New .22LR Pistol Any opinions?

[Big D]

I have been spending alot of money on ammo lately. So I have decided to buy a 22 pistol to "save money" at least thats my excuse. . I have it narrowed down to these units. I will be using mostly bulk box ammo if that make's anyone lean in a specific direction. Also if you have a recomendation please chime in.

1) Smith & Wesson 617 10 shot with 6" Barrel.
2) Sig Mosquito.
3) Beretta Neos.

Anyone have any pros or cons to help in my decision.

If anything this should stir up a debate between revolvers & auto's

[Holleta]

The S&W and Neo are both nice guns, the Sig is total junk (unlike just about every other Sig). Handle them for yourself and draw your own opinions.

Also consider;

Browning Buckmark
S&W semi auto 22 (422?)
Ruger Mark II and Mark III in various configs
Dan Wesson 22 revolver w/ interchangeable barrels
Walther P22 (some are good, some not so good)
Taurus Tracker 22 revolver

[PisnNapalm]

+1 on the Ruger MKIII.

I've got one and I love shooting it. Cleaning and reassembly can be a bit tricky but once you get the hang of it it's not bad.

[Average Baer]

I have been spending alot of money on ammo lately. So I have decided to buy a 22 pistol to "save money" at least thats my excuse. . I have it narrowed down to these units. I will be using mostly bulk box ammo if that make's anyone lean in a specific direction. Also if you have a recomendation please chime in.

1) Smith & Wesson 617 10 shot with 6" Barrel.
2) Sig Mosquito.
3) Beretta Neos.

Anyone have any pros or cons to help in my decision.

If anything this should stir up a debate between revolvers & auto's

The best of the best is not even on your list! WTF?

The Ruger Mark action, is the action that "built a company!"

Get a Ruger Mark series. Be it an older, Mark I, or a recent Mark III. Drop for the Ruger. They are the most accurate. They are the most reliable. They are the STANDARD, by which all others are judged.

Since I shoot 1911s, I bought a Ruger 22/45, with a 5" bull bbl. I ran 2200 rds through it before cleaning. It goes where I point it and is the best fundementals training tool I have ever known.

When I go to the range, I take out the Ruger first. I load up all my mags for it and away I go. If I am hitting where I should hit in my given corse of fire, I move up to the 1911s. If I am not, I put the Ruger back in the bag and head home.

Bottom line: If I am not gettin it done with the Ruger, it's a "head" issue. That can be solved in the car. Not with a lot of more expensive ammo.

Mine was $250 out the door. That represents the best $250 I ever spent on my shooting skills.

I LOVE it.

[aubie515]

The MKII/III are nice pistols, but I wouldn't get carried away and say they are the best. I'd get the III series because the II has been discontinued. The MK series are solid to the point of being a bit heavy for a 22 pistol. I find the 22/45 to be bulky in the grip and ugly on my eyes.

The Browning Buckmark I feel is a better choice for someone that may not be so technically inclined. The BuckMark is a lot easier to assemble and disassemble for cleaning.

I'd recommend both pistols to the average shooter, but the edge going to the Buckmark for easy cleaning. Mags cost about the same for both pistols, so that shouldn't really be a consideration. Both pistols are considered entry level for bullseye shooting and have plenty of aftermarket parts if you want to modify.

As much as I like my MKIII, I'd sell it in a heartbeat if I had to choose between the MKIII and my IZh 35M.

[Big D]

I never even looked at ruger until you guy's mentioned it. On the website now reading it up..... Thanks Guys.

[Ladi]

The Ruger and Browning are both excellent. We'll likely be adding a Mark II to our collection at some point, but for now I have a Buckmark (contour URX w/ the 5" barrel) now and it's a big part of how I improved so rapidly. While it is reputedly easier to clean than the Ruger, I did *not* find it particularly easy to take down, especially because the manual doesn't actually cover the model I have. Still, great gun and hasn't burped on any of the ammo I've fed it.

FWIW, I was shooting a rental Neos for a while and just didn't like how it didn't feel very solid. It also has a fairly extreme grip angle which could be an issue for you. My Browning matches the CZ/SIG grip angle fairly closely and I found that helpful. I also shot someone's P22 a bit and with the 3" barrel, found it to be too inaccurate to really be useful to me. The trigger was fantastic though.

[Frenchy]

Although I love the Ruger MK ll bull barrel my self when it came to buying, my wife preferred the weight of the Neos, so we went that way. Apart from the back sight that has to be glued in… (Locktite blue) there is little I can say against that gun.
Great for kids, light small grip, if you have an abundance of money, you can get a rifle kit for it. So far, seems to be a real rack driver on our end.
Mind you, I have not put much over 500 rounds through it, I did se one stove pipe last week on it.
Every one who tried it at the PMSC seemed to enjoy it. The take down and strip of the gun is easy enough for a child to do so cleaning is a breeze.

When I first saw that pistol, I thought to my self, a colored gun is just wrong, and for that reason we picked outs all black. But as color does not change the accuracy or effectiveness of a gun, I could see why parents would want to colorize their family Neos.
Major difference I found with the purchase of the Neos, was the speed that I have to buy new bullets. Mind you I would have seen that on any pistol we bought compared to the Single Six we also have.

The sights on the Neos are a lot bigger then the other pistols we tried, this may be part the reason they are so fun and quick to shoot. For around $20 you can get the 5 insert colorized front sights that is available. You can also buy a scope to place on the rail mount.
Personally I don’t regret having bought the gun, mind you, I still have a certain nostalgia with the Ruger MK ll series. Part of the fun I had with that gun was charging people to rebuild it once they took it apart.

[PisnNapalm]

My Ruger MKIII will shoot groups half the size as my friends Walther P22 at 10 yards. It's a very accurate gun right outta the box. I got mine for $237 at Cabelas.

[91xlt]

I have 3 22lr pistols...

S&W 422, Walther P22, and the Sig Mosquito 22LR

I do not use my 22's for competion or anything of that sort. My 22's are for plinking and general practice at a low cost, nothing more, nothing less.

Opinions vary a great deal with 22's. There are by far "better" models than I own! Overall though, I have to say none are "bad".

The Sig Mosquito is a VERY accurate gun, even out to 25 yds. There are the ftf 's and fte's, can be "finicky" about type of ammo, and the quality of the gun may not be the conventional "Sig", but the feel and handling of this gun is GREAT!

The P22, not so accurate, though groups half decent. A VERY fun gun. Not as "finicky", but still there are the fts's and fte's.

The S&W 422, overall a great little 22, eats most anything, accuracy is decent. My biggest problem with it is it's a PITA to field strip/clean and a detail cleaning is worse.

My reasoning on having 22's is to have some fun, and not break the bank. Most any 22 will do this. I do not mind the usual problems associated with 22's, ftf, fte smokestacks, etc, etc. it gives me a chance to sharpen and quicken my skills in dealing with them. None of my "real" handguns have ever caused me to be able to practice/deal with these problems. After a time or two at the range it really does become "second nature" to deal with, and in my opinion, thats a good thing.

This info may or may not help you.
By no means am I any type of expert or authority on this or any other matter, so feel free to disregard this entire post if you would like.

Good luck with your decision, have fun!