[Gunsmoker]

I was thinking of getting 1 9mm handgun for range use/fun and home defense because of the balance of ammo price and man stopping ability.

But now I'm thinking of getting a 1911 .45 (for home defense) and another .22 gun (target practice/range use).

I'd like to get a solid .22. I heard there are several variations of .22 ammo.

1. What is the most (common/cheapest/ideal for range use) type of .22 ammo?

2. What are some good .22 guns?

3. I'd like for my gun shooting abilities on the .22 to transfer over to the .45. Is this likely to happen?

Thanks.

[444]

You can buy a .45 and a conversion kit to convert the .45 to .22LR.
I have a Ceiner conversion kit but there are a number of others out there for the 1911. I am not sure about other .45s.

[Gunsmoker]

I've heard about the conversion kits. If I can get a new reliable .22 for ~$300, I would prefer to have 2 guns.

I also hear that the accuracy shooting .22s from the conversion kits are not accurate.

[knoxx45]

1911 style grip in the ruger package. Its a fun gun and a good training aid

[cavman]

Your ammo can be easily found for $10-$15 for 500 rounds. That comes out to about 2-3 cents per round.

Many here like the :

Rugers Mark II (I have the Mark III Hunter). These are also one of the very few .22s that can be dry fired without damage as they were designed this way. $250-$400)

Smith and Wesson M41 is excellent. (~800-1000)

Finally, another big favorite is the Browning Buckmark.

have a great day,
cavman

[Soybomb]

I'd still suggest a 9mm at first so you can still affordably shoot plenty of rounds with the normal amount of recoil and get used it and recovering from it. Depends on how deep your wallets are though I guess.

My .22 comes with me to the range everytime. No cheaper way to fill up all of my range time.

Don't be sucked in with the idea that a .45 is a man stopping beast that will knock your attacker down and blow him out the nearest window and the 9mm will bounce off his jacket. I'd encourage you to read this http://www.firearmstactical.com/hwfe.htm I just get the feeling you're picking .45 because of the gun store stories.

[Gunsmoker]

The cheapness of the .22 ammo is getting me to lean closer to the .22.

And if I get the .22, I really don't want a 9mm because I'll probably want the 1911 after a few thousand rounds.

[Texas Colt]

If you start with a 22 and plan to go to a 1911 later, the Ruger 22/45 and the Browning Buckmark both have a grip angle similar to the 1911. In addition, the thumb safety and slide release controls are in the same basic location.

Either gun would allow you to make a smooth transition to the 1911. I used this strategy with both my boys and it worked very well.

[Technosavant]

I have a 1911 and a Ruger 22/45.

The two are almost, but not totally, completely unlike one another. The Ruger's trigger is gawdawful, it's far more topheavy than any 1911, the controls (though they may be in the same place) feel very dissimilar, and the grips aren't even close.

You get two guns instead of one (with a conversion kit), but about the only similar things are the grip angle and control locations. If my 1911 didn't have a ramped barrel, I would offload the 22/45 in a moment and go with a conversion kit. Then, you have the exact same trigger pull and feel.

My 22/45 has been fun, completely reliable and very accurate, but I still just can't bring myself to love it. It is the one gun I own that I might eventually sell or trade, and I positively loathe the idea of selling off a working gun.

[ravencon]

22s tend to be ammo sensitive so I'd avoid making any bulk ammo purchases until you've tried different brands out on whatever .22 you purchase. Your new friend will tell you what ammo it likes

[miko]

I've got Ruger 22/45 for $309. I bought a bunch of Federal copper-plated 22 ammo at Cabella's store for 1.5 cents a round and it is just fine - the combination shoots way better than I do.

Some claim that 22/45 it the closest 22 thing to 1911 in ergonomics other than a conversion kit - same shape/angle of the handle and some other features. Personally, I am a .40 fan and don't care how much it resembles 1911 but for some people it's a real issue and it's a really sweet pistol - great feel.

Read this: http://www.sightm1911.com/lib/review/2245_p512.htm


22s tend to be ammo sensitive so I'd avoid making any bulk ammo purchases until you've tried different brands out on whatever .22 you purchase.
Not my S&W 617 - put in 10 rounds of anything .22 - lr, long, short, wax bullet, primer only, starter, etc. - and it will shoot it. :)


miko

[444]

"I also hear that the accuracy shooting .22s from the conversion kits are not accurate."

You heard wrong. In fact that statement counldn't be more wrong. Unless you don't consider one hole groups at 50 yards to be accurate ??? http://www.marvelprod.com/testtargets.htm .365" five shot groups at 50 yards from a .22 handgun certainly qualifies as accurate in my book. But what do I know ? That's minute of angle accuracy, I do know that. How about this statement from their website: "Tests from a machine rest have delivered groups around 1.8" at 50 yards ... for 100 shots with inexpensive ammo". A 100 shot group measuring 1.8" at 50 yards seems pretty good to me.

A Marvel conversion for a 1911 is significantly more accurate than a Ruger 22/45 could ever hope to be.

I rest my case.

[JoeHatley]

What are some good .22 guns?

SW model 41 is a nice shooter.
http://www.iowatelecom.net/~hatley/41_l.jpg

If you buy the 1911, a Ciener top end is a lot of fun.
http://www.iowatelecom.net/~hatley/ciener_l.jpg

Joe

[Gixerman1000]

My S&W 41 is my favorite but my Browning and Rugers have served me well too, a good 22 revolver is also nice to have.

Browning Buckmark Micro
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/Gixerman1000/Handguns/BuckMarkmicro.jpg

Ruger Mark II
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/Gixerman1000/Handguns/RugerMkII.jpg

Ruger Mark II Competition Target
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/Gixerman1000/Handguns/RugerMarkIICompetitionTargetLeupold.jpg

S&W 41
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/Gixerman1000/Handguns/SW41.jpg

S&W 617 4”
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/Gixerman1000/Handguns/SW617.jpg

[Ala Dan]

I LOVE my .22LR Browning Buckmark Classic Plus SE with Tru-Glo
fiber optic (green) front sight/adjustable rear, and Rosewood laminated
grips, and gold plated trigger with a 5.5" barrel. This IS NOT the camper
model, with the plastic rear sight base~!:cool: :D

[Onmilo]

If you are willing to spend the money you won't go wrong with a Smith and Wesson Model 41 .22LR
If you want something less expensive you won't go wrong with a Browning Buckmark or any of the Ruger .22s though I think the basic Brownings are a little bit more accurate than the Basic Rugers.

For cheap .22 ammo you won't go wrong with Winchester Dynapoints if you can find some.

[possum]

Ruger 22/45

+1 for the above. i have one and with the bull barrel and adjustable rear sights, blued. i never had to touch the sights at all they hit point of aim with out a sweat. though it is the cheapest to feed, it is by far my favorite pistol to take to the range, it is not out of the ordinary for me to fire 350-400 rds per range trip. or until i get tired of loading the 10rd mags. I have put many rds through it with out a single issue at all. It is just so much fun. and they are pretty darn inexpensive for what you get.

[Pilot]

A CZ-75B plus the .22 conversion Kadet Kit is awesome. If you go 1911, the Marvel .22 conversion is the best although most expensive

[Gunsmoker]

How much are conversion kits for the CZ-75? 1911?

If I use the .22 conversion kit, I'll use the larger caliber for self defense purposes. If I consistently use the .22 conversion kit, does that compromise the reliability of the larger caliber?

[Coronach]

22s tend to be ammo sensitive so I'd avoid making any bulk ammo purchases until you've tried different brands out on whatever .22 you purchase. Your new friend will tell you what ammo it likesBingo. Hit Wal-Mart and grab one box of everything they stock in bulk (or any other sporting goods store). Once you find what your gun likes, look around for the best price and lay in a store. I just did a "what's the best deal on .22 LR ammo????" thread, and it turns out that it is pretty hard to beat Wal-Mart's off the shelf price on bulk plinking ammo. I was able to get 550 rounds of Federal copper-plated for less than $9, tax included.

Mike

[Hooligan]

Although I bought a Walther P22 primarily for my fiance, I love shooting that gun. Its a fun little piece, and I picked it up for ~ $250. Like Coronach said, .22s can be finicky about ammo, so don't stock up too soon. Also, avoid Remington Thunderbolt ammo at all costs.

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a386/RatFink1961/Guns/DSCF2889.jpg

[JohnBT]

".22s get no love"

Sure they do, we just love them so much we don't need to talk about them. Well that's not exactly true.

www.rimfirecentral.com

[Q-Lock]

Gixerman1000,
That mod 41 is absolutely gorgeous! That pistol is on my "want" list, but right now it's not on the "need" list...so in due time.

Gunsmoker,
For the time being, I love my Ruger mk2 government target model. A blast to shoot and pretty darn accurate as well. If you get bored with it...customize the heck out of it. You'll learn to love Volquartsen.

Regards,

[ALHunter]

I have a S&W Model 422 and LOVE it. It has functioned flawlessly with all brands of .22LR ammo. If you can find a used one I'd say go for it. AFAIK S&W stopped making this model years ago.