.22 Semi Auto Pistol

[doc2rn]

I would have to say each company offers a great line of .22s
Ruger has the MK series and the SAA style revolvers
S&W has the 41 and 600 series revo
Browning Buckmark
High Standards has a sweet target model
and Colt Cadets are highly sought after.

With so many flavors how can ya pick just one

 

[PO2Hammer]

I've been very happy with my Mark II's. The cycle anything including sub-sonics and the barrel never seems to get dirty.

 

[primalfear45365]

Browning buckmark gets my vote, easier to disassemble and one hellva shooter right out of the box.

 

[BCRider]

I've always said that if a .22 isn't your first handgun it should darn well be your second.

They are superb for training to kill flinches as a middle ground between the "I know it's not loaded" dry firing exercises and the actual shooting reality. My own .22's have been instrumental in making me a better center fire shooter by training me to pull through and disconnect from the BANG!.

And the fact that they are just plain cheap fun doesn't hurt either...

I'll just add that while the Ruger Mk series are superb guns I tend to favour other options just due to the grip angle. That angle is far more suited to side armed one handed Olympic style shooting stance than to a two handed self defense or current iscoseles triangle stance favoured in competition shooting. Due to this I favour guns that have more of a 1911 style grip angle.

In the end I also went with a 422 like the one in Onmilo's post and then added an all stainless shorter barrel 2206 to it later on. Those two guns are not going anywhere for as long as I'm in the shooting sports. They've both proven to be superbly reliable and tolerant of long periods between full cleanings. And they shoot superbly in that they are far better than my old guy eyes and old guy nerves. They may not match that 41 of Onmilo's in the right hands but they'll serve most of us very nicely. I'm surprised that this particular line of guns isn't more widely recognized.... or perhaps the happy owners just don't want to see the prices driven up....

 

[MedWheeler]

Anybody say "Ruger" yet..?

 

[killchain]

I bought a conversion kit for my Beretta 92fs. You could look into that; practice the same motions with a pistol you already own, and save money!

 

[Alpine]

which company makes the best .22 pistol for my intended uses?

Buckmark

 

[tubeshooter]

I had to make a similar decision. Wanted a .22 semi for the general-purpose uses the OP has described.

I liked the Buckmark's looks and feel in the hand, so I have gone with that over the Ruger - for now.

Although I'm not crazy about the grip angle on the Ruger MK series, I do see the all-steel construction as a plus in some ways. I have handled both, and the Ruger feels more like it could do a round count in the hundreds of thousands without parts breakage more easily. Depending on how much you plan to shoot, this may or may not be an issue.

I don't put a whole lot into the "hard to break down" rap that the Rugers get. I figure if it's your gun and you like it, you'll get good at it. Many seem to get by without too much trouble.

Last consideration - for hunting, a .22 has to have at least a 5.5 inch barrel in my state. All Buckmark models except the Micro fit this requirement. I factored this into my decision also.


I think they both are good guns that do what they are supposed to. Got to fire my new Buckmark about 20 rounds; no problems. Although they list a lot of different models to choose from, only the Camper and Standard are what I would call easy to find after some looking around. I chose a Standard model so I wouldn't have to worry about cut corners, plastic sight bases and whatnot.

 

[BrainOnSigs]

The two .22s that won't ever be sold from my safe....