Recommendations for a .22 pistol?

[ted]

I've got a s&w M&P 22lr pistol it shoots great

[Dolomite_supafly]

I've got a s&w M&P 22lr pistol it shoots great

The real pistol or the pistol AR? I looked really hard at the pistol before buying my 22/45. I have several 22/45's so I am already setup for them. That was a big deciding factor for me.

Dolomite

[gjohnsoniv]

Hey OP

Call me

Dolomite

I'll give you a call in the morning.

[Oh Shoot]

...Ruger MKIII4 (4 meaning 4.75") is what I have. Mine is from the early 80's...

I believe you have at least one extra "I" in that model description?

- OS

[jhc77]

I believe you have at least one extra "I" in that model description?

- OS

Your right OS. For my year in the early 80's it was a MKII (1982-2004). Good catch.

[ted]

The real pistol or the pistol AR? I looked really hard at the pistol before buying my 22/45. I have several 22/45's so I am already setup for them. That was a big deciding factor for me.

Dolomite

The real pistol or the pistol AR? I looked really hard at the pistol before buying my 22/45. I have several 22/45's so I am already setup for them. That was a big deciding factor for me. Not the ar but the real pistol small hand gun .

Dolomite

[hornett22]

The Ruger MI-III are great guns. The Buckmark is as well.

I have been enjoying the snot out of this SR22 though.

[JG55]

Ditto JG55's Bersa Thunder .22. It doesn't eat junk very well. Stay with Mini-Mags and Remy Goldens and you should do well.

Try Federal automatch 325 to a box found at walmart.mine eats them without issue

[Mark@Sea]

I'm contrarian, I guess. I've had a few rugers. I'll stick with my woodsman.

[Ropin4gold]

I'm going to vote Ruger MKII. I have the stainless one with the bull barrel and it has been great for about the 11 years I have owned it. I also have had really good luck with the Walther P22 if you wanted something a little smaller/lighter.

[gjohnsoniv]

I'm going to vote Ruger MKII. I have the stainless one with the bull barrel and it has been great for about the 11 years I have owned it. I also have had really good luck with the Walther P22 if you wanted something a little smaller/lighter.

I had a P22T that I liked, but not that much. Too top heavy and the grip was a tad bit too small/uncomfortable.

[dats82]

I'm contrarian, I guess. I've had a few rugers. I'll stick with my woodsman.

For less than $400? I did not know a woodsman could be had for that. I assume you are referring to a Colt Woodsman.

My vote would also be a Ruger Mk III. I was doing a little tweeking on the trigger this morning as a matter of fact. I like them stock, but they are also fun to work on and tinker with. The only complaint I have had from other people shooting mine is that they are a little heavy with the bull barrel. It does not bother me, but if weight is an issue, considered the tapered barrels.

Edited June 3, 2012 by dats82

[RichardR]

I had a P22T that I liked, but not that much. Too top heavy and the grip was a tad bit too small/uncomfortable.

I bought a 3.4" Walther P22 back when they first came out & it was an immediate hit with friends & family, every time we'd go to the range & it would come out of the range bag everyone would start jockying for who would get to shoot it first, since the P22 was still "new" with regards to being on the market & the reaction of everyone who shot it seemed to absolutely love it, so I did a series of articles & updates on it over on rimfirecentral.com's forums.

Anyway I stopped after posting the 10,000 round update, since the gun had already begun to catch on and wasn't exactly an unknown at that point, but my little P22 has been absolutely flawless with regards to reliability even though I usually feed it the cheapest bulk ammunition I can find.

Granted the slide mounted safety eventually started walking on it from being worn out (from all of the flipping on & off), I cut some new indents in the zinc alloy slide and that fixed the problem (for awhile) but eventually those wore out too so I ended up completely removing the slide mounted safety all-together.

The gun has easily over 100,000 rounds through it now & it's still thumping along, eating anything & everything I feed into it without any hiccups & unbelievably it is still the gun that everyone wants to shoot first when it comes out of the range bag.

So while it's not my personal favorite .22LR pistol (I like my all steel Ruger MKII's) the two hundred some odd dollars I paid for the P22 was well worth it, I honestly never expected it to be this reliable or last this long or have survived this many rounds put through it.

[graycrait]

For those of you who have a MKIII Ruger I would recommending throwing out the mag disconnect and replace it with a 6.95 MKII bushing, that allow easier dis and reassembly as well as drops the trigger pull. On a couple I have tossed the LCI out as well, makes it easier to clean. I generally recommend a Volquartsen trigger and sear. Most of the guys I know I offer to change out the parts for them if they buy the parts. The difference on the range in terms of trigger travel and pull is quite amazing for so little money. Shipping and the parts from Midway cost 69.00. You can also construct a blast shield out of shim material or soda can metal which does help in keeping the MK series internals cleaner.

These two websites are a big help:

http://www.1bad69.com/ruger/index.htm

http://guntalk-online.com/service.html

This is an interesting thread. If Sams bushings were easier to obtain I would probably use them on MKIIIs.

http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=418737

You can buy an LCI filler piece you can send away for one:

Send payment with request to Bruce patza, N863 lawn Rd, Seymour WI. 54165.

Regular stainless steel, $18.00 with tracking $19.00

Beadblasted stainless, $19.00 " " $20.00

Hot Blued carbon steel, $21.00 " " $22.00

Shipping to the lower 48 encluded

Set screw, allen wrench, 220 gr. alum.oxide for minor fitting, instruction info. encluded.

please add your contact information so I can contact you if there is a problem or question with your order

Just a note, bead blasted is NOT a factory finish on ruger MKs. It is an aftermarket finish.

Matte blued for the new ruger barrel is ready to go for$22 or $23 withtracking

just keeping on the last page

Edited June 3, 2012 by graycrait

[Guest bbtie72]

I have had many plinkers my favorites are as follows.

Ruger MkII slabside

CZ 75 kadet

Single six

High standard longhorn double nine convertible

High Standard Sentinel

S&W22a

i would have to put the ruger at the top

[StPatrick]

I have really enjoyed my Ruger mkIII target model I bought from a TGO member. It now wears a Volquartsen trigger, sear, and extractor, along with a mkII hammer bushing and Hogue wraparound grip.

[~Emily~]

I have one of these Beretta Bobcat model 21a in .22lr on the way to my FFL. Can't wait.

http://www.berettaus...odel-21-bobcat/

[DevJames]

for general range fun, it's hard to beat the Ruger MK's and Buckmarks. It gets to the point when they shoot so well you find ways to challenge yourself.

best I've done with one was break raw spaghetti 7 of the 10 shots I had with a Buckmark from about 7yds. They're both ridiculously accurate pistols.

[hazmatt]

I have had my Beretta U22 for a few years now, and I really enjoy it. The cost of mags has gone up since I first bought them, from $10 each to around $20+.

I have only had two problems with mine. My U22 does not like non copper plated rounds. Those plain lead bullets seem to dirty up the gun causing feeding problems after 300 rounds or so. Well, the only lead nose rounds I have shoot through it are CCI standard velocity. Then again, I have heard that most 22s will dirty up faster, and then have feeding issues, with plain lead rounds.

The other problem, it is far too easy to shoot over 500 rounds in one session I am thinking about adding a .22 revolver, to help cut my ammo costs.

[Sam1]

Ruger MKIII4 (4 meaning 4.75") is what I have. Mine is from the early 80's but shoots great. Only gripe I have is when it's time for a through cleaning. I found one online in a few minutes for around $290. About $20 for magazines.

this is what we use too, with a bull barrel it is extremely accurate. Taking it apart the first couple of times is a pita, but its easy after that and you could get a speed strip kit if you want it to be even easier. they're about $50 and replace a few of the parts and lighten the trigger a bit at the same time

[Mark@Sea]

For less than $400? I did not know a woodsman could be had for that. I assume you are referring to a Colt Woodsman.

My vote would also be a Ruger Mk III. I was doing a little tweeking on the trigger this morning as a matter of fact. I like them stock, but they are also fun to work on and tinker with. The only complaint I have had from other people shooting mine is that they are a little heavy with the bull barrel. It does not bother me, but if weight is an issue, considered the tapered barrels.

Yup. Picked up my first one at a funshow in Knoxville for $375.

[Will H]

Ok, I will take the scorn and the ribbing and recommend one of these. I have bought one for my dad and one for my self. Both are awesome.

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/577/products_id/87905/Handguns/Heritage/Heritage%20Rough%20Rider%2022/22M%206.5%20BL/

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/577/products_id/74603/Handguns/Heritage/Heritage%20RR22999MB6%20Rough%20Rider%20Combo%2022LR/22%20Mag%206.5/quot;%209rd%20C/

[graycrait]

Will H,

I have never heard a complaint out of anyone who had a Heritage. I'll bet they would make a good trapline gun or good gun to shoot 60grain SSS in a LEGALLY caught gator's head.

[pattywak]

I've shot both Ruger 22/45s and a friend's Walther P22, and personally I liked the P22 a little better. For me, it was more fun to shoot, and it fit pretty well in my hand.

[gjohnsoniv]

I've had a P22T and just couldn't get over the grip.