i'm in the market for a .22lr or .22 mag pistol for mainly target and hunting. in the revolver section i posted about getting a heritage rough rider because i thought autoloaders were a bit on the pricey side. then today i went to look at the gun and the finish made me change my mind. i'm not really a revolver guy but love the fact that the .22 is interchangable but i would sacrifice that for quick change mags and semi auto. well i came across a 22a for $250 nib and was wondering if it was too good to be true.. how does this gun perform? i've read mixed reviews and the guy even told me autoloader in .22 are picky about ammo. it's a 5.5" barrel right on the money where i want it but is it worth it? it's very light and feels plastic... and funny looking, not to mention the mag release is between the finger grips. and yes this gun being a .22lr will see a lot of abuse.
Smith & Wesson Model 22A
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I paid about $170 for mine several years ago. I love it. My son loves it. The only sucky thing about the gun is the plastic buffer. I've burned through all three that it came with. S&W sent me 3 new ones upon request. I mounted a red dot on it. The thing is a tack driver. $250 sounds a little high, but it depends on the specific model you're looking at. I think there are some variations out there. Ours sees more action than all the other .22 autos in the cabinet put together.
ETA: There's a recall on some of them right now. I don't know the serial range, but be sure to check that out. Mine is from before the recall.
ETA: There's a recall on some of them right now. I don't know the serial range, but be sure to check that out. Mine is from before the recall.
wally
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I've Ruger Mk II & 22/45, Walther P22, Buckmark, Neos and M22A. The S&W M22A is my favorite overall. Totally reliable with all the cheap ammo.
The Rugers were stovepipe city until I replaced the extractors with Volquartson but I still get one about every 300-400 rounds.
The Buckmark and Neos are also totally reliable. My P22 has been too, although some Federal Champion wouldn't cycle the slide enough to pick up the next round sometimes. Which is strange as it seems about the hottest of the cheap ammo in my other guns.
--wally.
The Rugers were stovepipe city until I replaced the extractors with Volquartson but I still get one about every 300-400 rounds.
The Buckmark and Neos are also totally reliable. My P22 has been too, although some Federal Champion wouldn't cycle the slide enough to pick up the next round sometimes. Which is strange as it seems about the hottest of the cheap ammo in my other guns.
--wally.
i thought rugers were really good and reliable? i ended up buying the 22a. two day waiting period and monday i will go pick up. i don't think i will get to shoot it for maybe another week. until then my ar15 conversion kit (.22lr too) will also arrive. the fellow at gander where i bought the gun didn't really care much, like i was just another customer looking at guns until i told him i'm buying it then he started to give better service. after reading all the reviews and comments i think this was a good choice. relooking at the gun i noticed how thick and heavy the barrel really was. the sig mosquito and gsg5 pistol lying next to it was very tempting but way outta my budget.
REAPER4206969
Member
This is the S&W 22A-1 I have. I have fired over 22,000 rounds through it and I love it! The slide and barrel are stainless steel and the frame and rail are aluminum. It is extremely accurate, easy to field strip and as reliable as a .22LR auto-loading handgun can be. I highly recommend it!
REAPER4206969
Member
I used to shoot 1100 rounds a month through it back when 550 bulk packs were $7.88 at Wal-Mart.
BCRider
Member
Well, ANY .22 semi is going to be a little fussy for ammo. I've got two of them and they both like their separate diets.
Before getting my own .22's I would take my own 9mm and "rent" the range's 22A by buying a 100 .22 rounds from then and shoot the magazines alternately wtih two of .22 and one of 9mm. Their 22A had been used a LOT and did not see cleanings as frequently as it should have seen but still I'd get through a block of 100 with only 2 or 3 jams. On occasion a bit more and on other occasions none at all. Guess it just depended on when the last cleaning was and when I got it. But it always shot nice tight groups that were good enough that I recognized the group size as being due to me and my old guy eyes and hands and not the gun. For me this is typically around a 2 1/2 to 3'ish inch group at 15 yards when I really concentrate. 4 inch with the odd flyer if I'm just noodling around.
Frankly I consider it a fine gun that is under appreciated. Given what this rental had been thru and how well it performed and grouped I have no doubts at all that you're in for some fine shooting if you find what it likes to eat.
For the record the range sold me CCI Standard Velocity. Since when it did choke it was usually a FTE I don't doubt that the 22A would do well with higher velocity and power rounds.
One of my two .22 semis is a S&W422, the father to the 22A. It LOVES Blazer so I would not hesitate to try that on a 22A. Recently I've been shooting some Winchester 333 bulk and it loved those as well. Only one FTE in the whole box so that may be worth a try on your 22A as well.
Congrats on getting a fine shootin' iron. I don't know why they don't get more respect on the forums since they are a nice gun. I especially like the fact that they are lighter so you get more of a feel of shooting a gun rather than a BB gun like the Ruger provides due to the extra weight.
Before getting my own .22's I would take my own 9mm and "rent" the range's 22A by buying a 100 .22 rounds from then and shoot the magazines alternately wtih two of .22 and one of 9mm. Their 22A had been used a LOT and did not see cleanings as frequently as it should have seen but still I'd get through a block of 100 with only 2 or 3 jams. On occasion a bit more and on other occasions none at all. Guess it just depended on when the last cleaning was and when I got it. But it always shot nice tight groups that were good enough that I recognized the group size as being due to me and my old guy eyes and hands and not the gun. For me this is typically around a 2 1/2 to 3'ish inch group at 15 yards when I really concentrate. 4 inch with the odd flyer if I'm just noodling around.
Frankly I consider it a fine gun that is under appreciated. Given what this rental had been thru and how well it performed and grouped I have no doubts at all that you're in for some fine shooting if you find what it likes to eat.
For the record the range sold me CCI Standard Velocity. Since when it did choke it was usually a FTE I don't doubt that the 22A would do well with higher velocity and power rounds.
One of my two .22 semis is a S&W422, the father to the 22A. It LOVES Blazer so I would not hesitate to try that on a 22A. Recently I've been shooting some Winchester 333 bulk and it loved those as well. Only one FTE in the whole box so that may be worth a try on your 22A as well.
Congrats on getting a fine shootin' iron. I don't know why they don't get more respect on the forums since they are a nice gun. I especially like the fact that they are lighter so you get more of a feel of shooting a gun rather than a BB gun like the Ruger provides due to the extra weight.
CCI Blazer cycles every time through my 22a.
It FTE's on Wal-Mart "cheapy" ammo like Remington and Federal.
I swear the pistol is cleaner after more rounds with the CCI too, but that may just be "smoke"
Mine is a 4", grey-synthetic (I've not seen another) - my father has a 5.5"
Both shoot extremely well...
-TK
It FTE's on Wal-Mart "cheapy" ammo like Remington and Federal.
I swear the pistol is cleaner after more rounds with the CCI too, but that may just be "smoke"
Mine is a 4", grey-synthetic (I've not seen another) - my father has a 5.5"
Both shoot extremely well...
-TK
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