Own Only One .22LR Handgun?

Armybrat said:

Love my S&W Model 63:

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This...

A Smith & Wesson 63 was the second firearm I ever purchased -- I bought mine used from a buddy back in 1981, and I can't imagine not owning it. Mine is as comfortable and reliable as an old friend.


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The only one I own is a Kimber .22 conversion for my Raptor. That way it's all same/same. It surely is a lot of fun.

A good .22 revolver would be my choice. I'm still trying to make that happen.

That being said, a lot of people get by with a Ruger or Buckmark just fine. If all I had was my BM Standard, I could still do anything I wanted to do.



( How's that for a non-answer? )

I own four .22 handguns. Two of them are Ruger Mark IIs, so they've got my vote.

The stainless Single Six I have runs a close second and I'd get another if it didn't get so darn difficult to chamber rounds after shooting 50 rounds or so. The thing is scary accurate and the versatility of the second (.22mag.) cylinder is great if you need it.

My S&W 617, OTOH, is pretty unimpressive once you get past its looks.

JFrame (and others who have replied Model 63), I love that model 63 with 4" barrel. Never saw one at less than $525 - and only one ever that low....so....worth it?

beeenbag said:

I only own one 22 handgun...

A ruger 22/45

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Same here. Love that pistol.

I've toyed with the idea of a .22 revolver but when it comes right down to it, I'm not really a big revolver fan so I've gotten other firearms instead.

Jim PHL said:

JFrame (and others who have replied Model 63), I love that model 63 with 4" barrel. Never saw one at less than $525 - and only one ever that low....so....worth it?

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Hey, Jim -- I hate telling other people how to spend their hard-earned money...But just my thoughts here -- I spent $175 for my used 63 back in 1981. Factoring in inflation, that $525 doesn't sound so unreasonable all of a sudden. Of course, that gun is now almost 30 years older -- but we're talking .22 LR here, so it's not as if any 63 will have shot itself out of timing -- and relative to the caliber they're shooting, these J-frames are built like tanks...And I know my friend shot his 63 a LOT before he sold it to me...

I guess the other option is a new 63, if you can tolerate the BIL...It'll be an 8-shooter, and without a 4" barrel however...

I'm not sure I've managed to do more than cloud the issue for ya...But again, I just can't imagine me being without the old model 63...


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1953 Colt Officers Model Match.....

Price no object, I'd pick up a Ruger Mk. II or III, and outfit it with a Pak-Lite barrel from Tactical Solutions, a reflex dot sight from Burris or Docter, and a suppressor.

Remove the can, and you've got a great pistol for shooting Steel Challenge.

Put the can on it, and you've got a great pistol for noise-free plinking and newbie training.

Own and love my Ruger Mark III 22/45.

Im very interested in the new Ruger SR 22.

If you're going to carry in the woods, I would look seriously at the 4.2" Ruger SP-101 and the S&W Model 63 in 3" or 5". Just pick the one you like best.

Harvestor's got it going on with that Colt OMM!! I will someday own one of those... My favorite today is a 1950 K-22.....Yesterday it was an H&R Trapper, last Wednesday it was a model 422, tomorrow it just may be that model 17, or maybe that little Single Six I've owned for 35 years.

Only one for me ....my beloved Mk II slab side competition.

I have two 22's a Ruger Single Six Convertable and Ruger MkII. I'd keep the Single Six since you can go plinking with a wider variety of 22 ammo.

Any of these

The take-down isn't that hard at all. I don't understand what the big deal is.

I've had several .22 handguns over the years, Woodman Match Target, Hi Standard pistol and Sentinel, several Ruger Mks but the only one I have now is a Buckmark. It works very well for me in Bullseye shooting. Nice stock trigger but even better since I did the sear spring turn over mod.

The take-down isn't that hard at all. I don't understand what the big deal is.

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Hard is an overstatement, but it is irritating. The mag disconnect certainly exacerbates things. The trickiest thing for me is getting the bolt stop back in right. I know how it works but getting everything back in place properly can be a PITA.

Lots of great 22 pistols on the market I currently own a Ruger MKII, Hi-Standard Super Citation, S&W Mod 41 and a Colt 1911 rail gun in 22 LR. I have been very pleased with all of them

I am also really curious to see how the new Ruger SR22P is doing - I like the simplicity and price.

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I suppose beautty is in the eye of the beholder and all that. Frankly I find it to be really ugly with all the appearance of a bad Transformer toy or like something from a really bad low budget Science Fiction movie. But then I really dislike the look and feel of the somewhat similar Walther P22.

A gun which is bought because it's cheap rather than because you like it and it fits the hand well will seldom come out to play after the first few sessions. And a gun which sits at home unused is no longer an inexpensive gun. On the other hand a gun which makes you smile and gets used a lot soon becomes a well appreciated and low cost item based on the higher degree of usage.

Would you take out and shoot your current favourite gun if you had bought something different that you didn't really like but got it anyway because it was cheap? It's the same with any gun regardless of caliber. A really nice .22 that both you and your wife really like will soon become a gun which goes out with you all the time. And such a gun would be a far better investment.

Keep in mind that you mentioned that your wife may like to shoot it. Perhaps don't assume something you like is what she would like. She doesn't tell you which underwear to buy... at least I hope not ... and for most of us buying a new gun is just as personal. If it were not then why so many choices?

So I'd start by asking her if she would like shooting a .22 and why and what sort of shooting you would like to do with a .22. If she's going to be shooting the gun at least half the time then you really need to take her out shopping for a new gun with you.

And what about rental ranges in your area? It may be worth trying out a few different models there as well. Or perhaps shooting friends that have some .22's?

I am truly 'old school' revolver fan. However, as far a .22's are concerned, The auto is so fun and accurate, I must say Ruger MKII if I can only have one. FWIW