thanks for all you do, Big Feller...and hope the rest of your week goes well.
Tinker,
What I love about this channel is the fact that its mostly older and odd guns displayed. I bet that 6 inch barrell gives awesome groups.
Another nice review of an aptly named gun! 👍👍
I have had in my collection for a number of years now, a Colt Officers Match 22LR with a 6” barrel. I wanted a Smith K22 Target Masterpiece or a Model 17 with a 6” barrel as a comparison but couldn’t find one, apparently people like them too much to let them go. So I finally broke down and had my local enabler order a Model 17 Classic for me. When I went to pick it up, the scoundrel had a new Colt King Cobra Target 22 with a 6” barrel. Yep it followed me home too. Then I started looking for a 6” 10 shot model 617 to match the Colt. Well my dealer didn’t have one, but he showed me a Ruger GP100 22. As I have stated before the good news is there is no 12 step program for my problem and if you know of one just don’t tell my wife.
Sweet 5 screw! Thank you for taking the time and energy to put this out!
The model 17 really looks small in your bear paws Mike!
I traded for a 1936 year model in the late 80s. I loved that gun but fell on hard times and had to part with it. I've never had a revolver since that shot that well or I could shoot as well
I had the chance to get both the K22 and K38 matching set. I couldn't come up with the cash for both guns. I am still kicking my self.
That's a shame. I know how it feels. Back then S&W had the K22 (22LR), K32 (32 S&W Long) and the K38 (38 Special ) The came close to matched in weight and balance by varying the size of the barrel rib so whichever you handled they felt nearly the same. I've often seen sets and mostly due to price never sealed the deal. But I wish I had.
Awesome channel thanks for all the time you put into it.
Beautiful little gun, your review did it justice.
Sweet piece!👍🏽😊❤️🇺🇸
They made K22, K32 and K38. 32 are pretty hard to find.
Gun shopping vicariously through this channel. Always liked these and have seen them (or 17s etc) at shows and in the used sections, but I already have an H&R Sportsman and a LCRX in .22, and S&W revolvers in .357 and .45 so it’s hard to justify apart from just wanting a .22 with a Gucci trigger. That said if a fancy color case hardened one or one with really tasteful engraving came up…
I am fortunate enough to own a 1947 edition of the K22. She’s not perfect but what an amazing firearm. Thank you for reviewing.
Love a six shooter always takes me back to the wild west
Great video, my favorite revolver have a 8 3/8” from 1979 and a 6 1/2” new model from today both are beautiful and very accurate
I'd love to have one of S&W K .22 models, but the prices I see even for well used ones are...really high.
if i remember correctly my daddy bought two of these at camel pawn shop new in 1964 for 64 dollars each. one for him and one for my grand pa.my brother has daddy's revolver and i have grandpa's revolver. so i gave mine to my grand son . he leaves it ni my gun safe and he can come get it any time he wants it. it's a wonderful firearm. Papa 😊
Very nice wheel gun! Will probably outlive all of us. They built things to last back then... I had a S&W 617 6" 10rd, was a great little shooter, had to sell it unfortunately... Replaced it with it's rowdy, red-headed, step-cousin, a Taurus 992 6.5", w/ additional 22mag cylinder. Not a bad shooter either, and much better on the wallet, but not as well made as the S&W.
When I was growing up (I'm 58 now), my father used to talk about a S&W K-22 Masterpiece that belonged to his uncle. He spent summers on his uncle's ranch and would shoot the K-22 frequently. He always wanted to get one but never found the opportunity. My father would never buy guns that required "paperwork," as he didn't want the government to know what he had, and unfortunately, we lived in California, where "paperwork" has been required for decades. One day in the 1990s, my aunt, who had a secondhand goods store, came across a S&W K-22 in a box of goods she bought. The gun appeared to be in quite good mechanical condition and the bore looked excellent, but mysteriously, it had no bluing or any finish at all on it, and it had no grips. I had a LEO friend run the serial number to see if it was stolen, but it showed no record on file. I bought the gun from my aunt for $50 and took it to a gun smith to be inspected and re-blued for another $100. It came out looking almost new. I then went to a couple of gun shows looking for some S&W factory grips for it (remember, this was pre-internet days), and found some slightly used ones for $20. I put the grips on it and gifted the gun to my father, who was very pleased with it. He's 89 years old now, and has numerous firearms, but he seems to enjoy shooting that K-22 over all his other guns. I like to think it's because it was a gift and reminds him of his childhood, but it's more likely, at 89 years old, he just appreciates the mild recoil of the gun! 😄
Great story, thanks for sharing that!
Love the K-frames. There's very little in this world that needs doing with a handgun that can't be done by some variation of K-frame.
Old S&W revolvers are great!
I am a long time (since 1960s) Bullseye shooter so, of course, I own a S&W Model 17 (AKA K-22). And a Model 14 (AKA K-38). Great revolvers, and they are not for sale.
That said, I also own a Colt Officer's Model Match .22 LR and 2 OMMs in .38 Special and prefer the Colt double action trigger to the S&Ws. The double action is particularly important for the timed and rapid fire stages. But such is a personal preference, or even particular to the revolvers themselves.
But I rarely use any of them for the .22 LR class, preferring a High Standard Supermatic Citation for that. It has the best trigger pull of any handgun I've ever owned and there is no "DA" to a semi-auto. It is always the same trigger pull whether for slow fire, timed fire or rapid fire.
The S&W K-22 (Model 17) is a great revolver and if you are looking for a .22 revolver for something more than plinking, or for actual competition, the S&W is an excellent choice. They are easier to find than the Colt's OMM and (usually) available for somewhat less cost. None of them are cheap. All of them are worth the price.
It has always been a regret of never getting a k22.
🙂
Drooool.😍🥰
Grail gun for me.
Drooool.😍🥰
Love the content, and the in depth look at the older guns!
On a side note, since you seem to have found a way around time, and are sending a couple of the last videos from a month in the future, can you please let us know who won the election?😅
(Seriously, I'm a bit detail orientated, and the time stamp in a couple of the videos show that they were recorded in November of this year... had to be a bit of a smart aleck, sorry...)
I used multiple cameras, and some of them are obviously set wrong.
The most fun I ever had shooting but the N frame revolvers are just absolutely the best ever made