The absolute best .22lr handgun!

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There are a bunch of communist block bolt action 'pistols' that are hyper-accurate, and not that expensive, if found used.

Like 300 bucks.
 
so long a it's just about personal preferences

6" K-17s
(only one of two same make/model handguns I own a pair of, on purpose of course, probably influenced by a decades long love affair with a pair of k-66s)

only 22 rimfire pistol I can (could) afford that can shoot as accurately
10" bull barrel Ruger MkII

one revolver that just might be as accurate as the k-17s.. an old (but "mint") model j-frame 63, but 4" barrel means I will never know, ain't got the eyes for it (close though)

another which will run w/ my k-17s is a 6" Taurus 96,, 20-something year old bought NIB k-17 clone (who woulda' thunk it), but I prefer the traditional target k grips, and they don't fit the clone. great DA trigger though (means a lot to me)..
do make you long for the good old days when you could buy one NIB for $200, or a S&W 66 NIB for $319

nice thing about good 22 rimfire revolvers, keep 'em clean, can't wear 'em out, 20 or 30 years just breaks 'em in nice, smooths 'em up a bit
k-17s cost me $600 a pop when I finally wised up (a bargain)... no "smoothing in" required

$1000+ euro-tech target pistolas, I don't suppose I will ever know
(but they probably don't feel same in hand as a 6" S&W 66 357, either, so I guess it don't really matter)
 
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$1000+ euro-tech target pistolas, I don't suppose I will ever know
(but they probably don't feel same in hand as a 6" S&W 66 357, either, so I guess it don't really matter)
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Very true and the thing to remember about them is that they are purpose-built target pistols. Typically not suitable for any other purpose. While they may be "best" in terms of quality, you wouldn't necessarily want to tote one in the woods. Which is why again, as was mentioned above, the OP might should've let us know the intended purpose. For there is no simple "best", without the proper context.
 
Lots of nice looking guns showing up. But has anyone else noticed that beeenbag hasn't come back to tell us what it is that he's actually looking for?
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I have been following, I don't really have a "need" for a .22 but just a want. I will mostly be target shooting with it to save on ammo costs. Maybe even squirrel hunting every now and then. Just basically your "all around gun" as some have suggested.

Also I did mention the best that "you have handled" because I was looking for more first hand experience.

Thanks for all of the replies guys, alot of good options being thrown my way. I am a bit of a patriot and try to buy american when I can so maybe that helps some.
 
I am a bit of a patriot and try to buy american when I can so maybe that helps some.
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Actually it does, while looking at what to buy for myself in a .22lr pistol, I think I've shot or handled all the leading contenders.

Semi-auto: S&W M41 is the natural leader in current production followed by some version of the Browning Buckmark (personal preference would be with a Tac-Sol upper)

Revolver: Freedom Arms in a SA and S&W M617 in DA (my personal favorite is the discontinued 4" Colt Diamondback ahead of the old 6" S&W M17)
 
Yeah, I wish people would stipulate BEST at what when they posted these threads. For range and competition, the European guns are most likely the best. For home defense, the gun needs to be reliable and fast. For a fun gun, it can be a cowboy single action or any of the guns mentioned above. And for hard corp self defense and survival, a gun would have to be 1) fast, 2) reliable, 3) durable, and 4) accurate. By durable, I mean it's got to fire repeatedly, lasting for years.

Some guns meet some of the criteria above, but their mechanisms don't hold up well over time. Some become easily dirty, adversely affecting the reliability of the guns. Thus, everything said, I think the Ruger autos are the best for what I need them for. The Ruger cowboy gun and my little Jennings J-22 as fun guns also rank high. Them fancy foreign guns most likely are the best range and competition pieces.

So if you want more precise answers about which this or that is BEST gun, don't forget the qualifiers!
 
Them fancy foreign guns most likely are the best range and competition pieces.
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Personal experience?

Have you tried a non-fancy foreign Beretta 71 or 87 and compared it to a Ruger MkII?
 
If accuracy is the most important and you don't mind a single shot I'd vote for a T/C with a .22lr barrel. Go to a small bore silhouette pistol match, and that's what most of them shoot.
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another vote for the T/C single shot.
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I'd be ecstatic with the vast majority of choices being offered up on this thread -- but if we're talking about making one shot count, I'll concur with the above opinions.

.
 
beeenbag said:
I have been following, I don't really have a "need" for a .22 but just a want. I will mostly be target shooting with it to save on ammo costs. Maybe even squirrel hunting every now and then. Just basically your "all around gun" as some have suggested.

Also I did mention the best that "you have handled" because I was looking for more first hand experience.

Thanks for all of the replies guys, alot of good options being thrown my way. I am a bit of a patriot and try to buy american when I can so maybe that helps some.
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The Browning Medalist is definitely the best I've handled personally. It fit my hand perfectly, and I particularly liked the "dry fire" feature that lets you practice proper trigger squeeze without battering the firing pin. I wound up with a Ruger .22 Mark II, which I like very much, but the Browning is still my wish-list pistol.
 
Not that I have shot every make/model out there but for me it'd be a Browning Medalist
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First handgun I ever owned. Paid about one twenty five back in 65 for it. shot Junior NRA matchs all over NJ with it. Wish i still had it.
 
34

P/U my new to me classic S&W Model 34 4"bbl sw..eeet!
Gotta love those old Smiths!
Oh yeah, 325 bucks OTD :neener:
 
Trent said:
Ruger MKIII Target model is plenty accurate, it'll out shoot me.

Has a great trigger and a great bore.

Just don't disassemble the stuff in the frame unless you're ready to spend a long and stressful afternoon trying to put it all back together.
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^^^+1 I have the 5.5" Stainless MKII and love it. BTW, if it takes me 3 min. to re-assemble my MKII from field strip, I am working slow. You just need to know how to do it..HA HA.. Bill.
 
I like either the Buck Mark Bullseye Target Stainless or the Ruger 22/45 Hunter.
 

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