Lightest .22

J

Jeryray

New member
I am looking for the lightest .22 match pistol. I currently have a smith model 41. I have a completely torn unrepeatable shoulder.

So I would like a match grade alloy of some sort.

Any Ideas?

TIA
 
The Tac Sol Pac Lite upper on a Ruger 22-45 would make up into a lightweight pistol.
Match Grade, sure. Match WINNING Grade, I don't know.

SIG Trailside, upgraded to Hammerli XEsse, feel light to me.

Browning Buckmark is not very heavy and Tac Sol makes aluminum barrels for them, too.
 
Jeryray,
I am really sorry for your injury and completely understand. Mrs. Doc has a different physical problem and even though the 2 do not resemble either, we came up with just about the same thing. She finally got to try out the Ruger SA22
I understand that for most that this is used for plinking and varmint hunting.
In her case this is for SD. A well placed 22 is sufficient for her needs. It weighs
17.5 ozs. & it's 3.5" long carries 10+1.
Hope this helps.
 
For a match grade pistol, look at the Sig Trailside or now the Hammerli Xesse.
It's much lighter than the Smith 41, Ruger, Buckmark, etc. and has the best trigger.

It has an aluminum frame and about 30 oz.
 
Typically a match type .22 and lightweight do not go hand in hand. My IZH-35m is pretty barrel heavy. My old Browning Medalist has weights to add to the front to stabilize it. I think the lightweight Ruger options might be your best bet. Look into a very nice light trigger since with the lighter weight your oscillations will be quicker than with a heavier gun. The new Smith Victory might be an option as well.
 
The Ruger 22/45 Lite may be a good option for you. There may be some slightly lighter out there, but the Ruger is a pretty solid option.

I'd try to find a Mk. III version.
 
Expensive, but Pardini and Bernadelli make very lightweight match grade .22's for NRA bullseye type competitions.
 
That's unfortunate.

A 22/45 Lite would probably work best for a light, target .22 tha isn't threaded.

I actually prefer the SW Victory. But it's in the 35oz range, between the SW41 and the 22/45 Lite, and the lightweight barrels to get under 30oz are threaded. So not particularly helpful.

Are you wanting to compete with it?
 
Your SW 41~ 48oz

SW Victory ~ 36oz
Ruger MKIV Series ~ 36-41oz (model dependent)
Ruger 22/45 Lite ~ 25 oz
Brown Buckmark ~ 35oz

A Victory, MKIV (on the light side) or Buckmark would be about 25% lighter while the 22/45 Lite would about 52% lighter. Granted this is based on the manufacturer's data which may or may not include the weight of a magazine or ammo, which could skew things.

I'm partial to the Victory, but that's really down to preference. It's more comfortable than the Rugers. I'd try the Victory or standard Rugers and see how they feel, if that's still too heavy try the 22/45 Lites. The weight difference is noticeable, but around me at least the 22/45 is harder to find.

If you are used to the 41 and competing, I really don't think you will be satisfied with the options like the SR22. It's nice but it's not a comp gun. Just wasn't designed for that.
 
I have a Ruger Mark IV "Lite" on my bench currently for some trigger work. As I test these Ruger Lite pistols using high velocity ammunition, the muzzle "flip" is quite a bit more than the 5½ inch, metal target versions.

If you don't mind putting up with "muzzle recovery", the Ruger Lites are indeed light.
 
Along the lines of a S&W 41 (accuracy wise) look into a Benelli MP95E. When I first got mine, I thought it would be way too light and considered getting some barrel weights before even trying it. But once I shot it, it felt perfect. Now, after a couple thousand rounds, I wouldn't even think of adding weight. It fits me just right. The MP95 weights around 38 ounces, the S&W 41 weights around 41 ounces. Only 3 ounces different, but the Benelli feels much lighter, maybe balance?

I have lost 20% of the strength in my right arm due to a motorcycle accident years ago. So the Benelli has helped me get back into shooting a lot.
 
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