Help finding the Right.22

[Rob O]

Hello everyone,
I have a little problem, I would like a .22 target pistol and there are so many choices today. Every time I go into a gun dealer I get more confused because I like the look and feel of just about all of them.
I was hoping that I could get some feedback on the guns that I have on my list. Everyone that is on the list from what I have read are very good guns.

Browning
1) Buck Mark Contour 5.5 URX
<really like the look on this gun, very hard to find so I have not seen it live just on the net.
2) Buck Mark Camper
<like this one, plus great price

Ruger –
3) P512MKIII Bull Barrel,.22LR
<everyone tells me this is the best one for the money, but I have a problem with the thin grip. can I replace the grip?

Ruger –
MKII, with wood grips used for $299, I was told this is the best gun ever made. should I listen to everyone and forget all the other on my list.

Smith& Wesson
4) Model 22A Pistol , 5-1/2 barrel,,w/ HIVIZ® Front Sight
<like the look and feel of this gun, but was told the parts where cheap. I can get this gun for $222 new, is it worth a gamble?

5) Model 22A Pistol – Camo 5-1/2” barrel
<same gun as above but with camo, thought the look was different

Thanks for any information.

 

[Ske1etor]

Ruger –
MKII, with wood grips used for $299, I was told this is the best gun ever made. should I listen to everyone and forget all the other on my list.

Yes. This would be your best bet. I personally like the 22/45 MKIII 5-1/2 but since you said the thin grip turns you off, I would go with the MKII. These are possibly the best .22lr target pistols (I would take one over the most expensive custom pistols) and will outshoot you as long as you are alive. Mount a decent red dot on the top and you have one of the most fun firearms ever built. Take a trip on over to www.Volquartsen.com and you can turn that already fantastic pistol into a target shooting machine.

 

[benderx4]

Without a doubt, Ruger makes the best rim-fire products around. Personally, I think if you could find a used Mark II, that would be your best bet. Good luck!

 

[jporis]

I have a Browning Buckmark Stainless Steel Camper and love it.

I have run about 600 rounds through it so far, using the least expensive ammo I could get (Remington Golden Bullet). Had a few FTE's and a couple of FTF's, although I suspect that's the ammo and not the gun - I have the exact same problems with this ammo in my Ruger 10/22 rifle.

I've shot the Ruger MkII and liked it very much.

I think the Browning is probably a little easier to clean and get back together, but that's just my opinion.

You can't go wrong with either of them.

I've shot the S&W too - it shoots well, but it didn't fit my hand very well. I didn't really like it that much.

The main reason I bought the Browning was the grip - it fit my wife's hand perfectly, and dang if it doesn't fit mine, too! I like the fiber optic front sight, too.

 

[hags]

Go with the Browning, used Ruger, or the S&W.

I don't think you'd be gambling with the 22A, no more so than with any other gun right out of the box.

The triggers and accuracy on the Brownings are usually pretty good out of the box. They are a joy to shoot, and why do we shoot????

There are alot of Browning 22s on gunbroker and the like. You could up grade or replace the barrels at a later date if so desired.

 

[BamBam-31]

If you're simply plinking and not shooting serious bullseye competitions, the Browning and the Ruger are fantastic choices. Even if you're shooting bullseye, there are some competitiors that still shoot Rugers and Brownings, although there are better and more expensive choices out there (S&W 41, for example).

Between the two, I like the Browning better because of the ergos and better OTB trigger pull. Go to www.rimfirecentral.com and do a search on the Buckmark sear spring flip--works like a charm in improving the stock trigger pull, and it's FREE! The Ruger has unequalled aftermarket support, however, and you can get a pretty nice trigger pull by simply dropping in a VQ sear.

Accuracy and reliability are excellent with both, so long as you understand .22's in general are more finicky about ammo than centerfires. Really hard to go wrong w/ either.

Good luck, and welcome to THR, Rob O and jporis!

 

[FMJMIKE]

Ruger is great !!!

 

[cliffy]

Best New .22 LR Pistol?

My vote goes out to the Ruger Mark III Competition model: Forty-five ounces of STEADY stainless steel performance. What's not to like? The Mark III Hunter model is four ounces lighter, but has quirky sights. The Competition model has Target Sights standard. I'm not into pistols, when a rifle is handy, but CCI VELOCITORs fired from a 6 7/8" barrel are an awesome sight to behold. My ONLY pistol sits astride my hip for emergency back-up only. cliffy

 

[jonnyc]

Of the 3 you list, bag the S&W. First choice is the Buckmark. Reliable, great trigger, very easy to clean and maintain, VERY comfortable grips.

 

[passintime]

Ruger.

 

[greener]

Which one do you like best? All your choices are good.

The best bang for the buck is the 22A. Low cost, accurate, reliable and backed by the best warranty and warranty service you will find. (no shipping charges to boot). The 22A is easiest to field strip and reassemble.

The Rugers are excellent pistols. If you don't like the grips on the 22/45, changing them is major work: either grinding off part of the grips or carving panels to fit the existing grip. You can replace the MKII and MKIII (not 22/45) grips with Hogues for $20 and about 10 minutes.

Buck Marks are excellent shooters. My Standard did well, but for some reason I don't like it as much as my Rugers or 22A. I've had it for a year and just haven't shot it as much as the Rugers and 22A. I've also started having extraction problems. I'll find out today if I've solved the problem.

Any of the three are good choices if you like the fit and feel of the pistol. You aren't spending a great deal of money on any of them. If it turns out you don't like your choice, you can always sell it or buy something else. Or, like me, like them and keep buying:

22A (5.5" & 7") barrel
Ruger MKIII Hunter, MKIII 22/45, MKII GC, MKII 22/45
Buck Mark Standard
P22
Ruger Single Six

 

[Chester32141]

I have several but I'm partial to my Ruger Single Six ... slower to load makes me take more time for target practice. Comes w/ a 22 WMR cylinder for versatility ... great looking gun and accurate as can be ... It feels like I'm shooting a piece of history ...

Chester

 

[krs]

Where are you, Rob?

i have both L/H and R/H versions of this MK II 512 to let you try if your nearby.



Don't let grips be your deciding factor - they can be changed and there's lots of choices for just about any pistol that's ever been made.

 

[308win]

I have a S&W 22A with several bricks of .22LR thru it of all brands. It has never hiccuped with any of them, it is more than accurate enough for my purposes, and it is easy to strip, clean, and reassemble. I paid $249 for mine on sale; it isn't the entry level model.

 

[.380awsome]

the ruger is unarguably the best listed but have you considered the walther p22. i own one and it fires great ,also its accurate ,never had a issue out of it.also you can get it in a 5"(i believe) sized target barrel

 

[krs]

I have a S&W M41 and like it much but I've heard and seen a WHOLE lot of good things about the S&W 22A. I think it might be one of those "sleepers" that S&W seems to be able to come up with regularly.

 

[KarenTOC]

Ruger –
3) P512MKIII Bull Barrel,.22LR
<everyone tells me this is the best one for the money, but I have a problem with the thin grip. can I replace the grip?

I made my very first gun purchase today - and it's this exact model! I'm glad to hear they are so highly thought of, especially considering their price. I'm really looking forward to shooting it.

As for replacing the grip, I considered buying pink grips for mine - you know, kind of girly it up a bit lol - but I'm going to hold off for a while until I see if I need something a bit more functional

 

[Confederate]

The Ruger Mark II/III

It still amazes me that there are gun owners out there who do not have one of these fine pistols. It was the second gun I purchased (after I found out how expensive it was to buy centerfire ammo), and it has always astounded me at how good it was for the money. Some people don't like the grips. Fine, get a .45 auto-styled grip or, like me, just get used to the Luger-styled grip on the standard version.

I've used cheap, crappy ammo that has been unreliable in some of my revolvers, and the Ruger just eats them like candy. But like kids who eat candy, cleaning can be an issue. Getting the soft lead out of the bore may cause you to go with better ammo, but that's not the gun's fault.

Some people like the bull barrel; others like the tapered target. Still others like the standard slim barrel version (short or long) because they line up on targets very easily and effectively.

I love the gun, especially in stainless. I used to have one of those 1 in 5000 stainless Standard Autos that came in a wood box, but I sold it back when I needed money. It taught me to NEVER sell a gun for momentary need. You'll always get by the momentary need, but you'll never get over selling a gun you'll wish you had kept.

Resale value on the Rugers is excellent.

 

[reallylucky]

I know this one has not been mentioned but what ever you do stay away from Sig's new 22. It is simply an embracement to the sig family of firearms!

 

[mattk]

I love my BuckMark. In fact, I have 2 Buckmarks. I think the Buckmark is a better gun than the MkII.

 

[Confederate]

Anciently...back in the 1970s...I bought two Browning Buck Mark somethings (can't recall their name). The frame and slide were all made out of forged steel and the bluing was exquisite. The grips were polished, smooth wood and the Buck emblem proudly embedded in the grips. It was one of the most finely made pistols I'd ever seen but, alas, it and others fell before the Ruger. Gunsmiths told me the Buck required spot-on tolerances and hand-fitted parts. The Ruger, on the other hand, was a fraction of the price, had plastic grips and seldom, if ever, needed parts replacement and, if it did, could be serviced by the town idiot.

I still wish I'd kept my two Bucks because of the workmanship, but Buck just couldn't compete with the Ruger. Neither could the High Standard. In the knife world, performance often takes a back seat to workmanship and assembly, but shooters usually put most of the emphasis on performance and reliability, probably because it often means life or death in an emergency.

Today, many of Ruger's competitors have had to compete on Ruger's terms, and I think that's excellent. The S&W 41, as great as it is for target shooting, is delicate and overly fussy. It's great for putting the bullets in the X-ring, but it wouldn't be the gun I'd keep in a dresser drawer. The one I had had an extending front sight. With a screwdriver, you could slide the front site out in front of the barrel by 2-3 inches. Wonder how much it would be worth today. Also wonder why no one else has used that extended front sight design?

 

[jece]

Krs handgrips

Saw your picture of the Ruger. Like the grips! Are they something that Ruger makes or are they after-market?

 

[RonE]

If it doesn't have to be new, Colt made the Woodsman Match target in three versions and all shot pretty well.

The Smith and Wesson Mod 41 was also pretty accurate.

Then you can get spendy and look at real "Target" pistols.

 

[hags]

Today, many of Ruger's competitors have had to compete on Ruger's terms, and I think that's excellent. The S&W 41, as great as it is for target shooting, is delicate and overly fussy. It's great for putting the bullets in the X-ring, but it wouldn't be the gun I'd keep in a dresser drawer. The one I had had an extending front sight. With a screwdriver, you could slide the front site out in front of the barrel by 2-3 inches. Wonder how much it would be worth today. Also wonder why no one else has used that extended front sight design?

Uh, delicate and overly fussy? I couldn't disagree more strongly, not mine at least.
It is a classic design, simple and reliable and probably the most accurate American made 22 pistol.

I've owned several Ruger Mk IIs. They were built solidly and all that I owned were stainless steel. The 6 7/8" Gov't model and the 7" bull stainless are what standout off the top of my head.

However, they were not as realiable as my 41, were not as accurate as my Buckmarks and the triggers were horrible.
Were they good guns, sure, were they enjoyable to shoot, not for me.

YMMV

 

[Rob O]

Thanks everyone for helping me out with this problem. There is going to be a gun show this weekend; I think that will help so I can hold every type of .22 out there.
Has anyone looked at or shot the Buck Mark Contour 5.5 URX??
I think the target look is throwing me off some, because I just left a gun store and I really like the Sig look.
Thanks for showing me the picture of the Ruger with the grips, that is what I would be looking to do if I get the MKIII, the MKII that I found has a great thick wood grip.
Just didn’t know if I wanted to take a chance on a used gun, when I can get the new MKIII for the same price.
I live in Greenville Sc