.22 LR advice

[MagnunJoe]

Dear friends,
I'm thinking of getting my first ever .22 LR handgun and since this is a caliber that I know nothing about, I would appreciate any advice on the matter.
I keep seeing those newer 1911 types in .22LR along with the Rugers that I always see at the range. Revolvers? I know there are some.
Thanks in advance.
By the way, what is the point of a .22LR? Are they for hunting or just plinking?

 

[Gun Master]

.22 LR ?/ 1911 ?, etc.

What ! Fo' Real !

 

[BCRider]

OH BOY! You're opening up a HUGE can of worms....

I've got an assortment of semis as well as revolvers. And even an old single shot Stevens. They are ALL HUGE FUN! ! ! !

It is much easier and cheaper by far to get a nice shooting semi auto than it is to get one of the far too rare good shooting .22 double action revolvers. On the other hand if your tastes include a love for single action revolvers in center fire than one of Ruger's Single series is the way to go and won't totally overwhelm the bank account.

Of the semi autos there's many. If you like 1911's I'd suggest a GSG or possibly the Sig 1911-22 that is made for them by Umarex. Both seem to enjoy a pretty good reputation. If it were me I'd go with the GSG since I've handled and shot a few and liked what they did and how they felt.

Of the others there's three that enjoy a pretty good reputation. The Ruger MK series, the Browning Buckmark series and the S&W 22 series. You can't really go wrong with any of them.

Out of the box the Buckmarks tend to have a slightly nicer trigger than the Rugers. But the Ruger has a very strong aftermarket community that makes goodies to turn the Ruger into an easy win over the Buckmark or S&W. The S&W seems like the red headed step child to many. But in truth they are not a bad gun at all and shoot decent groups with a decent trigger. But the aftermarket for them is slim at best. The Buckmark comes out of the box as a winner. And while the after market for the Buckmark isn't as varied as for the Ruger there's still a goodly amount of mods and upgrades to make a good gun even better.

If by some chance you fall in love with the Ruger 22/45 series that has a grip size shape and angle that mimics the 1911 DO GO FOR THE ONE WITH THE REPLACEABLE GRIP SCALES! ! ! ! ! The cheaper all black model only looks like a 1911 from the side. From front or back the grip area is very noticeably thinner than a proper 1911. For folks with bigger hands this makes the fit of the gun HORRIBLE! It feels like you're holding onto a ruler instead of a gun. The fatter and proper size model with the replaceable wood grips avoids this issue and fits us bigger hand folks just fine.

 

[Gun Master]

But, seriously Folks.

 

[David E]

Browning or Ruger ONLY.

Don't get one that has an alloy slide.

 

[owlhoot]

If you are not an accomplished marksman, a .22 will let you learn the fundamentals at minimal cost. Skill with the .22 will carry over to your centerfire handguns. For training purposes you need a reliable, full sized, accurate gun with good sights.

If you wish to hunt small game with your handgun, the gun requirements are the same as above.

If you merely want to plink, I suppose any .22 will serve, but plinking isn't much fun unless you're hitting your target, so I'd look for the same qualities in a gun as previously listed.

In my opinion a quality conversion unit for a centerfire pistol you may already own is the ideal choice.

If you are a fan of the double action revolver, look to Ruger, S&W, or Taurus. I'd also check out the used market, many very good guns are no longer in production but are as good as, and often better, than the current offerings.

 

[MagnunJoe]

Thanks Rider, that's some good writing there. The Ruger and the Browning seem to be the prefer choice at the range down here. Shooters really seem yo enjoy shooting their .22s they even encouraged my teen age boys to shoot their guns. My boys were sold.

 

[Pilot]

If you can find a used Ruger MK II BUY IT! The MK III's have some lawyer designed crap like a loaded chamber indicator, and magazine disconnect which the MK II's don't have.

The Browning Buckmark is another fine choice, and if I couldn't find a MK II (I currently have four of them), then I'd get a new Buckmark.

 

[MedWheeler]

Go stop by at www.rimfirecentral.com for some .22LR perusing, and you'll be amazed at what you can find for that round.

Now, if only we could find some of that round..!

I half six or seven .22LR handguns, and have enjoyed them all. One is a revolver (single-action), and I did have another decades ago. My first (handgun) was/is a Ruger Mk-II Standard. Great piece, which I bought in 1987.

Conversion kits are available for some centerfire pistols to allow .22LR ammo to be run in them as well.

 

[CatManDo]

How about a Smith/Wesson Model 422, best of both worlds.

 

[Manco]

I'm thinking of getting my first ever .22 LR handgun and since this is a caliber that I know nothing about, I would appreciate any advice on the matter.

My favorite is the Smith & Wesson Model 617 revolver. There are also the 317, 63, and 43 C if you'd prefer something smaller and lighter.

By the way, what is the point of a .22LR? Are they for hunting or just plinking?

.22 LR is usable for anything short of hunting large, dangerous game or defending against predators larger than humans. For plinking, shooting paper targets for practice (light recoil is an advantage for practicing certain fundamental aspects of shooting), fun, or competition, and hunting small animals it is ideal. For personal and home defense, it is less than ideal but with quality ammunition (reliability is more of an issue with rimfire cartridges than centerfire) and a revolver (or a rifle if we're not just considering handguns), .22 LR may actually be the best option for some people. In short, it is a versatile and useful caliber.

 

[j1]

How about waiting for the appearance of 22 ammo before buying a 22 handgun. Now a nice 38 or 357 which is reloadable makes more sense to me right now. Think about it. Do not rule out 9 mm 40 S& W or 45 either.

 

[dogtown tom]

David E Browning or Ruger ONLY.

Nonsense.

Colt, S&W, High Standard and quite a few others made or continue to make damn good .22 pistols and revolvers.

 

[Furncliff]

OP you mentioned the 1911-22's ... I have two, the GSG 1911-22 this pistol is the same as the one marketed by Sig. Recently I added an RIA 1911 combo., this is a 1911 lower with two uppers, one in ,22lr and one in .45acp.. I have been running these two pistols back to back to see which one suits me better. Accuracy is about the same for both. The RIA has a much better trigger, but I appreciate the after market parts that turned the GSG mags into 15 rounds vs ten for the RIA. The build quality goes to the RIA, but considering I only paid $200 for the GSG (used) I can live with the issues that have cropped up. I thought the RIA would be heavier and simulate the all up weight of the .45 1911 more closely, but the difference between it and the GSG is not noticeable to me when using the pistols. I'll be keeping both (the after market suppliers are coming out with a new slide for the GSG/SIG that will mount an optic).

For outright accuracy I have a S&W 41, but the 1911-22's are fun to warm up with before turning up the heat.

 

[bannockburn]

For target shooting I really love my Ruger Mk. II with the 5 1/2" bull barrel. With Wolf Match Target ammo it's extremely accurate.

My favorite plinker is a Beretta Model 70S. It's super reliable with any .22 ammo and it's
small and light enough to take it along on a hike through the woods.

 

[mdauben]

I keep seeing those newer 1911 types in .22LR along with the Rugers that I always see at the range.

The main appeal of the 1911 style .22s (at least in my opinion) is for people who use the 1911 platform already. It gives them a new gun they already know how to operate plus it helps with training for the .45ACP pistol. Probably the two most common recomendations for people looking for .22 handguns are the Ruger Mk III and the Browning Buckmark. They are reliable, accurate and (relativly) inexpensive and each has several different models to suit them for just about any role a .22 pistol can fill.

Revolvers? I know there are some.

Not as many as there used to be. Smith & Wesson makes a couple different models, IMO the best .22 revolver curretly available is the Model 617. It has a long history as a great handgun. They also make a couple smaller models, like the 317 and 63 which are great little "carry" guns. Ruger makes .22 versions of their LCR and SP101 revolvers, plus several different single-action revolvers like the Bear Cat, Single-Six and Single-Ten in various barrel lenghts.

By the way, what is the point of a .22LR? Are they for hunting or just plinking?

There's lots of uses for the .22LR round. They are relativly inexpensive and have little recoil, so they are great for getting in lots of target practice. They are used in organized target competitions, for small game hunting (squirrels and rabbits being the most common game), plinking, weapons training, and probably some other roles I've missed.

 

[aHFo3]

I have a Ruger MKII with the 5 1/2 bull barrel and I've owned it since 1991. It is a great, reliable, accurate 22. I also have a S&W K22, which later was renamed the model 17. I also have a 4" barrel model 34-1 S&W. All three are fun and very accurate.
I wouldn't hesitate to buy a used 22. I would be sure to check for magazine availability for older guns and I would check for peening on the breech face caused by dry firing. In some cases the chamber can become out of round from the peening and cause feeding and extraction problems.
It's great that the folks at your range are allowing you to try some of their 22's. I would try as many as you can before you settle on one.
Good luck in your search for a 22 and in your search for ammo!

 

[Gun Master]

.22 LR advise

But, seriously Folks.

Sorry, my bad . I vote with most, especially DavidE , Buckmark or Ruger (auto or single action rev.).

 

[Jim NE]

OP, if you don't have a lot of .22lr ammo yet, you may want to go out and see how easy it is (or isn't) to find ammo before buying a gun in that chambering.

Most, or at least many, locales around the country report what I've experienced here: almost no .22 lr ammo available in stores for the last 10 months. When it is available, it's often priced at 2 to 4 times what it should be.

For this reason alone, I'd suggest a .22 revolver instead of a pistol, as .22 shorts, which are usually more available, can often be used in a revolver (check manuf.'s specs to be sure.) If you want to cover your bases even more, get a single action revolver that has a convertible mag cylinder, as .22 mag is easier to find, too.

I won't even consider buying a .22 weapon due to the protracted shortage.

 

[tommy.duncan]

I have several 22lr pistols (no revolvers). The Ruger mark2 is a really good pistol. My wife has a Sig Mosquito. The Mosquito can be ammo picky. I have a Sig P226 in 22lr too. There are plenty of good choices of 22lr pistols, only a ammo shortage.
As for hunting, the 22lr can be a very accurate pistol, if you are hunting small game it should be fine. Good Luck

 

[kerreckt]

Ruger Mark ll. Ruger Mark ll. Ruger Mark ll. Ruger Mark ll. Ruger Mark ll. I think you get the idea.

 

[MedWheeler]

Jim NE writes:

If you want to cover your bases even more, get a single action revolver that has a convertible mag cylinder, as .22 mag is easier to find, too.

I agree. For a decent "intro-gun" to .22LR, the Heritage Rough Rider is hard to beat. Comes in around two bills, and mine is actually pretty slick and straight-shooting. Plus, it takes time to load and unload, so you don't burn up all your ammo in ten minutes.

 

[Scrumbag]

Get a Ruger or a Browning Buckmark if you want a semi. Get a Smith or a Ruger if you want a revolver. Spare mags and speed loaders as appropriate. The one thing I would say is, the revolvers can be less finnicky about ammo than the semis so that might be worth considering.

Stick with those 3 manufacturers and you'll have something which will amuse all ages for generations.

Whatever you choose, enjoy your plinking!

 

[tuj]

Ruger MKIII or Buckmark. If you suck at taking guns apart...buckmark.

 

[BYJO4]

22s are alot of fun to shoot and allow you to practice at a very reasonable cost. Accuracy is excellent with any of the major manufacturers. It's nice to have both a rifle and handgun in this caliber.