# advise on a .22 purchase



## timeout (Jun 23, 2011)

Any one out there care to help me out on picking a .22 for general shooting and plinking? Was looking at the S&W 617 and would love to have one but its kinda rich for my blood. Any input would be great, Thanks Mike


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## TedDeBearFrmHell (Jul 1, 2011)

ruger mk III


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## RICK54 (May 14, 2011)

Ruger single six hands down !


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## jfrey (Jul 10, 2011)

Browning Buck Mark is fantastic and a good deal for the money. You can't go wrong with one.


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## firefirst (Jul 4, 2011)

MKIII It will out shoot you good price,good gun,great fun


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## timeout (Jun 23, 2011)

Alright that gives me a place to start! Thanks


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## hideit (Oct 3, 2007)

those three cover the best
you gotta determine barrel length sights and feel of your hand
if those are too expensive the american herritage is the way to go - these are SA


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## aarondhgraham (Mar 17, 2011)

*My recommendations,,,*

So you want to buy a quality .22 pistol?

*These are the 5 most common target style .22 pistols out there*,,,
Any one of these 5 will give you many years of excellent performance.

I've *not* listed them in any order of preference.

Browning Buckmark = Great pistol but I found the grip to be funky.
Ruger 22/45 Mk II or MK III = Great pistol with a 1911-ish grip.
Beretta U22 NEOS = Great pistol with a very slender grip.
Ruger Mk II or MK III = Great pistol with a luger-ish grip.
S&W 22A = Great pistol with a very fat grip.

Any of these will serve you very well,,,
They are all reliable firearms that aren't ammo picky,,,
Rather than sweat over which one is _*better*_, get the one that fits your hand.

*For those who want a non-target style DA/SA .22 pistol*,,,
That is a reliable shooter but at an affordable cost,,,
There are two that consistently get great reviews:

Bersa Thunder 22 or the Firestorm 22,,,
Virtually identical pistols made by the same company,,,
These pistols are very similar in size and shape to a Walther PPK.

Two other pistols I will mention out of fairness to their brand names,,,
The Sig-Sauer Mosquito and the Walther P-22 are pistols that get very mixed reviews,,,
People who own them either absolutely love them or adamantly hate them.

The main concern of these guns is that the slides may (and sometimes do) crack under normal use,,,
Both have slides made of Zamak which is a Zinc alloy,,,
Commonly called "pot metal" or other bad names,,,
I can not verify or deny these assertions.

*Then there are the high-end (high dollar) model*s.

CZ-75B Kadet - With the exception of the Kadet having adjustable rear sights,,,
It is virtually identical to the CZ-75B in 9mm.

Sig-Sauer Classic .22 - There are 3 models to choose from,,,
They start as a full frame .22 semi-auto that is convertible to their centerfire counterpart using what Sig calls the X-Change Kit,,,
They are the only production pistols that are designed to convert *up* to a centerfire pistol.

Beretta 87 - The .22 counterpart to the Beretta 84/85 in .380 ACP.

*Last but not least are the .22 Mouse Guns*.

Taurus PLY.
A very small semi-suto pistol with a polymer frame,,,
It is based on their Model 22B Beretta copy,,,
Very lightweight and easy to shoot,,,
It has a very nice grip.

I own, shoot regularly, and give a personal recommendation to these .22 pistols,,,
These six are all reliable shooters that aren't ammo picky (for me) at all.
Bersa Thunder 22,
Beretta Model 87,
CZ-75B Kadet,
Beretta NEOS,
Ruger 22/45,
Taurus PLY.

I also own a Phoenix HP-22,,,
It quit working after 150 rounds,,,
Two trips back to the plant in California.
As far as a functioning pistol goes, Mine is a very cute paper-weight.

I hope this helps,,,

Aarond

.


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## silverctr (Jun 18, 2011)

I'm also a fan of the Ruger single six. However I'm very pleased with my Phoenix Arms HP22. The only issue is that it likes standard velocity rounds (as stated in the instruction manual). Also with the HP22, if you have a screwdriver, metal nips, and five minutes, you can take care of the "too many safeties" issue stated above. Check youtube for that one.


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## hideit (Oct 3, 2007)

since my earlier post i have spent a lot of time doing more research
yea i want a 617 and/or the sig 1911-22 but
i have chosen the ruger 22/45 5.5" bull barrel
my other short list was the S&W 22a, same price, but several people advised the ruger over it
also the buckmark was on the short list but it is $95 more


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## Cat (Apr 12, 2011)

Phoenix HP-22, Is junk. I got the 25 cal for my kid. Mail it to Mike the owner, For jamming. I get it back,Still jams,But now the arm for the trigger keep coming off. So they mail me a new one,With the handle plate.

So I call him back over the jamming of this new HP25, And he is telling me that,We are holding the pistol with one hand.Ok If your think that. I just told him it's ok this junk was for my kid that is 8,To get to know how to shoot a pistol.And the cost was 149.00. But I did tell him everyone will know from me you pistols are junk. And they are.

So I went back to my gun store,Let them know about it. And turn it in for a Walther P22 Pistol - Carbon Fiber Finish. Looks just like the pk380, My little girl loves it. P22 is one of the best looking 22cal out there. Barrel on p22 is 3.4,And not like most are at 5.5. 5.5 Way to long. To me that 5.5 barrel makes the pistol look funny. Like a toy look. p22 to me is the best one out there in a 22cal.

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/...ategory_rn=43326&top_category=43326&training=

SKU: WAP22400
Model: P22
Caliber: .22LR
Capacity: 10 Rounds
Length: 6.3" / 16.0 cm
Height: 4.5" / 11.4 cm
Frame Width: 1.1" / 2.8 cm
Barrel Length: 3.4" / 8.6 cm
Sight Radius: 5.3" / 13.5 cm
Weight (No Mag.): 15.1 oz. / 428.1 g
Standard Mag. Weight: 1.8 oz. / 51.0 g
Action: SA/DA
Trigger Pull: 4 lbs. / 11 lbs.


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## TedDeBearFrmHell (Jul 1, 2011)

Cat said:


> Phoenix HP-22, Is junk. I got the 25 cal for my kid. Mail it to Mike the owner, For jamming. I get it back,Still jams,But now the arm for the trigger keep coming off. So they mail me a new one,With the handle plate.
> 
> So I call him back over the jamming of this new HP25, And he is tell me that,We are holding the pistol with one hand.Ok If your think that. I just told him it's ok this junk was for my kid that is 8,To get to know how to shoot a pistol.And the cost was 149.00. But I did tell him everyone will know from me you pistols are junk. And they are.
> 
> So I went back to my gun store,Let them know about it. And turn it in for a Walther P22 Pistol - Carbon Fiber Finish. Looks just like the pk380, My little girl loves it. P22 is one of the best looking 22cal out there. Barrel on p22 is 3.4,And not like most are at 5.5. 5.5 Way to long. To me that 5.5 barrel makes the pistol look funny. Like a toy look. p22 to me is the best one out there in a 22cal.


so you bought a $100 pistol that turned out to be junk? and you traded it in for a $400 pistol that is the best? why did you buy the $100 pistol?


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## Overkill0084 (Nov 28, 2010)

Ruger MK series or Browning Buckmark. Probably the best value out there. I have a Ruger MK3 (thanks for asking  ) You can spend more or less depending on what you want, but these are very popular and often recommended for a number of reasons.
Price- they hit that Goldilocks price point, not to much, not too cheap.
Quality- I suppose it's possible to wear them out. If you succeed, you will have more than gotten your money's worth out of them.
variety- Each is available in any number of configurations, mild to wild. Then there is the aftermarket...
Customer support- Ruger has a good reputation in this regard. I've not heard about Browning having a lot of problems (Not a lot of help, I know, sorry.)


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## Deadwood (Jun 27, 2011)

The BuckMark camper is excellent, if you want a target pistol. If you just want a 22 plinker a Bersa T22 is great and has a excellent price. See Buds Guns. They will ship to your LSG. You can also check Bersa at the Bersa Chat and get a lot of feed back from Bersa pistol owners.


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## Cat (Apr 12, 2011)

To teach my little girl and she is 8,It is very small for little hands. My bg380 was to much for her to hold for now. A lot of people keep telling me to get the hp22 hp25. It's life,I payed a low price for it.Thats what I get. but my friends Paul the owner,Was cool about taking it back, And taking off 125.00 bucks off the p22 for me..But I have picked up many pistols from his store to.
So he looks out for me. But for me to know pistols, I was dumb for picking it up.She like it to much.And my kid looked at so many that day over 10 to 12 pistol that day.And the hp25 is what she drive me up the wall over.

I have my kid in the NRA 4-H,She shoots a air arms rifle.177. And she ask me to teach her about pistols. If you need to know why I did it.

If you was me,I was on the phone with the owner mike, Over this hp25. And it my be a good pistol,And I just got a bad one. But he put a new slider on it to. And telling me he fires the pistol be for he mailed it back to me. I got to the range, I fried it 3 times,Back to the same thing. The pistol been fried by me 43 times. 

I keep hearing him tell me it is how we hold the pistol. Omy... So I told him,So when I was in the navy,I was never told that ? And I all so teach 4-h kids,And I teach JMIC – JROTC Marksmanship Instructor Course. And I did know how to shoot a pistol. He did not know what to say anymore. So I just said,I'm junking the pistol. My bad for buying a low cost pistol. And life go's on. Have a good day.Ted


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## Cat (Apr 12, 2011)

TedDeBearFrmHell said:


> so you bought a $100 pistol that turned out to be junk? and you traded it in for a $400 pistol that is the best? why did you buy the $100 pistol?


Here is one of my stores I buy from, p22 are low their.309.99 for a p22.

http://www.shootersjax.com/Walther-Pistols.aspx

4mo's ago I picked up the 380 on sale for 279.99. Shooters is a nice store.And now they are back to 319.99


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## TedDeBearFrmHell (Jul 1, 2011)

i stand corrected on the price of the walther and wait patiently for the answer as to why you bought the $100 pistol?


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## FNISHR (Aug 9, 2011)

Deadwood said:


> The BuckMark camper is excellent, if you want a target pistol. If you just want a 22 plinker a Bersa T22 is great and has a excellent price. See Buds Guns. They will ship to your LSG. You can also check Bersa at the Bersa Chat and get a lot of feed back from Bersa pistol owners.


It's hard to go wrong with a Buckmark. I've only got about 1000 rounds through mine, but it's been a pleasure so far. A friend of mine has one that he's owned since 1986, put a large number of rounds through, and it seems happy with any ammunition he cares to use. Seems like a good example to me.


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## timeout (Jun 23, 2011)

*nice*

Well I just returned home for my local gun dealer with a brand new Ruger MKIII 60th anniversary model (375.00). Can't wait:smt082 to get to the range tomorrow. Thank you, to all who gave their input! Mike


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## charger5579 (Nov 6, 2010)

i have a ruger single six that is a beautiful and extremeley accurate gun. I love it, and in my personal opinion its hard to beat. I also have a smith and wesson 22a and for the price of that gun it is also hard to beat. For well under 300 bucks out the door the smith is the way to go. My father in law has a ruger mk111 hunter i think is the model??? it has a fluted barrel and is an absolutely beautiful peice! It was a little more pricey but i would love to have a gun like his.


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## Lauvredis (Aug 12, 2011)

I enjoy the Beretta 21A. Takes most 22lr ammo and I carry it as a concealed weapon.
The ISSC M22 is also great as long as use only one ammo. And that is CCI mini-mag 22lr, hollow point or round point.
Larry.


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## Ala Tom (Apr 1, 2011)

You should consider the differences in the types of guns people are mentioning. Also is this .22 wanted as a trainer for another type of gun (with more expensive ammo)? If so it should be similar in action and feel to the other gun. Rugers are generally about $300 or less unless you get fancy. The MK III is a semi automatic. It is a good gun, comes in several barrel lengths, and in plain or fancy. The Single Six gets its name from being a single-action revolver. You must cock the hammer before each shot. There are some types of target matches it cannot compete in. The Single six may be just over $300. I chose the S&W22 as a training gun for a M&P40. I am considering a Ruger Single Six for a fun gun.


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## brizzle22lr (Aug 23, 2011)

Good question- if you want a target auto with grip/scope/mount options, go with Ruger Mark III Hunter or maybe 22/45, S & W 22A or Model 41, Browning BuckMark. If you want a practice gun that mirrors modern combat gun grip/controls/take down, check out- *new* Smith and Wesson M&P 22, Firestorm 22 / Bersa Thunder 22, ISSC m22, Walther p22 isn't my choice but people buy it. There are a bunch of revolver choices as well, on the cheap side would be the Taurus Tracker 990, 9 shot 22 LR , about $350. Ruger has made the GP-101 and SP-101 in 22 LR , but recently announced they are making more in 2011. On the upper end would the the S & W 617, 317, ect. But those are pretty expensive. Plink on!


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## brizzle22lr (Aug 23, 2011)

Well posted.


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## ronmail65 (Jan 18, 2011)

timeout said:


> Well I just returned home for my local gun dealer with a brand new Ruger MKIII 60th anniversary model (375.00). Can't wait:smt082 to get to the range tomorrow. Thank you, to all who gave their input! Mike


Congrats!! I think you made a great choice. I recently picked up a Mark III Target and I really enjoy it -- the weight / balance, feel, trigger, and accuracy. Plus I think Ruger makes a quality product. In case you haven't realized this already -- the gun will be a bit*ch to disassemble and clean!!! At least the first few times. Take your time and don't get discouraged -- it gets easier.

Safe shooting!

As an aside -- I also really like the S&W 617, but I agree with you -- they are quite expensive. I'd like to see Ruger make a 10 round GP100 in 22lr. I have a GP100 and love it. I consider the GP100 my S&W 686 equivalent (but at a much better price), and I consider the S&W 617 the 22lr version of the 686. So I assume a Ruger GP100 in 22lr would be a $400 to $500 gun.


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## johna91374 (Aug 16, 2011)

I'm going to throw my hat in the ring here and suggest the S&W model 22A. After shooting a couple of thousand rounds through my 226 9mm I wanted something cheaper to shoot. I was considering buying the .22LR conversion for the 226 but that was $300. I looked at a few different models and decided I didn't like the Ruger .22's at all. Felt really small in my hands, didn't point well etc. Also read about how hard they are to service and ruled them out.

The next time I was at the range I checked out what they had in the case and found a brand new 22A for $280 but it looked cheap with the half gray trigger and guard and the rest of the gun in black. Right next to it was a used 22A in two tone black and stainless. Looked really sharp and they were asking $150. It was dirty but didn't look bad for $150.. It felt really good in my hands so I gave them a deposit and asked them to hold it over night while I looked into the model. I rushed home and spent about 8 hrs reading every review and watching every video I could find and to be honest the reviews were mixed. Some loved it while others hated it and called it crap. I decided that for $150 I would take a chance. The next morning I went back to the shop and bought it. I picked it up a couple days later and put about 200 rounds of Federal HP bulk through it. I had no Fail to fires but I did have 5 fail to feed's. Being my first .22 I wasn't sure what to expect and was beginging to think the bad reviews were right. 

I took the gun home and opened it up to find it looked like it had never been cleaned or someone had no clue what they were doing. I cleaned the gun top to bottom and took it back to the range. Another 200 rounds and the only issue was one fail to feed. I've since run about a 1000 rounds through it myself and taken some female friends to the range and they love the .22. All told we've put about 2000 rounds through it and it keeps getting better. Once clean the gun was good for 250-300 rounds before it starts the fail to feeds. When this starts you know it's time.

The last time I cleaned it I used something called frog lube. I'd never heard of it but everyone I talked to swore by it so why not... I cleaned the gun spotless then brushed this stuff on (It comes in paste form) and let the gun sit under a heat lamp for about 20 mins. This stuff melts and soaks into the metal. I was told to repeat this 3 times so I did... The last range outing the ladies put 300 rounds through it and I put another 200+ (full bulkbox) without a single failure. 

I'm happy with the 22A and for what I paid it can't be beat. If you're looking for a .22 check it out and I'll also recommend the frog lube as well...


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## Javbike (Oct 21, 2021)

Can’t go wrong with a ruger


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## yellowtr (Oct 28, 2016)

Scanned through the posts quick and I see no mention of the SW22 Victory. I picked up mine over 5 years ago and it is great. Mine is the KRYPTEK version which is N/A today. It is a simple field strip for cleaning etc. The fiber sights make finding the target fast and accurate. I am pretty old but love its trigger and accuracy. I had a good friend give it a go awhile ago and he liked it better than his new MKIV Ruger fitted with a red dot.


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## Longcarbine (Aug 30, 2017)

I have the Buckmark the 22A the Victory the MKIV, the Single Six. My 4" S&W 617 will out shoot all of them any day, just sayin'.


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## Javbike (Oct 21, 2021)

Cat said:


> Phoenix HP-22, Is junk. I got the 25 cal for my kid. Mail it to Mike the owner, For jamming. I get it back,Still jams,But now the arm for the trigger keep coming off. So they mail me a new one,With the handle plate.
> 
> So I call him back over the jamming of this new HP25, And he is telling me that,We are holding the pistol with one hand.Ok If your think that. I just told him it's ok this junk was for my kid that is 8,To get to know how to shoot a pistol.And the cost was 149.00. But I did tell him everyone will know from me you pistols are junk. And they are.
> 
> ...


I second that on the walther p22


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

I bought my son a Buckmark 22 earlier this year. Great 22


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## Pandaz3 (Aug 23, 2018)

in handguns 22LR, I have a Ruger 'Standard', SR-22, MKIII 22/45, LCR, GP-100, Wrangler Birdshead. A Colt Frontier Scout. Heritage Rough Rider. For a Youngster I like the SR-22 as it is small like a Mosquito, but a Ruger.


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## Tangof (Jan 26, 2014)

I'm an addict. Not shown CZ Kadet Kit and .22 Kit for Glock 21


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## Rhodester (May 6, 2011)

Ruger Mark IV with a Vortex Venom 3 MOA red dot sight.
Can’t go wrong.


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## Brian48 (Dec 1, 2014)

timeout said:


> Any one out there care to help me out on picking a .22 for general shooting and plinking? Was looking at the S&W 617 and would love to have one but its kinda rich for my blood. Any input would be great, Thanks Mike


The SW 617 is a great choice. I'd go with that if you can afford it. That said, the Ruger Single Six mentioned previously is good too if you're OK with SAA revolvers. The extra 22WMR cylinder is nice to have as well. I have one and it's the oldest gun I still have in my collection. For auto loaders, it's hard to beat the Ruger MK series. I have a preference for the MK IIs over the MK IIIs, but they don't make them any more.


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## FMHD (4 mo ago)

Buckmark, got a couple and always recommend them. They’ve got dif variations and price varies as well but every one is good. I’ve got one with target sights, one daughter likes that best and a hunter model. Longer, bull barrel. The other daughter favors that


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## FMHD (4 mo ago)

hideit said:


> since my earlier post i have spent a lot of time doing more research
> yea i want a 617 and/or the sig 1911-22 but
> i have chosen the ruger 22/45 5.5" bull barrel
> my other short list was the S&W 22a, same price, but several people advised the ruger over it
> also the buckmark was on the short list but it is $95 more


Hmmmmm several guys woulda advised the Buckmark over the Ruger including myself. I wish you well with it though


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## MPDC69 (4 mo ago)

My friend, a retired DEA agent, nearing his 85th B’day, has had problems with operating the slides on his .45 weapons. He wasn’t really into 9mm because he was influenced by his time in the ME. Anyway, he recently acquired the new M&P 9mm with the reduced slide effort and yesterday we traded some of my 9mm S&B FMJ (excellent stuff) for some of his .45 ACP. He recently sold me my HK 45C, which I love.

After we traded, laughed and scratched a bit and drank some excellent Turkish coffee, he asked if I wanted to go to a local gun shop where he had bought a new KT P17 for a shade UNDER $200! The owner is also a retired LE guy and gives him big discounts. While the P17 has an MSRP of about 200, they are popular and hard to find for less than 250 and sometimes as high as $400. 

I was totally unaware of this little pistol but the visual quality was night and day superior to the little PF9 I carried a decade or so ago before it imploded on me at the range. Seems I shot it too much and exceeded it’s ability to keep the extractor intact. Anyway this little P17 is much better finished and possibly the lightest pistol I have ever handled. My friend will give me a range report (they are supposed to be very accurate shooters) and I just may be tempted to get one, although I really have no need for a .22 pistol. It is just such a novel object of desire since I felt it’s featherweight impression in my hand.

Here is a review I found for anyone who might be interested… https://www.gunsamerica.com/digest/kel-tec-p17-value-priced-rimfire-blaster/


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