Revolver Rant: A Real .22 Magnum – Smith & Wesson’s Model 53 in .22 Jet

Smith & Wesson and Remington have a history of jointly developing cartridges and firearms together. The Model 29 and .44 Magnum was one such venture. Another less well-known collaboration came along soon after the birth of “the most powerful handgun in the world.”

Someone back in the late 1950s had the wild idea of taking a .357 Magnum cartridge and necking it down to a .22. The intended goal was to launch a 40 grain bullet at a blistering 2,400 fps from a six-shot revolver.

Now, this wasn’t the first go around with such an idea. There were wildcat cartridges back then like the .224 Harvey Kay-Chuk floating around and it was based on the .22 Hornet and also fired from revolvers. But the idea S&W and Remington had was meant to be done in a K-Frame, not the larger N-Frame.

Remember, the Model 19 had just hit the market and was an absolute smash hit. Lawmen and shooters all across the country were clamoring for the .357 Magnum K-Frame that Bill Jordan had a hand in making a reality. And outdoorsmen wanted something similar for varmint hunting too. The larger N-Frame, while popular, was and is a bit large to tote around all day.

Thus, the .22 Remington Jet was born and introduced to the shooting world in 1961 in the Model 53.

Built on the same S&W K-Frame used for the Model 19, the Model 53 was a handy wheel gun. Richly blued and svelte, the Model 53 was and is a gorgeous piece. The Model 53 has a number of interesting features not seen on traditional K-Frames…plus a few quirks.

First, the gun is simply marked “.22 Magnum” instead of “.22 Rem Jet” or “.22 Center-Fire Magnum.” Back in 1959, Winchester introduced the .22 Magnum we all know and love today. So the Model 53’s barrel marking could and has caused its share of confusion to some buyers not knowing the difference.

Secondly, being that the Model 53 fired a center-fire cartridge, it was still able to fire .22 rimfire. How was it able to do that, you ask? The revolver came with dual firing pins and a selectable hammer.

The top firing pin is for .22 rimfire and the bottom is for the .22 Jet.

Here the hammer is seen in rimfire mode.

And here is it is center-fire mode. But how does one chamber .22 rimfire in a gun like the Model 53? Simple. Smith & Wesson shipped the Model 53 with chamber inserts.

Yup, you had chamber inserts made in the profile of the .22 Jet casing. They shipped them in .22 Long Rifle, but some aftermarket companies made them in .22 Magnum, too. With the .22 LR inserts, you can shoot .22 LR, .22 Short, and .22 CB.

The inserts ejected like regular cartridges so you can shoot six rounds of powder-puff .22 LR and then go straight to shooting .22 Jet.

Speaking of shooting, the Model 53 is an absolute blast on the range.

The .22 Jet cartridge is loud and the gun moves in your hand. But it isn’t punishing, it just has a spring in its step when it’s fired. Accuracy wise, the .22 Jet is a veritble laser beam.

So far, all I’ve done is sung this gun praises. Remember when I said the gun had some quirks? Some of those quirks include the fact that it locks up. The Model 53 was a commercial flop because of that reason. As it turns out, .22 Jet has a nasty habit of case setback and the case head would push back against the recoil shield, locking the gun by preventing the cylinder from rotating.

The issue was so bad that S&W advised shooters to use lighter fluid to clean the charge holes in the cylinder. The gun had to be kept immaculate to keep it from locking. Mine locks even though I use lighter fluid to keep it immaculate.

My revolver would lock up after half a box of ammo. It is what it is and as a Model 53 owner, I understand that. This isn’t a gun meant to be shot often or for long periods of time. It’s meant to be shot a few times then cleaned and put away for the next range trip. It’s more of a finely tuned dragster than a daily 4-banger econobox.

The tolerances that the Model 53 were built to were superb. Recessed cylinder, pinned barrel, rich bluing, plus a tight fit between the forcing cone and cylinder face…all of these are what a wheel-gun connoisseur looks for in a good revolver.

But the Model 53 isn’t a shooter’s gun, it’s an outdoorsman’s gun. It’s a piece to have in one’s stable if you’re a fan of all things S&W or if you enjoy a stroll through the woods. It’s a finely made piece and like some fine pieces out there, it’s not a gun to put through a 300-round defensive course. This is the gun to load and take out into the field to use for small game or varmint hunting. It’s accurate, finely crafted, and a specialized piece.

If you’re the kind of shooter who wants to blow through half a case of ammo in a range trip, the Model 53 isn’t the gun for you. The Model 53 is the gun for the owner who enjoys single-shot rifles and taking their time. For the shooter who can enjoy setting up a target at 100 yards for a handgun and shooting six rounds in a 20-minute period because they’re reading the wind.

I enjoy mine for all of those reasons. It makes me slow down and concentrate. When everyone else is mag dumping their GLOCKs, I’m there achieving nirvana as I slow my breathing and squeeze the trigger for that one perfect round.