Smith & Wesson .22 Kit Gun: Old-School Classic

Smith & Wesson’s Kit Gun was originally intended as a lightweight revolver for inclusion in a fisherman’s or trapper’s kit. The little .22 rimfire practically became a fashion accessory. Everyone had to have one, and many carried the piece in a Mackinaw pocket or the back jeans pocket while hiking or hunting.

The original Kit Gun was built on Smith & Wesson’s Hand Ejector Frame, also known as the I frame. The first Kit Guns were the brainchild of an influential gun dealer named Phil Bekeart. He asked for Smith & Wesson to chamber the six-shot .32 Hand Ejector in a six-shot .22 version. He specified target-style grips and adjustable rear sights. These revolvers were sometimes called the .22/.32 Target Model, Kit Gun or Bekeart Special, and most were six-inchers.

The Kit Gun went out of production during World War II, but after the war the company updated most of its guns with a short action, improved sights, barrel ribs and improved stocks. The Kit Gun was no exception when it went back into production in 1950. In addition to the new, safer action with a coil mainspring, it featured a high-profile, adjustable rear sight.

The gun adopted the Model 34 moniker in 1953. My personal favorite—the gun shown here—is the two-inch model introduced in 1957. A fairly rare aluminum frame Kit Gun was introduced in 1958.

Old-School Classic

The I frame was phased out in 1960, and the Kit Gun was converted to a J frame in .32 and .38 in addition to the .22 model. Most variants after 1961 or so came in both round butt and square butt. The stainless steel Kit Gun was a latecomer, made from 1977 to 1998.

The Model 34 ceased production in 1991, although Model 34s were commonly offered for sale for some time after. Today’s version of the Kit Gun, the eight-shot Model 317, has an aluminum alloy frame and a stainless steel barrel. While it is a good revolver and probably makes more sense for outdoor use, I like the old blue-steel Model 34.

The Model 34 shown here is a 1980 production gun and should fetch $999 with its original box and papers. On the high end, Kit Guns like a four-inch nickel gun with original box command $1,399 while high-grade used guns with boxes cost about $1,050. Unboxed guns run in the mid-$800s, about what a new Model 317 brings.

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