Any recommendations for a .22lr pistol?

[SGT5711]

I'm wanting to purchase a .22 pistol for economical shooting practice and just fun plinking and target shooting. Originally, I thought I might like to try a 1911 style .22, but now I am leaning towards a Browning Buckmark or Ruger Mark III 22/45. Open to any recommendations or suggestions. Thanks.

[wyntrout]

I would vote for the Mark III 22/45 Lite... unless you just NEED the extra weight of an all steel pistol to keep the recoil down. I tried the threaded barrel models side by side and chose the Lite... because it is!

The threaded barrel might come in handy for other things later, but I put a TandemKross Compensator on it after seeing testing and got to try it out yesterday. It does seem to keep the barrel down and certainly helped with the Stingers!

I installed the Majestic 3.2 Trigger Kit (cheaper from MidwayUSA) and the trigger is MUCH improved, no magazine safety, the mag falls free when the release is pushed now, and I can remove the bolt using the supplied Allen wrench to remove the vertical pin now.

I also installed the TandemKross +1 Bumpers to the magazines to improve magazine handling, add 1 round capacity, and protect the magazine if dropped to the ground.

I really like this pistol and it's easy to shoot... especially with the Majestic Trigger Kit modification. I paid $400 out the door at a gun show and have added maybe $100 in improvements and bought extra mags.

Wynn:)

[downtownv]

I have a S&W #18-9 revolver. with the 9" barrel it's incredibly accurate. I have a BSA Red dot on it just for distance focal point purposes.

[wyntrout]

Some pictures of the pistol and some accessories:

Wynn:)

[cloud]

Plus1 on the lite. But I also like shooting the ruger sr22 .

[rjt123]

I have a standard (not Lite like Wynn) Ruger MK III 22/45. It's fun to shoot, accurate, and a good value IMO. Pretty tolerant of cheap, junky ammo as well. Highly recommended.

[Bawanna]

All good choices but if you want the Holy Grail of 22's and ain't afraid to pay for it, find ya a Smith 41.

I have a 1973 version that is just an insane joy to shoot and superbly accurate even with me hanging onto the back side of it.

I wouldn't part with it for nearly anything.

I have a MKII Ruger that is fun to shoot and accurate too, just not in the league of that 41 and of course not in the same price range either.

I thought my Match Target Woodsman was ''IT" until I got the 41. Still darn nice but 2nd on the list now.:frown:

[rjt123]

All good choices but if you want the Holy Grail of 22's and ain't afraid to pay for it, find ya a Smith 41.



I have a 1973 version that is just an insane joy to shoot and superbly accurate even with me hanging onto the back side of it.



I wouldn't part with it for nearly anything.



I have a MKII Ruger that is fun to shoot and accurate too, just not in the league of that 41 and of course not in the same price range either.



I thought my Match Target Woodsman was ''IT" until I got the 41. Still darn nice but 2nd on the list now.:frown:


1st Commandment of KahrTalk:
Bawanna *always* has a cooler gun than you do. ;)

[cloud]

I know you said pistol but I find myself shooting my ruger 10/22 takedown more than my lite or sr22. I can take it apart and carry it in my bags on my motorcycle to the range . My range also lets us shoot 22 long guns at the pistol range.

[Bawanna]

1st Commandment of KahrTalk:
Bawanna *always* has a cooler gun than you do. ;)

In my dreams. I think GB wears that hat. He makes me cry with jealousy on a regular basis.

I'm very blessed to have some cool guns though. Luckily I've managed to keep most of them through kids, marriage, and all the other unimportant life stuff.

[SGT5711]

Thanks for the suggestions. wyntrout, that is a very nice looking pistol. downtownv, I hadn't really thought about a revolver, but I might. In these times, it might come down to what I can find readily available. Just started doing some research, probably won't purchase until a little later this fall. I hate this time of the year money wise. Recently got back from vacation, back to school, car tags due, my anniversary and wife's birthday. But I guess it depends on how you look at it. I can save $ shooting a .22 more often.

[Bawanna]

We must be on parallel life paths. Our anniversary was last week and wife's birthday is Monday. We're done with the whole school thing though, that's gotta be a good thing.

[SGT5711]

We must be on parallel life paths. Our anniversary was last week and wife's birthday is Monday. We're done with the whole school thing though, that's gotta be a good thing.

Indeed, last Friday was our anniversary and today is my wife's birthday.

[Tinman507]

Sarge check out the Ruger SR-22. Neat little semi .22
We have a blast with ours. They've got the bugs worked out of it and it's a sweet shooter.

[warbird1]

I'm wanting to purchase a .22 pistol for economical shooting practice and just fun plinking and target shooting. Originally, I thought I might like to try a 1911 style .22, but now I am leaning towards a Browning Buckmark or Ruger Mark III 22/45. Open to any recommendations or suggestions. Thanks.
I have both the Buckmark and the 22/45. Both are excellent. You won't go wrong either way.

[garyb]

I'm wanting to purchase a .22 pistol for economical shooting practice and just fun plinking and target shooting. Originally, I thought I might like to try a 1911 style .22, but now I am leaning towards a Browning Buckmark or Ruger Mark III 22/45. Open to any recommendations or suggestions. Thanks.

I recently purchased an M&P22LR. Let some of the guys who shoot competition (IDPA) shoot it. The overwhelming response was that it was the sweetest damned pistol they ever shot. I love the thing and wish I could find more ammo to shoot it more. I purchased it as a companion gun for inexpensive shooting as an "almost" identical match to my M&P40PRO. The M&P22LR does not cost an arm and a leg either. Check one out before you decide.

[GROTMAN]

I have a Walther p22 that my wife likes a lot. Have a thousand rounds or so through it without any problems. Seems to be ammo specific though. Eats up cci mini mags or stingers but kind of chokes on winchester wildcats. Biggest issue now is finding the ammo for it. Down to our last thousand rounds and been using them sparingly. Seems way harder to find ammo for it than the my pm9.

[jeepster09]

I second the 41 Smith, the Ruger MK is also great.

http://i691.photobucket.com/albums/vv276/jeepster09/IMG_1266.jpg (http://s691.photobucket.com/user/jeepster09/media/IMG_1266.jpg.html)

[Popeye]

I have both the Buckmark and the 22/45. Both are excellent. You won't go wrong either way.
What he said. ^^^^^ I chose the 22/45.

[DeaconKC]

Three 22s in this house, a Ruger 50th Anniversary 4", a S&W 22A and a Ruger SR22. All three run great with the Smith being the best shooter overall, it devours anything without a hickup. The little Ruger SR22 is new here but my wife loves it to death. The Ruger Mk2 is an excellent gun, but a little picky about what it shoots best.

[ltxi]

Buckmark. I have both. Much as I love Rugers, the 22/45 is a serious pita to take down. Even for cleaning.

[b4uqzme]

Ruger Mk1 here. You'll have fun with whatever .22 you chose.

[Armybrat]

No love here for the old Colt Woodsman?

http://www.milsurps.com/images/imported/2010/03/ColtWoodsmanMatchTargetLEFTSIDE-1.jpg

[TheTman]

I think plenty of us would like to have that Colt Woodsman Armybrat, you've kept it looking good.
I bought a Browning Buckmark on sale back in the 70's, and It's held it's own. Was going to buy a Ruger MKx, but the Browning was on sale for a price too good to pass up.
I would like to get a 9 or 10 shot revolver one of these days, or maybe one of those dual cylinder combos so I can shoot 22 mag too. Maybe that Taurus 922 9 shot Tracker. Double Action, and available with both regular and magnum cylinders. I know some of you poo poo Taurus, but I've never had a problem with any of their revolvers. Plus this is for shootin not collecting.

[Bawanna]

No love here for the old Colt Woodsman?

http://www.milsurps.com/images/imported/2010/03/ColtWoodsmanMatchTargetLEFTSIDE-1.jpg

That's the model I have. It was hands down my favorite until the 41 came along. I still cherish it, another our of family hand me down.

[skiflydive]

I have a Bersa Thunder 22. Nice gun. Well made. About the same weight and grip angle as my CM9. Fun to shoot, accurate at SD distances. Cheap to punch paper with.

[gb6491]

I'm wanting to purchase a .22 pistol for economical shooting practice and just fun plinking and target shooting. Originally, I thought I might like to try a 1911 style .22, but now I am leaning towards a Browning Buckmark or Ruger Mark III 22/45. Open to any recommendations or suggestions. Thanks.


No love here for the old Colt Woodsman?

http://www.milsurps.com/images/imported/2010/03/ColtWoodsmanMatchTargetLEFTSIDE-1.jpg
As nice as they are, the old Woodsman (Huntsman, Challenger, et al) is not something I would recommend to the casual .22 shooter. The same goes for the old High Standards. These old guns are wonderfully built and usually very accurate, but parts are scarce and expensive. Factory service is practically non-existent and smiths competent in their service are getting harder to find. Accessories are also hard to find and just as expensive as the parts; magazine prices are, let's say exuberant, for some series. It's almost a necessity to use factory magazines in old High Standards. That reminds me, it's advisable to only use standard velocity ammo in most High Standards and some of the early Woodsman series.

If I were to make a recommendation for a new, value priced .22 that might satisfy the OP's wants/needs, I would recommend:

Revolver
Ruger Single Six in any configuration (the .22LR/.22 Magnum convertible is especially attractive).
They are:
Great value for the money.
Well built: all steel or steel and aluminum alloy
Accurate (with excellent adjustable sights on most models)
Reliable
Have an excellent warranty and Customer service.
Accessories are abundant and reasonably priced.
Parts are available on the secondary market and from the factory.
They shoot a variety of ammo; Shorts, Longs, Long Rifle, CB caps, Super Collibr, shot, and .22mag (convertible models).
Great training tool for novices.

Semiautomatic
Ruger MK series or Browning Buck Mark.
They are:
Great value for the money.
Well built: all steel, steel/aluminum alloy, or poly/steel (Ruger 22/45)
Accurate (most models have excellent adjustable sights and are optics friendly)
Reliable
Have an excellent warranty and Customer service (especially Ruger)
Accessories are abundant and reasonably priced.
Parts are available on the secondary market and from the factory.

.22 conversions for center fire pistols are also an option worth exploring.

My favorite: this Browning Buck Mark:)
http://i44.tinypic.com/103tsb5.jpg

...though this one isn't bad either:D
http://i40.tinypic.com/2599uz6.jpg
Regards,
Greg

[SGT5711]

Thanks for all the advice guys. Greg, I agree about the older pistols. I went by Cabelas today to look around. They had an old High Standard in the used section. It was priced at $389 and was in pretty rough shape.

I also handled a couple of their new Buck Marks. Grips were a little wider than I figured they would be (I prefer thin grips), but not horribly so. I actually liked the wooden grips better than the rubber ones. I figured the rubber ones would be soft, like on my K9, but they were actually pretty rigid. Wood grips seemed thinner and had a better feel to me.

Also, thanks for the pics of 2 nice Buck Marks. Would you recommend the slabside over the bull barrel for any reason?

[Longitude Zero]

SIG P226 22LR. And with caliber conversion kits you have a 22LR and a 9mm for less than what the 9mm normally costs by itself. SIG pricing on these is amazing.

[SGT5711]

SIG P226 22LR. And with caliber conversion kits you have a 22LR and a 9mm for less than what the 9mm normally costs by itself. SIG pricing on these is amazing.

What is the usual pricing for these? Website shows an MSRP of $609. How much are the conversion kits?

[ken_in_austin]

Sarge check out the Ruger SR-22. Neat little semi .22
We have a blast with ours. They've got the bugs worked out of it and it's a sweet shooter.
I agree on the Ruger SR22. I got one for my wife and we both like it very much.

Ken

[gb6491]

Thanks for all the advice guys. Greg, I agree about the older pistols. I went by Cabelas today to look around. They had an old High Standard in the used section. It was priced at $389 and was in pretty rough shape.

I also handled a couple of their new Buck Marks. Grips were a little wider than I figured they would be (I prefer thin grips), but not horribly so. I actually liked the wooden grips better than the rubber ones. I figured the rubber ones would be soft, like on my K9, but they were actually pretty rigid. Wood grips seemed thinner and had a better feel to me.

Also, thanks for the pics of 2 nice Buck Marks. Would you recommend the slabside over the bull barrel for any reason?
The slab side barrel is a little lighter in the same length, anything else is aesthetic.

Something I forgot to mention earlier, the Buck Mark "Camper" model has a plastic rear sight base that can crack around the screw holes where it is attached to the pistol. This will be of no concern if you want to go with some type of optic as you'll need to swap the base out for a mounting rail. The plastic base and sight can be replaced with the metal base (and sight) from other model Buck Marks, but unless the price is too good to pass on, buy a model with the metal base to begin with.
http://i41.tinypic.com/xpc84p.jpg

Good reference site for rimfire stuff: http://www.rimfirecentral.com

Regards,
Greg

[mr surveyor]

Ruger MKII 22/45

Simple operation, very simple to clean once you get it apart the first time and know how to polish the barrel lug and mating parts. Re-assembly is easy as pie, once you learn how to get the little dangly thingy to fall into the proper slotted thingy before you try to close the springy lever thingy ....

[wyntrout]

Ha! I love the "technical" terms you use. I haven't "used" mine much and it's still pretty new... the Mk III 22/45 Lite with a few modifications, but I love it! I need to put the rail on and add some kind of "better" sight. My eyes really suck at my age, and open sights are really not great for me!

Wynn:)

[Popeye]

Ruger 22/45 RP is my choice in 22 lr pistols. Yea it's a little tough to take apart but you don't have to do it all that often, and after you do it a few times it's no big deal. To be honest I only take it apart about every 2000 rounds. Most of the time it's run a bore snake down the barrel a couple of times and call it a day. the pistol really doesn't get all that dirty. The darn thing is so accurate and reliable it's borders on boring to shoot.:D
9090

[jocko]

Ihave never taken my MKII apart and it is 5 years old and probaqbly 4-5K rounds through it. I spray clean it inside and out and lightly oil and shoot it like I stole it. those damn Rugers just seem to go and go and go.

Kinda ike me with a bladder infection!! Just sayin

[Barth]

I saw this at the LGS today.
Looks interesting.
http://accurateshooter.net/Blog/sig1911pix1.jpghttp://www.sigsauer.com/upFiles/catalog/product/1911-FDE-detail-Hero.jpg

[jocko]

I would sue thing tha sig 22 would be a great shooter and a reliable one also.

[ZardozCZ]

+1 on the Model 41. Have someone show you the deep clean takedown of the Ruger and ask yourself how enjoyable that will be for you.

Haven't shot a buckmark but if its like high standard, go that route if the 41 isn't for you.

[TheTman]

SGT, are ya sorry you asked. There's been so many fine pistols shown that I'd be more confused than ever. I'd bet money that whatever you choose you are going to be happy with, if you stay with the major players. Most of them are so close in accuracy, that it's not even much of a determining factor these days. I think it depends more on the individual gun, than what brand or model it is, on most of the good semi-autos, until you get into the target models and upper end models. You might keep an eye on slickguns.com and maybe find something you've been looking for on sale some place. I think you would be happy with either of the first 2 pistols you mentioned, I'd have to go on how if felt in my hand, and how accurate it would be for point shooting, (They have lasers in a cartridge gadgets that will let you know, well they do for larger calibers, not sure on .22) That's one of the things I enjoy about my .22 is point shooting. Something about shooting at tin cans along the bottom of the berm without using the sights is just fun to me. And you can do it all day for not much money. It's good practice for SD too, there's not always time to line up your sights. Anyway, good luck and hope you're not more confused than ever now, LOL.

[mr surveyor]

well, not sure if it's been mentioned yet, but the Ruger Single Action Six Combo (.22 short, long, long rifle / .22 magnum) can be a real tack driver too, if revolvers are a consideration.

[Alfonse]

+1 on the Model 41. Have someone show you the deep clean takedown of the Ruger and ask yourself how enjoyable that will be for you.

Haven't shot a buckmark but if its like high standard, go that route if the 41 isn't for you.

It isn't bad taking down the Rugers. Look how easy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3svrP3-Txxo