The wife expressed an interest in picking up some shooting, so I’m in the market for a decent .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol.
What are some good choices I should look for. This is strickly for non-competitive target practice.
I’ve already got Ruger on the list, but not a specific model. I’m looking to spend less than $400 and preferable less than $300.
Don’t want a crappy one, but don’t need the best either.
The Browning Challenger II may be just right for your purposes—A great gun for all-around shooting fun.
(I don’t know how much they are running these days, but I imagine it is probably in your price range)
I love my Ruger Mk II. But god help you if you want to completely break it down. It took me days to get it back together again.
Browning Buck Mark. I love mine. I also inherited a High Standard Trophy from my father that is a joy to shoot.
I have a Walther P22. It’s generally not considered to be a “high quality” pistol, but it is small, light, and fun to shoot.
Aren’t the Mk II’s in the over $500 range, though? Maybe heard that somewhere, but can’t say for sure.
Best wishes,
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I have a P22. It is all the things you say, but it’s primary asset is that it looks cool. Also, it digests any .22 ammunition you put in it. The Ruger Mk. II’s chamber is made to higher tolerance and will have trouble with some brands (specifically, IME, Remington).
There were several models. I tend to like the most basic variations in guns, so mine is the classic 4" fixed-sight model. It cost $225 ten years ago. I’m sure you can find them for under $400.
NB: The Mk. II went out of production in 2005. I don’t know anything about the Mk. III.
uh… yeah. The Mk III is running around $450 or so. Looks like the Mk II. I just put forth a warning. It’s great to shoot, but an absolute nightmare to clean.
OK, I’ve looked at the Mk. III page.
The Mk. III is very similar to the Mk. II, but with some improvements. For example, the magazine release has been moved. I never did like it at the bottom of the grip. A couple of safety features have been added as well.
The Standard has an MSRP of $362. The 6.88" Target model has an MSRP of $430.
The site is easy to navigate. Choose an model from the link. You’ll get to that model’s page. There’s a list of models on the left side of the page. Click there to choose other models. Underneath the picture on the model’s page, you can change the image simply by mousing over the list of variants.
I think enipla is overstating the difficulty of stripping a Ruger for cleaning. A little. They come apart easily enough, but are a bit finicky to put back together.
I don’t think you can go wrong with a Ruger Mk. II or III. They feel right in my hand, and even my short-barrel one is pretty accurate.
FWIW, here’s a list of .22 handguns I have:
[ul][li]Ruger Mk. II[/li][li]Ruger Single-Six[/li][li]Walther P22[/li][*]H&R 999[/ul]
The** Beretta 71** would be ideal for her. Smallish, lightweight, accurate, dependable, easy to operate and easy to clean. You can find a good one for $400 if you look.
How does the Beretta Neo stand up?
The Ruger Mk II/III is bulletproof and highly reliable with any ammo that will cycle the action (I’ve even had good success running .22 Longs through it) but as enipla indicates is a real pain to reassemble after field-stripping. Most gunsmiths seem to recommend not breaking it down for cleaning; just remove the panels, spray it down with lube, and clean the barrel. I’ve waited for years for Ruger to offer a .22 Magnum version to no avail. The High Standard Olympic pattern pistol is also excellent. I’ve never been thrilled with the Browning Buckmark or the Colt Woodsman.
Stranger
It’s not that hard once you get the hang of it… at first it took me quite a while to reassemble my 22/45, but once I got the angle figured out such that the little pin-thing is in the right spot so I can put in that final piece (bolt stop?) with the lever to hold everything together, it’s not difficult or time consuming at all.
(FYI… a 22/45 is a Mk II but with a polymer grip with the exact same grip size, angle and button placement as a M1911A1. Apparently the Army does or did marksmanship competitions with both 22s and 45s, and it was hoped that having one grip style would help marksmanship vs. 2 styles.)
I’m surprised nobody has mentioned the Bersa Firestorm .22. Many people think it is one of the best .22s on the market, and I think it can be had for $250. Definitely check that one out.
If you’re looking for exceptional reliability you need to go with the Browning Buckmark or the Ruger Mark II. The Mark III has a magazine disconnect, a sticking bolt stop, and a loaded chamber indicator whereas the Mark II has none of those things, making it about one million times easier to take apart. That’s a huge advantage when it’s already a cast-iron bitch the first three or four times you do it. You can also get parts that modify it to be easy to disassemble, and if you get a Mark III you can take all that crap out in short order and end up with (ta-da) essentially a Mark II. So get a Mark II and save yourself the trouble.
The Walther P22 looks cool but has a zinc slide. You might think that with such a low-pressure round it wouldn’t matter, but the slides have a nasty reputation for separating in the area right above the dust cover. I’ve seen enough examples (yes, in person as well as in photographs) that I believe it to be endemic to the weapon. I simply don’t trust them, and I used to want one until I did the research on it.
The other popular choice is the Sig Mosquito. Avoid it. Again, it looks cool, like a little brother to the full-size Sigs, but don’t be fooled. Its reliability absolutely sucks. A Browning or a Ruger will work with virtually all ammunition. The Mosquito has an infamous reputation for being finicky about ammunition and a pain in the ass even with ammunition it likes.
Stick with the Buckmark or the Mark II. You can pick up a fine example used for a great price if you look, and as long as the weapon doesn’t look to be abused externally it’ll be just fine internally. They are all but indestructible and have a long-proven design known to hold up to all kinds of abuse over the years.
In my humble opinion as a firearms instructor with many of these guns listed above and 30+ years of shooting experience, I would recommend the Ruger Mk III, 22/45 RP.
Just like Ford vs. Chevy guys, we gun guys can be just the same!
The 22/45 points well, shoots well, and will last forever. Yes, the re-assembly takes some practice to learn the proper steps for some people, but Youtube is full of good videosto help you do it quickly and correctly. It is not finger re-attachment surgery-hard like some people say.
Some people don’t like magazine disconnect, but I don’t use mine as a self-defense weapon, although it’s certainly capable. It’s not a deal-breaker for me.
The other reason I like the 22/45 is the RP version. That stands for replaceable panel. You can change the side panels on the grip to whatever you like, and it takes standard .45 grips, so there are hundreds of styles, colors and materials to choose from. If you don’t care, get the standard 22/45.
If you shop around or hit a gun show, you should be able to pick one up for $260 to $300 anytime.
Now, while I love the MkIII, they can be on the heavy side with the bull barrel. They come in 4 to 6 inch models, some fluted for a little weight savings.
The best thing for the Mk II and III series is an aftermarket upper from Tactical Solutions.It is the serial-numbered part of the gun, so it’s like buying another gun; you’ll have to get it from a dealer. That also means it costs another $279 or so. It’s not necessary, but if you ever pick up a MkIII with one on, you’ll fall in love.
They are light-weight aluminum, come in many colors, fluted or plain, and best of all - threaded! You do want a suppressor on it, right?
Here’smine with an in-expensive red-dot sight on it. Note the Pac-Lite upper on it.
Hereyou can see the thread-protector removed and ready for attachment…
And hereis what you need for covert squirrel or pesky neighbor kid control!
The bottom line is you can get the basic gun that will serve you well for years, but with the option to improve and enhance it in the future at your convenience.
The Browning Buckmark is the only other one you can modify in the future. All the others are WYSIWYG.
I second the opions above: the Sig Mosquito is cute and un-reliable.
The Walther P-22 is cool and in-accurate.
The Bersa is cute and adequate, but just doesn’t have the quality I want in a gun, even if it’s only for shooting cans & such.
If you have any questions, PM me, or put 'em here & we’ll all hash it out!
Good on ya for having a gun gal. They’re the best kind.
Here’s my Mk. II.
Wait. What? A gun… that’s… bullet proof? 
Another vote for the Mk II. Consider one used from a reputable source if price of the Mk III new is too high.
Any thoughts on the Smith and Wesson 22a?
We had her pick up and handle an MKIII ($350) and a BuckMark camper ($350). She liked the balance of the BuckMark. But was swayed by the grips of the BuckMark Target ($400)…then liked the look of the BuckMark Target Stainless ($450)…crap…
I really wasn’t looking to buy a new gun. I think a used Camper would be fine.
But the molded grip of the Target really attracted her. Can I find a Camper with that type of grip; what about the MKIII? don’t they have molded grip options too?
She’s a lefty btw.
This is going to cost me too much money; I see no way out of it.:smack:
