Ruger SR22 or Sig Mosquito

[muggsy]

I've decided to retire my near pristine Colt Woodsman and would like to get a .22 LR plinker to play with at the range. Which do you prefer and why? The Ruger SR22 or the Sig Mosquito. The guns are priced within $5 of each other. I've heard the the mosquito is somewhat ammo sensitive. Any input would be appreciated.

[Tinman507]

My SR22 is a bit of a gourmet about ammo. The bulk 555 packs don't always cycle the slide. I might see 2 or 3 failures to cycle every 100 rounds or so. I don't see that as an issue. You rack it and back to plinking. It's the nature of the .22LR beast. CCI Mini-Mags work every time.
I love my little SR22. It's a total tack driver. Piece of cake to strip down and clean. Great ergos.
Never shot the Sig so I can't give you a comparison.
Good luck with it.

[Scoundrel]

I just bought a Walther P22, which is exactly same price as the SR22, but the barrel is threaded (positive) and you only get one magazine with it (negative). I like it a lot. I compared them in person at the LGS and the Ruger looks like a Walther P22 clone, but was not as comfortable in my hand. You should definitely go meet one in person before you make any decisions.

I think all small-ish .22lr pistols are going to be a little ammo-sensitive. If you want a 22 pistol that is not, then you want a Ruger MK III - but that thing looks like it was made from spare parts in a Harley factory.

There is a rumor that Ruger is going to release a new variant of the SR22 that comes with a threaded barrel, in the next month or two. It's only a rumor at this point, but it came to me from someone who is in a position to know - a customer service guy at GemTech.

The Walther's been out in the market and tested longer. But the Ruger is made in the USA and the customer service is outstanding.

[muggsy]

I just bought a Walther P22, which is exactly same price as the SR22, but the barrel is threaded (positive) and you only get one magazine with it (negative). I like it a lot. I compared them in person at the LGS and the Ruger looks like a Walther P22 clone, but was not as comfortable in my hand. You should definitely go meet one in person before you make any decisions.

I think all small-ish .22lr pistols are going to be a little ammo-sensitive. If you want a 22 pistol that is not, then you want a Ruger MK III - but that thing looks like it was made from spare parts in a Harley factory.

There is a rumor that Ruger is going to release a new variant of the SR22 that comes with a threaded barrel, in the next month or two. It's only a rumor at this point, but it came to me from someone who is in a position to know - a customer service guy at GemTech.

The Walther's been out in the market and tested longer. But the Ruger is made in the USA and the customer service is outstanding.

I had a Mark III years ago and the only thing that I didn't like about it was that it was a bear to take down for cleaning. I also had a 10-22 carbine that was a real gem and trouble free. I'm leaning toward the Ruger and appreciate the input.

[Scoundrel]

Please understand that I love my Ruger MK III as well, for different reasons than I love the P22. The "Harley factory" comment was only a comment about the way it LOOKS. And it was spoken somewhat tongue in cheek, the way one might refer to an ugly dog that has the most charming personality _and_ fetches your slippers without slobbering on them.

Did you remove the magazine safety from the Mark III? Takedown gets MUCH better if you do that.

I'm sure the SR22 is a good gun. But go put one in your hand and squeeze before you decide.

[ripley16]

I never wanted a gun to be better and work for me more than the Mosquito. It turned into a huge disappointment though. It was unreliable no matter which spring I used and the trigger was horrible.

I've only fondled the SR22, but so far reports are that it works. It may be my next buy.

I did recently buy a GSG 1911-22 and I've been pleasantly surprised with it reliability and most of all it's accuracy. A little involved to take down, but it's a .22 so it probably won't get cleaned all that often.

I did own a P22 but it suffered from unreliability issues similar to the Mosquito.

I've also got a very nice Buckmark that is a great little gun. It's very accurate, in fact, I shoot it as well as my Colt Woodsman. It even has a trigger almost as nice as the Colt's.

The Beretta NEOS is a good, cheap, reliable fun gun. They can be had new for less than $250 I think. A good buy if you ask me.

Good luck with whichever you buy. Can't beat a little .22 for the fun factor.

[Kiehtan]

I have a Mosquito. I've used only stingers, which are recommened ammo, and have had no issues. The trigger is garbage though. I'm going to sell or trade it for an M&P 22.

[CJB]

The sig and walther are both made of zinc. the ruger is made of aluminum

[GROTMAN]

I had a Mark III years ago and the only thing that I didn't like about it was that it was a bear to take down for cleaning. I also had a 10-22 carbine that was a real gem and trouble free. I'm leaning toward the Ruger and appreciate the input.

I also recently bought a walther p 22. It's easy to break down and clean but was a bear at first getting the spring lined up and putting it back together again. After doing it several times now has gotten pretty easy once I figured out how to do it. My wife picked it over the ruger because she said it felt better in her hand and since the gun was primarily for her... that's what we went with. In my opinion you won't go wrong with either one.

[doc540]

went thru a half dozen .22 semi's before settling on an SR22

great gun for the money

runs like a deere

[Scoundrel]

The sig and walther are both made of zinc. the ruger is made of aluminum

Not being a metallurgist, I did a Google search to find out what this means. Here's what I found:

"Compared to aluminum, the zinc alloys are harder and stronger, machine more easily, have superior pressure tightness, and have substantially better wear and bearing characteristics."

http://www.keytometals.com/Article46.htm

[DeaconKC]

I will suggest another possibility for you, the S&W 22A. Great plinker, excellent sights and trigger. Mine is omnivorous when it comes to ammo. I have not shot either of the others, so I can't honestly comment on them.

[biglou]

If you like the 1911 platform check out the gsg/sig 1911's. I have the sig version and its a great gun for the money. What a blast to shoot and mine has digested everything from mini mags to fed and winch bulk pack.

[espresso]

I had trouble making up my mind on a .22 and looked at SR 22 and some others.
I found a Ruger 22/45 TALO and really like it. Yeah it's no fun to take down but it's super accurate, great stock trigger and eats anything. I had to change out the sights because the stock ones were horrid, but that was easy to do.
I think it looks cool too.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8425/7498192798_9563c01a58_z.jpg

[340pd]

I had trouble making up my mind on a .22 and looked at SR 22 and some others.
I found a Ruger 22/45 TALO and really like it. Yeah it's no fun to take down but it's super accurate, great stock trigger and eats anything. I had to change out the sights because the stock ones were horrid, but that was easy to do.
I think it looks cool too.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8425/7498192798_9563c01a58_z.jpg

That is one beautiful gun.
I would seriously look at that rather than a Sig, M&P, or Ruger SR 22.
Using the Ruger MK platform you can always add a few drop in parts from Volquartzen and you will have a gun that will shoot right with very high end target pistols.
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t320/gnystrom_photos/RugerMkIIIHunter.jpg

[Tinman507]

Grab a Gun SR22 for $304.99

http://grabagun.com/ruger-sr22-pistol-22lr-3-5-bl-as.html

[muggsy]

I finally got a chance to hold these guns in my grubby little hands. The Ruger SR22 with the larger grip felt really good. I also like the S&W M&P 22 except for the sights. Everyone that I've talked to said the Mosquito is ammo sensitive. I think I'm going to go with the SR-22 because of the size, reliability and price. Thanks guys, I appreciated your input.

[Scoundrel]

The SR22 also has a larger grip option? I did not learn that the Walther had the extra (larger) backstrap until the guy was ringing me up and I was fiddling with the contents of the case.

I don't think it would have changed my decision because the threaded barrel is/was important to me and Ruger doesn't have that yet.

Good to know that the SR22 comes with an optional larger grip. that might become important at some point.

If I'd done more research ahead of time, I might have found this:

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2012/03/ralph/gun-review-ruger-sr22/

"The well-shaped and very comfortable grip is customizable. Ruger includes two grip sleeves in the box. With the smaller grip sleeve preinstalled, the SR22 fit my average-sized hand well. Ham-fisted shooters will want to swap the smaller sleeve for the larger. With devilishly sly humor, Ruger notes that “[t]he detachable grip may initially be difficult to remove.”
Excuse me for laughing out loud, but the copywriter who authored that line should be writing comedy for Ricky Gervais. Let’s be honest. Removing the SR22’s grip was as frustrating as trying to put sweat socks on a rooster."

[Tinman507]

Excuse me for laughing out loud, but the copywriter who authored that line should be writing comedy for Ricky Gervais. Let’s be honest. Removing the SR22’s grip was as frustrating as trying to put sweat socks on a rooster."

That's baloney. Do it once it might be difficult. Any time after that it's easy.
Grasp grip and slightly twist and pull. Pops right off. I use the fatter one, my wife needs the thinner one and we swap back and forth on the range. Takes seconds.

[Scoundrel]

Goes to show that reviews are all subjective, I suppose.

Someone might say that moving Flexible Single Master Operation roles from one Windows domain controller to another is as frustrating as trying to put sweat socks on a rooster, but I find it simple, and it takes minutes for me.

So apparently that reviewer had an issue with the SR22 he was playing with. Maybe he was doing it in 105 degree weather with 95% humidity after the gun had been laying in direct sunlight for an hour. That might make it more difficult. :)

[jeepster09]

I love my SR22......best buy out there.

[Tinman507]

Might be that we've done it so many times it's breaking in too. Sorta like Jocko's barrel. The bullets just pour out of it now. New they had some twist to em.:behindsofa:

[CJB]

Many cases of sig and walther zinc slides cracking .

[Scoundrel]

So, tougher, but more brittle as well, then?

I'll lay off the Stingers.

[n9znd]

I have 1200 rds. through my SR22 with only a few misfires and that was mainly when the barrel came loose at about 850. Very accurate and about the same size as my CW9. I use it to shoot steel and kick butt with it. One of my all time Favorites. Jim

[JFootin]

He definitely has a sense of humor! I like this one!

"Since my trigger finger is one of my top eleven appendages, I was not happy."

[Tinman507]

I have 1200 rds. through my SR22 with only a few misfires and that was mainly when the barrel came loose at about 850. Very accurate and about the same size as my CW9. I use it to shoot steel and kick butt with it. One of my all time Favorites. Jim

Did you loc-tite the barrel bolt back in?

[JFootin]

The trigger concerned me about the SR22 when I handled one awhile back. The fact that the safety is a hammer drop so you can't carry it "cocked and locked" kills it for me. I don't want to have to spend $80-100 for a trigger job on a plinker! :mad:

[Popeye]

I like the 22/45. It was a little tough to take apart in the begining but once you get the hang of it ,it's not bad. Most of the time all you need is a boresnack and a few drops of oil and your good to go.

[muggsy]

The trigger concerned me about the SR22 when I handled one awhile back. The fact that the safety is a hammer drop so you can't carry it "cocked and locked" kills it for me. I don't want to have to spend $80-100 for a trigger job on a plinker! :mad:

I don't plan on using it as a carry gun, J, just as a plinker. A fun gun. Something to keep my Woodsman looking new. For $308 out the door I'm finding it hard to beat.

[muggsy]

I never wanted a gun to be better and work for me more than the Mosquito. It turned into a huge disappointment though. It was unreliable no matter which spring I used and the trigger was horrible.

I've only fondled the SR22, but so far reports are that it works. It may be my next buy.

I did recently buy a GSG 1911-22 and I've been pleasantly surprised with it reliability and most of all it's accuracy. A little involved to take down, but it's a .22 so it probably won't get cleaned all that often.

I did own a P22 but it suffered from unreliability issues similar to the Mosquito.

I've also got a very nice Buckmark that is a great little gun. It's very accurate, in fact, I shoot it as well as my Colt Woodsman. It even has a trigger almost as nice as the Colt's.

The Beretta NEOS is a good, cheap, reliable fun gun. They can be had new for less than $250 I think. A good buy if you ask me.

Good luck with whichever you buy. Can't beat a little .22 for the fun factor.

http://www.berettasupport.com/neos/RecallNotice.pdf

[ripley16]

Thanks, I'll check on it.

[warbird1]

I own the Sig Mosquito and it has been flawless using CCI mini mags, Remington Golden bullets and Vipers/Yellow Jackets. I don't worry about the trigger as I have several pistols and revolvers and their triggers are all different.

[n9znd]

Did you loc-tite the barrel bolt back in?
Sorry I forgot I postd on this!!! Yes I did lock tite the barrel in and have had no problems since. This gun just keeps working, Almost Glockish in its reliability. I have never had a .22 that works this good. Jim

[ken_in_austin]

Just picked up a new Ruger SR22PB. Haven't had a chance to fire it yet. It's for my wife mainly. She has arthritis and her hands aren't that strong. She can't pull the trigger on my Smith 642, and can't rack the slides on my K9 or Sig P250, so we decided to get the SR22 for training and her house gun. Better a .22 than a stick.

Ken

[ken_in_austin]

I forgot to mention that I had to wait about 2 months for the Ruger. And then the store had to call Ruger to tell them that 10 people were waiting. When I ordered mine in June there were 16 people ahead of me in line. So Ruger finally shipped a dozen. The store is GT Distributors in Austin. They have catered mainly to the LE market. www.gtdist.com (http://www.gtdist.com) is their website.

Ken

[muggsy]

Notice to all. I have found several reports of the plastic take down lever failing on the SR22. All incidents occurred during a shooting session. One with a gun that had less than 400 rounds put through it. I'm putting my purchase on hold until I hear from Ruger on this matter.

[NEO Hunter]

My father just got the Ruger SR22 and it has been great so far. I am thinking of getting another one for myself and my son when he is older. It cycles well with CCI Mini mags as well as regular 22 LR ammo. Groups well and seems to be made well. I did alot of research on the 22s before he got that one and the SR22 seems to be the best for the money in that style of 22. The ruger Mark series and browning buckmark are great 22s and have been around a long time as well as some others but we were looking for one that felt similiar and worked similair to the full size semi-autos. I did contact Ruger about the take down lever to ask if there are any safety issues and they told me they do not see any safety concerns. They feel it has been very isolated and feel some may have been from user error not completely closing that take town lever or using ammo that was too hot. I contacted some other firearms distributers because I don't trust the word of just Ruger and they feel that safety is not a concern and really like the SR 22 as well. I will certainly be watching to see if many more take down lever issues arise and keeping a closer eye on my dads for him to watch for wear but so far we are pleased with it. Around here they can be bought for $299 and I feel they are worth it compaired to their competitiors and I am not typcially a Ruger fan.

[TheTman]

Does it have to be a semi-auto? I like some of the 9 shot revolvers Taurus has out, some even have 2 cylinders for 22, and 22mag. I'm thinking of getting a revolver because of the ability to shoot .22 shorts, just something I want for around the farm. I'm really liking the model 992 which has the two cylinders for 22 and 22 mag. Something a little unusual for a double action 22.

[Tinman507]

I also read about takedown lever failures. It seems to be an issue if the lever isn't totally seated before shooting. I go through a mental checklist each time I use the gun. Takedown lever is #1 on the list.

[muggsy]

My thanks to Tinman and Neo Hunter for their replies. Operator error is the cause of many problems with handguns. I'm sure that Ruger will stand behind their product.

[Tinman507]

My early SR22 went back to the mothership for some slide wear after 50 rounds. Ruger's CS is outstanding. Replaced slide, barrel and takedown lever, test fired, sighted in and sent me a really cool hat to boot.
Look for the guns that DON'T have "SR22 PISTOL" on the side. The newer ones simply say "SR22" All the improvements are in those.

[Bawanna]

A really cool hat to boot? Lucky!

[BucketBack]

I put an 1/16" thick x1/4" ID x3/8" OD O Ring over the Recoil Spring Ass'y to cushion the slide against the plastic takedown lever, it hasn't broken yet. Mine says SR-22 with the little tm on the slide

[ken_in_austin]

My SR22 is a bit of a gourmet about ammo. The bulk 555 packs don't always cycle the slide. I might see 2 or 3 failures to cycle every 100 rounds or so. I don't see that as an issue. You rack it and back to plinking. It's the nature of the .22LR beast. CCI Mini-Mags work every time.
I love my little SR22. It's a total tack driver. Piece of cake to strip down and clean. Great ergos.
Never shot the Sig so I can't give you a comparison.
Good luck with it.
I recently got a new SR22 and fired it for the first time over the weekend. I had the same experience. I had perhaps 6 failures out of 100 rounds of Federal bulk pack, and zero failures out of 40 CCI Mini-Mags. Nice little pistol.

Ken

[Scoundrel]

I might eventually be interested in an SR22 when they come out with a threaded barrel option.

Hey, you're almost halfway to a picture-posting post count! :D

[Tinman507]

I think the threaded barrel is out now. Not certain but it was scheduled to be this summer some time.

[Scoundrel]

Not listed as a separate model, which is how I was told it would show up.
Also not listed at shopruger.com as an accessory.

People have been told "a month or two" on the threaded barrel option since it came out. I'm not going to hold my breath, which is why I bought the Walther instead.
But again, when it finally does come out, I will be tempted.

http://www.ruger.com/products/sr22Pistol/models.html
http://shopruger.com/Rimfire/departments/2/

[nmkahrshooter]

Neither look at m&p 22!!!!!

[Scoundrel]

Neither look at m&p 22!!!!!

Did. It was big and ugly and awkward-looking. Good for a trainer if you're trying to pretend it's a 9mm and train yourself up on the cheap, but no good for an attractive pocket pistol.

[JFootin]

Neither look at m&p 22!!!!!

Why?

[muggsy]

I guess you might say that I'm a little slow to pull the trigger, but I finally made up my mind. I'm going with Ruger, but not the SR22. I tried the double action trigger pull on the SR22 and found it lacking. It was long, gritty and stacked badly. The single action pull was better, but not great. What I decided on is the Mark III 22-45 with a 5.5" bull barrel. I plan to install a Volquartsen trigger and to eliminate the magazine safety. The SR22 isn't all that bad, but in my opinion the Mark III is much better.

[tv_racin_fan]

Muggsy I picked up a MK II some time back. Hope you enjoy yours.

[powwowell]

I LOVE the SR22. It's the most enjoyable .22lr hand gun that I've ever owned. I've owned a lot of different makes and models. It is not as accurate as my MKII with a 6" barrel. But I didn't expect it to be. It's small and light weight. This is more of a "Fun Gun". Plinking and stuff. If I were going squirrel hunting, with a hand gun, I would use the MKII.

It has a May 31st test fire date. I've shot it on two occassions. 200 rounds each one. No problems with Blazers. Zero!

[xb12s]

I recently got a new SR22 and fired it for the first time over the weekend. I had the same experience. I had perhaps 6 failures out of 100 rounds of Federal bulk pack, and zero failures out of 40 CCI Mini-Mags. Nice little pistol.

Ken

Ditto. I took my Ruger SR22 to the range for the first time this past Friday. It ate CCI Mini-mags and Stingers without any trouble. The Winchester and Federal Bulk that weren't as clean (have that nasty salty grime on them) had about two or three failures to feed per hundred. One was too lightly loaded to cycle the slide fully. Two or three got stuck on the feed ramp. I have the exact same issue in my Browning Buckmark. I'd love to have a 22 pisotl that fed everything with 100% reliability but I don't know if that's possible since the bulk ammo is so crappy. It's like somebody cleaned their crusty ear wax out with the tip of the bullet.

I haven't tried Yellow Jackets yet (haven't run across them at the store). If anybody has a bulk suggestion that's cheaper than the CCI minimags or Stingers but still cleaner/more reliable than other bulk ammo, throw it out there.

[rvanpelt]

I got the Ruger SR22 for my wife and we absolutely love it!:) It's accurate, reliable and a hoot to shoot. It's a good trainer for the Kahr CW9 I also bought her. We shoot the cheap bulk shells mainly with no problems. No regrets here on the SR22.
Haven't ever shot the mosquito so can't really compare but don't see how it could be any better.;)
Good luck!
Rod
http://i931.photobucket.com/albums/ad154/vanpeltrk/0428121836.jpg
http://i931.photobucket.com/albums/ad154/vanpeltrk/0428121836a.jpg

[muggsy]

I had a Mark III years ago and the only thing that I didn't like about it was that it was a bear to take down for cleaning. I also had a 10-22 carbine that was a real gem and trouble free. I'm leaning toward the Ruger and appreciate the input.

How difficult is this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IoOVcHy3Bo

[wyntrout]

How difficult is this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IoOVcHy3Bo

That WAS easy. I had a MK whatever with 5 1/2' bull barrel back in the 70's. I couldn't remember anything about it as far as take down, etc. This was a good video that shows what to do. Thanks for the post.

I've been thinking about a .22 pistol for use with a suppressor... maybe. The new Rugers with threaded barrels look interesting, but I was worried about the take down, etc. I still don't like that the rear sights don't go back as far as some pistols, giving up an inch of sighting plane because of the pin near the top back of the "slide"/barrel thingy.:rolleyes:

Wynn:)

[Chief Joseph]

I traded my P22 for the SR22 a couple of days ago, leaving here in a couple of minutes to shoot it for the first time. It was their display model with an April test fire date, so I'm going to put a lot of rounds through it today.

[n9znd]

I just shot my SR22 in a Action pistol match with a score of 1530. Very fun and accurate. Jim

[Chief Joseph]

I traded my P22 for the SR22 a couple of days ago, leaving here in a couple of minutes to shoot it for the first time. It was their display model with an April test fire date, so I'm going to put a lot of rounds through it today.

Just got back from my first outing with it.

400 golden bullet DIRTY
100 mini mag hp
10 stingers
50 american eagle.

Only 2 hiccups, once with golden bullets after inserting the mag and releasing the slide, it didn't move and had to push it, and one of this crappy batch of mini mag hollow points that have several underpowered rounds, I had one round not powerful enough to catch the next round. Gun was accurate. The mags were tight until the 3rd or 4th round of loading them. And had to change my grip. I used the larger grip and I like to force my hand high on the handle, but the hammer would dig into my hand each time I fired, so I had to lower my grip. Other than that, was an awesome day of shooting.

[muggsy]

I couldn't locate the Mark III 22-45 that I wanted, so I bought an SR22 to fill the gap. I still intend to buy the 22-45 model 10140 as soon as Ruger resumes production. I also intend to buy a threaded barrel and a suppressor for the gun. The SR22 is a fun gun to shoot a suitable for it's intended purpose. I may try to smooth up the trigger a bit.

http://www.ruger.com/products/2245Target/models.html