I own all five of the top target style .22 pistols,,,
I own all five of the top target style pistols,,,
- S&W 22A
- Ruger Mk-III
- Beretta NEOS
- Buckmark Hunter
- Ruger 22/45 Mk-III
Each pistol has it's own unique characteristics,,,
I'm don't believe there is a universal "best".
As far as quality of build,,,
They are all high quality guns.
As to accuracy they can all print a 1" group
off of a rest at 25 yards,,,
That's not saying I can do that shooting free-hand,,,
But they are all capable of that precision.
None of them have great front sights in factory stock mode,,,
I've put fiber optic fronts on the Berettas and love them,,,
I've put Wilson Fire Sights on my 22/45's as well,,,
My Buckmark came with a nice fiber optic front,,,
I don't know of an option for my S&W 22A.
The stock triggers vary as well,,,
While none of them have "bad" triggers,,,
The Buckmark and Ruger's are nicer out of the box than the Beretta or S&W.
I don't know of any trigger upgrades for the Berettas or S&W,,,
or that matter I don't know of any for the Buckmark,,,
There may well be some out there,,,
I just don't know of any.
With the Ruger's though,,,
There are many options for trigger upgrades.
In fact there are so many after market items for the Ruger's,,,
I jokingly call their pistols Barbie's for Men,,,
They are infinitely
accessorizable.
Here is what I would recommend basing your choice on,,,
There are two factors I think are all important.
- Which one fits your hand the best.
- Which one makes you smile when you look at it.
If a gun doesn't fit your hand,,,
You will never maximize your accuracy potential.
If a gun doesn't make you smile when you look at it,,,
Will you ever be truly happy owning it?
Now before I end this long dissertation,,,
I own a Bersa Thunder 22 which is a great pistol
I also own a Ruger SR-22 which is a very fine shooter,,,
And a dedicated CZ-75B Kadet which I absolutely love shooting.
Don't stress over buying the "best" pistol,,,
Find the one that fits your hand and makes you smile.
That will be the best for you.
Aarond
.