Lets talk .22LR Semi Autos

R

Rich_357

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So, I'd like to have an inexpensive .22 plinker; I like old poop but I don't want to break the bank for a plinker. I've found myself looking around at Stoeger Lugers; they seem like very cool pieces for a reasonable price.

Thoughts? What would you do?
 
Best inexpensive plinker would have to be the Ruger Mark series. The 4th generation Mark just got released so a lot of places are clearing out 3rd generation pistols at a steep discount.

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I got a used Browning Buck Mark for $300. I mildly prefer it to my FiL's Ruger Mark II. My friend liked it so much when he shot it that he saved his money and bought himself one. Some days it is my most accurate handgun, some days my Single Six 22lr is. The sights and trigger are outstanding.
 
I have 2 SR-22's and they have been 100% reliable! I don't particularly like
the trigger but once you get used to it it's ok. Youtube Hickok45's review of it.
 
My dad has one of those Stoeger Lugers, very fun little pistol, something about that toggle action... His is fairly reliable, but the magazine or mag catch is pretty worn out and won't lock open consistently. Depending on what "a reasonable price" is, I'd get it for fun and collectability.

On the other hand if you're going to be shooting a ton of .22, you might be better served by a newer pistol. I know its the opposite of what you're looking for price wise, but I always like to suggest the Browning 1911-22, it really is one of if not the best non target style .22 out there(unless you have gargantuan hands, but one of my buddies does and loves the pistol anyways, so different strokes for different folks I guess).
 
I agree with the others who like the Ruger MKII and Browning Buckmark pistols, although the 7-1/2" Ruger is a bit muzzle-light, and I prefer the shorter bull barrel.

Another possible alternative:

If you own a 1911 5", you might investigate a .22 conversion unit top end for it.

I own a 1992 JA Ciener conversion unit (bought new for $150 w/15-round mag) and it has worked well on the two 1911's I have and also worked on one I used to own.

With my 1911 .45 ACP SD/HD pistol (factory 23# mainspring) as a base pistol, it will shoot most all high-velocity and hyper-velocity .22 LR rounds without a glitch.

With the 1911 on which it is currently installed (Olympic Arms Matchmaster .45), I use a Wolff 19# mainspring so it will function with Remington Subsonic .22 LR rounds as well as the other rounds. (The pistol still functions well as a .45 with the 19# mainspring using standard velocity rounds.)

Since the conversion unit has its own extractor and ejector, the 1911 factory ejector just takes up space on the frame, and will work with either the .45, 9mm, or .38 Super factory ejectors.

The drawback with my unit is that the slide does not lock back on the last round/empty mag. Most conversion units produced these days will do so, but in the last 24 years the prices for these are no longer $150. :(

http://www.marvelprecision.com/

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Kimber-LR-Rimfire-Conversion-Kits/733633.uts

http://www.advantagearms.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=AASOS&Category_Code=1911

http://www.brownells.com/handgun-pa...rsion-kit-black-sku387000045-26573-52101.aspx

191122Parkerized002_zps05a5f01f.jpg
 
I am a huge fan of the Ruger Mark whatever but will concede the Browning Buck Mark might have a touch more class. The S&W 22A is a fine pistol too but third in my ranking of those three. Actually ANY of the three I mentioned would be a fine .22 pistol to own.

In the newfangled category, which I have little personal experience, the Ruger SR22 is a fun little gun and the S&W Victory seems to have a LOT of fans so you might want to look into them too.

If price is a concern, play my little mind game. The gun will last...well forever (you can probably shoot the beejeebees out of it and pass it on to your next gen and they can do the same) so take whatever the price is, divide it by infinity and the price per month winds up to be about zero. Yeah, that's what I do in my spare time.

Good luck.

P.S. After you get one, the fun begins. Buy a box of every .22 out there to see which one YOUR gun likes best.
 
I'm a big fan of Walther. Ideally a PPQ22. But if that's too pricey than a P22 would do.


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I second the Ciener conversion for the 1911. I love mine and I got one for an Officer's frame which stays on it. They make them for all the 1911 sizes as well as the Beretta M92, Glocks and the BHP. Well worth the cost.

http://www.22lrconversions.com/index.htm
Click to expand...

Thanks for the post.

I don't want to hijack this thread, but no one ever posts about Ciener units, let alone good comments.

In past decade or so, Ciener has had a bad rap for customer service. I have not visited his site in a few years, but the link you posted, the pic of your pistol, and the price of something that approximates your conversion @$249 is a bargain. When I bought mine, there were no variations insofar as Government, Commander, or Officer: 5" Government fixed sight only.

As you all can well see, mine is a fixed sight slide and Larry's Millett sights (almost looks like Gold Cup sights), rib, and slide grooves are different and better. Much improved appearance and adaptability over mine.

Two decades make a bit of a difference. Having said that, mine is a very accurate plinker and can put all 15 shots in the black at 50 ' using a rest.

I am curious about the mag capacity on your Officer model. I don't see a 10 round mag sticking out from the butt. Thinking maybe 7-8 rounds?

Does your slide lock back on an empty mag? Interested...

Thanks for the post, Larry.

Back to our regularly scheduled program.

Jim
 
A couple of surplus companies are selling ex-Israeli Beretta Model 70s with fake silencers attached. They are really fun shooters, and the fake can is easily removable. I think J&G had them for $279.
 
I stayed away from Ciener for years because the old man was just a nasty person. Decent product with terrible customer service. I heard that the old man doesn't hang out as much and his son runs it now. I gambled and tried their conversion because I really liked how it looked (the Gold Cup copy) and I was very pleased with the product and the CS ( I called to make sure I got the Officer's size slide and mags, which are 13 rounds) and I wanted 2 extra mags. It was a very pleasant experience dealing with them. The order was correct and I was very pleased with how it looked and functioned. The first 10 or so loadings in the mags were tough to get to 13 but they are fine now. They do not hold open on an empty mag which is the only negative I've had. I am very happy with it and have no problem sharing the news with others.

Here's a link to their product info page:

http://www.22lrconversions.com/1911-inf.htm
 
In my limited experience with those Stoeger "Lugers"*, I found them made to a price and nowhere near as well made or reliable as the Ruger auto pistols. The only advantage of the Stoeger pistol is that it has a toggle action a bit like the original Luger, but non-locking, so it is still a straight blowback. I would pass on them unless for some reason you just have to have the name.

*Stoeger copyrighted the trade name "Luger" back before WWII when they were the only authorized importer of the German-made pistol, so they could legally use that name even though the .22 pistol has little in common, other than a general appearance, with the original centerfire pistols.

Jim
 
If you mean the Neos, it might be a good pistol to overlook, based on the experiences reported by some folks. Most seem to work OK most of the time,, but they are notorious for having feeding and functioning problems. I have seen several reports that "they are OK now" but then there always seems to be an "except for". If you have one that works OK, fine, but I cannot really recommend them over guns with a better reputation.

Jim
 
No worries about hijacking this thread. This is about .22LR; if you have an opinion, post it up. I window shopped for a bit and decided on a Stoeger; they are just d@mn cool. Anywho I got out bid on it and it's probably for the best; the wallet is a little thin this month! :P

Good discussion...feel free to continue. :)
 
The Bersa Thunder 22 is a fine pistol. I have a nickle plated one. Its the only 22 pistol I know of that has a full steel slide. Magazines are a bit hard to find, once broken in, mine runs perfectly.
 
The safest bet in obtaining a reliable and accurate pistol at a reasonable price is one of the Ruger .22 pistols IMHO. Couple friends had Browning Buck Marks that were reliable and accurate too but I don't know about prices. I've had three different types of .22 conversion kits for 1911 type pistols, and one for the Browning Hi Power. Ultimately, none had the reliability or accuracy of Ruger .22 semi-autos.......
 
I'm pretty limited in my experience with 22 semi-auto's. I've owned several Rugers...hard to beat them. My wife had a Bersa Firestorm in 22. Good little gun, but needed "hot" ammo like CCI to function 100%. But with the "good stuff" it was a great little gun.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Browning or a Colt if I ran into one I wanted, but to tell you the truth, I'm a revolver guy...so if you want to know about K-22's, or Model 18's, or Single-Six's...
 
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