317 Smith and Wesson Kit Guns and the Like

I have always liked the "Kit Gun" idea, and have owned several over the years. Most recently, I had an S&W 360SC Kit Gun. It is ultralight (scandium/titanium) and .357 caliber, so it is at least marginally effective against black bears. I'm not really interested in "taking game", so I don't have any interest in packing a .22. But alas, my son needed something ultralight, so I passed it along to him....
 
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Now I remember where I took a picture of my 317. It was on my last trip to the Altamaha River swamps in 2008.
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The little revolver is lightweight, doesn't rust, and has 8 shots. That makes it a favorite for carry in the swamps.
 
I like your hoslter Kevin:thumbup: Funny this came up, I just put a very good looking, used 317 on layaway for a steal of a price!:D I'm looking forward to it as a light weight woods-bumming .22. I really like .22 conversion kits for pistols (Sig, Ciener for my BHP, Kimber for my .45 and Kadet for my CZ's), but they are a little heavy.

My son is using a 3" barrel Heritage single action revolver. He loves it and it's really an accurate little field gun.

Great picture Horn Dog! I'll get some pictures posted up when I pick it up next week.

ROCK6
 
I've always been curious about the kit gun thing. Is the idea of a kit gun more for a just in case survival situation or plinking rather than personal protection while in the woods?
adam
 
I used to own all of these but I sold the smith 317, still got the rest. I couldn't hit well with it at all. I got the NAA black widow and found I could shoot it much better than the smith. The target is 5 rounds at 7 yards with the black widow.
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What are the advantages/disadvantages compared to a .22 auto like the Ruger Mk II? Which is considered more reliable and robust? Thanks.
 
Ultraman said:
What are the advantages/disadvantages compared to a .22 auto like the Ruger Mk II? Which is considered more reliable and robust? Thanks.
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I've had a Ruger Single Six for about 30 years or more...... cleaning and a tiny bit of oil now and then is all it has needed. They are bullet proof!

Auto's are nice but finicky sometimes as to what ammo they will eat etc. Revolvers..... if decent quality, rarely give any troubles.
 
The basic idea with revolver versus semiauto is, the revolver is more reliable in that it doesn't have "stoppages." The word "jam" is often confused with a "stoppage." When a semiautomatic suffers a "stoppage," you clear the stoppage and continue. A lot of people refer to this as a "jam," but it's not. It can get sort of confusing.

A jam is when you need mechanical tools to get the firearm running again.

When a semiauto fails, it is generally a stoppage that is easily cleared.

When the revolver fails, it is generally a jam.

That having been said, quality revolvers like S & W, Colt and Ruger seldom jam.
 
ROCK6 said:
I like your hoslter Kevin:thumbup: Funny this came up, I just put a very good looking, used 317 on layaway for a steal of a price!:D I'm looking forward to it as a light weight woods-bumming .22. I really like .22 conversion kits for pistols (Sig, Ciener for my BHP, Kimber for my .45 and Kadet for my CZ's), but they are a little heavy.

My son is using a 3" barrel Heritage single action revolver. He loves it and it's really an accurate little field gun.

Great picture Horn Dog! I'll get some pictures posted up when I pick it up next week.

ROCK6
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if you ever bump into another steal on a 317, shoot me a pm :D
 
i hadn't sen the Speed Strips for 10rds of .22 before. very nice!

makes a 617 even more desirable as a kit gun. it's just a budget problem.
 
I bought my wife a Lady Smith "snub", no sights, rosewood grips, lazer engraving, and she wasn't too thrilled. Once out shooting in the woods, walking, she is happy with that little light weight pistol. I bought a 3" 317 for myself and my son. So there are 3 in use. :-)


I bought S&W j frame walnut grips, removed the rubber, and inserted a Tyler T grip adapter. It is slimmer and easier to get out of a pockect than the rubber. I bought a nice black leather S&W holster for the 3" bbl and it is really quite nice together.


The trigger pull is awful and the sights were shooting too high. I adjusted as much as I could, but had to remove the rear sight, file the frame a little and now it shoots Point Of Aim.

I use my 4 " model 17 for serious target work and the wide trigger, sights, and weight make it a much better target revolver.

My son took over the Ruger single six convertible, and my grandson relieved me of my model 63 which I think is the better kit gun. I loved that pistol but he loved shooting it. It was fun to watch him focus and concentrate.

I am an old guy and accumulated quite a few toys. My .22 autos are another story.:)

All the best !
 
I love your lightweight kitgun and holster setup and I admire your ability to take small game with it. I have tried many times to develope a lightweight setup like that to use but I can never get steady enough with the lightweight pistols or revolvers to reliably take squirrels with them. I keep on going back to my Mark1 bull barrel which is heavy enough at 42oz for me to hold steady enough to take squirrels with. It probably doesn't hurt that I have been using it since my dad gave it to me when I was in my teens either. A lightweight 22 would be advantageous though so a person could carry a heavier large calliber gun also for protection if they wanted to.
 
m said:
I love your lightweight kitgun and holster setup and I admire your ability to take small game with it. I have tried many times to develope a lightweight setup like that to use but I can never get steady enough with the lightweight pistols or revolvers to reliably take squirrels with them. I keep on going back to my Mark1 bull barrel which is heavy enough at 42oz for me to hold steady enough to take squirrels with. It probably doesn't hurt that I have been using it since my dad gave it to me when I was in my teens either. A lightweight 22 would be advantageous though so a person could carry a heavier large calliber gun also for protection if they wanted to.
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The lightest .22 I can shoot really well is my Ruger 22/45, four inch bull barrel with polymer frame. I have been considering putting a Tacticol Solutions lightweight (aluminum) upper on it or one of my MK II's to save more weight. They are just a little spendy though, so I haven't gone that route yet. The little Ruger auto isn't that heavy anyway.
 
Pilot1 said:
The lightest .22 I can shoot really well is my Ruger 22/45, four inch bull barrel with polymer frame. I have been considering putting a Tacticol Solutions lightweight (aluminum) upper on it or one of my MK II's to save more weight. They are just a little spendy though, so I haven't gone that route yet. The little Ruger auto isn't that heavy anyway.
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I really want to get one of the Tactical Solutions for my Buckmark as well. I've handled a converted one and they are much lighter. The Ruger Mark series and Buckmark (even the S&W .22 versions) are excellent "kit guns", even if they are a little heavier. My Buckmark is simple, accurate and easy to maintain; small tooth brush, Boresnake and a mini-tube of lube will keep her running almost indefinately.

ROCK6
 
sotto said:
This is my "normal" .22 "kit" gun, a 2213 Sportsman:

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I had one of these back in the mid-1990s and it's an excellent pistol. I don't think I ever had a stoppage with that thing! Accurate, too.

Ultraman said:
Whiskey River and Don Rearic: Thanks for the explanations!
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No sweat. :)

fixer said:
i hadn't sen the Speed Strips for 10rds of .22 before. very nice!
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I have never seen them before either. Pretty cool!

...makes a 617 even more desirable as a kit gun. it's just a budget problem.
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Yeah, budget problems are going around my friend. Don't feel as if you are the only one suffering through them.
 
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