Our hope was to improve the M617’s performance in our SA test session. We also experimented, adding Smith & Wesson’s old-style wooden grip with the wider bottom. Hence, we did record some groups fired DAO from the bench. With 10 shots aboard and the gun fitted with a Hogue Monogrip, it was easy to see that DAO was favored. The Smith & Wesson M617 was the worst offender. But we did find the other two guns were not as happy in SA, mainly because the supplied grips were better suited for double-action firing. Naturally, the single-action only Ruger objected little. Each revolver was fired single action only from a sandbag rest at 25 yards, but, frankly, this was not ideal for all three guns. With arms outstretched and head resting on our right arm, we were able to take out a great deal of movement. We made sure the bench was long enough to rest our arms so that the resulting posture was more akin to shooting prone. In setting up our bench, we took care to accommodate the longer overall length of these firearms. With our expectations raised, all that was left was a trip to the range to prove their worth, or lack of same. The Dan Wesson, with its sleek appearance, promised serious competition at the next “silo” match. The Ruger revolver reminded us of the Buntline Special used by Kurt Russell in the feature film Tombstone. One or two more and it could be reclassified as an “assault” weapon. However, the Smith & Wesson boasts not only its patented double action but ten-shot capacity as well. Each gun shares the option of firing single action, which would be our main mode of accuracy fire. With three different ways to achieve the same ends, our anticipation of good times at the range grew. When they arrived, we realized that our choices, Smith & Wesson’s M617, $578 Dan Wesson’s 722, $750 and the Ruger Single Six Convertible, $352, had entirely different personalities. Therewith, after thumbing through Krause’s Gun Digest 2001, we decided to test three rimfire revolvers with barrels ranging from 8.5 to 10 inches in length to see if they shot better and faster. But as we have often found, what’s promised isn’t necessarily what’s delivered. Naturally, a longer barrel suggests two performance upgrades: better accuracy and more velocity. Basically, the tradeoff is this simple: What should the longer tube provide for its greater overall length and weight? But more important than what a rimfire revolver can do is how well it can perform compared to shorter-barreled guns. Plinking for fun, small-game hunting, and competition in the rimfire category of the Hunter’s Pistol Silhouette division come to mind immediately. Long-barreled revolvers have several traditional uses.
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