.22lr Pistol Recommendations

[GlockSpock]

I have shot but never owned a .22lr pistol. I have my eyes set right now on the Ruger rimfire pistols, especially the threaded 22/45. I would rather have the 10150 since it has the sights instead of just the rail. Long term I would be interested in a suppressor, that is why the threaded 22/45 appeals to me. I suppose I like the 22/44 over the Mark III simply because of the fire controls, but in no means am I ruling out the standard Mark III. Something that I am curious about the threaded 22/45 is whether the sights are easily usable with a suppressor installed. Are they high enough?

I am open to many recommendations and it will probably be a few weeks to months away from being purchased, but what I am interested in are:

Automatic

Easily Suppressible

Easily Upgradable (Aftermarket Internal Parts Support)

Tried and True (Accurate and Reliable)

I suppose I would be interested in upgrading some of the internals with aftermarket parts if they would improve trigger pull.

[nightrunner]

I would say your only choices are a ruger mark iii, ruger mark iii 22/45, browning buckmark, or maybe a walther p22 but its not really upgradeable

[Dolomite_supafly]

The Ruger you are talking about is the best suppressor host out there. It is made of steel and will last a lifetime. I shoot a lot of ammo through mine and 90% of it is suppressed.

I initially bought the railed model and hated it.

Almost any other 22 out there is made of aluminum or pot metal (P22) so they are not going to last. I contacted Sig about their Mosquito when I was shopping for a suppressor host. They said they last 10K-15K rounds and for me that is about 6 months of shooting.

The sights are fine with my 1" OD suppressor. Almost any 22lr suppressor is going to be 1" OD or smaller.

Dolomite

[dats82]

My vote is with the Ruger Mark or 22/45 pistols. I have a Mark III with a Hogue grip that I muck prefer over the few 22/45 I have shot. I am sure grips could be changed on the 22/45 as well to make them more desirable; however, I also like the steel construction of the Mark over the polymer of the 22/45. Eitherway, I think both would be an excellent choice.

Also, the sr22 pistol has an optional threaded barrel if you prefer that style pistol. I have an sr22 without a threaded barrel, and it has been a fun and reliable pistol after a few hundred break-in rounds.

[nightrunner]

The only 100% steel .22 pistols i have been able to find are the ruger mark iii ( non 22/45 model as it uses a polymer frame) and the CZ Kadet conversion on a CZ75

[GlockSpock]

I honestly did not realize that the 22/45 is polymer framed. Dolomite, you say that Sig estimated 10K-15K on their Mosquito. To put things in perspective, what would you say one of these Rugers would probably last? Since the 22/45 is polymer framed, does that in any way affect its durability vs the Mark III?

If I were to pickup one of the Mark III's, which model would probably be best suited for a suppressor?

[GlockSpock]

The only 100% steel .22 pistols i have been able to find are the ruger mark iii ( non 22/45 model as it uses a polymer frame) and the CZ Kadet conversion on a CZ75

Although I would love a Kadet kit and would love to have one someday, if I am going to spend what it costs to buy the kit I would much rather just have a dedicated firearm. That said if I ever see one of the kits used I may pick it up if it is a good price.

[BigK]

Although I would love a Kadet kit and would love to have one someday, if I am going to spend what it costs to buy the kit I would much rather just have a dedicated firearm. That said if I ever see one of the kits used I may pick it up if it is a good price.

good luck finding a used Kadet kit at a reasonable price...I haven't had any luck at all finding one that isn't practically the same price as a new one...and I've been looking for years

[TrickyNicky]

If it's any indication, I've gone 2-3000 rounds between cleaning my mkiii with absolutely no issue. I spray down the action with a clp and wipe off the face of the chamber but that's about it. Clean it more thoroughly about every 2-3 months. I'm not an advocet about not cleaning, quite the opposite actually, but the Ruger is the exception to the rule.

If I had to guess as to the life expectancy in terms of rounds Id guess somewhere between 100,000 to 100,000,000.

Now that's as a whole, you may need new extractors or firing pins or springs in that time but the bolt, frame, trigger group etc. seem built to last a few lifetimes.

If I was in the market again with an eye on getting a suppresor I'd look into the 22/45 that comes prethreaded to save some time and cost.

Also have the sr22 and really like it, but I'm not sure it could be easily threaded?

[Dolomite_supafly]

I honestly did not realize that the 22/45 is polymer framed. Dolomite, you say that Sig estimated 10K-15K on their Mosquito. To put things in perspective, what would you say one of these Rugers would probably last? Since the 22/45 is polymer framed, does that in any way affect its durability vs the Mark III?

If I were to pickup one of the Mark III's, which model would probably be best suited for a suppressor?

I have probably put 100K through previous MKII's I have owned. I got my recent 22/45 about 3 months ago and have well over 10K through it already. The steel frame is without a doubt more durable and will last lifetimes. With that being said the polymer is going to last a lifetime as well as long as you don't abuse it. All the parts that matter or that could wear are metal. But the best part of the Ruger MK pistols is everything can be replaced.

Whatever you choose plan on sticking with that one, be it a MK or a 22/45. The reason is the magazines are not interchangeable. That is why I have the 22/45. I bought one initially then loaded up on magazines.

I will say avoid the temptation to buy a PacLite. They have a very short lifespan. I have had two and both started having the breechface mushroomed out of shape in under 3K rounds.

Dolomite

[Dolomite_supafly]

With my 22/45 I get to about 2K rounds between cleanings when shooting suppressed. And then all I normally do is hose it down with WD-40 and blow it out with air. Gets me a few more K and then I really detail clean probably every 10K rounds.

Dolomite

[xRUSTYx]

Ruger Lite 22/45

Its on my short list as well

[Dolomite_supafly]

Problem with the Lite is the muzzle threads are aluminum. And they WILL wear out over time. I would have picked up one but that held me back.

Dolomite

[BigK]

Nowadays, I run a bore snake down the barrel and clean/lube the action after every time I take it out. When I first got my Mark II, I disassembled it and cleaned it more thoroughly every time I shot it, thinking I was being kind to my gun...big mistake.

All that assembling/disassembling wore out the barrel lug. It developed a rattle where the frame/barrel come together. I fixed it, but the point is, don't do what I did. It's bad for the gun and even Ruger doesn't recommend it.

[graycrait]

I've owned just about every sub-600.00 .22 pistol known. Do what Dolomite says and get a Ruger. I have 5 or 6 threaded .22s and the long discontinued S&W 2206, 622 and 422 are my favorites. I do have a 22/45 Lite and I like it, but don't shoot with a suppressor with any of the guns unless I borrow one from several of my friends who have them. I've had a couple of the other Ruger threaded barrel models.

I like the weight and balance of the 22/45 over the MKIII (all steel guns). I do have an older friend who thinks his MKII has over 300,000 rds through it.

As far as aftermarket and accuracy: I don't think anything beats the Ruger, when those two things are combined. in the later models remove the mag disconnect, put in a standard MKII bushing in its place, put in a Volquartsen sear and Volquartsen hammer and you are "there." I also removed the Loaded Chamber indicator in the two 22/45s I currently have.

I've had Buckmarks and they are decent guns but I prefer the Ruger.

Once you learn how to disassemble and reassemble the thing it is a snap, but isn't intuitive at first. If I run across a Ruger that has been disassembled so much it is a bit loose from the frame it is an easy thing to shim the gun tight.

Edited September 5, 2012 by graycrait

[xRUSTYx]

Problem with the Lite is the muzzle threads are aluminum. And they WILL wear out over time. I would have picked up one but that held me back.

Dolomite

Good call Dolomite.

I haven't seen any Buckmark's/Mark I/II/III's with threaded barrels.

Hmmmm

[BigK]

Once you learn how to disassemble and reassemble the thing it is a snap, but isn't intuitive at first. If I run across a Ruger that has been disassembled so much it is a bit loose from the frame it is an easy thing to shim the gun tight.

I think the Ruger Mark series is the most complicated gun to disassemble that I've ever owned. However, I can do it blindfolded now...even though I try to only take it down when absolutely necessary now.

BTW...the shim works well. If you know what you're doing you can compress the frame to accomplish the same thing. If I weren't so cheap, I'd send mine in to have the lug peened.

[Guest MidTNGlock]

Don't worry about the polymer frame on the 22/45. It is an awesome gun.

A lot of the things people knock the current production guns for can be removed or disabled like the mag disconnect, bolt stop detent and loaded chamber indicator.

Edited September 5, 2012 by MidTNGlock

[quietguy]

Personally, I like the Buckmark design a little better than the Ruger, but only because it is easier to take-down and re-assemble. It does require a hex wrench, but that isn't a big deal for me. Both are absolute tack-drivers and reliable with quality ammo. In my experience, my Buckmark is a little more reliable with subsonic ammo. Not sure why, but that has been my experience.

All in all, I like the Rugers (especially the slab side models), but like the Browning slightly better. I have to say that I have no experience with the 22/45 model, but can't see how the polymer frame would cause any significant issues.

I have a Walther P22, and consider it a piece of excrement. Not sure what I was thinking when I bought it.

Edited September 5, 2012 by quietguy

[TrickyNicky]

A hex wrench is nothing, you need a mallet to fully take down the Ruger.

The one thing I like about the buckmark over the mk series is the full grip you can get on the slide while loading a round into the chamber.

The Ruger just has those little handles and they can pinch you a bit if you dont slingshot it.

Not a huge issue for me but still...

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Well, on the Kadet angle-- I have an older stainless Mark II slabside that has always worked fine, but speaking of the Kadet angle--

Perhaps I'm wrong, but as far as I know, you can put a kadet conversion kit on most CZ 75 or 85 pistols, but you can't put a 9mm slide on a kadet. And the dedicated .22 kadet pistol costs at least as much as a garden variety CZ75.

So if one wanted a "mostly dedicated" .22 CZ kadet, one would spend more on an extra CZ-75 plus a kadet kit, but anytime you wanted a spare 9mm CZ-75 more than you wanted a kadet, it only takes a few minutes to remove the kadet adapter and re-mount the 9mm slide.

I've been happy with both the Mark II slabside and the kadet adapter on a CZ-85. Sometimes one is more fun, sometimes the other.

[TNWNGR]

I'm a longtime Ruger 22/45 owner, have owned Browning and S&W 22's and shot High Standard Match pistols as well. The 22/45 has great balance and is very well made, as much as I like the ruger MkIII I prefer the 22/45.

[Dolomite_supafly]

They make a bunch of different kinds of bolt rackers for the Ruger.

I made my own out of brass. It also helps tame the ports noise when shooting suppressed, which is 99% of the time.

With mine you do have to be careful because it can bite you if you get too high of a grip.

Dolomite

[TrickyNicky]

Yeah I remember seeing that on another thread and being green with envy.

I wish I had the tools/skills you've got.

Anyway, what's the point of the slab side barrels? Is it just to cut down a bit on weight on a bull barrel?

I think they look really sharp, but have no idea what if any practical purpose they have.