by John Markwell | Contributing Editor
Like many tales, this one has its genesis at a gun show. I had been on the hunt for a four-inch barreled S&W Model 651 Kit Gun Revolver in .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire (WMR) for quite some time. Finding one would pretty much complete my modest S&W Kit Gun collection. Actually, I found several 651s over the years but their escalating prices put me off; I should have bought one years ago. The S&W Kit Guns seem to be the last of the older Smiths to have their prices skyrocket in recent years. First it was the N frames, then the Ks, and finally the price increases caught up with the dainty little J-framed Kit Guns. When I spotted .22WMR 651s at gun shows for around $1,000 my enthusiasm for acquiring one was dampened considerably.
This New Model Ruger Super Single Six, with its auxiliary .22 Mag cylinder, is typical of the ever popular convertible .22LR/22WMR revolver.
But the hunt was still on and I was hopeful that eventually I’d stumble on to a nice example at a reasonable price (that being, one I could, in good conscience, tell my wife).
The .22WMR, more commonly referred to as the .22 Magnum and not to be confused with the center fire .22 Remington Jet, was introduced by Winchester in 1959. The .22WMR case is a bit longer, and both the body and head are a bit fatter, than the .22LR case. And, the original 40-grain bullet was jacketed and a true .224 diameter.
Velocities were advertised at a tad over 1,900 feet per second from 24-inch rifle barrels and the energy of 300+ foot pounds provided a considerable boost in killing power over the .22LR. It should be noted that when fired from the shorter barrels of handguns the .22WMR will exhibit a reduction in velocity of at least 25% and often more.
Ongoing development of the .22WMR cartridge, and bullets for same, has been directed mostly at the hunting/ small varmint market. Recently, however, some new ammo loadings have been developed that will serve for defensive use of the .22WMR in handguns. Historically, the expense of .22WMR ammunition has precluded all but extremely well-heeled shooters from using the round for plinking.
Handguns for the .22WMR have been available since shortly after the cartridge’s introduction. S&W offered the Models 48 and 51 shortly after the round was introduced. Early on, both Colt and Ruger offered convertible single action revolvers with spare .22WMR cylinders; Colt in their Frontier Scout and Ruger in their Single Six revolver. Thompson Center also quickly offered barrels for their Contender single-shot pistol in .22WMR. Other handguns chambered for the .22WMR have been produced by High Standard, Herrington & Richardson, Korth, F.I.E., RG, and a host of others in sizes from full-sized guns to diminutive derringers, with several new models arriving from time to time.
Today’s market has quite a few .22Magnum handguns for shooters to choose from. North American Arms offers a line of tiny .22WMR revolvers suitable for pocket carry. Small and medium framed double-action revolvers, of varying capacities and barrel lengths, are offered by Taurus, Smith and Wesson, Charter Arms, and, Ruger.
Then there are single-action revolvers by Ruger and Heritage Manufacturing and others. There’s even an autoloader by KelTec. I’m sure I’ve missed some manufacturers, but you get the idea.
Currently, .22 WMR ammunition is loaded by at least half a dozen companies.
The author’s newly acquired S&W Model 651 .22WMR Kit Gun is a versatile performer when loaded with both CCI shotshells and Hornady’s new Critical Defense ammunition.
With bullet weights varying from 30 to 50 grains, there is a load available for most applications. The 30- to 40-grain hollow points are perfect for busting small varmints while, with very careful shooting, either the 50- grain Speer Gold Dot, as loaded in the CCI MaxiMag, or the new Hornady Critical Defense ammo loaded with the 45-grain FTX bullet can serve for self-defense. The key to the latter application is “with very careful shooting.” The .22WMR is probably one of the cartridges I have shot the least over the past decades, probably due to the expense. I have never owned a rifle chambered for the .22Mag but we have always had several .22WMR-chambered revolvers around the place.
Currently, my son has a Ruger stainless Single Six convertible single-action that came from his grandfather. It has both a .22LR and a .22WMR cylinder. I currently have S&W Models 51, 650, and now, both a 2- and 4-inch version of the model 651. Many years ago I also owned a Colt Frontier Scout. Over the years, we have mainly used revolvers chambered for the .22WMR as field utility guns carrying them on hikes, while fishing (not in bear country), or rambling around the prairie dog towns of the west. The now long gone Colt Frontier Scout, as well as being used in the fields and forests, served to kill some domestic hogs for butchering (with Winchester 40-gr. solids) back when we were newly married and lived on the mountain. My recent acquisition of the very nice four-inch S&W model 651 at the Louisville gun show spurred my interest in shooting the .22WMR a bit more than in the past.
The majority of the limited handgun shooting we have done with the .22WMR has been with either the plain-Jane Winchester loading, utilizing their 40-grain jacketed hollow point bullet or, with CCI’s .22WMR shot shells. To a much lesser degree, we have lately been shooting some of the new Hornady Critical defense ammo with the 40-gr. FTX bullet out of the new S&W 651.
The Winchester 40-grain load has provided good accuracy in all the revolvers we’ve shot it out of over the years; certainly “minute of varmint” out to 20 yards or so. Not too bad for iron sighted revolvers. We have probably taken more “animals” over the years with the CCI .22WMR shot loading than with bullets fired from .22Mags. We’ve shot rats in the barn, and ground squirrels around our place, for as long as we can remember. The 1/ 8oz. of #12 shot propelled at 1,000fps from the handy CCI shot shells is just poison on small pests and the small shot really does little harm if shot carefully in buildings. It can, however, ricochet around some, so glasses are recommended. Where the CCI shot shells (of all calibers) really shine though, is on snakes. We have timber rattlers here in the Allegheny Mountains and we have had to dispatch more than a few around our place over the years. When fired from just out of striking range (which depends on the size of the snake and how brave you feel at the time), the approximately 250 #12 pellets from a CCI .22WMR shot shell do a tremendous job on troublesome rattlers. They seldom require a second shot.
With the acquisition of our latest .22WMR revolver, the 4-inch S&W 651, we thought it would be interesting to shoot something other than the same old Winchester 40-gr. loading so we acquired a few boxes off the new Hornady Critical Defense .22WMR loaded with the patented 45-gr. FTX bullet. Shooting the new Hornady ammunition at a silhouette target from a barricade position at 25 yards groups ran between four and five inches. For general defensive shooting we have always applied the “hand rule” which simply states that if you can cover centered torso hits with your hand your accuracy is OK, as is your speed. If, at any distance, you are shooting tiny groups you need to speed up and if shots exceed the hand sized group you need to slow down.
The S&W Model 651 with the Hornady Critical Defense .22WMR was easily capable of performing within the hand rule’s parameters. Seeing as how we were shooting pretty small bullets, we also fired some very careful head shots with the 651 as we felt that would be the target of choice, if feasible, for good incapacitation with a round like the .22WMR. Lastly, we fired a few of the CCI .22WMR shot shells at ten feet to see how they patterned out of the S&W 651’s four inch barrel. Overall we were pleased with the performance of our new acquisition chambered for the .22WMR and the targets tell the tale.
Two of the newest revolvers chambered for the .22WMRF are from Ruger. The first is the Single Nine single-action revolver which was introduced in late 2012. Weighing 39 ounces, the Single Nine offers a capacity of nine rounds of .22WMRF, has adjustable sights, and sports a 6½- inch barrel with a 1:14 twist. This addition to the Ruger Stainless Revolver line should make an excellent companion for field use when hiking or fishing in the boondocks. Much smaller than the Single Nine is the brand new Ruger LCR in .22 Magnum. This handy little revolver is only 6.5 inches long and weighs just 16.6 ounces with its 1.875-inch barrel. The monolithic frame houses the stainless six-round cylinder which is finished in black Ionbond. Sights are a fixed U-notch rear and a replaceable pinned front ramp. This little revolver would be a great ultra-light trail gun. However, the Ruger LCR .22Magnum will more than likely see more use as a defensive piece carried in the pockets and purses of those looking for a light recoiling and controllable concealment handgun.
Both Taurus and Charter Arms have a pretty good selection of .22 Magnum revolvers to choose from. Similar to the S&W Kit guns is the Taurus model 941 line offering 8-shot cylinders, adjustable sights, and barrel lengths from 2 to 5 inches. Also from Taurus is the only, currently cataloged, convertible double-action revolver we know of. The Model 992 Tracker is a nine-shot 22LR/ 22Mag with adjustable sights and barrels of either 4 or 6.5 inches.
Charter Arms offers their Dixie Derringer and a two-inch-barreled Pathfinder revolver in .22WMR for concealed carry and their Target Pathfinder revolver in .22Mag is available with four- or five-inch barrels.
Although Smith and Wesson no longer catalogs the model 651 .22WMR Kit gun, the company does have a few revolvers chambered for the .22Magnum.
For those looking for a pocket gun in .22WMR there is the Model 351C Airlite revolver with an internal hammer or, the 351PD which is a classic Chief Special in .22 Magnum. For field use, S&W has re-introduced the K-framed Model 48 in both fourand six-inch barrel lengths.
So, what do we have planned for our new, to us, S&W model 651 in .22Mag? After a complete disassembly, cleaning, and lubing of the revolver, we have added an aluminum Tyler T-Grip grip adapter to its round butt to give a better purchase on the little gun. Some rummaging around in our holster box turned up an old Bianchi #10L holster that is a perfect fit for our latest four inch Kit Gun. This is a simple Threeperson’s style holster with a retaining strap. Carried just behind the right hip in the Bianchi rig, the 651 .22Mag should be an inconspicuous yet readily available companion while working around our place here in the mountains. And then again, the little revolver might just travel west for the summer varmint sojourn and see some time in the dog towns and gopher fields. Regardless, the 651’s cylinder will be loaded with two CCI .22WMR shot shells followed by four of Hornady’s Critical Defense rounds with their 45-gr.FTX bullets. So loaded, the new .22WMR S&W 651 should be capable of handling any reasonable task that I can foresee.
Finding the four-inch S&W 651, pretty much completes our Kit Gun Collection. However, I could still use, and would really like to find, a four inch model 631 in 32H&R Magnum.
Wish me luck on that, and good shooting.
