.22 LR Plinking and Target Pistols

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Where is the S&W 41?

I am the proud owner of a Browning Buckmark Contour 5.5. If I had to do it all over again, I might still end up with the same pistol, but I would have more seriously considered shelling out more money for the 41.

I shoot my .22 pistol more than my other 5 centerfire pistols combined. For people that primarily shoot pistols at the range, the .22 could very well be the cornerstone of their arsenal. If I was making a recommendation...I would suggest looking toward the high end rather than the low.
 
Hoffy said:
Where is the S&W 41?
I am the proud owner of a Browning Buckmark Contour 5.5. If I had to do it all over again, I might still end up with the same pistol, but I would have more seriously considered shelling out more money for the 41.

I shoot my .22 pistol more than my other 5 centerfire pistols combined. For people that primarily shoot pistols at the range, the .22 could very well be the cornerstone of their arsenal. If I was making a recommendation...I would suggest looking toward the high end rather than the low.
Click to expand...

Where is the 41? Well, it's everywhere. And is a dream to shoot. Unfortunatly, it's expensive. Too expensive for this list. I've never seen one in good shape for less than 7 bills, and a new one's going to cost at least $800. As this list caps off at $500, that's way past the price point.

I designed this thread to be about affordable .22 plinkers and target guns. This is where most new shooters start. While I would love a 41, I don't know that it's the kind of gun I would give my 12 year old nephew. I did, however, give him a Neo. And I liked it so much, I'm about to buy one for myself.

Most people are never going to need more accuracy than can be found in a nice buckmark or mark III, after a trigger job and some optics. And you can have that paid for before you get into the last bill or two for a 41, or a nice high standard, let alone a walther or anschtuz.
 
Shot one in the early 70's. Didn't know a handgun could shoot like that. I put getting one on my round tuit list. Got distracted and have regretted not buying one. My brother-in-law has the pistol, in the original box, with the original papers. When he is feeling mean, he lets me look at the box.
Click to expand...
Get your sister to work on him.

I shot a Woodsman for the first time at the University of Oklahoma indoor range in '61 and lusted for one ever after. In '76 I bought one of the last made, a Huntsman, and it was a big disappointment. But the Holy Grail, my first edition Woodsman fully lives up to its reputation.
 
The Browning Buckmark & the Ruger Mark (I, II & III) are the obvious answers. They'll shoot better than the Walther, Beretta & S&W (non-41) right out of the box. With a little tweaking (or in the higher-grade models) they can be considered honest Target Pistols. Yeah, I've owned High Standard Victor 10x, S&W 41 & Hammerli Olympic models. But day-in/day-out, with the widest range of ammo, in the widest range of circumstances, the Browning & the Ruger will be the ones I pick to shoot. Between those two, pick the one that best fits your hand, your eye & your wallet. And then do your very best to WEAR IT OUT! It'll make you a better shot regardless of what you're shooting. If you've already got a good-quality 1911 based pistol, buy a Marvel .22 Conversion. It'll shoot as well as ANY gun mentioned in this thread.
 
questions about the review...

Great read.

I have been wanting to add a .22 semi-auto plinker to my collection.

I plan to buy either a Ruger or browning.

From post #1 it says the Ruger is more accurate, How much better is it than the browning?
OR are the two close to accuracy levels and its more of the person shooting?

I know you need to keep a gun clean for it to function well. I also know that the talk of these guns are high. With a clean gun it should always run good. Given both are cleaned correctly how many rounds are folks getting before failures or jams?

I want to be able to put 300 or more rounds through the gun before I need to think about cleaning it.

Thanks,
James
 
I wouldn't call the Ruger more accurate than the Browning -- I think the normal variation from gun to gun is greater than the accuracy potential between the two.

You can, however, get more after-market "goodies" for the Ruger. The Volquartson trigger is a stand-out. But I can tell you a much cheaper way to get a good trigger from a Ruger.
 
 
My favorite 22 plinker is my Makarov with the 22 adapter. My own Mak is military surplus and they are plentiful at $300 or less, but I believe there is a commercial model that is still available new. The 22 adapter kits are available new at $200. The 22 unit takes a bit of breaking in, as the slide is aluminum and needs to smooth out its sliding surfaces before the setup becomes fully reliable, but once broken in mine has become about as reliable as my Ruger MkII.

One advantage of the 22 Makarov is that it has a decocker, and so can be carried afield loaded but safe. When the hammer is down it is kept well away from the firing pin by the sear. The gun can be gotten into action with a double action trigger pull for the first shot, or you can cock the hammer by hand (easy to do unless you have fairly small hands.) I personally would NOT feel comfortable carrying my Ruger MkII in a holster loaded with just the trigger safety on. Maybe it's just me.

And, of course, should you ever want one, you can have a 9mm Makarov pistol again by removing the 22 slide and recoil spring, unscrewing the front barrel liner nut, removing the barrel liner, and putting the original slide and recoil spring back on. Takes under 2 minutes.
 
Blistering Silence, I think it all comes down to Style and Type of shooting...

On one end we have Ruger, Browning and Buckmark and Off brands on the other end with Sig, Walther and S&W in the middle with their newer styled
22's...I have already been through the Ruger MK II type with Red Dot and later Weaver pistol scope....puts them in a 3/4" group at 25yds.

Now I want 1" groups at 15 and 10 yds with the open sighted Mosqiuito I just purchased, should have by next Friday, ordered it in the Two Tone configuration.

We shall see...

In any event this has been a great forum for 22's, both useful and enjoyable, thanks for your efforts.
 
If you want a 22 for plinking and target work, buy a High Standard Victor or Military Trophy. Same frame and feel as a 1911 and more accurate than you are. I bought a victor in 1973 or so and have never felt a desire for another 22. Trigger pull and sights are the best.
Just my very humble opinion.
 
CZ Kadet

I believe your intent is to make a guide for people in the market for a 22 plinker. Including something that is available, but not common would be an extremely good use for your guide.

The Kadet is top notch. The general consensus is that they are up there with the Rugers/Brownings. My slabsite target was shooting 1" groups, while the Kadet was doing 1.5" groups. I suspect that even then, the difference was due to having a red dot on the Ruger. All groups were a full mag at 25 yards. Others have reported similar accuracy with their Kadets.

It actually doesn't differ at all really from the kit. It is literally a 75 frame with the adapter already installed. It is all steel, and weighs the same as a 75B and comes with adjustable sights. The magazines are quality (unlike other 22s). I paid $289 for the complete pistol, but that was a clearance deal. I think $400 ish is more common.


Kadet.jpg
 
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