Recommend a 9mm or .22LR range pistol?

milemaker13 said:

Me and a buddy are supposed to out today and check out a few shops, just for fun.

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Sounds like a good way to spend the day. Maybe you'll pick up something and try it out at the range today, too.

Let us know what you end up getting.

Maybe you'd like a Langdon M9 http://www.beretta.com/en-us/langdon-m9/

A video (not mine)

milemaker13 said:

Looking for a good full size pistol for fun at the range. I'd like 9mm because it's cheap enough to shoot. I suppose I could consider a .22lr, can't get cheaper to shoot than that!
I don't plan to carry this so size/weight aren't an issue (as they relate to ccw anyway)
I'm mostly looking at the Beretta 92.

Any thoughts?

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S&W model 41. It's they're 22 caliber target/competition model. Great sites, great trigger. Sometimes you can find used ones.

If you want a .22 for range plinking, Bass Pro has a 5 day sale coming up starting the 22nd. Browning Buckmark for $219 (after rebate).
I'm considering one. I've been wanting to get a .22 handgun.

I would recommend a basic CZ 75B 9mm and a S&W 617 10-shot revolver (6” bbl.) in .22LR. I own both and you can’t go wrong with either.

My favorite range guns are my Browning Buckmark camper and a Ruger SP101 in 22lr. I carry a revolver (sp101 in 357 or 9mm) for self defense, so the SP101 (22) is taken to the rang every trip to practice various shooting drills.

I'd pose your questions directly to Bud's on their policies. They have online chat or give them a call.

As far as .22LR vs. 9mm, I've never been able to pick one. I have a Buckmark race gun and a few 9mms, the CZ P-10c is the one that gets used. Quality 22s like a Buckmark or Ruger are great because you have no excuses. If you aren't shooting well, it's you.

One thing I'd consider is how much you're realistically are going to shoot. If you shoot even 200 rounds that's about 40 bucks in 9mm ammo (18-20 cents/round). 5 cent/round 22LR is on the shelves at most Walmarts and Academeys these days, and it's everywhere online. If 100 rounds is a lot to you 9mm is cheap enough, but if you're a fiend a 22 will cost a lot less to feed.

Arkansas Paul said:

If you want a .22 for range plinking, Bass Pro has a 5 day sale coming up starting the 22nd. Browning Buckmark for $219 (after rebate).
I'm considering one. I've been wanting to get a .22 handgun.

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Buy it. You won't regret it.

milemaker13 said:

It's hard for me to justify a .22 over a 9mm when prices are basically the same, sometimes even higher for the .22s.

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22’sjust don’t seem the same. It’s like you’re not shooting a real handgun.

Don’t get me wrong, I like my 22’s. And they have their purpose. But it’s not the same as shooting a nice service pistol.

rskent said:

22’sjust don’t seem the same. It’s like you’re not shooting a real handgun.

Don’t get me wrong, I like my 22’s. And they have their purpose. But it’s not the same as shooting a nice service pistol.

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I agree.
I don't mind .22s, but it's not as satisfying as shooting larger calibers.

Of course, when you can get 50 rounds of ammo for $2.29 it's definitely worth having a few.
9mm is cheap, but it aint that cheap.

Range gun? Look into used;

CZ 75's and Beretta 92s are out there for at/under $300. Don't be scared off by age, these were well-thought of for a reason. CZ 75 is all steel, has a parkerized finish, with a polycoat or enamel over that. It doesn't take a lot to make them look worn in, but it does take a lot to actually hurt one. Springs and maybe a spare extractor for the CZ, springs and maybe a spare locking block for the Beretta, and you should be good to go.

And remember, these are surplussed out duty guns from outside the country, they were carried a lot- they weren't shot 10,000 times like we do here in the US with our guns . Probably less than a case (1000 rds) through it during it's lifetime.

As for .22, the CZ Kadet conversion is great, but pricey. Might want to keep an eye peeled for a used Ruger; I bought my Mk II used for $200. It's a fine shooter, and doubles as a puzzle (think: Rubik's Cube) whenever you want to clean it.

I haven't shot a Buckmark, but I've always heard the Buckmark and the Ruger Mk series were the 2 go-to for the consumer .22s. My Ruger Mk II is not finicky at all, it will digest anything I feed it, including cheap Remington "bucket of bullets".

I've heard a lot of negatives about the Mosquito/Firefly, don't waste time with that (although, to be fair, I've also heard that if you swap out the recoil spring it's a lot better). If you want a .22 that looks like a "real gun", get a conversion kit.

Now, when you say Colt Target, are you talking Woodsman Target?
If you can get that for $325, go back in and get that now, and thank them for their consideration. If you decide you don't want it anymore, you could probably sell it for $500 without much effort.

Ditto on the Kadet Kit on a CZ 75B, both in one package, can't beat it.

milemaker13 said:

Didn't care for the S&W Victory or the Ruger MK's.

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Did you get a chance to test fit a Ruger 22/45 light?

milemaker13 said:

Went to several LGS and cabellas today to "go behind the ropes and touch all the stuff". Glad I did, it's always fun and educational.
I still like the 92, but I think I'm settled on a .22 for plinking fun. I handled several different guns... Here's the run down:
I actually liked that new Beretta neos, didn't think I would (maybe I didn't want to, lol)$319.
The ATI GSG Firefly was cool at about $255. Made in Germany and looks EXACTLY like the SIG mosquito... I might guess at the same factory.
Didn't care for the S&W Victory or the Ruger MK's.
I like the Colt target.Very nice, solid. Used $325.
I think my favorite was the buckmark, especially considering the upcoming Bass pro sale @$219.
As I type, I'm thinking either the buckmark camper or the Firefly. They're both about the same cost (although the BM is about $400 not on sale).
One important consideration for me is that the pistol functions with any and all ammo. I don't wanna be buying premo ammo for plinking.
Any thought on one vs the other?

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I owned a 4.5" barreled Neos for several years. I sold the Neos and used the money to buy a used Buckmark Camper just this past summer.

For me, the plain jane Camper is better than my 4.5" Neos was for several reasons.
- Trigger
- Safety location
- Mag release location
- Feeds ammo types that would misfeed in the Neos
- Grip angle and hand fit

The Neos had two things going for it over the Camper.
- An optic rail
- Easy tool less takedown

I put an optic rail on the Camper after the first range session and kicked myself a little for keeping the Neos for so long.

*Don't mind the cheap optic. I'm using it until it fails.
View attachment 768677

milemaker13 said:

Https://goo.gl/images/r9iot2

Link to a Google image of the model I saw..
Apparently it's a 90's Colt Target, not a"woodsman" . An updated version of the older 'high standard'? Anyway, according to the interwebs, the price they have ($325 iirc) is right on the money. It's discontinued, so repair parts could be sketchy..

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That High Standard/Colt design is the same as the Neos. The Neos borrowed that design, changed the safety from a push button to levers, and added an optic rail. The mag release is still like an AR rifle.

My Buck Mark is my most accurate handgun. It will eat anything I feed it, except for very pointy hollowpoints. My shooting buddy has an excellent Ruger Mark II. I have never seen it malfunction. For anyone choosing between the two, it's pretty much win/win.

He also has an Italian Surplus Beretta 92. He doesn't care about the heel magazine release. The marred finish on the barrel annoyed him. It is as accurate as most service pistols. Its trigger is okay. It goes bang every time.

One of my favorite 9mm plinkers is my Star Super B. It feels a lot like a 1911. They were selling them for not much more than $200 a few years ago. It is a quality steel pistol. As you could imagine, in a full-sized steel pistol like that, the recoil is pretty much nil. Mine is so accurate and fun to shoot that my FiL ordered one for himself the same day that he shot it for the first time. I still see them for sale every now and again.

A similar but slightly smaller one is the Star BM. It is a little bit shorter in the barrel and grip (maybe what they call "commander sized"). AIM had them for $259 a few weeks ago and I bought one. I was surprised to find that it was every bit as accurate at 15 yards as its bigger brother.