The narrowed .22 search

Have owned Ruger Mark I and have Buckmark now. Buckmark is my working gun, shooting trapped coons, etc.
Ruger autos are somewhat difficult to take down to clean. Other than that, no parts that are problematic.
Have a few concerns about my Buckmark. The two small Allen head screws holding the slide have to be left a little loose to allow normal cycling. Also, a small plastic buffer on the end of the recoil spring/rod, can be lost or if it deteriorates, begs the question: How many years will it be available from Browning? In short, I do not like the plastic part.
In comparing the Rugers to the Buckmarks, Ruger's design seems more durable/resilient than Buckmarks although I have no plans on replacing my working gun-Buckmark...I can live with its short comings.
 
Here's a nice option,,,

I finally found someone who bought one of these,,,
It turned out to be a very nice pistola.

EAA WITNESS 9MM/22LR COMBO

It hasn't jammed once with the 9mm upper,,,
And has only jammed in .22 mode with cheap ammo.

It likes CCI Blazers .22 LR very well.

In your hand it feels very similar to my CZ-75B.

Just another option to consider.

Aarond
 
I like my Buckmark Silhouette, but mine's more of a specialty pistol than a plinker. It easily field strips for cleaning, unlike the Ruger. When I buy another .22 auto, it will be one of the Buckmark pistols.
 
I own both a Ruger, and a Buckmark. The Ruger rarely gets shot, because it is a pain to reassemble. The Buckmark is simply 2 screws.
Both are extremely reliable, and accurate. Both eat any ammo.
 
Well I had a Buckmark Challenger III. It was stolen some years ago now, but I loved that pistol. I now have a Buckmark rifle and I can drive tacks with it now. My wife bought her first pistol the other day and its a Buckmark. I did my best not to influence her purchase. I also have a couple of other 22 pistols one is the Walther P22 and it shoots well so far, only have a few thousand rounds on that one. I also picked up a Smith and Wesson 22A last night I won't see that one until early next month (CA laws). I got it used at what I think was a good price. From what I've read on it there are a few design flaws with the 22A. I got it cheap and I have grand kids that will want to shoot. I figure that if I don't like it I can sell it for what I have in it so there is a minimal risk.

During my wife's research she came across some forums that expressed frustration with the Ruger. Not in the way it shot or in the trigger but as was expressed earlier in this thread the cleaning. I've shot the Rugers (most of their 22 models) and they do shoot very well.
 
I have not yet disassembled my MkIII and based on what I've heard, I don't look foward to it. But everything else about ownership has been flawless. I only wish I would have gotten an even longer barreled version than I did.
 
Steelers, I have owned a S&W 617 and a Ruger Mk II. The S&W 617 is well made, very accurate and has a great trigger. The bad news is 617s are very expensive. The Mk II was accurate, fit my hand perfectly and never failed to function. Unfortunately, the Mk II was an unholy nightmare to break down for cleaning so I sold it Mk II after not firing it for 10 years.

If you have the coin, I would recommend the S&W 617. You may want to consider Taurus' Tracker, which is their answer to the 617. I think they even offer a version of the Tracker where you can switch out 22lr and 22mag cylinders. Check the latest NRA Rifleman magazine which has an article on the Tracker.

If you would consider a single action revolver, look at the Ruger Single Six. They are well made and very accurate. There are also millions out there so you could pick up one used pretty easily. These also were available with both 22lr and 22 mag cylinders.
 
If you like semi-autos that are well built and handle well, consider a S&W 2206. I bought mine on consignment at my local funstore. It shoots like a dream since I polished out the sawteeth on the feed ramp (which was why it was for sale).
 
If you want a semi-auto that will last several lifetimes, buy one of the Rugers. Their longevity is well proven, and little goes wrong with them. My dad saved up enough money to get HIS dad to buy him one of the Ruger semi-autos (pre-mk), and it still shoots like it did when it was new.

I've no experience with the Buckmarks. Seems like I remember them being introduced in the mid-1980's, and they have a good reputation. I'd imagine that they'll last your lifetime and more, but I'd prefer the Ruger for the money.

On good quality revolvers? I'd take a 617 over an SP101, but either would leave me almighty happy to have it.

Daryl
 
I have a Buckmark and love it. My son loves his Ruger. I'd vote for the Buckmark because its easier to strip and clean. Good Luck!
 
Have a Buckmark, fine piece, would like to know the quietest sub sonic round made that will work in it, that anyone has found.? Can be powder or primer. ;)
 
Always liked Mark II or III that my Dad had over his buckmark. Not sure why, both great.

Recently found a mark II n.i.b. and it is now mine. Finally broke in and is fantastic shooter.

A little hard to break down first time. Just needed a rubber mallet and a few minutes on youtube and should not be a problem. New ones are just very tight.

I really like my new Ruger.
 
Little old of a thread and who knows what the OP is up to these days but I'll chime in.

I've always liked the Rugers. They ARE NOT hard to break down but to tell the truth it's almost a mute point as they rarely ever need to be striped for cleaning.

But I've had a hankering for a Buckmark. A friend has one and it's on par with the MKII's in about every department. But I don't like the added "features" (term used lightly) of the MKIII and the buckmark has advantages. First off, you can start with an el cheapo Camper model and then make it anything you like. Barrels are under $100 and an easy swap. Grip panels are also an easy change. Where as if you want to buy a Ruger comparable in price to the Camper you end up with a fixed grip panel 22/45. The 1911 grip panel 22/45's and standard MIII's are considerable more than the Camper and you still can't buy barrel without an FFL transfer like you can with the Buckmark.

The Buckmark is kinda the 10/22 of rimfire pistols.

LK
 
I have both a Buckmark Hunter and a S&W 617 with a 4" barrel. I bought the Buckmark 1st and find it's an excellent target pistol and easy to clean. The Hunter comes with a rail and I have an NcStar green dot sight installed. This sight solved my problem with reading glasses to see the iron sights clearly, now I don't need them and see the dot and target in clear focus. Not to mention it greatly improved my accuracy. It's a great gun and like I said, very easy to clean. This is important since cheap 22 ammo can gum up a gun fast. As far as the 617 goes I like it more than my Bockmark but then it costs twice as much. I held a Ruger sp101 and felt that the grip on the 617 felt better in my hand. The 617 is slightly bigger and heavier. There have been some reported problems with the 617 but a lot of that can be traced to fouling from cheap ammo. I bought a brick of Remmington gold tips for $18 at Gander Mt. After 100 rounds I noted that it got harder to load shells into the cylinder. after 200 rounds the cylinder became hard to close because some of the shells weren't completely in. All due to fouling from cheap ammo. A good cleaning and the gun was as good as new. I'll now stick with better ammo.
 
If you are willing to consider Ruger's SP101, 22LR, why not check out Ruger's Single Ten and Single Six? For me, I prefer pistols, but the "10" and "6" are attractive and probably a bit more reliable.
 
My Ruger mk1 was purchased slightly used back around 1977-78 by my Dad, for $40. It is a 1977 model.
It has had a lot of rounds through it, never a jam. I took it apart once, just to prove to myself that I could.
Other than that, I clean the bore once in a while, wipe out the breech area, and put a drop or two of CLP on the bolt.
Just shot it last week...still accurate, still 100 percent reliable.
 
Ruger mklll 22/45

Can't go wrong. Got mines last christmas and have shot almost 4500 rounds with only 2 duds total being due to remington bulk subsonic ammo. Probably less than a 10 malfunctions in all the rounds shot.

I clean the pistol after every session- whether it be a hundred or over a brick per session.

The guns eats any ammo.., but the cheapest of ammos that I'd use and expect flawless results is cci and up.
 
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