S&W Model 48
A powered-up take on the legendary K22.
Except for its .22 Magnum chambering, the Model 48 .22 Magnum (top)
is pretty much a dead ringer for the fabled K22 Masterpiece, which
became the Model 17 in the mid-1950s.
My first impression of the Smith & Wesson Model 48 — a long-barreled K-Frame weighing in at close to 41 oz. — was that it was way too much revolver for a .22-caliber anything. I’ll plead pure ignorance here. Why? My personal rimfire wheelgun frame of reference had been a relatively petite 3″ S&W J-Frame Kit Gun.
The “too much gun” feeling lasted until I finished the first six-shot cylinder. It was then I understood why serious old-school target shooters swore by the K22. Rimfire target shooters had — and still have — a wide spectrum of autos to choose from including Smith & Wesson, Hi-Standard, Colt, Ruger, Browning and several high-end European models. But for revolver types, the K22 was pretty much it with the possible exception of the .22 version of the Colt Officer’s Model Match.
Perhaps not the equal of the K22/M17 with competition-grade .22 Long
Rifle ammo, the “magnumized” M48 acquitted itself well at 25 yards with
Hornady’s excellent 45-grain Critical Defense FTX ammo and 40-grain CCI
Maxi-Mag FMJ (below) . Either load would be tough to beat for small game and varmints.
In Name Only
The M48 was basically a K22, which in the mid-1950s had morphed into the M17 chambered for the hotshot rimfire at the time, the .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire. Introduced in 1959 and discontinued in 1986, the Model 48 was eventually resurrected in the S&W catalog as part of the semi-limited Classic Series in 2010, according to S.P. Fjestad’s Blue Book of Gun Values. However, the specimen we lucked into was a late ’70s gun — a 48-4 to be exact. It was blued with a 6″ barrel, hand-filling Magna walnut grips and excellent adjustable sights.
Okay, to be practical, any “revolver holdout” interested in a target-style K-Frame .22 Magnum most likely isn’t going to be a serious bulls-eye competitor but that’s okay. What the gun offers is .22 WMR performance in what is probably the premier rimfire revolver platform ever. Although today, the cost differential between the .22 LR and .22 Mag ammo isn’t quite as shocking as it was “back in the day,” this is probably more a function of rising ammo costs in general.
Of course, it’s incumbent upon us to air out a caveat concerning the performance level. While the .22 WMR can boast some seriously impressive numbers from a rifle, its performance advantage from the M48’s 6″ barrel, while significant in regard to rimfire handguns, makes it something less than a barnburner. The three loads tested spanned most of the available bullet weights in magnum persuasion.
They included 30-grain CCI Maxi Mag JHP, 40-grain CCI Maxi Mag FMJ and 45-grain Hornady Critical Defense FTX. The 30- and 40-grain CCI loads averaged 1,468 and 1,268 fps respectively while the 45-grain Hornady stuff registered 1,230 fps. The Hornady load — originally designed as a defensive load for snubbie revolvers — had the lowest velocity spread at 75 fps and gave us the tightest 25-yard groups.
The single-action trigger on our vintage M48 broke at slightly under 3 lbs. which is pretty much ideal. The double-action pull was considerably less scintillating, although for a rimfire revolver this is somewhat irrelevant. If you’re going to do low-cost combat drills, chances are you’re not going to go the magnum route.
By comparison, the listed velocities of all three when fired from a rifle (in ascending order of bullet weight) are 2,200 fps, 1,875 fps and 1,700 fps. If you can live with a lighter bullet weight, there are several hyper-velocity .22 LR loads on the market such as CCI Stinger and Remington Yellow Jacket which, from a handgun, can get mighty close to 22 Mag handgun numbers. But discounting arguments about .22 Magnum handgun performance, it’s pretty safe to say the 6″ Model 48 is going to exceed most .22 LR loads from a rifle.
No .22 Magnum handgun will ever supplant one in .22 Long Rifle as a dedicated target piece but the magnum was never intended to be a precision paper puncher. In terms of varmint and small game hunting though, the Hornady FTX load from the M48’s 6″ barrel would be ideal, delivering a heavier-than-usual bullet at very respectable rimfire speed.
After we finished grouping and chronographing, I and a couple of shooting buddies spent some time busting clay birds on the 75-yard berm. Not to say our batting average was perfect but it was fairly respectable. And, ballistics aside, there’s something about the healthy whack of a .22 Mag that’s out-and-out gratifying.
The current Classic Series Model 48 in either barrel length currently lists for $1,169. If you’re allergic to Smith’s internal lock or you’re on the lookout for a 4″ specimen, you can find a vintage original in reasonable shape for a bit less. If you don’t mind straying from the original template, Smith also offers the Model 648, a full lug stainless 6″ version
But all things being equal, we’d opt for old M48. Its “K22 heritage” simply seems, well, proper. This .22 Mag classic is a superior hunting or field gun. It looks great and will hit better than you can hold.
