Taurus .17 HMR tracker

Guns Magazine, June, 2004 by Dick Williams

The .17 HMR (Hornady Magnum Rimfire) has hit the handgun shooting community harder than the flu has hit the rest of the country. This phenomenon is easily understood in single shot or bolt action pistols, but perhaps a bit surprising in revolvers. The explanation is that even in revolvers, this new rimfire cartridge based on a necked down .22 Magnum case produces much higher velocities, flatter trajectories, and superior stopping power than its older and larger diameter relatives. Today's case in point is the Taurus Model M17 stainless steel Tracker.

Let me say right up front, Taurus has created an outstanding field gun with this pistol. Its 6.5-inch barrel is a great compromise between maximizing the little cartridge case's potential performance and providing a reasonably sized carry gun. Producing muzzle velocities right around 2,000 fps with the three brands of ammo tested, the 41-ounce revolver surrenders somewhere between 500 and 600 fps to .17 HMR rifles, but can ride your hip comfortably all day long.

The integral full-length barrel lug with its extra muzzle weight provides good balance and stability when shooting off hand without adding unnecessary overall weight to the gun. Sights are adjustable with a white outline on the rear and an orange insert in the front blade. The trigger face is smooth, which I find helpful in any field gun that I might be firing while wearing gloves over cold hands.

The Model M17 comes with factory installed soft rubber grips just like on the big bores, and while recoil is not an issue, these grips are quite comfortable on any caliber handgun. The revolver is equipped with Taurus' standard safely device, a screw located in the hammer that makes the gun inoperable with just a quarter turn of the fitted key.

The cylinder's diameter is a bit larger than a "K" frame S&W, holding seven rounds instead of six. In this caliber, you don't need additional rounds to stop a charging critter, but there are occasions where the shooting can gel fast, if not furious, so why not give the handgun hunter an extra round if there's space for it?

Based on my initial view of the Taurus .17 as a belt gun, all testing (and hunting) was done with the iron sights. Groups at 25 yards ranged from 1.375 to 2 inches with Hornady and Remington being the preferred fodder. Test groups were fired in bright day light--conditions that favor black sights rather than the red ramp and while outline rear blade. Still, the results were excellent. and you might appreciate the colored sights more when hunting in the dimmer light of dawn and dusk.

If you typically hunt varmints or the smaller "incredible edibles" at longer ranges, you should look into putting some kind of optics on the Taurus. The. 17 HMR's flat trajectory lets you take shots at ranges you probably wouldn't consider with a .22 LR of Magnum. Its biggest advantage over the other rimfires is the enhanced terminal performance delivered by the 17-grain spitzer of hollow point bullet at its substantially higher velocity. Even out around 100 yards, small game was dispatched much more efficiently and humanely than with .22 rimfire ammunition. With iron sights and shots inside 50 yards, ground squirrels taking marginal hits rarely made it back to their burrows.

Taurus will be producing a number of additional revolvers chambered in the .17 HMR, and these may even be available by the time you read this. I can't say I prefer the Model 17 over the new offerings, because I haven't yet had my hands on the new guns. I can say that I'm very impressed with the Model 17, and that it does an excellent job as a small caliber field gun by maintaining a nice balance between maximum performance and reasonable size.

If you've caught the .17 handgun bug, then like the flu, the only known cure is to take a shot. And Taurus' Model 17 stainless steel Tracker with a 6.5 inch barrel and a suggested retail price just over four bills may be exactly the prescription you need.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

        Model:   Model 17SS6 Tracker
 Manufacturer:   Taurus
      Caliber:   .17 HMR
     Capacity:   7 rounds
Barrel length:   6.5 inches
       Sights:   White outline adjustable
                 rear, red ramp front
       Weight:   40.8 ounces
        Grips:   Factory rubber
 Construction:   Stainless steel
         MSRP:   $406