storm shadow
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I'm looking for recommendations on getting a .22LR autoloader pistol. What is everyone's favorites and why?
Which .22LR autoloader pistol should I get?
- Thread starter storm shadow
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wally
Member
My favorite, because I shoot the best with it, is S&W M22A with 7.5" fluted barrel and green fiber optic front sight. But its got some quirks you may not be able to overlook.
Beretta Neos is our most reliable with all the cheap ammo and is my number one recommendation if you want a red dot sight or scope. Another big plus for the Neos is CDNN is still selling spare mags for $10 each! Don't like that the safety rotates the "wrong" way but it is ambi, although the mag release is in a bad location for lefties.
Browning Buckmark is almost as reliable with all the cheap ammo, but I don't like that it needs two different sized hex head wrenches to take down and reassemble -- what were they thinking!
The Ruger MKII, 22/45, MKIII, and 22/45 MKIII are all great shooters and the adjustable sight versions now come with a weaver mount for a red dot or scope. but these are the least reliable with the various cheap ammo. Also a Chinese puzzle to take down and reassemble, the MKIII models are significantly more hassle because of the need to insert and remove an empty mag when you need to release the hammer from the sear.
Walther P22 good plinker and great for small hands. But for most folks any of the above is a better choice. Ours is fine with all the cheap ammo. Lots of reports that others are finicky about ammo. Safety also rotates the "wrong" way.
Revolvers, I'm not much into revolvers, but enjoy the Taurus 94.
--wally.
Beretta Neos is our most reliable with all the cheap ammo and is my number one recommendation if you want a red dot sight or scope. Another big plus for the Neos is CDNN is still selling spare mags for $10 each! Don't like that the safety rotates the "wrong" way but it is ambi, although the mag release is in a bad location for lefties.
Browning Buckmark is almost as reliable with all the cheap ammo, but I don't like that it needs two different sized hex head wrenches to take down and reassemble -- what were they thinking!
The Ruger MKII, 22/45, MKIII, and 22/45 MKIII are all great shooters and the adjustable sight versions now come with a weaver mount for a red dot or scope. but these are the least reliable with the various cheap ammo. Also a Chinese puzzle to take down and reassemble, the MKIII models are significantly more hassle because of the need to insert and remove an empty mag when you need to release the hammer from the sear.
Walther P22 good plinker and great for small hands. But for most folks any of the above is a better choice. Ours is fine with all the cheap ammo. Lots of reports that others are finicky about ammo. Safety also rotates the "wrong" way.
Revolvers, I'm not much into revolvers, but enjoy the Taurus 94.
--wally.
storm shadow
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- May 7, 2007
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I started out wanting a Ruger Mk I, Mk II, or Mk III, but I have heard that they are an absolute pain to strip down, clean and reassemble. I have also heard that they come with a long and sloppy trigger from the factory and could use a trigger job right out of the box.
On the plus side, I have heard that they are a very reliable and proven design (this pistol is almost 60 years old! So there must be a reason for it still being on the market with guns that were designed on computers and milled by the latest CNC machines.).
SIG Trailside Target and Browning Buckmark look very interesting to me but I don't know too much about them.
Beretta Neos looks utterly bizarre to me, but looks can be deceiving. It could be the best shooting pistol of all time, who knows.
On the plus side, I have heard that they are a very reliable and proven design (this pistol is almost 60 years old! So there must be a reason for it still being on the market with guns that were designed on computers and milled by the latest CNC machines.).
SIG Trailside Target and Browning Buckmark look very interesting to me but I don't know too much about them.
Beretta Neos looks utterly bizarre to me, but looks can be deceiving. It could be the best shooting pistol of all time, who knows.
jonnyc
Member
If you search a bit, you will see that every thread like this (and there are many) tends to revolve around the Buckmark and various Rugers, and for good reason.
I recommend the Buckmark.
I recommend the Buckmark.
Mac Attack
Member
Invest in a good one so that your first will be your last.
I would go with a 1911 in .22LR.
I would go with a 1911 in .22LR.
storm shadow
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Hmm, I just went to the SIG arms website but I don't see their Trailside Target pistol listed. Did they stop producing it?
Tyro
Member
Walther bought Hammerli (Haemmerli) and AFAIK are no longer distributing Trailsides to the US.
Larry Carter ( http://www.larrysguns.com/ ) will apparently be importing the Euro version, the XEsse, soon.
I have a 6" Trailside. They're very accurate for their price range, but a bit delicate IMO.
Larry Carter ( http://www.larrysguns.com/ ) will apparently be importing the Euro version, the XEsse, soon.
I have a 6" Trailside. They're very accurate for their price range, but a bit delicate IMO.
ACP230
Member
If I was looking for a .22 pistol again, I'd hunt up a Ruger Mark II.
I don't care for the Mark III and my Mark II has been accurate and reliable with everything from Remington Thunderbolt to Wolf Match Target.
It did have a trigger job and target grips added before I bought it. I have shot stock Mark IIs and they do well too. I never thought the stock trigger was as bad as some say.
There is a trick to putting Rugers back together but once it is learned it's not a real problem.
I don't care for the Mark III and my Mark II has been accurate and reliable with everything from Remington Thunderbolt to Wolf Match Target.
It did have a trigger job and target grips added before I bought it. I have shot stock Mark IIs and they do well too. I never thought the stock trigger was as bad as some say.
There is a trick to putting Rugers back together but once it is learned it's not a real problem.
my shopping experience:
i rented a buckmark 5.5" bull (the standard, i guess it's called). had a lot of jams and so on. i don't know - maybe it was just badly in need of a cleaning. rented a ruger mII with a longer barrel (target model i think). ran without a hitch and was very easy to shoot tight groups. but i hated the feel of the thing in my hand. the grips were too small and narrow for me.
i chose the kadet for the feel of the grip and its weight. felt real nice in my hand. so i decided to order the 75b sa 9mm and put a kadet adaptor on it. i've been pleased with my decision.
i rented a buckmark 5.5" bull (the standard, i guess it's called). had a lot of jams and so on. i don't know - maybe it was just badly in need of a cleaning. rented a ruger mII with a longer barrel (target model i think). ran without a hitch and was very easy to shoot tight groups. but i hated the feel of the thing in my hand. the grips were too small and narrow for me.
i chose the kadet for the feel of the grip and its weight. felt real nice in my hand. so i decided to order the 75b sa 9mm and put a kadet adaptor on it. i've been pleased with my decision.
Joe Demko
Member
Ruger MkI and MkII have both performed well through thousands and thousands of rounds for me. About a year ago, I acquired one of the Olympic Arms Whitney Wolverines. It's extremely accurate. Only 2 criticisms: it's fussier about ammo than my two old Rugers. Magazines are obscenely expensive.
Matt Dillon
Member
+1 on a CZ Kadet.
colt1911fan
Member
i have a walther p22 and im very happy with it and have had no problems yet really easy to take care of too
alucard0822
Member
I prefer the buckmark for targets out to 100yds, and the p22 for plinking fun inside of 25. I just don't like the ruger MK 1,2,3 grip angle or trigger. and the 22/45 is not much of an improvement. The buckmark fits my hand, has a nice out of the box trigger, and is probably the better buy if you are not looking at building a space gun, mine feeds winchester wildcats and cci mini mags fine. The p22 was an aquired taste after my girlfriend bought one as her first gun 
, but it feeds reasonably well, is about as accurate as most center fire compacts, looks cool and is great fun to shoot, you just kind of have to accept the crappy trigger, crappy sights and high price(for what it is)
, but it feeds reasonably well, is about as accurate as most center fire compacts, looks cool and is great fun to shoot, you just kind of have to accept the crappy trigger, crappy sights and high price(for what it is)
XavierBreath
Member
I like the Ruger MKII, and I own several of them.
"Best" really depends on a lot of factors, most importantly what you plan to use the gun for, and what is important to you. Do you want accuracy? Reliability? Durability? The Ruger MKII is a nice blend of all these attributes.
"Best" really depends on a lot of factors, most importantly what you plan to use the gun for, and what is important to you. Do you want accuracy? Reliability? Durability? The Ruger MKII is a nice blend of all these attributes.
Princi
Member
I've had just about everything except the CZ Kadet and High Standard. I tried getting a High Standard model once, but when my dealer called them, there was a real back-log of orders and one older man that was making them. They wanted a deposit, and I decided that I didn't want to go through that process.
I'm not sure how many Rugers that I have, but I do have 4 Buckmarks of which I like 2 and dislike 2. (Mainly because of factory triggers).
My S&W 41 is the benchmark that I compare other pistols too i.e. almost as good as the 41 is a good pistol. Note that the 22A is on the opposite end of my scale because of jamming problems I've had with it. Strange that both the 41 and 22A have the S&W logo.
Personally, I think when I start selling, the Rugers will be the last to go. My first Ruger was a 22/45, and I hated it. Field stripping it drove me crazy, and I had a lot of jams using Federal Classic ammo. People told me to try different ammo. I didn't - sold the pistol. I swore never to buy another Ruger. Then people told me how great the Mark II's were, and I listened to them. I was glad that I did. However, should you get a Ruger, take the time to look it over internally and pay attention to how that little hammer strut works with the mainspring assembly. Once you understand that and look for it when you assemble the pistol, you won't have any problems.
In a recent edition of Gun Tests magazine they gave the Ruger 22/45 a "Don't buy" recommendation because of the assembly/dissembly. That really ticked me off.
I ordered the 22/45 Hunter version and I love it (after doing some trigger work on it).
The Beretta Neos and Beretta Neos Deluxe are not the same gun. I bought the latter and I like it. I don't care much for the Walther P22, and it has several known problems; I wouldn't recommend it. I also wouldn't recommend the Sig Mosquito because no one that has shot mine has gotten great accuracy with it. The Walther and Sig are sort of known for their looks. I also think that the Kimber 22 is not worth the money. I think if you wanted a Kimber 1911 then the best option would be to buy a standard Kimber then add the 22LR conversion kit to it. Then you would have a gun close to the proper weight of a 1911, which is my major objection to the Kimber 22LR Target version that I have - it just feels too light.
I'm not sure how many Rugers that I have, but I do have 4 Buckmarks of which I like 2 and dislike 2. (Mainly because of factory triggers).
My S&W 41 is the benchmark that I compare other pistols too i.e. almost as good as the 41 is a good pistol. Note that the 22A is on the opposite end of my scale because of jamming problems I've had with it. Strange that both the 41 and 22A have the S&W logo.
Personally, I think when I start selling, the Rugers will be the last to go. My first Ruger was a 22/45, and I hated it. Field stripping it drove me crazy, and I had a lot of jams using Federal Classic ammo. People told me to try different ammo. I didn't - sold the pistol. I swore never to buy another Ruger. Then people told me how great the Mark II's were, and I listened to them. I was glad that I did. However, should you get a Ruger, take the time to look it over internally and pay attention to how that little hammer strut works with the mainspring assembly. Once you understand that and look for it when you assemble the pistol, you won't have any problems.
In a recent edition of Gun Tests magazine they gave the Ruger 22/45 a "Don't buy" recommendation because of the assembly/dissembly. That really ticked me off.
I ordered the 22/45 Hunter version and I love it (after doing some trigger work on it).The Beretta Neos and Beretta Neos Deluxe are not the same gun. I bought the latter and I like it. I don't care much for the Walther P22, and it has several known problems; I wouldn't recommend it. I also wouldn't recommend the Sig Mosquito because no one that has shot mine has gotten great accuracy with it. The Walther and Sig are sort of known for their looks. I also think that the Kimber 22 is not worth the money. I think if you wanted a Kimber 1911 then the best option would be to buy a standard Kimber then add the 22LR conversion kit to it. Then you would have a gun close to the proper weight of a 1911, which is my major objection to the Kimber 22LR Target version that I have - it just feels too light.
Furncliff
Member
If you're ok with used, and want a handgun you'll pass on to your children, buy a Hi Standard. But only one made in Ct., There are several models they sell from from $250 to over $1000. These were top of the line guns when they were made and along with the S&W 41 and some european guns they are the most accurate. My daughter has put dibs in on mine already.
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bluetopper
Member
I'll second that..........vintage High Standards in like new condition are out there and are not hard to find. They are American craftsmanship at its finest and are not made out of pot metal and plastic like the 22's of today. Most have adjustable pull triggers that break like glass........Sweet
skeeter1
Member
You have to narrow it down more than just a little.
Browning Buckmark, Beretta Neos, and any variant of the Ruger are great guns at reasonable prices, and maybe all you'll ever need.
Beretta Cheetah is a bit better (IMHO), and somewhat more expensive.
S&W M41 is a good (and expensive) as they get.
No one can tell you what is best for you. That you'll have to decide for yourself.
Browning Buckmark, Beretta Neos, and any variant of the Ruger are great guns at reasonable prices, and maybe all you'll ever need.
Beretta Cheetah is a bit better (IMHO), and somewhat more expensive.
S&W M41 is a good (and expensive) as they get.
No one can tell you what is best for you. That you'll have to decide for yourself.
I've shot a few Buckmarks belonging to others at the range and could live happily with one but this old MKII bought about 3rd hand suits my needs. Other than replacing the extactor and a recoil spring unit after only the gods know how many rds, it still runs fine and is acurate. Some complain about the takedown and putting back together but all they need to do is get the little booklet out and RTFI.
Tyro
Member
Another interesting 22, that's tough as nails, is the Russian IZH 35M. These aren't sold in the states any longer, but still available used in the $400-$600 range. The 35's have gained a good reputation among Bullseye shooters for their accuracy. But they're probably not appropriate for someone who's not willing to handle basic maintenance and parts replacement on their own.
http://www.targetshooting.ca/graphics/equip-guns/toz-baikal-tau-twin/izh35m.jpg
http://www.targetshooting.ca/graphics/equip-guns/toz-baikal-tau-twin/izh35m.jpg
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