Need info on .22's

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Bobran

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I am getting thoroughly confused in trying to select a .22lr pistol. I have a S&W 9mm and a Ruger .38 special. Since I am a tightwad, I am looking for lowpriced .22 that will shoot cheap bulk ammo without any problems. That said, when I squeeze the trigger I want the gun to fire and bullet to go close to where I am aiming. No competition, just light shooting--go to the range or in the woods and let my wife shoot it from time to time. My spending target is around $300.

I don't care if the gun is new or used, just so it uses Walmart ammo consistently. Any recommendations? Here are a few I am Checking out:

ISSC M22
S&W 22A, 4"
Walther P22
Colt Cadet 4"
Chiappa 1911-22
High Standard Duro-matic M-101
Magnum Research Mountain Eagle
Ruger MK11 22/45 (DO NOT LIKE HOW IT FIELD STRIPS)

For consistency using cheap ammo, would I be better off looking at revolvers?
 
I own a Ruger 22/45 Mk III and it is very tolerant to a wide variety of ammo. It's my favorite .22 semiauto pistol. My wife has stolen it from me and claimed it hers... which gave me an excuse to purchase a Sig P220 in .45 with a .22 conversion slide. :D

The Ruger is a very solid shooter. But yes, its chief complaint is that it is difficult to field strip. Once you do it a couple of times and know the tricks, it's not that hard. There are several videos on youtube detailing disassembly and reassembly of the Mk II's and III's.

The only other .22 pistol I've used before is the Beretta Neo. Although some people love it (it looks cool), I had issues with it feeding ammo. Like most rimfire guns, you gotta try different brands to find ammo that it likes. For me, the Ruger liked 'em all.

Mike
 
The best in my opinion is the 101 High Standard, but it should only be used with Standard Velocity ammo. S&W 22a would be my second choice followed closely by the Colt.
I do not like the Walther and have no experience with the others on your list except the Ruger. They are good guns and I think a good value too. They can be frustrating to re-assemble.
Do you have a revolver in mind? If so I'd look for a S&W 617. Same number of rounds (10) and for me as much shooting fun as a pistol.
 
I have owned several Ruger MK IIs including the 22/45 and the digest most everything pretty well. Cheap ammo has duds and I have seen a lot of miss-shapen rounds so you will have miss-fires but overall they do very well.

I have owned a couple of Buckmarks, and they are about the same. A little nicer feel, but don't really shoot any better or more reliably IMHO.

Have shot Smith 22a and I like it, less substantial that the two above, but good enough little guns.

Just bought a Walther p22, only have put maybe 60rds through it, (snow sucks), but it feels good, and I have several friends who have them that swear by them.
 
I own a Walther P-22, which I love, but it is a little picky about ammo. If you're looking for something that'll function with cheap bulk ammo, you'll probably want to pass this one by. FWIW, it's been 100% with CCI Mini-Mags and Win Super-Xs, both in solid and hollow point.:)
 
I would strongly recommend replacing the Chiappa 1911 .22 on your list with a GSG (ATI imported) 1911 .22

It is picky about ammo though, but Federal Bulk runs through mine with zero problems, as does CCI mini mag (but it doesn't like winchester and remington).

It's about a thousand times better in terms of build quality, feel, reliability, etc. There are a number of threads about the GSG 1911 .22 here, where I and others have gone into more detail about experiences with this pistol. But ask if you have any specific questions.

In short: I absolutely love the GSG. The Chiappa? Absolutely hate it.
 
Bobran I have 3 .22's... a Ruger 10/22 rifle, A S&W 22a and a SA Revolver and I have never noticed any of them to have any more/less failures due to bulk ammo than the others.

So, from your list the 22a can be had NIB at Cabelas for $200.
 
From your list, either the Ruger or the S&W22a-solid, reliable guns. Don't pass by the Browning buckmark, though, mine has been terribly reliable, eats anything, all the time.
 
Bobran

Might want to check out a Beretta Neos as well. Still relatively inexpensive, available with either a 4" or 6" barrel, a snap to disassemble, decent enough accuracy, and its magazines are well constructed and easy to load.
 
i have owned 2 - 22 semi autos. the first was a ruger mk II. it was built as solid as a naval ship gun. it ate everything i ever threw into it. my next (and current) is a walther p-22. it is not built as solidly as the ruger. not even close. but it still functions fine. i would expect the ruger to last at least three times as long as the walther. of course both have had a few hiccups. that is part of the deal when you are working with a semi-auto 22 of any type. you know the old saying," you can have quality, fast service, and price. pick two." that is the way it is with 22 ammo. the cheap stuff is of lower quality than the expensive stuff. so you will have a problem from time to time. most of the cheap 22 ammo burns pretty dirty, which only adds to problems. i would not expect to run ANY sub $500.00 22 for more than 500 rounds and expect it to have no misfires, ftf, fte, etc. of these two, if i was going to rebuy one, it would be the ruger. yes, it was more of a pita to clean, but it was built like the proverbial brick shi* house.
 
I can only speak from personal experience. A buddy and I both bought .22 pistols at about the same time, back when ammo was scarce. I bought a Browning Buckmark Stainless Camper, and he bought a Ruger Mk III. Both have been stellar both in terms of reliability and accuracy. In fact we made it sort of a contest to see who could buy more different brands and types of ammo to try. We would then go to the range and try them all in both pistols. We also routinely swap pistols.

Believe me, you won't go wrong with either of these well proven designs.
 
I would recommend the Browning Buckmark... or go ahead and learn to clean the Ruger. The Ruger will probably last longer than you will.

John
 
the ruger is great but very tricky to get back together after disassemby.. The S&W22A is also a great shooter and very easy to disassemble.
 
Another vote for a Browning Buck Mark. It will probably run you more than $300, though. They can be hard to find, too.

I have a Standard URX that I shoot bullseye with, but if it were just a plinker I was after, I would go for the Micro. Same gun, shorter barrel:

http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/firearms/detail.asp?value=B&cat_id=051&type_id=408

Wal-Mart sells the Federal Auto-Match at around $15 for 325 rounds. That functions very well in my Buck Mark. I haven't tried any of the cheaper bulk ammo, though.
 
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I have a MKII and a Chiappa 1911-22. The MKII is a workhorse and eats just about anything. Overall it is a better gun than the Chiappa. That said the Chiappa is a great little gun once you fiddle with it a bit (polish the feed ramp etc...). It has next to no recoil. With light load ammo it will stovepipe sometimes, but with decent ammo (federal or CCI) it performs without issue. It prefers plated bullets over lead round nose, but most guns do. Takedown and cleaning is way easier on this pistol than any other semi-auto 22 I have messed with. That is obviously an issue for consideration. I can take down the Chiappa in about half the time of the MKII and reassemble in 1/3rd of the time. MKIII would be even worse with all of the mag in mag out and safety BS going on in it.
 
Ruger MK11 22/45 (DO NOT LIKE HOW IT FIELD STRIPS)
Click to expand...

The most over hyped & often repeated info on the internet .................. and IMO the least important. If you want something easy to take apart get the S&W 22A. They shoot very well but appear to contain a lot of plastic & nylon parts that I would wonder how well they will hold up over time. I will put it this way the internals do not appear to be Glock material durable.
 
22

You should be able to find a like new Ruger 22 for $300. I have noticed my
22's shoot copper plated bullets with considerably less jamming. Not a factor in a revolver.
 
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