Help me pick a .22 pistol

[Mr_Flintstone]

i may be asking the impossible, but I'm looking for a .22 semi-auto pistol. I want it to be reliable, feed multiple brands/types of .22 lr, be accurate, and preferably have a 4-inch barrel for less than $300. Does such a creature exist?

 

[kBob]

I am thinking maybe any used decent condition .22 Semi Auto pistol who's manufacturer's name begins with R and ends in r.

-kBob

 

[Mr_Flintstone]

I am thinking maybe any used decent condition .22 Semi Auto pistol who's manufacturer's name begins with R and ends in r.

-kBob

It would have to be new. There are very few places around here to buy used guns. I had my eye on a new Ruger Mark III 22/45 Target for $279, but someone bought it before I got to the store. I could order the same gun online for about the same price and pay the transfer fee and with no tax. An SR 22 would be around $300 too. Bersa Thunder 22s are around the same price too. The SR and Thunder 22 barrels are shorter though.

I think the 22/45 would be the better deal, I need opinions about reliability and accuracy on the others though.

 

[chicharrones]

I have the Bersa and I get to shoot a friend's Ruger 22/45 frequently.

The thing to remember is they are two completely different types of guns.

The Bersa is just a small bore self defense style gun. The smaller sights are on the slide (which wiggles a bit), the trigger is good enough but not great, and it prefers high velocity .22LR ammo to function well.

The Ruger 22/45 has bigger sights with more adjustability, plus those sights are on the fixed barrel/receiver. Out of the box, the Ruger trigger is better and of course is tunable to be great. Also, the Ruger is much less ammo picky and will function with most anything I've tried.

For me, the Bersa is a fun little plinker and self defense practice gun. The Ruger on the other hand is much easier for me to shoot accurately and it still fills that plinker role very well.

One way to think about it would be target size while plinking. Let's say you have both guns shooting targets at 15 yards. The Bersa's targets would be 16 ounce water bottles while the Ruger 22/45's targets could be the bottle caps.

 

[anothernewb]

close to 300. S&W victory.

 

[LUCKYDAWG13]

Can you say Ruger

 

[Decoy80]

Ruger accuracy and reliability right out of the box is your go to pistol in the price range you stated. If you were close and a Mississippi resident I would probably let my 22-45 go. Box ,lock ,book and both mags. I simply cant hit with it. The old Mark II target i must keep i just point it and hit. The newer one is accurate but I am unable to hit with it and others can so I am the problem. Old eyes

 

[ttarp]

The BERSA, while a handy and well made .22, is fairly finicky about what it eats and isn't going to give you the same accuracy as a target pistol.

 

[tuj]

The Ruger is a good choice. I think you can get a Buckmark with a 4.5" barrel. That would be a good choice as well.

 

[MedWheeler]

Anyone mention the Ruger yet?

 

[ccoyle]

I have a Ruger Mk III 22/45. Great gun for the money. Personally, I like the grip angle on the regular Mk I/II/III better, but I bought the 22/45 back in Kalifornistan when there was a rumor that Ruger pistols were going off the approved gun list; my LGS had one 22/45 left in the display case,and I pounced on it. My kids enjoy shooting it as well.

 

[BigBL87]

The M&P 22 Compact fits most of your requirements, barrel is 3.5" though. It has probably one of the best reputations for NOT being ammo picky. That or the SR22 would be my choice if you wanted a "combat" style handgun. Both should be plenty accurate for most uses.

Otherwise, I'd lean heavily towards a 22/45.

 

[danez71]

The Bersa isn't known for eating all ammo. It seems to be gun specific as some do but then again some dont.

The SR22 is known to eat everything but isn't as durable as the 22/45.

I have had both the bersa and sr22 so i do have experience1st hand. I have written about the differences a couple times if you want to so a search.

I also have the Buckmark with a 5.5" and I don't think they make the basic Camper 4" model anymore, I could be wrong. The other current models that may have a 4 or 4.5" are over $300 and buckmark isn't on your list anyways.


If you can get the 22/45 for your price... and since it's on your list... I vote for .that.

 

[7mmb]

I have a 5.5" Mark III 22/45 and a 3.5" SR22. Both are accurate, reliable with everything I've tried in them, and fun to shoot. I haven't shot the Bersa but have heard the can be finicky with some ammo. The Mark III is discontinued and for now your options in the Mark IV are limited, and more expensive, although Impact Guns still shows some Mark III 22/45s in stock here. Get them while you can. If the regular SR22 is too short for you they do make a 4.5" SR22 now that could be just what you are looking for. It's available here and here. A bit over $300 but a fine shooter and still in production.

 

[bannockburn]

If I were looking for something with those specifications I would probably go with a Ruger 22/45 as well. If you could go back in time then I would recommend something like my Beretta Model 70S.

 

[Tallball]

The "go-to" 22 pistols are the Ruger Mark-whatevers and the Browning Buck Mark. They might be a little more expensive and have slightly longer barrels than what you want. Their accuracy and reliability borders on "target pistol" quality.

The cheaper smaller pistol are pretty much "plinkers" for goofing around with and shooting empty Dr. Pepper cans. They will probably have tiny sights.

 

[Taurus 617 CCW]

Pawn shops can have great deals from time to time. I picked up a new in box Ruger MK2 22/45 Target a few years back for $300. Those deals are out there, you just have to be ready when they come up.

 

[Mr_Flintstone]

I found a used Mark III 22/45 Target at a pawn shop in another town about 45 minutes away for $250 (barely used, no scratches, wear marks, etc...). Do you think that's a fair price?

 

[ProPhetiQ]

I have shot or owned most major brands 22lr pistols and have found the new S&W Victory 22lr is the best "all around" auto loader 22lr pistol for the money. They can be found online for $300 or less for the non threaded barrel model and about $25 more for the threaded....otherwise, BuckMark Camper is next and the Ruger SR22 rounds out the top 3 in my opinion.. The Buckmark and Victory are very close when it comes to quality and reliability, but the Victory easily surpasses the BuckMark when it comes to trigger, sights and it's all stainless steal components (barrel, slide and frame) .

 

[danez71]

I found a used Mark III 22/45 Target at a pawn shop in another town about 45 minutes away for $250 (barely used, no scratches, wear marks, etc...). Do you think that's a fair price?

Yes, I do.

Is that the 4" model like you want?

 

[Mr_Flintstone]

Yes, I do.

Is that the 4" model like you want?

Yes, it was the 4-inch model with plastic molded grips and a top rail (which I'll have to remove later). I finally got it for $235. It looked like it had only had maybe 100 rounds through it; very clean.

 

[danez71]

Yes, it was the 4-inch model with plastic molded grips and a top rail (which I'll have to remove later). I finally got it for $235. It looked like it had only had maybe 100 rounds through it; very clean.
View attachment 229436

Congrats!

The cheapest I saw quickly on gunbroker that also had a 'Buy It Now Price' was $285.

Sure, there may be cheaper on gunbroker if you search hard and want to pay shipping etc but it looks like you got a pretty dang good deal. I'd of bought it too at $235.

 

[Mr_Flintstone]

Congrats!

The cheapest I saw quickly on gunbroker that also had a 'Buy It Now Price' was $285.

Sure, there may be cheaper on gunbroker if you search hard and want to pay shipping etc but it looks like you got a pretty dang good deal. I'd of bought it too at $235.

Thanks. I haven't got to shoot it yet, but as soon as the weather permits, I'll run a few through it.

 

[bannockburn]

Mr_Flintstone

Great choice for a .22. Been looking at one of these for myself as I really like the look of the short 4" bull barrel.

 

[chicharrones]

Yes, it was the 4-inch model with plastic molded grips and a top rail (which I'll have to remove later). I finally got it for $235. It looked like it had only had maybe 100 rounds through it; very clean.
View attachment 229436

You can't do any better than that! Congrats!