Smith and Wesson MP15
and
Smith and Wesson Model 617
For Honing Marksmanship
How To Improve Marksmanship With
Full-Size .22 Rimfire Rifle And Revolvers
by Joe Gorman
To make a long story short, full-size .22 rimfire training guns are super fun and practical tools that we all love to shoot.
The concept of .22 rimfire training guns is hardly new. The economic benefit of shooting .22 rimfire versus centerfire cartridges should be apparent, as is the benefit of introducing new shooters to shooting with a light-recoil option. Experienced shooters may not tend to pay .22 rimfire much attention, but we do here at the Gorman ranch.
To make a long story short, full-size .22 rimfire training guns are super fun and practical tools that we all love to shoot. Beside reduced recoil, sound pressure and cost to shoot, the .22 caliber M&P-15-22 and Model 617 (both from Smith and Wesson) have proven themselves over our cold, wet spring and have happily gobbled up thousands of rounds of .22 long rifle ammunition.
Smith and Wesson M & P-15-22 Sport
| Specifications: | M & P 15-22 Sport |
|---|---|
| Caliber | 22 Long Rifle |
| Capacity | 25 |
| Safety | Manual Safety on Lower |
| Barrel Length | 16.5" |
| Barrel Twist | 1 in 15" |
| Barrel Material | Carbon Steel |
| Overall Length | 33.8" |
| Front Sight | Folding Magpul (MBUS) |
| Rear Sight | Folding Magpul (MBUS) |
| Action: | Semi-Auto Blow Bakc |
| Stock: | 6-Position CA |
| Grip | Polymer |
| Weight: | 76.8 oz / 2,177.2g |
| Frame Material | Polymer |
| Frame Finish | Matte Black |
This M4-sized carbine, a lightweight, tactical plinker, ships with a 25-round magazine that seems to get drained at least ten times faster than it can be loaded. It’s very accurate, and even more impressive to me, very reliable. In 3K rounds of Winchester 40 grain solid point ammunition fired through our evaluation sample, I can count its failures on one hand. In terms of practicality, this little rifle is an absolutely perfect companion for patrolling our acreage. The Picatinny rail on top of the upper receiver and the MAGPUL MBUS flip up sights are a nice touch. The MAGPUL rear stock and pistol grip are high quality pieces that worked well throughout our testing. I mounted an inexpensive weapons light and a Burris Fast Fire 2 in an AR-F3 mount to the rails for duty as primary investigator of things that try-to-kill-chickens in-the-night.
There is no gas tube, as this is a blowback action. The M-LOK hand guard allows all manner of tactical stuff to be thrown on, but given the light weight of the base rifle, I chose to keep things simple. Operation of this weapon should be familiar to those who are used to ARs. You will want to order .22 Long Rifle Winchester ammo by the pallet!
Smith and Wesson Model 617
.22 Caliber Revolver
| Specifications: | Model: Model 617 |
|---|---|
| Caliber | 22 Long Rifle |
| Capacity | 10-Rounds |
| Barrel Length | 4-Inches / 10.2 cm |
| Overall Length | 9.1-Inches |
| Front Sight | Partridge |
| Rear Sight | Adjustable |
| Action | Single/Double Action |
| Grip | Synthetic |
| Weight | 39.0 Ounces / 1,105.6g |
| Cylinder Material | Stainless Steel |
| Barrel Material | Stainless Steel |
| Frame Material | Stainless Steel |
Smith’s L-frame revolvers are the legendary sidearm of peace officers in the 1980s and 1990s. They are no less effective and reliable in this modern age of 17-shot wonder guns and many people feel more confident with wheelguns when the chips are down. While .38 Special target loads are fairly inexpensive and recoil is very light, the 617 offers a great training gun, or a great trail gun depending on your perspective.
The action on our sample was smooth and consistent and accuracy with all the .22 Long Rifle ammo we shot was excellent. Everyone in my family got to shoot this revolver at paper targets and at steel targets and, everyone agreed the 617 is a homerun! It quickly went from a revolver I was mildly curious about, to an indispensable part of the arsenal!
The book Shoot to Live is an absolute MUST for anyone who wants to take marksmanship to the next level.
About The Author
Joe W. Gorman is an engineer by day and a firearms enthusiast in his free time. A credentialed magazine writer and talented photography, Joe wrote for Jack Lewis at Gun World magazine in the early '90s when Jack sold the publication. Joe has been Shooters Report's Executive Editor since 2000.
Before starting his career as an engineer, Joe worked as a law enforcment office and Park Ranger. Joe lives with his lovely wife and talented children in rural Iowa. He considers himself to be the world's handsomest gun writer.