.22 recommendation

[Pat_RI]

I am new to shooting and I was told by a friend that I should buy a .40 which in my opinion was a mistake to learn on. MY .40 is an S&W MP and now I want to buy a .22 to be able to shoot off more ammo to get comfortable with shooting then when I am move on to shooting the .40 (hopefully when ammo is more readily available). My question is should I look at staying with a S&W due to the .40 being a S&W? Or should I just get whatever feels most comfortable in my hand? Any opinions or .22 recommendations for a complete new shooter are appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[Mike-Mike]

Ruger or S&W and you can't go wrong.

Getting a S&W Because your your M&P is an S&W is not a good reason.

 

[BossHarley]

I wouldnt worry about sticking with a S&W.
Definitely get whatever 22 LR pistol felt best. My recommendation would be a Ruger MK II or III (get the 22/45 if you like the grip angle of a 1911 style pistol). One of the great things about Rugers is they are very easy to 'improve', with many drop in kits to improve trigger etc. There are many options from just about every company.
Another option, if available (sorry not an M&P shooter) would be an add on 22 LR slide for the M&P. This would let you practice with the exact grip and trigger.
If you want to try a revolver, I love my S&W 617 (10 shot).
J

 

[ephemeratta]

Congrats on your entry into ownerhip and your wise decision to go for a .22.

A ruger MKII or MK III are fantastic semiauto .22's. Also, S&W's 22 and 422 are excellent choices as well.

ETA - comfort can not be overrated. Try to get your hands on as many as possible to try before you buy.

 

[Pat_RI]

What are the differences between the MKII and III? Is one "better" than the other? Are there some types/brands to be avoided? How tough is the Ruger to take down and clean?

 

[appraiser]

the only downside to the Rugers are they are a B I T C H to get back together after you clean them

 

[Jon_M]

the only downside to the Rugers are they are a B I T C H to get back together after you clean them

Yes they are,, you have to follow the manual to the letter

Thanks
Jon

 

[eisenhow]

What are the differences between the MKII and III? Is one "better" than the other? Are there some types/brands to be avoided? How tough is the Ruger to take down and clean?

The MkII:
- Has magazine release at the bottom of the grip
- no magazine safety so you can dry fire, this makes is slightly easier to take apart and put back together
- No LCI (loaded chamber indicator)

The MkIII
- Has magazine release in the traditional place
- Has a magazine safety
- Has a LCI
- comes pre-drilled and tapped for a rail, this allows you to install a red dot without additional hassle.

The disasembly is more difficult than other pistols but it's not that bad once you get used to it. Here are a few videos from Ruger.

http://www.ruger.com/Firearms/N-RugerTV-TT-MarkIIIDisassembly.html

http://www.ruger.com/Firearms/N-RugerTV-TT-MarkIIICleaning.html

http://www.ruger.com/Firearms/N-RugerTV-TT-MarkIIIReassembly.html

 

[Pat_RI]

Wow I just looked at the reassembly video it looks like a real pain in the rear to put back together. I don't know if I want to deal with that.

 

[Beansie_Time]

The S&W 22a is a good choice. You could also try a Walther P22 or Sig Mosquito which are built more in the style of a defensive handgun so might get you a little closer to the feel of shooting your M&P.

 

[swampy]

Wow I just looked at the reassembly video it looks like a real pain in the rear to put back together. I don't know if I want to deal with that.

I have a Ruger Mark 1 and it can be a bitch to reassemble. I find it easier to take a zen approach to it. Rather than fight with it and get all disturbed I've found that closing my eyes and feeling my way to reassembly with some sweet talk, good karma, and distant lavender incense burning I can toss the thing against the wall 3 or 4 times before I let out a huge scream of defeat. I"m getting pretty good at plastering and repairing damaged wallpaper though. I really do like my Taurus 22 wheelgun.

 

[cobblepot]

Don't let those videos scare you. The Rugers are great shooters and are built well, like a tank. I have a MKIII and it's a great shooter. It's all steel and feels great in my hand. The first time I took it down was when it was brand new. I got out the directions and a wooden mallet and followed them step by step. I tried to understand what was going on while I did it. It took a lot of force and I did need the mallet when the thing was new. I shot it a bunch, and just hosed it out with break free.

The second time I took it down. I got out the directions and it was a piece of cake. No problem. Easy peasy. What's all the fuss?

The 3rd time, I didn't follow the directions and I cursed and wailed alot...

And it's been fine ever since. I admit, I keep a cheat sheet in the case "just in case", but, I have put mine together without hardly paying attention.

 

[Pat_RI]

The S&W 22a is a good choice. You could also try a Walther P22 or Sig Mosquito which are built more in the style of a defensive handgun so might get you a little closer to the feel of shooting your M&P.

That is what I am looking for first to get comfortable with shooting a gun and one that will make it easier to move onto the .40. I am going to check out Ruger's and S&W's tomorrow.

 

[djs764]

Don't let those videos scare you. The Rugers are great shooters and are built well, like a tank. I have a MKIII and it's a great shooter. It's all steel and feels great in my hand. The first time I took it down was when it was brand new. I got out the directions and a wooden mallet and followed them step by step. I tried to understand what was going on while I did it. It took a lot of force and I did need the mallet when the thing was new. I shot it a bunch, and just hosed it out with break free.

The second time I took it down. I got out the directions and it was a piece of cake. No problem. Easy peasy. What's all the fuss?

The 3rd time, I didn't follow the directions and I cursed and wailed alot...

And it's been fine ever since. I admit, I keep a cheat sheet in the case "just in case", but, I have put mine together without hardly paying attention.

+1 on the Ruger MKIII... I bought mine about a month ago and love it. I was torn between the S&W and the Ruger, my dad's got the MKII and loves it and once I held both the Ruger won hands down. I just didn't like the feel of the S&W and a lot of the reviews I read weren't so good ( I've never shot one so I cannot comment on my own ).


Now...as far as field stripping it goes, my first time there were many F bombs flying the tolerances are very tight and need so persuading

The only part i had a lot of trouble with was getting the rear main spring housing to seat right, I called Ruger and their Tec support is awsome, had it back working in no time

Here's a few field stripping videos I wish I found first, good luck, either one should serve you well....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVvIMAk64LM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYHJm2P4kP0&feature=related

 

[Gammon]

I would look for a used High Standard target .22. This is one of the first pistols I bought and it is still going strong after 30+ years.

 

[PaiN]

I bought a S&W 22A based on the excellent quality and reliability of my M&P9......BIG MISTAKE the 22A turned out to be one of the worst running guns I've ever shot....Smith has now had it in for repair over 5 weeks

 

[Pat_RI]

Anyone know how the Sig .22 is? I looked for comments on them and it seems like they are terrible but most of the reviews I have seen are older has this changed?

 

[Bob J]

Another vote for the Ruger MkIII..... Amazingly accurate, relatively cheap and a real pleasure to shoot.....

Initially was a PITA to disassemble/reassemble but after the first couple of times it was no problem at all.....;- )

 

[danboSMASH]

Anyone know how the Sig .22 is? I looked for comments on them and it seems like they are terrible but most of the reviews I have seen are older has this changed?

I have a Sig Mosquito and really love it. It does have quirks like it only like High Velocity Ammo but mine seems to like the cheaper Federal stuff. But when I have used Standard Velocity Ammo it stove pipes maybe once every 5 rounds... So switching to the High Velocity helps a lot. It is a great little 22.

When I was looking for a 22 I handled the P22 and the Mosquito. I was not a fan of how the P22 felt in my hand it felt too small and I wasn't a fan of the plasticy feel of the grips. The Mosquito felt like the Sig p226 9mm that my boyfriend had me shooting and I really liked the weight and feel. I would suggest going and handling the different ones. And if you can rent one and shoot it that would be even better. Not sure if S&W has a P22 for rental but I know they have the Walthers down there.

 

[richc]

Anyone know how the Sig .22 is? I looked for comments on them and it seems like they are terrible but most of the reviews I have seen are older has this changed?

I have a Mosquito. The dealer told me to expect some jams in the first few hundred rounds. He was right.

Now that I have over 500 rounds through it things work great. As stated earlier it likes high velocity ammo. I've found the Federal auto match 22lr sold at Walmart in boxes of 325 work really well.

I chose this over the Ruger because I had several dealers tell me how difficult it was to disassemble and assemble. I like simplicity. The Mosquito, like other Sig's, is a breeze to take apart and clean. Having said that, it is not of the same quality IMHO as the other Sigs I own. Just a notch down in build quality, but that is why you pay a lot less too.

Best,

Rich

 

[Skeet732]

Since you asked, my first pistol was a S&W .22 revolver. Sweet gun, ultra safe, easy to use, let me focus on sight picture and trigger squeeze. Cheap to own. Don't know why I sold it. Owned a Ruger, couldn't sell it fast enough, don't know why I ever bought it!

Welcome to the game

 

[Tim L]

I have a S&W 22A that I love now,but in the beginning it was awful.I was ready to send it back because it kept jamming.Always on the second shot.My brother in law said "try loading 9"(10 round clip)so we did and it fired fine.I talked to a guy at the gun shop and he said it had to break in.My son and I loaded the two clips as fast as we could and my nephews put 300 rounds through it.Now it takes 10 rounds and any ammo and shoots fine.

 

[M1911]

Wow I just looked at the reassembly video it looks like a real pain in the rear to put back together. I don't know if I want to deal with that.

But you really don't have to do it very often. I've never disassembled my Ruger MK II. You don't have to clean .22lr guns that often.

 

[zzrider]

I have both a S&W 22a-1 and a Ruger MkIII target. Here's my perspective on both:

Ruger MkIII
Solidly build, feels great in the hand.
Very picky about ammunition
Jams alot, mostly some FTE, but an occasional FTF as well. Jams at least 10-20%
Tricky to reassemble, but not horrible. You get used to it (I hope).

S&W 22a-1
Not picky about ammo.
Rarely jams
Easy to strip and reassemble
MA wood grip is a bit too chunky
Slide is awkward to rack

The accuracy of both is comparable, at least in the hands of this noob. The Ruger is sexy, but in most ways I prefer the Smith.

 

[eisenhow]

I have both a S&W 22a-1 and a Ruger MkIII target. Here's my perspective on both:

Ruger MkIII
Solidly build, feels great in the hand.
Very picky about ammunition
Jams alot, mostly some FTE, but an occasional FTF as well. Jams at least 10-20%
Tricky to reassemble, but not horrible. You get used to it (I hope).

What are you feeding it? If you are getting 10-20% jams install a Volquartsen Edge Extractor. It will solve the majority of the extraction and stove piping issues on ruger rimfires (same part # fro the mkIII, 22/45, and 10/22).

 

[wmccurdy53]

I would look for a used High Standard target .22. This is one of the first pistols I bought and it is still going strong after 30+ years.

If you start looking for a High Standard, look for an old gun preferably with a 7 inch barrel, East Hartford or Hamden, the new Texas guns are horrible. They are great shooters but they are known to finicky with magazines and ammo. I got lucky with the 5 new mags that I bought for my Supermatic Trophy, they all feed flawlessly.

If you opt for a new gun, don't forget to look at the Browning Buckmarks. There is a target model with an adjustable rear sight. Also a very nice shooter, my S/O has one and it shoots almost as nice as my 35 year old Trophy.

 

[zzrider]

What are you feeding it? If you are getting 10-20% jams install a Volquartsen Edge Extractor. It will solve the majority of the extraction and stove piping issues on ruger rimfires (same part # fro the mkIII, 22/45, and 10/22).

So far I've tried Remington, Federal, and CCI. The ruger seems happiest with the CCI.

Thanks for the suggestion on the VQ extractor, I'll give it shot! Most of my problems are either stovepipes or a jam where the old case winds up tucked into the side of the chamber and the next round jams up next to it.

 

[M1911]

Sorry to hear you've had problems with your Ruger MKIII. My MKII has been very reliable.

 

[eisenhow]

So far I've tried Remington, Federal, and CCI. The ruger seems happiest with the CCI.

Thanks for the suggestion on the VQ extractor, I'll give it shot! Most of my problems are either stovepipes or a jam where the old case winds up tucked into the side of the chamber and the next round jams up next to it.

I have two MkIII's:. My first is a MkIII 5.5" bull barrel has been pretty much perfect. Very reliable, feeds just about anything, runs like a top. I use it for bullseye and only had two alibi's all season. One was magazine related (new mag, sticky follower). The second probably ammo related.

My 2nd was a 22/45 MkIII. It stove piped from day 1. It was at least one per magazine. I figured it just needed to break in. I put a few thousand rounds through it and it still stove piped. The only thing it would feed was CCI mini-mags which I refuse to pay that much for. I put the VQ extractor in and it feeds the Fed 550 just fine. Every once in a while I'll get a stove pipe but it's MUCH better than before. It's only ~$10 and it's not that hard to put in.

 

[jar]

I had the same experience with my 10/22. After a few hundred rounds, it would start to stovepipe every other mag. I swapped the extractor and shot 700 rounds at the last Appleseed with no problems.