Is there an echo in here?
I keep hearing Ruger .22 over and over again.
That's actually a good thing.
The Ruger Mk-II or
Ruger Mk-III are great .22 Semi-Auto pistols,,,
There are also the
Ruger 22/45 Series of .22 pistols,,,
Functionally they each perform almost the same,,,
But with different frame, grip style/angle.
You can't go wrong with either,,,
Pick the one that feels best in your hand..
My personal preference is for the 22/45 pistols,,,
The grip angle seems to fit my hands a wee bit better.
These guns are often described as tanks,,,
They are very solid in their construction and well finished,,,
My bet in a longevity contest would be on Rugers to last the longest.
The
Browning Buckmark pistols are top quality pistols as well.
Some of the most interesting and amusing forum wars I have seen,,,
Have been between the Ruger fans and Browning fans,,,
Their forum discussions get very heated at times,,,
Truth is, they are both very fine handguns,,,
The difference is just personal preference.
S&W makes the
22A pistol,,,
These are nice target style pistols,,,
I used one to qualify for my concealed carry permit.
I found the grips to be somewhat fat,,,
They are quality guns but in my opinion,,,
They don't seem as well constructed as Rugers.
Last I will mention the
Beretta U-22 NEOS line of pistols,,,
If one can get past their rather space-gun style,,,
They are very accurate and dependable pistols.
The grip is very slender,,,
They work well for people with small hands.
I own a pair of Ruger 22/45 pistols with 5.5" barrels,,,
They run all day long with inexpensive bulk ammunition,,,
With proper cleaning and maintenance I see these pistols lasting 100 years.
I also own a pair of the Beretta U-22 NEOS pistols,,,
One in 4.5" barrel and the other in 6" barrel,,,
These guns run bulk ammo just fine,,,
And have easy to load magazines.
There are dozens more .22 pistols on the market,,,
I've only listed the most popular of the single-action target style pistols,,,
But I will guarantee you that any of the five I have mentioned will serve you very well at the range.
But "why a 22?" you might ask,,,
My stock answer here is the low cost of ammunition,,,
If these are to be mainly for recreation it should not hurt to buy ammo for them.
Normally bulk ammo costs about 3-4 cents a round,,,
The best ammo (CCI Mini Mags) runs about 7 cents a round,,,
My point is that $20 to $25 buys you 500-550 rounds for all day fun.
500 rounds of the cheapest 9mm ammo I know of (Tulammo),,,
Runs about $10.00 a box or $100.00 for 500 rounds.
Right now .22 ammunition is a bit difficult to find,,,
And quite often the seller is asking a high price because of that,,,
But things will normalize eventually and plinking ammo will return to the stores.
No matter if you stay a recreational rimfire plinker,,,
Or if you graduate up to be a serious centerfire competitor,,,
Your first .22 pistol will probably stay with you for the rest of your life.
Hit some gun stores and handle these brands for yourself,,,
Ask specific questions about them here in this forum,,,
Then get the one that makes you smile really big.
Aarond
.