Ruger SR22 vs MkIII

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I'm waiting for my LTC to come through...2 months now...and I've been thinking of a .22 for my first gun. I've shot a Ruger MkIII and heard a lot of good things, but I also like the SR22. My only worry on the SR22 is the shorter barrel...is there a noticeable loss in accuracy due to the shorter barrel? Any other reason to choose one over the other?
 
Yes, the SR-22 cannot compete with the MKIII because the MK pistols are proven with their accuracy. The longer barrel makes it more accurate and if you get the bull barrel, your follow up shots will be even more accurate. This doesn't mean that the SR is still not that accurate. Many thought that it would not be able to shoot well past 30 feet. Like other people, I was shocked when I first shot one of these. It was very accurate for a short barrel .22 and I can't wait to buy one. The SR22 is just a fun range gun and a good practice piece because the grip is similar to it's polymer carry counterpart, like the SR9/SR9c, M&P's, Glock, so fourth and so on. The MKIII's grip is based on the 1911 and it is also a good trainer if you're going to carry a 1911. Both of these will eat practically any ammo you feed it, even bulk packs. The SR22 might be a little bit more picky but I know the MK series shoot till they are loaded with carbon build up. Good luck and see which one feels better.
 
I wouldn't hesitate to get an SR22, very small, lightweight, fun to shoot, and plenty accurate to get started. Just note that colddayinhell was talking about the MkIII-22/45, which is a polymer framed version of the MkIII which has the 1911 style geometry. Very different from the SR22 but you can also customize it so much.
Either one, my friend.


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Yup. Sorry to forget to mention the different style of the MKIII. The 22/45 is a real nice gun with a flawless design. It is heavier than the SR-22 but it depends what you're looking for in a .22 handgun. If you just want a fun plinker, get the SR22.
 
I have both and they serve different purposes. Actually I have the MKll and it was my primary Bullseye competition gun for about 20 years until I retired it for my Marvel. It is an extremely accurate gun that will shoot with the most expensive target pistols. I consider the SR22 to be more of a fun gun although I admit I have not had it long enough to see how good it really shoots.
 
Either are great. The Mark III line of pistols has many more choices to choose from and are excellent .22's. The SR22 is also great. I have the latter, and enjoy it every time I shoot it. No matter which one you choose, you will be happy with it.
 
I have theSR.22 and I am practicing with a pistol team. With that said, the MKlll would be a better target pistol. At 50 feet I can hit the target 10 out of 10 shots with the SR.22.Not always in the rounds. The guy beside me said he couldn't believe how accurate it was with a small barrel. It is a fun pistol to shoot for sure. I can't really say how the fun factor would be for the MKlll. After firing 600 or so rounds through the SR, I had to send it back for slide wear. This didn't happen with my brothers, but I cocked it by pressing the slide stop button where he pulled the slide back. Ruger has a fix for that though. Anyways, feel is everything and looks play a part in buying a pistol. The SR feels great in the hand and it looks great. I say if you want to shoot competition get the MKlll. If you want to have fun, get the SR.22
 
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This +1

Yes, the SR-22 cannot compete with the MKIII because the MK pistols are proven with their accuracy. The longer barrel makes it more accurate and if you get the bull barrel, your follow up shots will be even more accurate. This doesn't mean that the SR is still not that accurate. Many thought that it would not be able to shoot well past 30 feet. Like other people, I was shocked when I first shot one of these. It was very accurate for a short barrel .22 and I can't wait to buy one. The SR22 is just a fun range gun and a good practice piece because the grip is similar to it's polymer carry counterpart, like the SR9/SR9c, M&P's, Glock, so fourth and so on. The MKIII's grip is based on the 1911 and it is also a good trainer if you're going to carry a 1911. Both of these will eat practically any ammo you feed it, even bulk packs. The SR22 might be a little bit more picky but I know the MK series shoot till they are loaded with carbon build up. Good luck and see which one feels better.
 
two different guns apples to orange. One is a good target shooting gun IE MKIII. The SR22 a good training gun, good to shot cheap .22 and keep skills up without shooting centerfire ammo.
 
I picked the SR a few weeks ago...have not taken the time to really work on the sights, it is all over the place. Fun to shoot, but needs some punch work. Added a CT laser and it is a good 12" off from the standard sights. Hopefully this weekend we can take the time to work on it. Maybe my obi wan of guns friend will help? jb?
 
i have 2 sr22 and they are fun and accurate for a short barrel, its one of my favorite guns and i shot them more than my pretty S&W 617 10 shot, the sr22 is a best bang for you buck gun...oh and the take down on the SR22 is much much easier then the MKIII from what I have been told
 
I picked the SR a few weeks ago...have not taken the time to really work on the sights, it is all over the place. Fun to shoot, but needs some punch work. Added a CT laser and it is a good 12" off from the standard sights. Hopefully this weekend we can take the time to work on it. Maybe my obi wan of guns friend will help? jb?

Yeah, I'm in the same boat. I bought one a couple of months back, but with the kids on summer vacation, I didn't get to the range that much so I have only put a few mags through it so far. I noticed the same thing as you did as far as the accuracy goes, so I guess I'll need to spend some time too dialing it in. It is a nice little gun for plinking, but I would likely get a MKIII bull barrel if I was planning to do any competitive target work.
 
If you want a serious target pistol that will last forever then the Mark III is the way to go. But if you just want to do plinking and understand that this pistol may not last nearly as long as the Mark III then get the SR-22. I have both along with the ISSC M.22 pistol and I enjoy shooting them all. But when all is said and done my Mark III will still be here long after those other .22 pistols are gone. By the way I find the accuracy on the ISSC to be far superior to that of the SR-22, probably because of the Walther match barrel and better trigger.Just something for you to think about.
 
I almost bought one of the ISSCs until I heard that the SR22 was making "the list" here and would be available. I had read and seen many positive reviews on it by that point, as well as hearing that it was going to be sold for almost $100 less than the ISSC, so that was what made the final decision for me. For the price, I find the SR22 VERY hard to beat.
 
Either are great. The Mark III line of pistols has many more choices to choose from and are excellent .22's. The SR22 is also great. I have the latter, and enjoy it every time I shoot it. No matter which one you choose, you will be happy with it.

this. you are pretty much set either way. the only advantage, really would be the mags--they are so much easier to load on the SR22. i own a mark III and i was checking out the SR22 at acme a few weeks ago. pretty neat little gun IMO.
 
this. you are pretty much set either way. the only advantage, really would be the mags--they are so much easier to load on the SR22. i own a mark III and i was checking out the SR22 at acme a few weeks ago. pretty neat little gun IMO.

I cant stop shooting the SR22. That gun is a pleasure to shoot, and I hit steel plates (paper plate size) at 50 yards using Mini Mags and Remington High velocity ammo (225 boxes).

Like everyone said above: One is a target gun. The other is a plinking gun, but still very accurate, and a lot more fun.
 
I've been having a real hard time finding the Ruger MkIII's, so I ended up with a S & W 22A. It fits my hand well and seems well made but I haven't been able to get to the range yet. It is definitely much easier to disassemble than the Rugers.
 
this. you are pretty much set either way. the only advantage, really would be the mags--they are so much easier to load on the SR22. i own a mark III and i was checking out the SR22 at acme a few weeks ago. pretty neat little gun IMO.
you need one of these
 
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I have a MkII and an SR22 - I agree that they are completely different animals. The MkII is refined and elegant and accurate with a crisp, light, single action trigger pull. It is satisfyingly heavy, and shiny and beautiful to look at. It is also a bear to clean.

The SR22 is small and light. It's not very pretty. The trigger is not quite as nice, but it's plenty accurate. It's super easy to clean.

Since I bought the SR22, I rarely ever shoot the MkII. I love going to the range with a deck of playing cards as targets, a fed bulk pack of .22 and the SR22. I have no problem putting all of the rounds into the black box in the middle of the card with the little pistol at 10 yards. I've let a few random people at the range try it out, and all of them have had a huge smile on their face when they shot it. It feels like you are shooting a small centerfire auto.

You can tell which one I'd pick if I could only have one :).
 
you need one of these

I use one of these and it works great. I think I paid about $3 at the time. The Ultimate Clip Loader supposedly works very well but I haven't tried one. Mine doesn't work on my Walther P22 mags, but they don't tear up my thumbs the way the Ruger mags do.

ETA: If I shot as much as I should, I'd drop the $25 on the UCL.
 
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