22LR "Practice Pieces", Do You Have Any?

[Tallball]

I retired 3-4 years ago and have more time to shoot. Still don't reload yet, and ammo can be expensive.

I've found myself shooting 22lr even more than I used to.

Lately I've added a few more 22lr handguns to the "collection" that are a lot like the centerfire handguns I have for SD.

My reasoning is that the K22, Single Six, Buck Mark, Standard, and Mark II that I usually take to the range are all much easier to shoot accurately than the snub revolvers and small semiautos that I have for SD. My SD handguns are mostly 2" and 3" revolvers, and smallish DA/SA or striker-fired semiautos. So I got some affordable 22lr handguns similar to my SD handguns. Shooting them is a lot like shooting the centerfire versions. It's good, inexpensive, no-flinch practice.

The Charter Arms Pathfinder 2" has given me some problems. I bought it NiB. Had to go back to the factory once and to the local GS once. Works with most ammo now. Nice trigger.

The Taurus Model 942 3" has been great. Nice trigger. Smooth action. I like the sights. Nice fit and finish, even. A Taurus revolver is usually a "goes bang but the trigger is stiff" kinda thing, and their new dark finish is terrible (that's why I paid extra for stainless). This is one of the better Taurus revolvers I've owned.

The Bersa Thunder is basically a Walther PP clone. It's ammo sensitive but works fine with CCI Mini Mags. Decent trigger and sights. Good DA/SA practice.

The Taurus TX22 Compact has been great. Great sights and trigger. 100% reliable. Accurate and fun to shoot. Good practice for striker-fired pistols.

Do you have any 22lr practice pieces that you'd like to show?

Any advice on an affordable 22lr 1911 or conversion kit? That's my next planned handgun purchase. (I have various centerfire 1911's already.)

Charter Arms Pathfinder 22lr

• Tallball
• Mar 23, 2019

Taurus Model 942 22lr

• Tallball
• Feb 28, 2025

Bersa Thunder 22.jpg

• Tallball
• Feb 4, 2025

Taurus TX22 compact 22lr.jpg

• Tallball
• Jan 6, 2025

 

[kidneyboy]

If you already have a 1911 try a 22lr conversion. There are some quality choices out there.
If not I'd suggest the GSG 1922-22.

 

[jmorris]

I have lots of .22's for cheap shooting. The only one I have that feels remotely close to a centerfire is my old steel slide, floating chamber Colt .22 conversion, it feels like a 9mm 1911.



It's the top one in this photo.



The Advantage arms conversion on the bottom is the most impressive conversion I have. This is a 10 shot 50 yard group using aguila standard velocity 40 gn rn, shot from a ransom rest, with it.





It caused me to make my own version where tightened tolerances a bit.



This is a 10 shot 50 yard group using it, with the AA conversion.

 

[CajunBass]

The only one I have is a Smith and Wesson Model 18-2 that is a perfect understudy for a Model 15. It can step in for a Model 19 also I suppose, just not quite perfect.




Of course, I don't have a centerfire K-frame anymore.

 

[black mamba]

Although I have and occasionally shoot semi-autos in 9mm and 45 auto, my main shooting involves large caliber (over .4") revolvers with heavy loads. When my shooting gets to be a little "off" I know I'm developing a flinch. Then out comes the Browning Buckmark 10" with scope. This pistol is capable of putting 10 rounds under an inch at 25 yards with a variety of ammo. Knowing the accuracy I should get gives me a standard and teaches me to relax and follow through on my trigger pull and gets me shooting well again. Without recoil you can really tell what's going on.

 

[doubleh]

Any advice on a 22lr 1911? That's my next planned handgun purchase.

I don't know the price of the GSG 1911-22 now but they were pretty reasonable when I bought mine. It won't win any accuracy contests against guns in the Ruger Mk class but it's still pretty good just like it comes out of the box. I turned mine into a play race gun making it even more fun but it still won't hang with my Rugers. Close but not quite there but plenty good for shooting the various rimfire steel targets available.

 

[jstert]

ruger sr22. 20k rounds through my two over 10+ years, 400 cci minimags yesterday.

 

[SKILCZ]

If you already have a 1911 try a 22lr conversion. There are some quality choices out there.
If not I'd suggest the GSG 1922-22.

A Ruger 22/45 also has a 1911 grip, but the slide is obviously different.

 

[sgt127]

You bet. A Colt “Ace” conversion unit I put on a dedicated Colt frame.

A S&W model 18.
A Colt .22 Diamondback
A Ruger 22/45
And even a J frame 3” 650. .22 mag with a fitted .22 lr cylinder.

 

[Riomouse911]

A few of my .22 revolvers residing in the safest make good understudies for their larger centerfire cousins.

S&W K frames in .22 LR and .22 WMR:

S&W J frames in .22 LR:


Dan Wesson .22 LR:


Ruger Wranglers and Single Sixes:




Stay safe.

 

[Riomouse911]

And a few autos to toss into the mix as well.

Iver Johnson TP-22 is PPK-like:


The JA Ceiner conversion on my SA loaded frame is a perfect 1911 trainer:


Ruger .22/45 has a bit of a 1911 feel:


The Glock 44 is a lightweight 19 size-wise:


The SIG Mosquito and Browning 1911-22 are scaled-down a bit from full sized guns, but operate in a similar manner:


And I shot the Mk IV with the red dot a lot before I bought them for my centerfires (Glocks). The inexpensive practice really taught me how to shoot with them.


(Someday, when I get a S&W Model 52 the Model 41 will be its understudy. )

Gotta love the rimfires.

Stay safe.

 

[Armored farmer]

I retired 3-4 years ago and have more time to shoot. Still don't reload yet, and ammo can be expensive.

I've found myself shooting 22lr even more than I used to.

Lately I've added a few more 22lr handguns to the "collection" that are a lot like the centerfire handguns I have for SD.

My reasoning is that the K22, Single Six, Buck Mark, Standard, and Mark II that I usually take to the range are all much easier to shoot accurately than the snub revolvers and small semiautos that I have for SD. My SD handguns are mostly 2" and 3" revolvers, and smallish DA/SA or striker-fired semiautos. So I got some affordable 22lr handguns similar to my SD handguns. Shooting them is a lot like shooting the centerfire versions. It's good, inexpensive, no-flinch practice.

The Charter Arms Pathfinder 2" has given me some problems. I bought it NiB. Had to go back to the factory once and to the local GS once. Works with most ammo now. Nice trigger.

The Taurus Model 942 3" has been great. Nice trigger. Smooth action. I like the sights. Nice fit and finish, even. A Taurus revolver is usually a "goes bang but the trigger is stiff" kinda thing, and their new dark finish is terrible (that's why I paid extra for stainless). This is one of the better Taurus revolvers I've owned.

The Bersa Thunder is basically a Walther PP clone. It's ammo sensitive but works fine with CCI Mini Mags. Decent trigger and sights. Good DA/SA practice.

The Taurus TX22 Compact has been great. Great sights and trigger. 100% reliable. Accurate and fun to shoot. Good practice for striker-fired pistols.

Do you have any 22lr practice pieces that you'd like to show?

Any advice on an affordable 22lr 1911 or conversion kit? That's my next planned handgun purchase. (I have various centerfire 1911's already.)

Charter Arms Pathfinder 22lr

• Tallball
• Mar 23, 2019

Taurus Model 942 22lr

• Tallball
• Feb 28, 2025

Bersa Thunder 22.jpg

• Tallball
• Feb 4, 2025

Taurus TX22 compact 22lr.jpg

• Tallball
• Jan 6, 2025

The GSG is a good sub for a 1911 IMHO.
It has plastic sights which i always thought I would replace.....but haven't yet..
Otherwise, reliable and accurate...pretty much standard 1911.22

 

[CraigC]

I'm a big believer in .22 trainers. Much moreso than dryfire practice. I've built a lot of skill with them. I learned to run a sixgun fast with a Single Six and the Uberti that preceded it.



Same for the K-22's.





I don't really use the 12/22 as a trainer but it is fun to shoot.




I burned through 10,000rds that first summer with the Ciener.



Got the factory conversion for my M9.



I have the Advantage Arms conversion for the XD9 but no pics.

 

[Terry G]

I don't know. .22 handguns seem like a waste of time. But then again I have a lot of time to waste.

 

[CajunBass]

I suppose if you wanted to practice for a single-action, you could do worse than this.

Uberti six shooter 22 LR. I'm not sure what it's called but physically it's the same size as a CF single-action Uberti etc. Only heavier.

Or a smaller, lighter, Ruger Single-Six.

 

[FL-NC]

Glock 44 and S&W M&P15-22

 

[SterlingBullet]

You will enjoy the range time with a Ruger SR22, easy and quick to load, buy eight magazines.

A Ruger 10/22 Charger, put a RMR on it, a pistol blade brace, buy ten 25rd magazines and a 10/22 mag loader. You'll go through 500-1000 rds in just a few hours.

 

[Pat Riot]

The only .22 LR that I have that is similar to a full sized handgun is my S&W 17-3. It’s similar to my S&W 19-4.
The 19-4 has a Target Hammer and Trigger. The model 17 does not.


S&W 17-3


S&W 19-4

 

[.308 Norma]

"Practice Pieces"???
Yeah, I guess I could have used that as an excuse when I bought my little G44 - seeing as how it's the same size and shape as my G19, only lighter. The truth is though; I just wanted the G44 - just like I "just wanted" the Model 63 when I bought it back in the mid-'80s.
I haven't been disappointed with either gun. And I use the G44 for pretty much the same things I used to use the Model 63 for - my "fishing gun" (for plinking at impromptu targets when the fish aren't biting), for my "bumming around in the hills gun," and sadly, for my "putting dropped off and ran over cats out of their misery gun." Lately, I've been using my G44 for shooting close range (20 yards or less) ground squirrels as well.
I probably should take the Model 63 along the next time we go out ground squirrel shooting. Ever since I got the G44, the Model 63 has just sat on a shelf in the kitchen cupboard by the back door.

 

[CapnMac]

The dedicated 22lr 1911 have an advantage or sorts in having specific magazines, which removes a trouble spot in the conversion slide kits.
Sadly, most of the Colt Aces out there are very spendy. Much like all the Colt Woodsmen variants.

 

[HB]

Glock 44 was bought used for $300 otd with 3 mags and a Kenai chest rig. It runs like a top and is a great trainer for the 19 now that ammo is 25¢ a shot at minimum.

Its not quite accurate enough to be fun when compared to a Buckmark or Ruger but it is perfect for shooting steel.

 

[cfullgraf]

Early in my "shooting career" around 1980, I bought a S&W Model 18 (4", 22LR K-frame) for less expensive shooting of my S&W Model 19 (6", 357 Magnum, K-frame). At the time, I could reload a box of 38 Special wadcutters for less than the cost of a box of 22LR.

So much for savings.

In the early 2000's, I was shooting Service Rifle competition. I got the grand idea to build a 22LR version of my match rifle. It worked but shooting it was just not the same as the center fire match rifle.

I have a number of 22LR firearms, rilfes, revolvrs and semi-auto handguns. They provide good shooting fun, add to trigger time, and provide good small animal control around the farm.

These days, 22LR is generally less expensive than centerfire ammunition. But for me, i need to practice with the actual firearm that I'm planning to use in a particular task, be it centerfire ir 22LR.

 

[luzyfuerza]

I use my S&W 15-22 and Taurus TX-22 as trainers for new shooters. And to give me cheap trigger time. Both are great guns.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Got a ton of .22 military trainers, but since we're in the handguns sub-

This little Mod.34 is a fine miniature Chief's Special


The Colt Officers Model Match is basically a rimfire Trooper (or Python if you squint a bit, lol).


I find the .22 SP much more tolerable than the Magnum version-


The M17 is a perfect understudy for the M14-


And of course, you got the DW twins.....

 

[LiveLife]

I retired 3-4 years ago and have more time to shoot. Still don't reload yet, and ammo can be expensive. I've found myself shooting 22lr even more than I used to.

Do you have any 22lr practice pieces that you'd like to show?

Yes. Been retired almost 6 years and while I reload all pistol/rifle calibers I shoot with unlimited budget, 22LR is much cheaper.

My Gen3 Glock 22 with Advantage Arms 22LR slide kit allows same trigger and manual of arms shooting practice and lower cost of 22LR particularly good for fast closer range point shooting drills that eat up a lot of ammunition.

At 7-15 yards, I find POI comparable to 40S&W and 9mm (Using 40-9mm conversion barrels) and slide cycles with cheapest Armscor 36 gr HP, more accurate Aguila 40 gr CPRN and even subsonic CCI SV - https://www.advantagearms.com/mm5/m...d&Session_ID=b4f05c63b830a29f5cf0e689de56480c

BTW, AA 22LR slide kits are available for fullsize to subcompact Glocks around $230 - https://www.primaryarms.com/advantage-arms-glock-17-22-gen4-22lr-conversion-kit-10-round

AA slide kits for micro red dot $275 - https://www.advantagearms.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=GLK

i need to practice with the actual firearm that I'm planning ti use in a particular task, be it centerfire ir 22LR.

I agree and "trigger time" is good practical practice.

In addition to AA slide kit allowing same trigger practice with Glock 22, CMMG 22LR conversion bolt kit and BCA 22LR upper allow same trigger practice with my ARs for close range fast point shooting practice drills.