Looking for a .22LR

[Flashpoint]

I went to my favorite gun shop yesterday and askedto see some .22 autos. They showed me a P22, a Ruger Mark XIII (I think it was XIII), and a Baretta Neo. The P22 was nice, but just too small, the ruger felt like a brick and the slide release was real hard to work, I liked the Neo best of all, but I didn't like the mag release. Anyone have any experience with any of these, I'm especially interested in the Neo? The shop was asking $300 for the 2tone Neo, but I found the blued version on Gunbrokers for $200. What's a good price?

 

[BerettaNut92]

Never shot a Neos, but FYI they are coming out with a Neos DLX with adjustable trigger, methinks.

 

[Sactown]

Try a Sig Trailside. The Ruger was probably a Mark 2. If it was too heavy, they have all different configurations. Checkout the Ruger website. I tried the Neos at a local store. I found the trigger horrible. Maybe that upcoming adj trigger would be better. I have 2 Ruger Mk2s and have been perfectly happy with them. Aftermarket parts are available (I put in new parts). I'd get a Sig Trailside (a Hammerli, but cheaper) if it were available in California. Good luck.

 

[10-Ring]

I've never had any problems w/ my Ruger. That said, the nicest 22 pistol I've used was a Ceiner conversion kit on a Caspian frame...very nice

Good luck on your quest

 

[gryphon]

I know it's not one of the one's listed, but don't rule out the Browning Buckmark.

 

[Deuce]

I was in the same spot a few weeks back.

The Trailside had the best trigger of anything I tried ... for about $200 more than anything else, it'd better have something better.

I made it a point to check out the S&W 22A and 22S (with the big wood grips) as while working a pin match, the only people I saw shooting .22's all had S&W 22A's.

As it turned out, the last gun I checked out was a 22S and for $325 bran new, I bought it. I put a DOCTER red-dot on it (another $300 ... you can always try a BSA or something) and the second time at the range I eventually got the target out to 50yds and still had more than half my shots on the 8" shoot-n-c ... off-hand ... pretty good for me.

A friend of a friend bought a Neos (his first handgun ever) 'cause it was cheap (just over $200 bran new). I tried it out (live fire) ... I thought it sucked @$$. Every time we get together one of us makes a joke about how bad it sucks. I don't mean to start trouble with anyone who thinks they're really great. It's just my opinion and I'm no expert.

These days, if someone were to give me a bran new Trailside, I'd trade it in on another 22S or a 22A and ammo for the balance.

 

[Tropical Z]

Id get the Neos,mine has been flawless with all ammo used including my favorite Remington golden bullets.The mag release isnt a big deal to me and the mags the gun comes with are real nice.Id pass on The S&W or the Walther.

 

[blue86buick]

I had the opportunity to shoot the P22 (5") last weekend. I only got one or two mags through it, but I quite enjoyed it. I've also held them at a couple different gun shops, and although they feel small, they fit my hand well. Of course, you may want to take this with a grain of salt, as I'm determined to get one (3.4") and dont' want anything to change my mind.

 

[MK11]

The sights on the Neo are weird and it's got a trigger almost as bad as my BHP did out of the box but they are accurate.

 

[DougB]

I second the (probably obvous) recommendation to look at a Browning Buckmark. That's not to say that its better than the other guns mentioned - but I prefer the Buckmarks to the Rugers and Berettas in roughtly the same price range. I also like the Walther P22 (though I've never shot one), but to me it is more of a plinker/kit gun than the other full-sized pistols mentioned - I don't expect to be able to shoot it as accurately as a Buckmark. I've handled the Beretta and Sig, but didn't care for the feel of them (maybe its just my hand or what I'm used to).

Doug

 

[22x9]

Another vote for the NEOS. I have one and the only thing I dislike is the trigger. however over on rimfirecentral.com someone has posted step-by-step process to remedy that.

 

[Min]

I was out shooting my Buckmark Micro today at the range. Fun fun fun! No jams, no failures of any kind in about 300 rounds. And I was using the cheap Remingtons, too! Accurate, and a light trigger make this gun a plinker's dream.

 

[cratz2]

I've never actually shot a NEOS but have handled a couple of them. I don't think I'll be buying one anytime soon as I don't need one. Overall, if I wanted a dedicated 22 pistol on a budget, I'd need a whole lot of something to talk me out of a Ruger MKII. The shop I frequent has them for $209 or $219. Don't remember seeing a two tone one.

I've have had a couple of the Phoenix Arms HP22s. Not really in the same class as the MKII, 22/45, Bunckark etc... for someone wanting a gun capable of getting on target at 50 yards but mine have been very, very reliable. Some folks knock them a lot but I've had maybe 5 failures in probably 3,000 rounds with two guns. I would recommend the stainless gun over the blued gun though. The steel seems a bit harder, at least the exterior steel. They have a whole bunch of safeties which turns some people off but for $105 or so, not too shabby.

I have a S&W 22A (I'm pretty sure it's the 'A') that I really don't care for. I bought it on sale when I went to get a HP22 but it was just about $40 more so I took a chance. Before long, the slide stop spring lost is springy-ness and I had to send it back. When they returned it, it was missing one of the grip screws. I haven't used it much in the last two years but the same spring is starting to fail again. This may be a small complaint that other may not have but it's enough that I can't recommend them.

Buddy of mine has a couple MKIIs, an older blued 5.5" heavy barrel and a newer stainless normal weight barrel model. Both are great though the newer trigger is a bit stiff. I'm sure that could be fixed with a few dollars.

The 22 I've shot the most over the past couple years is a Dan Wesson revolver. Scary accurate and you certainly don't have to worry about reliability. The new ones are pricey as are the Smith equilavents but they are super nice guns and would definately get one over the Trailside at about the same price.

I also recently traded into a 22 conversion unit for a 1911 from Marvel. These things go for about $350 new but are bullseye accurate as the sights and barrel are integral. We're talking .3" groups at 50 yards. Of course, if you don't have a good 1911 platform with a good trigger etc..., then the conversion becomes stratospherically expensive but just an example of what's out there. Other compaines also make conversion for the Beretta design, the CZ/EAA design and some others, I'm sure.

 

[DougB]

"We're talking .3" groups at 50 yards."

Cratz2, are those 1-shot groups? I don't really mean to be argumentative - your post has a lot of good information, but I think you may be exaggerating a bit here - I believe that is better accuracy than most target rifles can acheive. I'd be very happy to get .3" groups at 15 yards with any handgun.

Doug

 

[longeyes]

I bought a Neos last October. I have over two thousand rounds, various kinds, through it and I'm very pleased. It's accurate, reliable, and easy to maintain. You could do a lot worse. This is my first .22 handgun, and I can't comment on the alternatives.

 

[Sir Galahad]

Well let me tell ya about my Neos problems!! I was going to start a thread about it, but I'm going to wait and see Beretta is going to do about it. It shot a FOOT HIGH at TEN FEET right out of the box!!!!!!! I cranked the sights all the way down and it still shot SIX INCHES high at ten feet!!! Needless to say, I was VERY disappointed. A phone call to Beretta customer circus was infuriating. I sat on hold for 30minutes to talk to a surly, rude, and unhelpful jerk who wasnt the least bit apologetic for the POS her company sent out the door. I had to send this POS back and it better be a tack driver when it comes back. Now, this pistol feeds EVERYTHING flawlessly and I mean flawlessly. It has a LOT of potential. But I wish, oh how I wish, I had bought a Ruger or a Buckmark or the S&W. I wrote a long letter that went with the pistol and another I sent direct to Beretta. Another went with the warranty registration card (imagine that, the pistol is going to beat the warranty registration card back to the factory!) I am furious with Beretta's "customer service" and if they don't make this right, I'll never buy another Beretta product. I've never had such lousy customer service anywhere. Yes, I am more than disappointed. The serial number on this thing starts with a "PO" and I hope, oh how I hope, there isn't an "S" missing from the end of "PO".:banghead: Calling Beretta is like trying to call the White House and they act like you're just some dumba** and I could actually picture the person I spoke to rolling her eyes. If I could have, I'd have gotten rid of that POS rght then and there and traded it for a Ruger.