The Smith & Wesson Model 22 is back in two distinctly American forms: a long-barreled Model 22 of 1917 Classic patterned after the World War I service revolver and a handier four-inch Model 22 Classic chambered for both .45 ACP and .45 Colt.
Smith & Wesson announced both revolvers on October 27, 2026. Each is a six-shot, double-action/single-action N-frame with traditional bluing, smooth walnut stocks, a lanyard loop and no internal lock. Both carry a $1,299 suggested retail price.
This is a specifications-based review, not a claim that I have fired either revolver. The factory details are enough, however, to show that these are not merely two barrel lengths of the same gun.
Smith & Wesson Model 22 Specifications
Specification
Model 22 of 1917 Classic
Model 22 Classic
SKU
14057
14058
Chambering
.45 ACP
.45 ACP and .45 Colt
Capacity
6 rounds
6 rounds
Action
Double-action/single-action
Double-action/single-action
Frame
Blued carbon-steel N-frame
Blued carbon-steel N-frame
Barrel
5.5 inches
4 inches
Front sight
Fixed half-moon
Black serrated ramp
Rear sight
Fixed frame trench
Fixed frame trench
Cylinder
Moon-clip cut
Multi-caliber and moon-clip cut
Grips
Smooth walnut
Smooth walnut
Internal lock
No
No
Included clips
Five full-moon clips
Five full-moon clips
MSRP
$1,299
$1,299
Smith & Wesson lists a 1:16-inch right-hand barrel twist for both models. The longer 1917 version measures approximately 11 inches overall and weighs 36.6 ounces, while the four-inch Model 22 is about 9.38 inches long and 34.6 ounces.
What Is the Model 22 of 1917 Classic?
The Model 22 of 1917 Classic is the historical choice.
It uses a 5.5-inch barrel, fixed half-moon front sight, smooth walnut stocks and an original-style lanyard loop. Its cylinder accepts .45 ACP ammunition held in either traditional three-round half-moon clips or modern six-round full-moon clips.
The original M1917 existed because the United States needed more .45-caliber sidearms than M1911 production could provide during World War I. Colt and Smith & Wesson adapted large-frame revolvers to fire the same rimless .45 ACP cartridge used by the government pistol.
A revolver extractor normally pushes against a cartridge rim. Because .45 ACP lacks the projecting rim found on cartridges such as .38 Special and .45 Colt, the M1917 used clips to retain the cartridges and extract the empty cases. The Smithsonian notes that Smith & Wesson based its M1917 on the Second Model .44 Hand Ejector.
Smith & Wesson’s new version is not an original military revolver, and collectors should not confuse it with one. It is a modern-production tribute with the appearance and operating concept of the wartime gun.
That distinction is useful. A genuine martial M1917 has historical value and finite remaining life. The new revolver can be carried, fired and maintained without slowly consuming an irreplaceable artifact.
What Is Different About the Four-Inch Model 22 Classic?
The four-inch Model 22 Classic sacrifices some historical fidelity for considerably greater versatility.
Its most important feature is the multi-caliber cylinder:
- .45 ACP is fired using moon clips.
- .45 Colt is loaded directly into the chambers without clips.
That combination gives the owner inexpensive and widely available semiautomatic-pistol ammunition for ordinary practice while retaining the option of traditional rimmed .45 Colt loads.
The shorter barrel and serrated-ramp front sight also make more sense for general field or range use. The 1917’s half-moon sight looks correct, but the Model 22 Classic’s ramp should be easier to acquire against varied backgrounds.
Neither model has an adjustable rear sight. Shooters should expect the point of impact to move when changing bullet weights, velocities or cartridges. That matters especially with the dual-caliber Model 22, where light .45 ACP and heavier .45 Colt ammunition may not strike the same place.
Does the New Model 22 Have an Internal Lock?
No. Smith & Wesson identifies both new Model 22 revolvers as having no internal lock.
That will matter to traditional Smith & Wesson buyers who dislike the frame-mounted lock introduced on many modern revolvers. Whether somebody objects to it for mechanical, aesthetic or political reasons, deleting it was the correct decision on a revolver designed around early-20th-century styling.
A wartime-style N-frame with a lanyard loop, walnut stocks and an obvious lock hole would have looked like a historically themed rifle fitted with a mandatory bicycle reflector.
Model 22 Moon Clips Explained
Moon clips are not magazines. They hold rimless .45 ACP cartridges in the correct position and allow the extractor to remove the fired cases together.
The new Model 22 of 1917 accepts both half-moon and full-moon clips. Smith & Wesson includes five full-moon clips with each revolver.
Full-moon clips can produce very fast reloads, but they introduce a few practical considerations:
- Clips can bend if carried loose or handled carelessly.
- A bent clip may bind the cylinder or prevent cartridges from seating fully.
- Fired cases generally require a removal tool unless the shooter enjoys abusing his fingers.
- Clip thickness can affect cartridge fit, so buying a pile of unknown clips before checking compatibility is unwise.
- The Model 22 Classic can avoid clips entirely by using .45 Colt.
Owners should mark clips individually during initial testing. If one causes drag or inconsistent ignition, separating it from the dependable clips makes diagnosis much easier.
Model 22 of 1917 Classic vs Model 22 Classic
Buy the Model 22 of 1917 Classic if the military appearance and history are the point. Its longer barrel, half-moon sight and .45 ACP-only chambering give it the stronger connection to the government revolver.
Buy the four-inch Model 22 Classic if you primarily want a shooter. It is shorter, lighter, has a more visible front sight and accepts both .45 ACP and .45 Colt.
At the same $1,299 MSRP, the four-inch model supplies more practical capability. The 1917 version supplies greater historical character.
The choice is essentially this:
- Model 22 of 1917 Classic: best for military-firearm enthusiasts and collectors who want the service-revolver configuration.
- Model 22 Classic: best for ordinary range use, field carry and owners who already keep both .45 ACP and .45 Colt ammunition.
Price, Availability and Problems to Inspect
The $1,299 figure is Smith & Wesson’s suggested retail price, not a guaranteed dealer price. Early examples may sell near MSRP until supply catches up with initial interest.
Because these revolvers were only announced on October 27, there is not yet enough independent shooting evidence to declare their long-term reliability established. A prospective buyer should inspect the actual revolver for:
- Proper timing in every chamber
- Consistent cylinder lockup
- Excessive endshake
- Barrel-to-cylinder gap
- Smooth extraction with the supplied clips
- Bent or dragging moon clips
- Point-of-impact differences between loads
- Loose grips, ejector rod or sight components
- Finish damage around the cylinder and sideplate
Those are inspection points, not allegations that the new Model 22 has a known defect.
The same restraint should apply to accuracy claims. A fixed-sight N-frame can be an excellent shooter, but factory specifications do not establish group size. Ammunition, individual revolver tolerances, the fixed sights and the shooter all matter.
Smith & Wesson’s release arrives only days after the company completed its acquisition of Savage Arms. That deal expands Smith & Wesson’s reach into bolt-action rifles, rimfires and shotguns, while these Model 22 revolvers show that the company has not abandoned the traditional wheelguns that built its name. Read more in Smith & Wesson Buys Savage Arms for $160 Million.
The new Model 22 is expensive, unapologetically old-fashioned and limited to six rounds. Good. Not every firearm needs a polymer frame, seventeen-round magazine, threaded barrel and rectangular optic mounted high enough to require its own zoning permit.
The Model 22 of 1917 Classic preserves an important American military design. The four-inch Model 22 Classic makes that design more useful. Smith & Wesson was right to bring back both.
GarandThumb.com was established on May 4, 2012, to document my experiences trying to become a better marksman.