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.22lr pistol

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#1 ·
I am in the market for a .22lr pistol..I will not buy a Ruger (I know they make some of the best .22lr firearms available but Mr Ruger lobbied to pass the Assault Weapon Ban of 1994)..I was tempted by a Sig Trailside but there is a little too much plastic there..any ideas ?

btw I didn't like the way the Browning felt in my hand
 
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#2 ·
I will not buy a Ruger (I know they make some of the best .22lr firearms available but Mr Ruger lobbied to pass the Assault Weapon Ban of 1994)
Finally, someone else who thinks the same as me! I wanted a .22LR rifle, the Ruger 10/22's are cheap and reliable, but for Bill Rugers idiocy I won't buy one. You could look at the Beretta Neo, but that's a bit plasticy and from my experience, not very reliable. Is it current production guns you ar elooking at, or would you be happy to buy a used gun? That will give you more choice, and don't forget about .22LR revolvers.
 
#4 ·
FWIW, I agree on the Rugers. Sometimes I will hold my nose and buy a *used* Ruger since they will get no money from that sale, but I have to admit, while I really liked some of their guns and used to purchase them regularly before the sell out, that really soured me on them.

I do have a Ruger standard pistol which I mounted a 2X scope on way back in 1971 or '72...it thinks it is a rifle but it is only my second most accurate .22 pistol.

By all accounts the trail-side is extremely accurate. But of course a guy should get something he likes and enjoys.

My favorite, and by happy coincidence my most accurate, .22 handgun is a Pre-war Colt Woodsman. It is the perfect size and weight for a .22.

For some strange reason you can still find these used. I purchased one for my Son last Christmas for $400. In fact it was a "pre-woodsman" made in 1919...it shoots fine but one has to be sure they are converted to fire high velocity cartridges if that is what he is going to shoot (mine is, his is not). To be honest, I prefer subsonic HPs for small game and standard vel match for other duties so that is not really a problem except that the cheap bulk .22 is usually H.V.

The little Walther P-22 is pretty nifty also but it too has a lot of plastic.

My CZ-75 conversion (by CZ not EAA) shoots pretty good and they also make a complete pistol in .22 for a reasonable price.

I certainly applaud the suggestion for a S&W 41 they were outstanding!

One can usually find High Standads used from $250 to $500 depending on the model... The Citation was one of the most accurate pistols ever made but none of them are any slouch.

Good luck!
Jim
 
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#6 ·
or would you be happy to buy a used gun?
I have no compunctions about buying used guns

I am not sure what your budget will allow
I bought a Colt Gold Cup which was just under $900 brand new

By all accounts the trail-side is extremely accurate. But of course a guy should get something he likes and enjoys.

My favorite, and by happy coincidence my most accurate, .22 handgun is a Pre-war Colt Woodsman. It is the perfect size and weight for a .22.

I certainly applaud the suggestion for a S&W 41 they were outstanding!
I haven't completely ruled out the Trailside..first pistol I ever shot was my dad's Colt Woodsman..fine firearm !..I would love to have a S&W model 41 but I would have it nickel plated for corrosion resistance
which would ruin any collector value it would have
 
#10 ·
I have some experience with (although currently do not own) the Ruger Mark II and it was excellent. I highly recommend it. You could, as Jim says, buy a clean used one someplace to resolve your own dilemma.

As for not buying a gun from a company that supported the Clintonian "assault weapons" ban: Whatever he did or did not do, Bill Ruger is dead, and the company still makes some great firearms for a very reasonable price. Let us not forget that even such venerable firms as Smith and Wesson sold us out when the chips were down (we are still living with the results of that Faustian bargain today in the form of the absurd key locking system), and Colt more or less pulled out of the civilian market altogether.

Good luck and let us know what you end up with!
 
#13 ·
Smith and Wesson 22A is a nice model. I picked up a used one about 6 months ago for $150 at a gunshow. The gun only had a few rounds through it and since I've put 5 or 600 through it. No problems, except if you get one, order a spare recoil spring spacer. The S&W engineers thought it'd be a bright idea to use a plastic spacer, which wears out faster than I think it should. It's a small piece about $2 and easily replaced in field stripping, I would prefer not to have to replace once every thousand or so rounds, but heck nothing is perfect.

The gun is VERY accurate, the trigger is great, and the grip angle is 1911'ish. It also comes with an integral rail on the top for mounting an optical sight, if you're into that sort of thing. I love mine and for the money you can't do much better.

-Rob
 
#14 ·
Hi there,

I agree with Mr. Camp.

I enjoy the two Ruger pistols that I own, both a Mark II and Single Six.

I have tried two of the Smith and Wesson pistols, the 22A and the Model 41, but didn't quite like them as much as the Ruger Mark II.

I have heard glowing reviews of the Browning Buckmark from other members of this forum, but have yet to shoot one. Maybe that's something I need to fix!!!

Chris
 
#15 ·
Not mentioned is the Beretta 87T target pistol. And you can mount a reddot or optical scope on it. Mine is accurate and functions 100%. Cost is up there but it's only money.
og

Oh, BTW, I also have one of the new Ruger MKIII's with an optical scope mounted. Functions 100% and is what I use for 50yd matches. Sour grapes if you pass up a Ruger for an obscure political reason.

And also, I've had Buckmarks. Hard to mount a scope since the adapter was flimsy. But without a scope, one I had was real accurate and functioned well. Their target model can take a scope but one I tried was a nightmare to take down for full cleaning.

Do you have friends at the range that will let you try their's? Maybe try some out before deciding.
 
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#21 ·
Not to go back to the Browning Buckmark but it's the .22 I taught my daughter on. The standard rubber grips were too big for her hand and I changed them out to wood (Browning) and it slimmed things down considerably. It's been a great gun and totally reliable.
 
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#25 ·
I have a Marvel conversion that I love, even though it has recently broken a firing pin and needs to make a trip back for repair. If you are a 1911 shooter, it may well be the best way to go. There's something about the 1911 that just clicks with me.

The Brownings are also a favorite of mine, and to a lesser extent the Ruger 22/45's.

I've had a (Texas :-[) Hi Standard, a Trailside Target, and IZH35M that have all come and gone. I have test-driven a S&W 41 and a Beretta 87 Gold that just didn't suit me.

I don't know if it's true, but on one board I frequent, it has been reported that the Trailside is being discontinued. I had problems with slide stops wearing out, and there were reports on that board of frame cracks...................chim
 
#26 ·
Any .22LR pistol is going to be ammo sensitive. That is, you will have to try several brands, different velocities, etc. to see what shoots the best, most accurate, most reliable. And just a few rounds won't tell the story. At least 100 rounds or more of the various ammo you try. My semi-auto Beretta 87T, which the thread author thinks is only a training pistol, will outshoot anyone in my shooting club. I've tried both a reddot and optical scope on it, the optical scope giving best results. It likes just plain Winchester WhiteBox "Dynapoint" .22LR but best accuracy is with CCI Std.Velocity "BlueBox" .22LR. The CCI "GreenBox" didn't do enough better to justify the extra cost. And it usually takes about 200 rounds to "condition" the barrel and for the groups to tighten up before a match. I also like the Ruger MKIII which oddly enough is most accurate with the Winchester ammo. The Ruger is more difficult to field strip.
I've tried the real expensive match grade ammo too, but the accuracy is not that much improved to justify the cost.
And neither the 87T or the MKIII like Wolf match ammo, it is lower velocity and will barely cycle the slide on either pistol with occasional FTE's.
I've also had Buckmarks. Three in fact. They are fine pistols, fun to shoot, nice grips. The standard models I had required a funky scope adapter mount held by the back screw which has a tendency to loosen during extended shooting, thus loosing the zero on the scope as well. I also tried a Browning target model with varying results and could never find ammo that would give a consistent group. Actually traded that one for the Beretta.
A few friends that I shoot with own S&W .22 long barrel revolvers with scopes mounted that are very accurate. Not fast to reload and a lot more expensive than Beretta.
You get what you pay for.
Good luck.
og
 
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