First .22

D

Dolsak

New member
Purely for plinking/paper murdering.

Would you suggest a semi, or a revolver?
Any specific manufacturers/models to consider?

Pros, cons, smacks upside the head?

Ambiguous, I know, but throw something out there and let's see if we can run with it. :D
 
I'll bite. Lots of used Ruger 22 LR semi autos on the used market. Accurate, reliable, and parts or repair if needed. I had a friend with an older Mark1 and he sent it to Ruger for repair. It came back with a lot of new parts all hand fitted with a nice trigger job. Very smooth. NO CHARGE!
 
There are several great .22LR semi autos on the market: Beretta NEOS, Browning Buckmark, Ruger 22/45 and Mark III. I would avoid the Walther P22 and Sig Mosquito since they both have zinc in their slides but some folks are really happy with them.

I personally prefer a S&W revolver in .22 but those are a little more spendy. Semi-auto is not a bad place to start. You might think about a .22 rifle also. I have two Marlins that I take to the range regularly. One has a scope and doubles as my squirrel rifle. The other I left with open sights.

It's a very rare range trip that I don't shoot at least one of my .22's.
 
Buckmark, Neos, 22A, Walther or Ruger would all be allot of fun.

But, if you want fun and cool, the single six is the gun!

If you want "off the chart cool" and have a smaller hand, than the Bearcat is the ticket!;)
 
If you buy a Buckmark and a Ruger, . . . you'll probably sell the Ruger and buy another Buckmark.

Really good trigger, . . . ultra reliable, . . . easy cleaning, . . . and ......... wait for it ............... IT's a Browning !!!!!!!!

May God bless,
Dwight
 
I have both. A semi-auto is much more available if you are buying used and much cheaper if you are going used or new. I wouldn't both wasting my time with one of the cheap semi-autos or revolvers, but stick to the known quantities.

The cheap semi-autos will be horribly finicky with the ammo you feed it. The cheap revolvers (typically a single action like the Rough Rider) will be poorly finished and with a horrific trigger.

A quality double action .22 revolver such as a Smith & Wesson, Colt or Dan Wesson will cost you as much/more than a new center fire handgun. They are pricey compared to the semi-autos but they'll last a lifetime.

Many of the "popular" .22 semi-auto pistols these days may prove quite finicky with ammo and can give you grief with feeding. It's pretty annoying to buy a .22 pistol so that you can shoot cheaply, only to find that your Walther P22 or Sig Mosquito only wants to run with premium ammo that costs $5 or $6 per hundred. Sure, still cheaper than center fire, but not a buck fifty a box like it should be.
 
I've have owned both also. Mostly revolvers these days, but I started with a Ruger 22/45 and shot the snot out of it. Great gun for the money. Over the years I've moved to revolvers more and more, and now that's all I own, but a good semi is much less expensive than a good revolver.

No one says you can't have more than one. Get a good semi to start and later on you can look for something else.

I will warn you. 22 handguns are addictive. I think I've got about a dozen now.
 
Definitely a semiauto. Half the fun of shooting a .22 is blasting away tons of ammo as fast as you can pull the trigger.
 
I have a Neos that I picked up used and it has been extremely reliable with low-cost ammo (as a matter of fact I don't remember a single misfire of any sort after around 1.5 K rounds). Funny looking, yes, but cheap to shoot, and everyone who shoots it enjoys the goofy little thing.
 
Personally, I like double action-revolvers for fun,,,

The problem with a revolver over a semi-auto is cost,,,
There just aren't that many quality .22 double-action revolvers being made.

Smith and Wesson makes the Model 617 new for around $940,,,
They make the "Classic" Model 17 and Model 18 for just over a thousand each.

Charter Arms makes the Pathfinder in .22 LR,,,
My lady friend has the snub-nose version and it seems like a fine gun,,,
She shoots the heck out of it and so far (over 3 bricks of ammo) It's performed flawlessly.

Taurus makes a few models but having been bitten by their lack of quality control and an indifferent warranty repair department I can not personally recommend any Taurus product.
I own two Taurus revolvers, one of which is a fine gun,,,
The other was bad out of the box and Taurus will not fix it properly.

Here are the top five semi-auto pistols on today's market:

Actually there are many more fine guns aout there,,,
But I am assuming a price range around $300 to $350

Here they are in no particular order:

Smith & Wesson 22A - Nice gun with a fat grip.
Browning Buckmark - Nice gun with a funky grip,,,
Ruger MK II or III - Nice guns with a Luger-ish grip,,,
Beretta U22 NEOS - Nice gun with a very slender grip,,,
Ruger 22/45 (MK II or MK III) - Nice gun with a 1911-ish grip,,,

Everyone on this forum has a favorite from these five guns,,,
I own three and have shot a lot of rounds from all five,,,
The best thing for you to do is to handle them all,,,
Pick them up and see which makes you smile.

Now back to revolvers,,,
You can find a S&W Model 17 or 18 on the used market,,,
They are essentially the same gun with the Model 17 being 6" and the Model 18 being a 4".

These are two of the finest revolvers ever made,,,
But even used they will run anywhere between $400 and $700.

I own a model 18 and of all of my more than 20 handguns,,,
it is my absolute favorite .22 handgun to shoot.

Lotsa luck choosing,,,
Have fun.
 
I'd go with a Ruger. Which one? Depends on preference. The Mk I, II, & III are all good semi-autos. For a fun revolver at a decent price, I'd look for a used Single Six or Bearcat.

Any of these could be passed on to your grandkids someday if they're cared for properly.

Daryl
 
My first handgun was a Ruger MkIII 22/45. I quickly grew bored with it and picked up a 9mm.

I sold the Ruger, but bought the 22 slide kit for my CZ 9mm. I've used it a lot in the past, but right now 45ACP is my 'plinker' if you can believe that.
 
Right now there are some way cool .22's in the 1911 configuration:

Chiappa: Italian made about $275
ATI GSG : German made costs a bit more but really well made. Actually has parts that can be switched with a .45 like the grips.
 
I guess it depends on your budget but I'd recommend a CZ Kadet or S&W 41. I've had a a MKII and a MKIII 22/45 and they were OK at best. A pita to take apart but I've been told that becomes easier with time.
 
I like my Ruger MKIII. The browning Buckmark is a fine choice as well.
If I had the coin, I would get a S&W K-22, great guns, but overpriced IMHO. If you want a more up-market semiauto, S&W 41. It's another one on the list of future purchases.
 
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