I sold my Ruger MKII pistol--bad mistake! I am looking to remedy that error and have been looking at the Government Target Model. But then... a Browning Buckmark caught my eye. The 5.5 Field Model that has a Weaver Rib attached to the bull barrel. How do the two pistols compare based on your experiences? Prices are very close.
.22 Choices--Ruger or Browning
- Thread starter HarryB
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I bought a Browning Buckmark with the 5 inch barrel 2 years ago. I chose this pistol over the Ruger after I had shot both at the range. The Ruger was a big heavy gun (for a .22) much heavier than a Beretta 92 9mm! The Browning trigger and sights are really great. It is a great shooting gun!
Harry, You got it made. No wrong choice. They are both fine pistols. Ruger is a little less expense and has more aftermarket pieces available. Browning is fairly priced and is argueably fine as it is. Really just boils down to personal preference, because they both fill the same niche. Good Luck...
Joe
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Go NRA
Joe
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Go NRA
Jessica Wellman
New member
Guess what I just bought today? A Ruger Mark II. You sold and I bought. I really enjoyed shooting it and think it will be a very wise "first purchase" for me.
J
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The whole secret of a successful life is to find out what it is one's destiny to do, and then do it.
HENRY FORD, "Success," Forum, October 1928
[This message has been edited by LadydeeJ (edited September 07, 1999).]
J
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The whole secret of a successful life is to find out what it is one's destiny to do, and then do it.
HENRY FORD, "Success," Forum, October 1928
[This message has been edited by LadydeeJ (edited September 07, 1999).]
You've got yourself a win/win situation. Either one will be fine. I have a Buckmark and wouldn't part with it. Great gun! Looks as good as it shoots too. Also if you consider putting a scope on it, the job is a breeze. Choose the one that feels better in your hand. There is no wrong choice here.
Harry Dee, you should get that ruger back. I have a Ruger MKII with the 5 inch bull barrel and didnt pay much for it. It is a very accurate 22. Lady Dee, congratulations on your purchase of the Ruger II. It wont feed the CCI stingers though which is the only disapointment I have about the gun. The Stingers are a hot high velocity 22 lr round and are good for self defense. They work great in my Squires semi auto rifle and are VERY accurate.
cornered rat
Moderator
Having tested .22, I am unimpressed. It is a good round only in that you can dump a 10-round magazine VERY fast (low recoil, not much muzzle flash). However, even compared to .32acp, it lacks penetration. also, ANY kind of cover will deform the bullet and it will be less than effective. .22 is much better than nothing, but hardly a defense caliber, IMO. I used to be a fan of .22 lr because of low noise, kick and cost, but empirical evidence convinced me to draw the line at 380/9x18/.38 as the smallest and .32 if concealment is of paramount importance.
Jessica Wellman
New member
I'm using the .22 to learn to shoot. There really is not a better automatic to use when in the learning process. Lots of shooters have told me that if I can shoot a .22 and do it well, then I can easily tranfer my skills to a higher caliber firearm.
While at the range today, there was a guy there for a short time and we were able to trade guns to compare. As I said above, I bought the Ruger and he was shooting a Browning. I smiled when I remembered our topic here.
I could see very little difference in either gun. I was shooting on target with both of them. I prefered the grip a little better on mine in comparison to his, but that is nothing more than preference. Other than that, they are both good guns.
He also let me shoot his Browning 9mm which I really enjoyed. It sure beat how I was doing with the Makarov.
As far as a .22 not being a good defense weapon, I know there are better guns on the market for defense. The good thing about a .22 is that it can still make a good day go bad for a criminal. He may not be completely penetrated but he's going to be hurting pretty bad.
While at the range today, there was a guy there for a short time and we were able to trade guns to compare. As I said above, I bought the Ruger and he was shooting a Browning. I smiled when I remembered our topic here.
I could see very little difference in either gun. I was shooting on target with both of them. I prefered the grip a little better on mine in comparison to his, but that is nothing more than preference. Other than that, they are both good guns.
He also let me shoot his Browning 9mm which I really enjoyed. It sure beat how I was doing with the Makarov.
As far as a .22 not being a good defense weapon, I know there are better guns on the market for defense. The good thing about a .22 is that it can still make a good day go bad for a criminal. He may not be completely penetrated but he's going to be hurting pretty bad.
Danger Dave
New member
More people are killed with .22 than any other caliber. Of course, more .22 ammo is made than any other caliber...
There are better choices for self defense, but to learn to shoot, to have fun and plink with, to not spend $200 in ammo for a day at the range, a .22 is a great choice. I think every gun owner should own at least one .22.
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Beginner barbarians probably had the idea that every house they broke into would be full of untouched loot and frightened, unarmed victims. It just doesn't work that way, my friend.
I hope these evil men come to understand our peaceful ways soon - My trigger finger is blistering!
There are better choices for self defense, but to learn to shoot, to have fun and plink with, to not spend $200 in ammo for a day at the range, a .22 is a great choice. I think every gun owner should own at least one .22.
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Beginner barbarians probably had the idea that every house they broke into would be full of untouched loot and frightened, unarmed victims. It just doesn't work that way, my friend.
I hope these evil men come to understand our peaceful ways soon - My trigger finger is blistering!
It's nice that we have the two manufacturer choices in high-quality plinking/target autos. With so many model variations of both makes, you can really customize your choice. I have owned five Rugers (Sports and Mark I's, no Mark II's) and only one Browning, so you can see which I favor. The trigger on the Ruger can stand tweaking out of the box, but it's easy to do. I prefer the easy takedown (yes, I said EASY) of the Ruger to the screwdriver routine of the Browning. But that said, they are both more accurate than our sins deserve, and every shooter should have one or the other. slabsides
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An armed man is a citizen; an unarmed man is a subject; a disarmed man is a slave.
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An armed man is a citizen; an unarmed man is a subject; a disarmed man is a slave.
thequickad
New member
Having owned three different Ruger .22 and three Buckmarks. I can say none of these pistols are ideal. The designs are just too old. Requiring no tool, the Ruger has a weird re-assembly routine. The Browning requires a hex wrench to disassemble. I prefer the Beretta 87 but it is more expensive and harder to find.
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