Recommend me a 22 pistol

[drgrant]

Picky for ammo, or did it settle in nicely?

I've run rem gb, fed bulk pack trash with only minimal stoppages. Mostly on fed. CCI Mini Mags have been 100%.

 

[Bladerunner]

Will add in the New Ruger Single Six. Sweet little shooter. Comes with 22WMR and 22LR cylinders. So two guns in one.

 

[mac1911]

Ammo prices suck. I learned from the last couple of "panics" so I essentially have plenty of everything I shoot, but conservation never hurts. Lady Radtekk has bad wrists, so recoil from her EDC compact 9 gets old fairly quickly, and 4 & 6 inch plates flip up over the rack too easily. So we want a 22 to practice the basics with. So I come, hat in hand, to the NES braintrust for advice...

We both carry Springfields, 9mm for her, 45 for me. We already have a Ruger MKii and a Ruger 22 revolver. I once owned a Sig Mosquito, what an EPIC piece of shit that gun was. I have pretty much every brand and weight of 22lr ammo including cci minimags, thankfully no thunderbolt.

Being in Tennessee I can own anything available, so no stupid MA restrictions. Yes, I know, "go to the range and try a few out" but WHICH few? Aside from no Sig, what SHOULD I look at? We're not brand whores, we own Rugers, Springfields, S&Ws, even a Glock. I want something at least similar to the Springfields, more importantly I want something that doesn't suck, that is decent out of the box, and that magazines are reasonably priced for, I like having 6+ for every gun I own.

NES?

Do you have any 1911s , 22 conversion kits?
Do any of your current guns have 22 conversion opptions?

Are tou looking for something close to tour EDC stuff?
I love my SW model 41.

 

[JRT]

Glock 44 dude. Everything else is not PERFECTION. Seriously though, G44.

 

[quinnjalan]

Another vote for SW Model 41 or if you are looking for something with a practical price tag you can't go wrong with SW Victory 22

 

[*CJK*]

Another vote for S&W victory. I love mine... Accurate right out of the box, reasonably priced if that is a concern.

 

[jkerm3]

+1 for the Browning Buckmark. Eats everything, decent trigger, accurate. Nice hiking, camping, & hunting sidearm.

 

[Happy feet]

Browning buck mark or ruger 22/45 light

 

[Zappa]

one of my personal favorites S&W model 41.

This^

The first .22 pistol ever bought was an M41, I still have it after 36 years, and it's still the most accurate pistol I own.
I've since accumulated a whole slew of other .22's, but nothing else is in this league.
Also, the older, the better. Try to find one made before the mid 80's.

 

[Broc]

For .22, Ruger is the only one. Everyone else just wants to be Ruger.

 

[Silverado]

Ruger MK IV and when they make it in a .380/9mm I'll buy one too.

 

[Blackmore]

Browning buck mark or ruger 22/45 light

Specifically the Micro Bull. Heavy for its size, but it will soak up the recoil. Also has the advantage of interchangeable barrels.

 

[Beretta92FS]

Another vote for the S&W M&P22 Compact. Best .22 pistol I ever had.

 

[VetteGirlMA]

I like my Ruger SR22 a lot

I also like my SR22 but I find that it's a little fussy for ammo. It likes the better .22 and not the 'bucket o'bullets' .22.

 

[1776]

"decent out of the box"


Needs a conversion kit!

 

[67ray]

I can't believe no one has suggested a S&W 622 or 422:

 

[Daddy Mac]

S&W 617 with 6" barrel. 10 round revolver will shoot anything you feed it and the long barrel gives the .22 a little more punch.

 

[308rifleman]

Will add in the New Ruger Single Six. Sweet little shooter. Comes with 22WMR and 22LR cylinders. So two guns in one.

My dad has the stainless version, two cylinders, with 7.5" barrel. That sucker is tack-driving accurate and has basically become the family pistol. Dad has a 6" stainless Ruger Security Six for home defense but my family really isn't into handguns. The Ruger .22 Single Six is basically the only one that gets any significant use. Jill and I, together, probably fired at least a thousand rounds out of it. Other family members used it a lot. A grand total of 5,000 rounds or even more would not be out of the question. The revolver still works as well as the day it was made. Tough as nails and would be my choice for a .22 handgun!

 

[Cur]

I love my Browning Buckmark Hunter, but am also intrigued by the MKIV 22/45 and G44.

I'm saddened it took so long for someone to mention the Buckmark.

I bought mine in 1988 and still have it. Great gun, and I can't even guess how many people I've taught to shoot on it.

 

[42!]

OP you already have a Ruger Mark II and a revolver, what else do you need in a 22 pistol, except maybe a Mark IV.

 

[Radtekk]

OP you already have a Ruger Mark II and a revolver, what else do you need in a 22 pistol, except maybe a Mark IV.

Finally getting back... The Ruger revolver came with a 22wmr cylinder also, lots of fun the shoot both, along with 22wmr and 22lr rifles. Single action is fun sometimes also. The Mark II is a good pinker, but the mags are a pain to release and the gun itself is a PIA to clean. Mostly I just want something more similar to a "standard" semi-auto.

With guns ranging from Shield 9's to full-size 1911's and Springfield xD's the while thing is a tough choice. Def leaning towards the SR22 or 22/45. Probably not looking compact though, the longer sight radius and bigger (?) grip are attractive.

 

[Zappa]

I can't believe no one has suggested a S&W 622 or 422:

View attachment 372946

I have three guns of this series, a 422, a 2214 and a 622VR.
They're nice inexpensive little plinkers, and the 422/622 mags fit the M41, but they're not target grade guns by any means, and disassembly is rather odd too.

 

[42!]

Finally getting back... The Ruger revolver came with a 22wmr cylinder also, lots of fun the shoot both, along with 22wmr and 22lr rifles. Single action is fun sometimes also. The Mark II is a good pinker, but the mags are a pain to release and the gun itself is a PIA to clean. Mostly I just want something more similar to a "standard" semi-auto.

With guns ranging from Shield 9's to full-size 1911's and Springfield xD's the while thing is a tough choice. Def leaning towards the SR22 or 22/45. Probably not looking compact though, the longer sight radius and bigger (?) grip are attractive.

I've got the dual cylinder Ruger as well, loads of fun.
I've got 2 Mark III and a Mark IV, the IV is a lot better to clean, much easier. I hear "fixing" the mag safety makes them drop better but I haven't tried it.

 

[greencobra]

i own a couple of the m&p .22's. both a compact and the full size from walther. i just happen to like the full size and its usually the .22 pistol i shoot the most. i should mention i don't care for the full size m&p semi auto pistol line in the large calibers...9mm, .40 & 45 acp but this full size .22 version works for me and i shoot it well. the compact version is a great pistol, too and i can't put a finger on why i'm not taken with it. i don't remember an issue with either one feeding or ejecting. it does not like federal champion, the stuff in the bulk 320 rd boxes. recoil is so light it just won't work the slide. if i didn't have those i'd look long and hard at the ruger mk IV in heavy barrel target configuration.

 

[ScottS]

Finally getting back... The Ruger revolver came with a 22wmr cylinder also, lots of fun the shoot both, along with 22wmr and 22lr rifles. Single action is fun sometimes also. The Mark II is a good pinker, but the mags are a pain to release and the gun itself is a PIA to clean. Mostly I just want something more similar to a "standard" semi-auto.

With guns ranging from Shield 9's to full-size 1911's and Springfield xD's the while thing is a tough choice. Def leaning towards the SR22 or 22/45. Probably not looking compact though, the longer sight radius and bigger (?) grip are attractive.

The Volquartsen Extended Mag Release for the Mk II is a game-changer in that respect. $25 easily installed mod, and it eliminates the whole "claw the mag out" experience.

 

[MP-In-The-Wind]

This^

The first .22 pistol ever bought was an M41, I still have it after 36 years, and it's still the most accurate pistol I own.
I've since accumulated a whole slew of other .22's, but nothing else is in this league.
Also, the older, the better. Try to find one made before the mid 80's.

Yup...I have a 41 and agree! I love that thing! If something happened to it today...I'd buy another tomorrow! (or as soon as I could find an 'older model'! )

 

[FiremanBob]

Radtekk, it seems to me that this is the key part of your original question: " I want something at least similar to the Springfields, more importantly I want something that doesn't suck, that is decent out of the box, and that magazines are reasonably priced for, I like having 6+ for every gun I own."

If having a similar feel and manual of arms to your centerfire pistols is important, then you want a .22 pistol that has a trigger feel like a striker-fired and a full slide. On that basis, I'd say your best bets are the G44, the full-size S&W M&P22, and the Colt/Walther 1911 in .22, in that order.

If similarity to your EDC pistols is not important, than you have a lot of options that take you in different directions - some oriented toward Steel Challenge, some toward bullseye competition (S&W 41), some just cheap (or not so cheap) pocket-size pistols (Walther P22, Ruger SR22), expensive or inexpensive revolvers. How you want to use your .22 will drive the decision. And remember they're like potato chips - it's hard to have just one.

 

[Wickedcoolname]

Smith model 41 if you want a tack driver target semi-auto gun with a great trigger. Smith model 17 K22 Masterpiece if you want a tack driver revolver with a great trigger. Both are expensive and both will go up in value, but I doubt you'll ever want to sell them after you shoot them.

 

[RB101]

Another vote for a G44. Fun gun. Find some 40 grain. Plink away.

 

[Zappa]

Smith model 41 if you want a tack driver target semi-auto gun with a great trigger. Smith model 17 K22 Masterpiece if you want a tack driver revolver with a great trigger. Both are expensive and both will go up in value, but I doubt you'll ever want to sell them after you shoot them.

I paid $290 for my M41.

Spoiler

In 1984