Let' Talk Rimfire Handguns

BTW someone was selling those o-rings on eBay specifically for the Victory take down screw several months ago. I forget who/where. Just search. Sure you can get them at your local hardware store too. Just saying they are easy to find and using them is a known fix.

rpenmanparker said:

BTW the Victory is now available tricked out from S&W in a target specific model with a bull or carbon fiber extended barrel, compensator, adjustable target trigger, TandemKross hive grip, Vector red dot (optional), etc. A little pricey but cheaper than buying the basic gun and adding all that stuff afterwards.

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Performance Center Victory! This post will cost me about $550...better start saving up now.

You might try looking for a Smith and Wesson revolver on the used market.

My model 18-4 shown below cost less than the GP-100 you mentioned, but that was five years ago. Not sure what they go for today.

Super accurate and trouble free.

This one is really hard on jacks and cottontails. Almost boringly accurate with CCI MiniMags.

This one is so accurate I probably don't deserve to own it.


Love this one, too, and do deserve it.

MkI and one helluva pistol.

If there is a better totin' pistol than this one; it ain't been invented yet!

And that's all o' mine, pardners.

My .22 rimfire handguns in order of accuracy.
1. CZ Kadet Kit on 75B or 85 Combat frame (will produce chewed-out, one-hole 10-shot groups at 10 yards)
2. Browning Buckmark UDX (also chewed-out, one-hole 10-shot groups at 10 yards, but more likely to have two or three "flyers" just outside the main hole)
3. AMT Lightning (essentially a Ruger Mk II Target with an adjustable Clark trigger) (shoots about the same as the Buckmark, but I believe the Buckmark will do ever so slightly better most days)
4. Smith & Wesson K-22 6" (1951 model) (I like shooting this gun, but for me it isn't as accurate as the others. I can shoot my 686 and possibly my Model 67 more accurately than any other hand gun I have, so my problem isn't simply that it's a revolver)

Used to have a Kimber Custom II with a Kimber .22 kit. I can't recall if it would outshoot the Smith K-22, or not.

sparkyv said:

Wow! Didn't know that, good to know.

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I first heard about it on Rimfire Central 'Heggis flip'
Had a decent write up w/pics there.
First time I had ever been 'in' that area of my Buck. Not hard,,,

You will find the MK IV trigger to be almost universally hated by the posters on Rimfirecentral, me included. It's a shame Ruger doesn't do a better job with the trigger on this gun.

I also found the plastic factory grips and the slick frame to be quite a bit less than great also. After the trigger upgrade I made a set of fancy walnut grips for mine and added grip tape to the front and rear of the frame. I feel the upgrades turned my "good" gun into a "great" one and my before and after groups support this statement.

My only .22 pistols are a couple of TT-Olympias. I bought mine long before the price went up.

sparkyv said:

That's a great looking slabside, Whiterook808. I have the Mark IV Hunter that I want so much to like, but I'm so disappointed in the trigger.

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Thanks! I have heard that the triggers on the later marks were not as good due to the dreaded magazine safety. The trigger on my Mark II is pretty good, although by now the gun has thousands of rounds since I have owned it for 25 years or so.

Whiterook808 said:

Thanks! I have heard that the triggers on the later marks were not as good due to the dreaded magazine safety. The trigger on my Mark II is pretty good, although by now the gun has thousands of rounds since I have owned it for 25 years or so.

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Oh if it were only the magazine safety! It's gone now, but didn't really help the trigger much.

doubleh said:

You will find the MK IV trigger to almost universally hated by the posters on Rimfirecentral, me included. It's a shame Ruger doesn't do a better job with the trigger on this gun.

I also found the plastic factor grips and the slick frame to be quite a bit less than great also.

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Yes. I have only two words of advice re Ruger Mk IV pistols: Volquartsen, Hogue.

I own quite a few .22LR handguns. My favorite is my Mark III Hunter, most accurate handgun I've ever shot, even makes me look good. I have an SR22 which is fun to shoot. I own a Taurus Model 94, a Ruger SP101 in.22LR, a Ruger Single 10, and a Mark III 22/45.

If you're wanting a training aid for revolvers, the GP100 in .22LR is a good choice.

Locally finding ,22LR might be a problem for you, but online might be the way to go.

rpenmanparker said:

I love my Victory especially with the Volquartsen carbon fiber wrapped barrel and compensator.

What about a Ruger SR22 striker-fired pistol?

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The Ruger SR22 is a DA/SA pistol.

Why do so many people complain about the Mark III,IV triggers? I think they are very nice. I guess bashing on them is fashionable now?

JTHunter said:

Many years ago, I popped a squirrel through the throat at 10 yds. shooting one-handed. Had to shoot that way as I was holding my 12 ga. in my left hand. It was a Ruger Single Six (.22LR/Mag) with Winchester buld 36 gr. HPs. It is an accurate gun, even with its iron sights but, being a SA only, it is slow to shoot or load.
View attachment 788674

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An excellent and beautiful gun. Superb quality. I had one for a short while but just didn’t like it. Too heavy for me. Too front heavy for me, hard to keep on target. Too slow to load and unload. A PITA to clean. (Don’t bother telling me it didn’t need cleaning. I don’t roll that way.) Reminded me of the joke about the two happiest days in a boat owner’s life: the day he bought the boat and the day he sold it. That was me and the Single Six.

stchman said:

Why do so many people complain about the Mark III,IV triggers? I think they are very nice. I guess bashing on them is fashionable now?

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They are definitely a useable trigger but there is a lot of take up and an indistinct break. Pull weight also leaves something to be desired.

When a person is trying to make bug hole groups at 15 -25 yards with a 4" barrel lightweight pistol the trigger becomes more critical.

If you shoot a nice sa revolver, a mk with a tuned trigger, or even a buckmark side by side with a factory mk series it becomes much more obvious.

I just bought a used Ruger mklll with the 5.5" bull barrel. Shoots like a dream. Great target sights, descent trigger and completely reliable. For $325 I'm super happy. Is it as accurate as my old S&W model 41? Pretty darn close I'd say, for a lot less coin.

sparkyv said:

Nice slabside, Reeferman.

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I’m going to get the Weigand rail that replaces the top sight assembly and try a Fastfire I have on a 686. Old eyes just not seeing that well anymore.

What sport are you compete'ing in? The main reason I ask is that a serious rimfire pistol is a specialized tool.

-Jenrick

DB, I've owned three Walther PP & PPK/s in .22. All have been great shooters and as far as being a jamomatic at 20 degrees, I can't comment on it. the Folks at Simpson LTD usually have several on hand and while a bit expensive ($6 - 700) they are the all steel guns not the Zemak specials being marked today

stchman said:

Why do so many people complain about the Mark III,IV triggers? I think they are very nice. I guess bashing on them is fashionable now?

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I think my Mk IV Hunter is the most beautiful rimfire pistol I own, and it was not cheap, at least not for me. I really am disappointed in the heavy trigger, especially when I compare it to a $317 out-of-the-box SW Victory and my old and sub $300 SW 22A-1 which is ugly but a tackdriver.

A VQ sear, a couple of sets screws in the factory trigger for pre and post travel and a MK II hammer bushing to take the disconnect out of guns with them plus a little elbow grease is all it takes to have a great trigger in a Ruger MK gun.