.22 Semi Auto Pistol

Status
Not open for further replies.
J

JohnnyCal55

Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2010
Messages
67
Ive been thinking a lot lately about the benefits of having a semi auto .22 pistol in my collection: cost efficient, great practice, lots of practice, and just plain fun! I know that Ruger and Browning have great offerings, and also many other companies make .22 pistols.

I plan on using this as a range, camping, and hunting gun, and i plan on shooting it a lot. When you consider accuracy, reliability, fun factor, and cost, which company makes the best .22 pistol for my intended uses?
 
youre going to get a TON of responses. That are going to go 1 or 2 ways.

1. Buckmark.
2. Ruger Mk

Personally, i love the look of the Sig mosquito, even if it is a bit pickier on ammo.
 
i have the s&w 22a which is a little cheaper than the buckmark and mkII/III but just as reliable. feeds almost any ammo with little to no issues. i've just bought a chiappa 1911-22 and it's been pretty reliable so far. either way they are very affordable and fun to shoot.
 
Well I'm pretty sure the varied answers you'll get will help make everything as clear as mud, I'm going to have to go with the Ruger camp. I have a Mk III stainless bull barrel model and it's been outstanding. Eats pretty much everything, including Walmart bulk ammo without complaint. I will also say that since you plan on taking whatever you end up buying out in the field camping/hunting, the Ruger definitely has the durability for that.
 
At the risk of sounding boring (;)) I'm going to have to say Ruger or Browning. Both reliable, fun, good functioning. I know a lot of people like the S&W 22a and the Beretta Neos, so I wouldn't knock those either.

I've heard that Remington is going to make their R1 1911-style pistol in .22LR. Is this just a rumor? I'd like to try one of those.
 
It's hard to beat the Ruger or Browning. I lean towards the Ruger because of more expeirence with it. It is as reliable as a rimfire can be. The only problems I ever have are with the occasional rimfire not going off. Mostly cheap bulk pack stuff. I've had a MK II for over twenty years and a 22/45 since it came out. Don't know how many people i've taught to shoot with them. Very accurate also.
 
Browning and Rugers are nice, but everybody has one.

If you want something a little different, try a Beretta 87. Handles like a dream, more accurate than it has any right to be, and as reliable as the sun. Of course, for the price (they're not cheap) they should be! They come with an eight-round magazine, but mine also functions 100% with the ten-round magazines from my Beretta 87 Target (different animal).

beretta87cheetah.jpg
 
Last edited:
Another vote for a Ruger. I have two: a 1965 MK I Target and a 1994 MK II Target. Each are a little picky about ammo. Just last week, I tried to run el cheapo Remington Thunderbolts thru them. I would have trouble with the cases seating. Even though I've had the 1994 since new, that was the first time I had trouble and may have been the first time I used that particular ammo in those guns.... Anyway,a little research said the Rugers have a very tight "match" chamber and lube on some cheapo ammo causes this problem. Cleaning the guns made no difference. I tried bulk box Federals thru them and had no misfeeds outta about 100 rounds.
 
Another vote for a Ruger. I have two: a 1965 MK I Target and a 1994 MK II Target. Each are a little picky about ammo. Just last week, I tried to run el cheapo Remington Thunderbolts thru them. I would have trouble with the cases seating. Even though I've had the 1994 since new, that was the first time I had trouble and may have been the first time I used that particular ammo in those guns.... Anyway,a little research said the Rugers have a very tight "match" chamber and lube on some cheapo ammo causes this problem. Cleaning the guns made no difference. I tried bulk box Federals thru them and had no misfeeds outta about 100 rounds.
 
Most of the semi auto hand guns listed are great .22 pistols. Just out of curiosity, I'd like to get to check out the Phoenix 22 pistol. It's a cheap pistol but have read some good reviews on it. I'd like a fun plinker for a little over a $100. Just can't find a retailer and I'm not going to purchase unless I can hold it and check it out first.
JT
 
Also worth mentioning is the ISSC G22 'glock-a-like' pistol. I have one and like it. Additionally, there are .22 conversion kits for a number of full size pistols as well - I have one for my M9 and like it as well.
 
If you want a compact, consider a Walther P22.... just picked one up at Cabellas for $300. I have two P22s and a PK380.... great guns, fun to shoot, and mine have been flawless so far.
 
Since I needed a SHTF sidearm and a .22lr pistol. I ended up buying myself a Sig P220 in .22lr and the X-Change .45auto conversion for it.
Awesome combo...imo.
If I hadn't purchased this setup, I would have gone with a Buckmark UDX.
 
I currently have a number of 22 plinkers but my Ruger MKII and Smith and Wesson 22A are great. Both are not picky about ammo at all. They function/group Federal 550 and Winchester 333/555 bulk packs fine.

I would recommend either.
Will
 
Doh someone already beat me to it. I have a Sig P220 in .45 with a .22 conversion slide. It works well but is a little more ammo sensitive than a Ruger Mk III. But if you can find a centerfire pistol that you like that also has a .22 conversion slide, you get the best of both worlds and only have to learn one trigger pull.

http://i1138.photobucket.com/albums...4_507232946868_291700004_206393_3682771_n.jpg
(from 2 weeks ago... 5 rounds of 22LR, two handed, unsupported at 75 feet with the Sig P220 .22 conversion slide. Theoretically, I should be able to do this with the .45 also... but alas I cannot. :( Time to keep practicing!)

FYI. It does tend to misfeed when dirty, though. My other target pistol (claimed by my wife) is a Ruger Mk III 22/45 which we both love (and fight over sometimes).

Mike
 
I didn't have time to elaborate on the P220 .22 this morning...brace, you are right, the 220 .22 is easy to shoot accurately, mine came with an LDA fully adjustable 3dot set which doesn't hurt matters either ;).
It does have some ammo(anything form Federal) it won't run well on. I use CCI Blazers and occationally Mini-mags(40g HV) and they have been 100% since day one. I added SigPower followers to the mags for the last round hold open. It is a great practice setup since its the exact feel and trigger of the centerfire.
 
The under rated Beretta NEOS - get the 4.5-inch barrel model for a little over $200. I have the 6-inch but like the 4.5 better. Very accurate, reliable, and eats any ammo. You might clean the chamber if you get hold of some dirty ammo, and might have to clean the firing pin hole after 5K rounds. You can totally strip and clean it in minutes with no tools. Keep a rag, boresnake, and a can of spray cleaner in your tackle box with this gun and you'll be good to go.
 
You've nailed it already. Make a selection between the Ruger or the Browning and never look back. Both the Ruger and Browning have several models to choose from, and you won't need to trade it off six months down the road because it is cheaply made and has poor quality materials.
 
I recently bought a very nice Ruger MKII for $229 in the original case with it's full contents. It's shot very well in 2 outings so far over 200 rounds of Remington Thunderbolt. I could not be more pleased with this pistol.
 
I have a Sig Mosquito. I plan to trade it ASAP for a Browning UDX. Everybody seems to love theirs and when I put it in my hand it felt like I was putting on a glove.
 
I've had a lot of .22 pistols over the years, my favorite was a Colt Match Target and a Ruger Mk1. Recently I decided I needed a .22 pistol again to get in some cheap range work. I went with the Browning Buckmark Camper with the blued round barrel. It has a fiber optic front sight and a good deep, adjustable notch rear sight. I really like this one, fits my hand, real nice balance, never fails no matter what brand of ammo I feed it and the sights on it are excellent as is the trigger, even better than my SR9's three dot sights. At 50' you can punch a magazine full into the black on a standard 50' target with ease. It comes with two magazines too.
 
standard.gif
Smith and Wesson M41, still available as new production, both 7.5" barrel as shown, and 5" heavy barrel versions available, about $1000
standard.gif
Smith and Wesson Model 422 and small 2214 'Sportsman'
Also available in stainless with aluminum frames as 622 and 2216
Can also be found in all stainless as 2206
No longer made but fairly easy to find on used gun market.
Prices range from $150 for a basic 422 as shown, to $350+ for a like new 2206
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

C
  • Locked
.22 magnum Semi Auto pistol
Replies
4
Views
1K
pikid89
P
D
  • Locked
Has anyone here ever cut a rifle down to pistol size? I'm talking .22.
Replies
18
Views
3K
nalioth
N
C
  • Locked
DAO .22LR pistol
Replies
5
Views
1K
Candiru
C
D
  • Locked
Shooting .22 Short in Semi-Auto Pistol
Replies
3
Views
661
Onmilo
Onmilo
W
  • Locked
22lr Semi-Auto
2 3
Replies
60
Views
4K
Wahoo95
W
Back
Top