Mark IV vs. Buckmark vs. S&W Victory - which is easiest to rack?

[ShadyGrove]

My only experience with .22lr handguns has been with revolvers and a Walther P22. I am looking to add a full size .22lr semi auto to my collection, such as one of the models mentioned in the title.

All three seem to comparable in terms of quality, accuracy, and manual of arms. But i'm wondering how difficult it is to rack the slide (or "bolt" I guess) on these, with only those cocking ears to grab onto instead of a full slide.

Mainly I want to choose the model that my wife is capable of racking if she encounters a malfunction or needs to lock the slide back. She is petite with limited hand strength. Its less of a concern for me, although I do have some minor weakness in my left wrist from an old injury that can sometimes be an issue with difficult to rack guns, like small blowback autos.

I assume with the .22lr it would be a pretty light recoil spring, but again those bolt ears look pretty small, and it looks like you are limited to only grabbing them with two fingers.

Thanks,

 

[triplebike]

I would go with the Ruger MKIV. It's the easiest to take down and clean/ maintain. Incredibly reliable & accurate. And the biggest advantage is Ruger's customer service. You could add one of these to make even easier: Ruger® Mark IV™, Mark III™ & 22/45™ Charging Handle | TANDEMKROSS I would also add one of these; Ruger Mark I, II, III, IV, 22/45, Smith & Wesson Victory, Browning Buck Mark and Medalist, Hi Standard, Beretta U22 Neos 22LR - Quickie Loader 3D Printed (hilljak.com).

 

[triplebike]

I would go with the Ruger MKIV. It's the easiest to take down and clean/ maintain. Incredibly reliable & accurate. And the biggest advantage is Ruger's customer service. You could add one of these to make even easier: Ruger® Mark IV™, Mark III™ & 22/45™ Charging Handle | TANDEMKROSS I would also add one of these; Ruger Mark I, II, III, IV, 22/45, Smith & Wesson Victory, Browning Buck Mark and Medalist, Hi Standard, Beretta U22 Neos 22LR - Quickie Loader 3D Printed (hilljak.com).

 

[Howland937]

I doubt it's coincidental but I've yet to run across a .22 Semi auto that was difficult to manipulate... providing it was in correct functional condition.
If the Ruger with a charging loop doesn't interest you, maybe a TX 22 or SIG P322 where you have the whole slide to grab hold of would help?
If you were nearby I'd let you and your wife try some different types.

 

[BreechFace]

Not sure on the differences between the models as far as ease of manipulation of the bolt. I have only had Ruger MK series.

But there are aftermarket solutions on the Ruger MK IV that assist in manipulating the bolt.
https://www.tandemkross.com/halo-charging-ring-rugermkiii-mkiv-2245

 

[doubleh]

Ruger is the only one I have experience with and it is not difficult. I put TandemKross Halo Rings on mine so the GG kids could rack them easily. With the ring the effort is very small. I believe the same ring is available for the Victory.

I would do a little research on the Victory about complaints before buying one. RFC is a good source. Maybe just a lot of whiners or maybe not. I don't own one just because I don't care for their looks.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

I have all 3 you asked about. I just checked the Victory is the easiest. The other 2 are about the same as far as racking.

 

[ShadyGrove]

Thanks for the replies! I didn't realize those cocking handles were available. That should be a good solution if needed.

 

[12Bravo20]

While S&W makes good products, I won't be buying anymore rimfire pistols from them. And the reason for this is that when they discontinue a model, they also discontinue parts and accessories for them too. The 22A is a prime example, it is very hard to find any parts for them except for buffers. I have a 22A and it is a good pistol but I can't get parts for it. And the Victory will be the same way when S&W decided to discontinue it too. If the Victory is anything like the 22A then it should be a good shooting and reliable pistol. I have not had any problems with the 22A.

I have no experience with the Browning Buckmark so can't comment.

I also do not have a Ruger MkIV but do have a MkII. The Ruger Mk Series have always been reliable over the years and have plenty of aftermarket support. While the earlier models can be a pain to reassemble, Ruger fixed that with the MkIV. My MkII has never let me down.

Out of all the rimfire pistols I own, the Kel-Tec PMR30 is the hardest to rack since there is not much to grip onto. The G44 is not bad to rack since you have plenty to grab onto. The Kel-Tec CP33, S&W 22A and Ruger MkII are all easy to rack for me. I have arthritis and fibromyalgia and still do not have any problems with racking any of them.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

I have a 22a also. What a bummer parts are no long available.

 

[Charlie98]

The new Brownings have 'ears' on the rear of the slide, making slide actuation much easier than my original 'non-eared' Buck.

 

[12Bravo20]

I have a 22a also. What a bummer parts are no long available.

I just checked a few places for parts availability.

Midwest Gun Works only has firing pins and front sights in stock

Midway USA only shows magazines

Numrich still shows quite a few parts in stock.

 

[Charlie98]

For what it's worth... the Buckmarks come apart with hex head (Allen) screws, including the barrel. You can literally strip it down to the frame (minus the trigger parts, unless you just want to) with simple tools in about 5 minutes.

My original Buck, my first handgun, bought in 1987, is still kicking it today... after 10's of thousands of rounds.

 

[DMW1116]

I only have experience with the Victory but it doesn’t seem too difficult. My daughter does ok, though she is a robust 19 year old with artists hands (sculpting, carving, etc).

 

[Skylerbone]

Bought the Tandemkross for my Mk IV, the Browning doesnt need one IMO

 

[zaitcev]

But i'm wondering how difficult it is to rack the slide (or "bolt" I guess) on these, with only those cocking ears to grab onto instead of a full slide.

I think Buckmark is the winner an the easy to rack score. However, remember that Ruger and SW are easy to modify with various racking attachments, which can change the picture completely.

One other thing, all of them require a little breaking in. Action of the bolt is going to be a little sticky for perhaps 200 rounds or so.

P.S. Check other replies. I don't think I contradict the experienced members. In particular, I'm only familiar with the "new" Buckmark. When I tried it, I thought it was the easiest because it was the smoothest. Victory has a bunch of weirdness in the resistance, where the bolt drags over the hammer and magazine. For that reason, it's a bit difficult to rack part-way: once you had the hammer cocked, there's almost no resistance. If I dry-fire Victory with snap caps, they always fly out The mainspring is very light in it, no doubt.

 

[Tallball]

I have the Ruger and the Browning. They're incredibly easy to rack. "Rack" is maybe not even the right word.

The larger 22's like this are so easy to "charge" or "rack" that none of them should be any kind of problem. The springs don't need to be stiff at all for a blowback 22 with a good-sized "bolt".

I've handled some smaller 22s that took more effort, but these kind are easy.

 

[sparkyv]

I'll add the Ruger SR22 to this list:

I doubt it's coincidental but I've yet to run across a .22 Semi auto that was difficult to manipulate... providing it was in correct functional condition.
If the Ruger with a charging loop doesn't interest you, maybe a TX 22 or SIG P322 where you have the whole slide to grab hold of would help?
If you were nearby I'd let you and your wife try some different types.

This was one of the reasons I sent mine down the road.

The 22A is a prime example, it is very hard to find any parts for them except for buffers. I have a 22A and it is a good pistol but I can't get parts for it.

 

[berettaprofessor]

Ruger with the added charging ring; if you can't find one by TandemKross or don't want to pay $50, the stainless ones sold on Ebay are good to go and are $20.

 

[ms6852]

Having shot all pistols, of the 3 I would buy would be the Ruger, and the Browning. I bought the Browning based on how it felt in my hands. In my opinion both guns are equal when it comes to reliability and accuracy. The Smith and Wesson I would never buy it because the grip design is not large enough to accommodate my hand.

 

[1KPerDay]

Ruger with the hammer down can be pretty difficult. I needed to add a slide racker for my 11-12 year old kids. I wouldn't buy a Ruger MKIV based on the crappy trigger (the 2 I've tried), the mag disconnect, the ambi safety interfering with my grip, and the silly hammerhead shark nostrils. They just bug me but YMMV.

 

[MachIVshooter]

One of the easiest I've ever handled is the Beretta NEOS.

The S&W 2206 and similar models are also very low effort, as are the Buckmark, Woodsman, and most "open" designs that use a half slide rather than a bolt.

 

[1KPerDay]

One of the easiest I've ever handled is the Beretta NEOS.

The S&W 2206 and similar models are also very low effort, as are the Buckmark, Woodsman, and most "open" designs that use a half slide rather than a bolt.

Indeed. My Browning Challenger is like buttah.

 

[mgmorden]

The slide/bolt spring on a .22LR is very lightly sprung otherwise the round couldn't cycle it. I doubt she'll have any issues pulling it back due to strength.

I have no experience with the Victory - I've got a Ruger Mk1 w/ a PacLite upper and a Browning Buckmark and out of the two they're about the same weight but the Buckmark has more of a "slide" versus a bolt so its got a bit more surface area to grab.

 

[Tallball]

If someone held it for me, I could rack either of my Rugers or my Browning with my two pinky fingers. It wouldn't even be difficult, other than the clumsiness thing. I doubt if I could do it with any of my other semiautos. That kind of 22 is in a different class.