Need some advice on .22 pistols

Thank you for all the advice! I think I've definitely narrowed down my choices to either the Ruger 22/45 or the Browning Buckmark. I went to a local gun shop a few days ago and they had a Ruger 22/45 for $305 with 2 mags. From what I've seen online, I think that's a pretty good deal, however id like to get stainless. I held it and it felt pretty good. I'm going to look around to see if anyone locally has the Buckmark so I can test out its grip as well.

Any advice as to which online sites would be good to buy from if I decide to go that route? I've looked at gunbroker.com and gunsinternational.com.
 
I'll add another vote for the Neos. When I take the kids shooting, that is the first gun they go for. It's fun to shoot, easy to reload and a breeze to clean. The only issues we ever had with it was after shooting 500 rounds of Winchester wildcats the action was so gummed up with deposits it would be slow returning to battery. A good soaking in solvent and it was good to go again. Extra magazines a bit on the pricey side too.
 
Stainless steel, nice choice,,,

Two years ago I bought myself a birthday present,,,
A matching pair of stainless steel 22/45's with the 5.5" slab-side barrel.

130816-ModernDuelingPistols.jpg


I had always thought a set of modern dueling pistols would be cool,,,
These are what I bring when I take a newbie to the range.

Buds Gun Shop dot Com is a great mail order house,,,
Their prices are competitive and shipping to your local gun shop is free.

They just started something new,,,
They now sell a lifetime warranty with their guns.

While the debate is open as to whether extended warranties are worth the money,,,
There is one feature to theirs that I think makes it definitely worthwhile,,,
They will pay the shipping for your gun to wherever it needs to go.

That's a $70.00 savings right there,,,
You can't ship through anything but UPS and FedEx,,,
Both of those companies require expensive overnight shipping service,,,
The last time I checked on that cost it was running right at $70.00 for each company.

This is from their website:
◦Budsgunshop.com will pay for all freight costs associated with a firearm warranty repair, replacement, or refund.
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When I bought a $165.00 Heritage revolver from Buds,,,
The warranty was less than $9.00,,,
That was worth it to me,,,
Just for the shipping.

One thing about the warranty is it is only for the original purchaser,,,
And it must be purchased at the same time as the gun.

That means if it is intended as a gift for someone,,,
Buy a gift certificate and have them make the order for the gun plus warranty.

I'm not shilling for buds warranty,,,
But it is something to consider purchasing,,,
I've seen people never have their guns fixed under warranty,,,
Because of the high cost of sending it back to the warranty service center.

Anyways, I hope this helps you.

Aarond

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Amateur13 said:
Thank you for all the advice! I think I've definitely narrowed down my choices to either the Ruger 22/45 or the Browning Buckmark. I went to a local gun shop a few days ago and they had a Ruger 22/45 for $305 with 2 mags.
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Make sure the 22/45 you buy has replaceable grip panels. Some of the cheaper priced models(I think with a price of $305, this might be one)have just a molded grip. and you wont be able to do anything as far as grip changes with this model. It can be important to change grips, for hand size, or simply to suit your tastes.
 
22 Pistols

I've had a Ruger Mark I for years and really like it. My wife signed up for a CWP class that furnishes Beretta Neos. The reviews sounded good, so I bought her one to practice with. It shoots to point of aim, and will feed and fire any kind of ammo I fed it. It is simple to disassemble and clean. It's now my favorite 22 pistol. It was only $249 at Academy Sports.
 
Since you and your BF plan to have a pistol each, I would recommend to get a 2 Browning Buckmarks or 1 Browning Buckmark and 1 Ruger (MKIII or 22/45).
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My GF and I find the Browning Buckmarks to be a little nicer to shoot than My Ruger MKIIs. We both find that the 4"-5.5" inch barrel more fun than the 7".
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I like the feel of the 4" buckmark more than the 5.5" but the 5.5" is easier to shoot accurately.
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Keep in mind good trigger reach while maintaining proper grip. My ruger MKII and buckmarks are all a little to big for my GF but being a .22 with little recoil, she breaks grip to allow for better trigger control.
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Since you have a dollar limit, you might look at GunBroker or Armslist to dip into the used market. It is really hard to screw up a .22. With the low pressure, the pistols will last into the next millenium, so a good used pistol may be fairly easy to find.
 
I bought my High Standard back a year or so. I had to do some research to find out what to look for. I also had to spend time looking around. I saw a few that fit the bill, but they were too expensive, or the bidding on online auctions went over my limit. I finally got a Hamden made Tournament 106 model w/ the fluted 7-1/4" bbl. I did have to replace the grips (found some Herrett's and Siles targets for @$50) and do a little work to get it to top shape again (cleaning, new springs, and fixing bent trigger bar, not expensive). I am very glad I was patient and spent the time needed to get what I wanted. Sure, I had some anxiety while trying to get it back in shape, but I found lots of info online to get the work done. In closing I guess I'm saying you can find what you want for close to your budget if you are willing to do a little work.
 
Ruger SR22

Just recently purchased mine and really love it. When I was shopping around on the internet for one, I saw it as low as 317. Really a fun little gun. Usually comes with 2 10 round mags and 2 diff size grips.
 
I have a Beretta Neos that I really like, but since your BF likes the High Standard I have to wonder if he will like the rather unusual styling of the Neos. One of the Rugers would probably be more appreciated by him.

Since you and your BF plan to have a pistol each . . .
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I didn't read the OP that way, but if bilpens is correct in that, you might want to have a look at the Neos for your pistol, especially if you have small hands. The grip is really small and comfortable even for small hands. I have two daughters and they and several of their friends have had a fine time learning to shoot with that little Neos.
 
$300 limit.

I shoot PPC competition and routinely win at my divion and at times, win the entire match.
I shoot an ancient Ruger Mark 15 1/2" bull barrel.

As others have said, it is accurate, easy to shoot and very reliable. Take down can be a pain, but there is an outfit in Staten Island, NY (Majestic) who make a speed take down after market gizmo that eliminates the take down difficulties.
 
the rather unusual styling of the Neos.
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"Unusual" may be the nicest word I've ever heard to describe the looks of the ugliest pistol ever made. The Neo makes Hi-Points look good in comparison and the old, fifties-era, ultra-modern appearing Whitney Wolverine look positively conservative when placed side-by-side.

But the old adages apply: "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" and "One man's meat is another man's poison."
 
The look of the Neos attracted my wife to it in the first place. The fact that it fit her hand well and naturally pointed for her closed the sale. Now I will add that she is deadly accurate with her pistol. As I said previously it is a dream to clean, probably the easiest pistol to disassemble for cleaning that I have ever seen.

Beuaty is in the eye of the beholder and we both like the look and styling of the Neos. By the way, any Glock gets my vote for the ugliest pistol ever made.
 
"Unusual" may be the nicest word I've ever heard to describe the looks of the ugliest pistol ever made.
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That gave me a grin, not the least because I was reaching for a bit of comedy by understatement in my comment. You got it, dgludwig.

Quite a few young people really like the styling, though, so the old adages you stated still apply, apparently. I have to say, though, that in comfort and function, it is a beauty. I like more traditional styling, myself, but that "unusual" little bugger really works well.
 
The "bull barrel" is the heavy barrel. I have the Ruger Mark II (5.5") with the bull barrel... I believe they list it as the Government Model. Fine pistol. Current version is the Mark III. The 22/45 version sports a 5" "bull barrel" which I recommend over other versions.

It costs a little more for the heavy barrel over the plain thin barreled version, but well worth the small additional cost. I actually put a High Standard Victor into semi-retirement after getting the Mark II as it does most of what I want done with a "target pistol". The High Standard is a bit finicky and you need to pay attention to what ammo you use. Essentially I treat it with TLC now.

The bull barrel makes the gun heavier towards the front and helps me make more precise shots and at the same time, it still isn't so heavy that carrying it in a holster out in the woods is uncomfortable.

You are leaning toward the very 22 pistols I recommend highly. For fun, the Ruger SR22P is a blast to shoot, but I shoot much much better with the Mark II. The difference is 1-2" groups with the Mark II and 4-5" groups with the SR22 pistol. I want to get the 22/45 with the heavy barrel eventually. There always seems to be another gun that is of more interest when I already have a number of 22 handguns.
 
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I wouldn't agree that the bull barrel is quite so cut & dried as "better." Let me explain.

I have a Ruger Mark II Stainless with the 5 1/2 bull barrel and I love this pistol. I can't describe how important it is to me, but it's is absolutely one of my all-time favorites. And the bull barrel is a large part of that, for exactly the reasons stated in the post above mine.

However, it's not a great gun for brand new shooters, especially if they are young, small or lack a bit of arm/hand strength. That bull barrel isn't just "noticeable", it is a force to be reckoned with when you are holding it at arm's length. I've been working with my (now 10 year old) daughter over the last year+ in handgun shooting and it's simply one of the .22 pistols we haven't bothered to work with in live fire because it's simply too much beef when holding & taking aim with an empty pistol at home.

I bought her a Ruger SR-22 for Christmas last year and that was a home run. The simple pride of ownership has been incredible and she loves to shoot it. But while it was a good choice, I also know it wasn't the absolute best choice, because the trigger on the SR-22 is very typical of a modern pistol at it's price point: the trigger stinks. (relatively speaking, of course)

So when we have a range day together, we absolutely shoot her SR-22 and enjoy it, but when we start to work a bit more on her ability to make consistent, accurate shots, we move to the 1952 Colt Challenger. It's the right size, it's runs 100% of the time, it's accurate and consistent, and the trigger is an absolute dream. Any seasoned handgun shooter is able to take great advantage of a fine trigger, but it's also quite BIG HELP for a cute 10-year old girl that lacks any real hand & finger strength.

I'm not suggesting to the OP that she run out and buy a Colt Woodsman variant from the 1950's! :p But I would suggest that a bull barrel may not be the "perfect" choice at this point.
 
Amateur13 said:
First off, thank you all for the input. It seems that out of the two I was leaning towards, the Ruger would be the better choice. I have actually looked at a 22/45 and held it, felt pretty good. I would like to get it in stainless, I just like the way they look :-p But no that a few of you mentioned the Browning, I took a look at them and they do look a lot like the High Standards. I'm going to have to keep researching.

I had read a few bad reviews on the S&W, so I'm glad I asked about it, you all have pretty much confirmed that it probably isn't the best choice.
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I think a 1911/22 is a good choice.My wife and I enjoy shooting the GSG 1911/22. It's a good pistol for the money and comes in a few different variations.
 
However, it's not a great gun for brand new shooters, especially if they are young, small or lack a bit of arm/hand strength. That bull barrel isn't just "noticeable", it is a force to be reckoned with when you are holding it at arm's length. I've been working with my (now 10 year old) daughter over the last year+ in handgun shooting and it's simply one of the .22 pistols we haven't bothered to work with in live fire because it's simply too much beef when holding & taking aim with an empty pistol at home.

I bought her a Ruger SR-22 for Christmas last year and that was a home run. The simple pride of ownership has been incredible and she loves to shoot it. But while it was a good choice, I also know it wasn't the absolute best choice, because the trigger on the SR-22 is very typical of a modern pistol at it's price point: the trigger stinks. (relatively speaking, of course)
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Good point Sevens about young shooters and the added weight. You notice the weight but I never felt it uncomfortable. I always shoot it two-handed which also helps support the gun better.

My SR22P has run perfectly with bulk ammo. I have no complaints about that little gun at all. It is just a blast to shoot. As you say, it was a home run.

Many people think of a handgun as being smaller and certainly the SR22 is smaller than either the Mark III or 22/45. But you loose accuracy unless you really practice with the trigger (which I haven't as of yet). Yes, it is very comfortable to shoot one-handed. It is all about fun. One young boy that I let shoot my SR22 at the range had trouble shooting the first round in double action. I suspect he would get accustomed to that with a little practice. It was his first time to shoot a semi-auto handgun. His Dad was keeping an eye on him. :)

I suggest you handle what you are thinking about buying and see how it feels to you. The Browning Buckmark or Challenger is a good one too.
 
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