Reviewing 22 Caliber Handguns

[Tort211]

I'm new to shooting (I just came back from my first trip to the range) and I'm looking to purchase a 22 caliber handgun to learn the fundamentals. I looked at a Walther P22 (which I liked for it's light weight and all the extras), a Sig Mosquito, a Browning Buck Mark Micro, and the Ruger 22/45 Mark III Bull (4" barrel. I realize that it comes down to personal preference and I intend to try shooting each. However, I would like to hear about the pluses and minuses of each weapon. Anything concerning reliability, problems with misfires and ejections, ease of break-down and cleaning (and reassembly), and advantages like adjustable sights.

I've read a lot of messages in forums that talked about the misfires and ejection problems with the Walther and Sig. One posting said it was a problem with the magazines. Most talked about requiring high end ammunition.

What should I look for in terms of whether the gun I'm looking at is a newer model with the problems resolved? Also, I've read that while some handguns are fairly easy to break down, it can be difficult to put back together. What has your experience been?

Any information you can provide would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Onmilo]

Welcome to the board Tort211.
Of the pistol choices you listed I would go with the Ruger.
The shop I do gunsmithing work for gave up on the Walther P-22 pistols, just too many issues.
They don't offer the Sig product so no opinion there.
The newer Brownings just don't feel right in my hand.
I had the good fortune to work on and shoot a couple of early Challenger pistols and a Browning Medalist target pistol and the guns feel and shoot better than the later offerings in my opinion.

Ruger pistols are not the stellar end all to be all of .22 auto handguns but they are reliable and more accurate than most shooters are capable of attaining.
Spare magazines are durable, inexpensive, and available just about everywhere and Ruger pistols rarely break anything major as far as parts go.

All this advice comes from someone who doesn't even own any of these pistols either. I shoot Smith and Wessons mainly.HTH

 

[Technosavant]

I have a Mark II 22/45, with the 5.5" bull barrel.

It is very reliable and very accurate, even with the cheap stuff. I've never had a failure that isn't ammo-related (again, the cheap stuff). It's more accurate than I am. The first time out, I adjusted the sights to point of impact, and it is still dead on. This gun will still be plugging away when I am old and gray, but by that time I may have gotten fed up with the lawyer trigger (is gritty and heavy) and tweaked it, but it hasn't bothered me to that point yet.

On the downside, reassembly is a pain. If you follow the directions EXACTLY, it works every time, but even after a couple years, I still have to get out the manual when it comes time for reassembly. I also wish the grip frame felt nicer in the hand (I have large hands, so the ability to fit larger 1911 grips would have been wonderful). It looks like the Mk III frame is a bit better in that regard though.

I'd probably go with the Ruger. There's a massive amount of aftermarket parts for it, so you can build it up into anything you want it to be, but it will also be plenty serviceable right out of the box.

 

[LoadedDrum]

A great gun to consider if you can find it is the Beretta 87 Cheetah (not the target version, instead the one that looks like the 84/85). After having issues with Ruger, Taurus, and S&W 22lr handguns, I found 22lr nirvana with the 87 Cheetah.

 

[FrogClan]

I have the Ruger Mark III 22/45. It is easy to take apart and, once you've done it two or three times, easy to put back together. It took me a while to learn to make sure the hammer was where it was supposed to be before trying to replace the bolt stop/mainspring assembly. Once I had that figured out, re-assembly was as easy as taking it apart.

I like the Ruger because of the way it mimics the bigger gun, allowing a good transfer of muscle memory since all the buttons and levers are in the same relative location.

It points well, handles well, functions well, and shoots well. Good quality all the way around.

You might enjoy taking a look at Chuck Hawks' recommendations on .22 handguns: http://www.chuckhawks.com/first_handgun.htm
.

 

[doncameron]

I've had a Browning Buckmark and now have a Walther P22 with the 5" barrel,
of the 2, I liked the accuracy of the Buckmark best.
the feel and weight....the P22.
I've fired 11 1/2 bulk boxes of Federal's thru the P22 WITHOUT any FTF or FTE.
never had to send the little thing in for repairs or anything.

 

[porterdog]

Ruger Mark II's are available all day long on the used market. I got a stainless slabside for $280 last year; love it. My buddy Braden's had a blued one for ~16 years, round count must be near 80k. Operates flawlessly.

 

[Nail Shooter]

QUOTE:

porterdog
Senior Member
*
Ruger Mark II's are available all day long on the used market. I got a stainless slabside for $280 last year; love it. My buddy Braden's had a blued one for ~16 years, round count must be near 80k. Operates flawlessly.
*****************

I agree with porterdog, look for a MarkII (TWO), Buckmarks are pretty good also. Model 41 Smiths, newer trailsides are good too. Avoid any 22 with zinc die cast parts (slides), which *I think* would include the P22 and the new Sig.

NS

 

[browningguy]

I bought a Walther P-22 a few months ago. I tried them when they first came out a couple of years ago and they had horrible triggers and a reputation for mis-feeds etc. I'd say they have corrected those problems.

Mine has been through several hundred CCI mini mags, stingers, and velocitors with absolutely no FTF or FTE's. The trigger, while definately not match grade is quite usable. I find the grip to be a little small but my daughter in college loves it.

The Brownings have a good reputation, consistant seems to be the key word.

Rugers I would put in the same class as the Browning Buckmark, it would just depend on which fit you better. Of course there are loads of aftermarket bits, and gunsmiths, who will be happy to turn it into a match grade pistol for the right amount of money. That's a good thing though.

The Sigs are getting a lot of reliability issues reported about them, maybe give them another year to get it all worked out.

 

[grislyatoms]

I bought a used Buckmark from a pawn shop a couple years ago that hadn't been very well taken care of. Finish is so beat up and scratched it looks like someone put it in a rock crusher, the action was so caked with crap it looked like it had never been cleaned.

It cleaned up nicely and with a couple new mags I haven't had a single problem with it. Actually, there were some problems, I had a few stuck cases but that was because of the ammo I was using (Winchester Xpert, I think it was. Utter crap. I had to sort through the box and weed out all the deformed cases and ones with the bullets in the case mouths almost sideways)

Well spent $100.

 

[RustyFN]

I don't think you could go wrong with the Ruger or Buckmark. I bought a Ruger Mark III with a 5.5 inch bull barrel. I have shot around 2500 rounds without a problem. They are easy to take apart and not as bad to put back together as some of the stories you might have heard. I know two people that own the Walther P22 and they both have a lot of problems. Good luck and good shooting with whatever you decide to buy.
Rusty

 

[ugaarguy]

Since this is in Handguns:General Discussions, I'll diversify away from autoloaders. The older blued S&W wheelguns, K-22, Model 17 & 18, are excellent 22 LR handguns. Once a shooter masters the the DA trigger pull of a revolver he can shoot anyhting. I grew up an auto loader guy, but the combination of a S&W M&P 38, and a K-22 have drastically improved my shooting in only a few months. If you like stainless S&W still offers the 617. I have no experience with Taurus 94, but they're reported to be good little 22 wheelies at lighter price than their S&W counterparts; available both blued and stainless. I strongly recommend getting a good 22 revolver.

 

[bakert]

This old MK11 Target made in 1988 has had a least two and maybe three or more owners before me. Only problem was a worn extractor and after replacing it works like new. The even older K22 circa 1959 was pretty beat up when I got and still is and like the MK11 it shoots better than I can.

 

[Zerstoerer]

bakert,

what kind of grip is that on the Ruger?

 

[Candiru]

I've shot both a Browning Buckmark and Ruger Mark II or III. I found the Buckmark to fit my hand better and have a nicer-feeling recoil (such as it was). The Buckmark's grip feels a lot like a 1911, so if you like 1911s you'll probably like the Buckmark.

 

[bakert]

Zerstoerer, Read the post wrong at first. Those are Hogue wraparound grips on the Ruger.

 

[Trebor]

I'd go with the Ruger. I like the Mk II myself, but there's nothing wrong with the 22/45 either. I think the new Mk III's will be OK as well. There are a ton of parts and accessories available for the Ruger pistols. You can do more with them then you can with the Buckmark. Out of the box, the two pistols are probably about the same, accuracy wise, but the Ruger can be sweetened into a Bullseye gun and will become more accurate then the Buckmark.

I'm not a fan of the Walther P22. It's not as accurate as the Ruger or Buckmark and is more finicky. The only selling point, for me, is it's style. It would make a good companion if you have a Walther P99, but I'd skip it otherwise.

 

[Trebor]

Btw, I also reccomend some good training. The NRA Basic Pistol course is a good place to start. Check at www.nra.org to see if any instructors have listed classes in your area. Not all instructors put their classes on the site though, so you'll also want to ask around at your local gun shops and ranges. It's easier to learn the fundamentals correctly with an instructor then on your own.

 

[Norton]

I have a Ruger MkII and enjoy it immensely, though I would echo the sentiment of re-assembly being frustrating at times.

Another consideration for a used auto loader is the SW2206. It was only made for a couple of years and you still see them around. The stainless version is very handy as a "going to the mountain land" gun.

 

[Rich K]

I also have a Ruger Mark II 22/45, and it shoots like it has eyes. Mine prefers CCI Velocitors, and I have no feeding or ejection problems. Great little gun.

 

[Smith357]

I can tell you about the ons I have owned. The Buckmark was nice but had the huge drawback of needing a screwdriver to field strip it for claning. The Ruger has the drawback of being hard to reassemle after being field stripped. I have never handled the Walther or the Sig. My personal favorite .22 handgun is the S&W 17.

 

[laurafan]

Another vote for the ruger. I have a Ruger MkII and 22/45, and a SIG. The SIG is very picky on ammo, even with its favorite it has FTE issues. It feels great, and would probably be a great trainer if you carried a 226. The Rugers are more reliable and more accurate IMHO. There is an aftermarket kit that make reassembly of the rugers easier, but I have not invested in it ( yet ). I have also used my brothers P22 and a buddies S&W 22. auto, I was not really impressed by either.

 

[22-rimfire]

I have a Ruger Mark II 5.5" Bull Barrel and have been very pleased with the gun. I used to carry it holstered in the woods quite a bit for plinking and so forth. The added weight will help you shoot better. You won't go wrong with either a Mark II or Mark III with the bull barrel. Hunter model is real nice!

I also shoot an older High Standard Victor (70's vintage) from time to time and it really shoots well as long as you use copper coated bullets. Trigger is adjustable and it shoots so n-i-c-e. It jammed periodically with the soft lead 22 bullets. I feed the rifles with them for plinking.

Another 22 to look at is the Kimber 1911 style pistol. It is a really nice good shooting pistol if you like the 1911 style.

The Smith 22 target pistol is near top of the line these days if you want a high end shooter.

Lots of folks like the Browning 22. I have never shot a Sig or Walther, although I was looking very hard at a Walther a while back as it came decked out with the rail and red-dot.

Don't forget about revolvers. Lots of great old 22 revolvers made by Colt and Smith. Hard to beat a Colt Trooper Mark III or Smith K-22 for general 22 shooting. I have a number of older Colt 22 revolvers. I don't shoot them as the values are so high these days and most are all NIB.

 

[Terrierman]

I have a Ruger Mark II Target, a buddy has a Buckmark and a P22, my son has a P22. The Mark II is the most accurate one of the bunch in anyone's hands. The size and ergonimics of the P22 are very nice, and there is a real trick frame mounted laser sight for the P22 that is very very nice. Both of the P22's run just fine and don't seem to be picky regarding ammunition. Son's gun shoots Remington bulk gold bullets the best of anything he's tried in it. I like the Mark II best for playing around with. But I'd like to have a P22 with the laser on it for some of the wierd varmint hunting I get into with my terriers. I guess it boils down to what you want to do with the pistol. Oh and pay no mind to "the Ruger is hard to disassemble / reassemble" . Once you've done it a couple of times, it's fast and easy. The Buckmark leaves me cold, but that's just me. Others like them fine and they do seem to function well. Of the three you mention, I think it will be hard for you to go wrong, handle all three and pick the one that feels best to you!!

(added in edit) Actually I guess you mentioned four, but I've never so much as seen a Sig Mosquito.

 

[murph50]

I have a Buckmark and a Ruger MKIII 22/45. Both guns shoot fine but I prefer the Buckmark.
On the Ruger--when the slide is open and a new mag is inserted--you must hit the slide release rather than just pull the slide and let it slap shut. Just a very minor hassle.
Either one works -reliable--accurate. I just prefer the feel of the Buckmark.
For the price --get both. That's what I did. My wife likes the Ruger better so it works out real good.
My duaghter got a P22. She really likes it but she's only put a couple hundred rounds thru it so far. She's got the inter-changeable barrels and told me the tear down is a PIA.
The Ruger is a little tough to re-assemble --The Buckmark is easier but not by much. After you re-assemble either a few times you can do it without looking at the book