advice on .22 pistol/revolver

[onerugrat]

Hello everyone,
Im in the market for a .22 handgun, looking at the Browning Buckmark camper and the ruger mark III. All the research for both these pistols is pretty much the same, a lot of people really like them, some people say they are having issues. Another option is a revolver? Anyone have these pistols, whats your take?

[Ranger P229]

Never owned a buckmark, but have and have shot many different ruger Mark II's and III's. A used Mark II in good shape is an option as well, they shoot great.

My favorite 22 pistol is my Ruger single six in 22. It is a single action revolver, heavy, but I love it.

[Neko456]

The Buckmark and the Ruger Mk II or III are excellent 22LR pistols both with great reputations for accuracy and reliability. The Buckmark is a little smoother and dressed up most times and maybe easier to takedown. The Ruger is durable and can be basic to really dressed up changing mostly the grips or trigger work, sights or adding a aimpoint to either. Both I've seen used I competition and compete and win. You really can't go worng with either. I own the Ruger M III bull barrel target sights and have shot a many Buckmarks.

[Xringshooter]

The Ruger Super Single Six is an excellent single action revolver. It is also dual purpose it that you get a cylinder for .22LR and a cylinder for .22 Mag. It is a great starter gun as well as a real fun gun to shoot/plink with.

There is now a Ruger .22LR in a double action, the SP101 in .22LR, very nice gun (although still a bit hard to find).

The Ruger Mark I, II, and III and all extremely reliable .22's. Although people bellyache about the "difficulties" of completely field stripping a Mark III, as long as you follow the directions it's not hard at all. Also, you really don't need to completely strip it every time you shoot it. The Mark series has a good number of variations that you can pick and choose from.

BTW, I'm kinda partial to Rugers (if you didn't see that ).

[Jasper QST]

i've been REAL interested in the new Ruger SR22 pistol that just came out... handled one the other day and really liked it. comes with ouch and 2 mags for approx $300- seems like a great deal to me.

i need a .22, and im just not into the long barrels on most .22's, so im more of a traditional looking pistol guy...

anyone have any experience with that Ruger SR22... i've read nothing but great things!!??

[fishingfool151]

I just shot an SR22 for the first time last night. After watching and reading all the good reviews on it, I recommended it to a friend who is recoil sensitive and wanted something simple to take care of. She won't be carrying it, but it's a good first gun for lots of cheap practice. Hopefully she'll practice a lot and then get something bigger to carry, but I digress.

The gun seems to be very reliable with ammo that is powerful enough to make it work. We had some blue-box 40gr Federal bulk that would not cycle the slide enough to load the next round. The 36gr Federal bulk from Wally-world cycled perfectly, so take that for what it's worth. The way it's designed the round goes almost straight into the chamber from the magazine, so I think most ammo will be reliable if it has enough power. BTW, super-easy to take apart and clean. I will probably be getting one in the near future.

I also have a Buck Mark pistol that has been great so far. I can't say it hasn't had any failures, but they are few and far between even with bulk ammo. Mini-mags have been perfect. Stripping and cleaning is a little more challenging, but I don't do it every range trip with my 22s. Good luck with whatever you pick, 22s are addicting!

[Steve_NEPhila]

The real question is what you budget looks like. I own a Ruger Mark III Hunter (6 and 7/8 inch barrel) and a Smith and Wesson 617 with a 6 inch tube. The Smith and Wesson 617 is a 10 shot revolver and runs about 725 USD new (only lightly less used, as they are in high demand) and the Ruger is around 550 new. Both are extraordinarily excellent firearms and I reccommend them both to any shooter, advanced or beginner.

I mentioned budget because they are many many options and the sky is the limit. Smith and Wesson makes a semi auto .22 LR called the model 41 and they run about a grand, new. There are also plenty of European companies that make .22 LR semis that cna cost as much as 4 grand and more, if you were so inclined. It depends on what you want to spend.

Back to the Ruger Mark III, this model comes in many variations. You can get one with twin rails and a threaded barrel if you wish, or you can go with a long slab sided barrel with target iron sights. The Mark III is a fantastic design that performs very well. Many people complain about the difficulty to clean them, I have not cleaned mine in about 5000 rounds and it still runs like a top. When I do clean it I will also swap out the recoil spring, for good measure.

Smith and Wesson makes the best .22 LR revolver in the current domestic market. The 617 is a stainless steel "K" frame that is built to last. Sure, they use MIM and they have the internal lock that many dislike... yet out of the box they are fantastic shooter with wonderful triggers. I bought one a few months ago that was built a month before I bought it and have enjoyed it immensely. Many balk at the price and claim that a .22 LR should not cost so much, in the case of the 617, you get what you pay for. The 617 can also be had in a four inch barrel.

Most .22 LR ammo works best with longer barrels in handguns. .22 LR is one of the few cartridges that is regularly shot in both long guns and handguns and the manufacturers aim for a powder burn somewhere in the middle.

The SR-22 is not a worthwhile purchase, in my opinion. The SR-22 is not a .22 LR version of the SR-9 or SR-40 and has an entirely different trigger mechanism, thus it is not a cheaper training alternative for one that carries the SR-9. The SR-22 is not a tack driver either, so the question remains... what is it for? Ruger now also makes an LCR-22 which is basically an 8 shot .22 LR version of their popular snub nosed revolver in .357 and .38, that makes sense. The Sig Mosquito falls into the smae category as the SR-22, it seems worthless to me. I have handled Mosquitos and the trigger is absolutely terrible, besides being made of flimsy plastic.

If you are looking for a duty type gun chambered in .22 LR, check out the Smith and Wesson M&P 22. It is an exact replica of their full caliber defensive weapons, chambered in .22 LR. That makes sense as a purpose to me.

My tastes are absolute precision in a .22 LR. That may not be the case for everyone, yet precision makes me happy. The 617 and Mark III hunter give me the precision I want in the form of tiny little groups printed on paper. That kind of capability from a firearm helps build the basics that allow a shooter to advance when shooter the harder kicking centerfire cartridges.

[paulpa21]

My Ruger MKIII 22/45 threaded barrel is my favorite firearm that I own. Never a problem with almost 1000rds so far in less than a year.

[Quigar57]

If your on a serious budget look at the Heritage Arms Rough Rider. These slick revolvers can be had for around $220 for the ones that include the .22wmr cylinder as well, about $175 for just the .22lr.

[VinDyl]

I bought the SR22 and I have to say that I like it alot. I only have about 300 through it but no problems so and I and using blazer ammo. It is quite a fun gun and cheap to shoot. I also have a SR40C and an LCP and $20.00 for 50 rounds vs. $18.00 for 525 I will be shooting that SR22 alot.