There are some guns you buy because you want them, and then there are others you buy because you need them.
The Smith & Wesson Model 63 (which is also known as the ‘Kit Gun’ in some circles) is both. It’s the kind of revolver that makes you grin when you pull it out of the case thanks to the classic S&W lines, but it’s also the kind of revolver that earns its keep every single time you use it.
I’ve always said that every shooter (no matter how deep their pockets or how big their safe) ought to have at least one .22 handgun in their collection. It doesn’t matter if it’s a revolver, semi-auto, or even a single shot.
A good .22 is like a cast-iron skillet…you just can’t do without it.
And the Model 63 is about as fine a skillet as you’ll ever fry up.
Why I’ll Never Be Without a .22
Let me get this out of the way: if you don’t have a .22 semi-automatic pistol or revolver in your lineup, you’re missing out. I’ve got centerfire handguns I adore, sure, but when I want to spend an afternoon at the range without burning through half my paycheck, I grab a .22.
The Smith & Wesson Model 63 Kit Gun is perfect for target shooting, squirrel shooting, pest control, or for keeping in your pack on long outdoor excursions.
Bulk ammo in .22 is cheap and plentiful, and it’s also easy to carry. I’ve lugged a brick of .22s in my backpack on outdoor excursions or on hunting trips. You try that with .357 or .44 Magnums and you’ll be calling your chiropractor.
A .22 is also the best teacher there is. I don’t care how tough you think you are, nobody’s born a marksman. The first time I learned how to shoot a handgun as a kid, it was chambered in .22.
No flinch, no fear…just the pure joy of hitting a target and watching the can jump. That’s how you build shooters. Not by slamming them behind a .45 and telling them to “man up,” but by letting them have fun so they can build confidence and fall in love with the sport (and then they can learn how to shoot the .45 later).
Then there’s the practical side. A .22 revolver is the best friend a backyard gardener or squirrel hunter ever had. Rabbits in the lettuce, squirrels in the pecan tree, raccoons raiding the feed shed…you can handle all of them with a .22 at my side.
Sure, it’s not going to take down a bear, but it was never meant to. It’s meant to be handy, accurate, and always ready for the small stuff.
And the Model 63 Kit Gun nails that role.
The Kit Gun Concept
Smith & Wesson didn’t just call it the Kit Gun for fun.
The idea was simple: a revolver small and tough enough to live in your outdoor “kit.” Fishing kit, camping kit, hiking kit, or whatever you were doing, the Kit Gun was light enough to toss in the pack but dependable enough to actually use.
The Model 34 was the first in the line, a sweet little blued steel revolver. The Model 63 is its stainless-steel cousin, and stainless is the right call. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had blued guns (handguns, rifles, and shotguns alike) rust just from sweat and humidity, but the 63 laughs at that abuse. You can take it fishing, leave it in the truck, or haul it up a mountain. Stainless doesn’t care.
The Model 63 holds 6 rounds of .22 LR in the cylinder. Also note the S&W medallion in the top of the wooden grips, which is a nice touch.
And here’s a detail I love: this one is the older style, the kind without that stupid and unnecessary internal safety lock above the cylinder that Smith has been putting on their revolvers since the later years of the Clinton era.
Some folks don’t mind the lock, but I’ll take old-school every day. It keeps the revolver looking clean and true to its roots.
It’s Built Like a Real Gun
Let’s be honest: a lot of .22s feel like toys. Light, rattly, flimsy triggers…you know what I mean.
Not the Model 63. This thing is built to the same standards as Smith & Wesson’s bigger calibers. The lockup is tight and the machining is crisp, and the action feels like it was made with pride and not haste.
The hammer gives you that sharp and very definitive click when you cock it back. It’s the kind of sound that makes you stop and grin for a second before you squeeze off a round.
Double-action is on the heavier side, like all double action revolvers, but it’s smooth. Single-action is where the magic happens, It’s crisp and predictable, which is just the way it ought to be.
Alternatives I’ve Considered
Now, if you just plain don’t like revolvers, I won’t try to twist your arm.
The Ruger Mark series is legendary for a reason. The Browning Buck Mark is a tack driver that can hang with the best. Smith & Wesson’s own SW22 Victory is a joy to shoot, and the Walther P22 or Ruger SR22 scratch that “tactical .22” itch.
But here’s the thing…rimfire semi-autos can be picky about ammo. You’ll find one brand it loves and another it chokes on.
Revolvers don’t care. Feed it whatever .22 LR you’ve got rattling around in the box and it’ll fire. That kind of reliability is worth its weight in brass to me.
Why I Keep Coming Back to It
I own bigger, flashier, more powerful guns, but I keep coming back to the Model 63.
The build quality of the Model 63 Kit Gun is excellent, and it’s made to the same standards as S&W revolvers in larger calibers.
There’s something satisfying about a revolver that just works, every time, with no drama. There’s no learning curve, no quirks, no babysitting. You load it, you shoot it, you smile, you repeat.
And because it’s built like a “real gun,” I know it’ll still be going strong long after I’ve put thousands of rounds through it. A lot of rimfire handguns wear out or loosen up, but not this one. It’s a revolver I’d be proud to hand down someday, scratches and all.
Wrapping It Up
If someone who has never shot me before told me they wanted to get a handgun to train and learn how to shoot with, I’d tell them to start with a .22 and then build up their arsenal from there.
And if they wanted that .22 in revolver form, I’d point them straight at the Smith & Wesson Model 63 Kit Gun.
It’s accurate, reliable, and well-built, but it’s also fun as all get out.
Plain and simple, it’s the revolver that makes you look for excuses to shoot it.
And that, to me, is what makes it a keeper.
