.22 Handguns

I have two excellent .22 caliber range pistols. A Ruger Stainless Mark II target and a S&W K22 Masterpiece. Both equally accurate. The K22 s my favorite.

Like you said, there are a ton of options... But I was shopping around recently as well and I wanted something 1. Reliable 2. Accurate 3. Affordable

With .22, reliability is tough with autos, and affordable can be tough with wheel guns.

If you want an auto or revolver, the Rugers are tough to beat. The Mk series and the little Walther SR clone. Or the new cheap wrangler revolver.

I've heard bad things about the Walther .22 pistols... are they made by Umarex?

I ended up with a heritage Rough Rider in .22lr and .22 mag. Pretty decent for $140.

But if I were to go with an auto pistol, I'd basically look at the Rugers... Or a Browning Buckmark

A .22 understudy for your CCW or HD handgun makes all kinds of sense.
Target pistols are also good choices simply because accurate guns are more interesting,

I own several 22 revolvers and autos Zander have owned many over the years. Right now I have a 617 Smith that is really fine, a model 34 nickel Smith, new model Ruger Bearcat with adjustable sights, Ruger Single 6 convertible and Smith Victory PC. All are great fun to shoot and all very accurate.

I previously had several Ruger Mark 1 and mark 3’s, Smith 2206, Ruger 3 screw Bearcat and Browning Challenger II. All have been great guns. The Victory PC and 2206 required some minor work to get them running right but they eventually became great pistols.

Let me say I wouldn’t hesitate to buy any of them again.

Consider the Ruger Wrangler, I’ve read nothing but great reports about them and if you’ve not shot a single action revolver, they’re very accurate and great fun plus a super value.

Any of the above you just can’t go wrong with.

Its not important to everyone, but I like to have the option to shoot shorts, longs, and long rifle.
Ruger has great revolver offerings.
Single six, Bearcats, wrangler, gp100, sp101
Uberti sells nice s/a .22s also.

Keep in mind the newer PPK .22 is largely made of Zamak, a zinc/aluminum alloy (pot metal). Not for me, thanks.

Millions of happy Ruger MK customers cant be wrong-

I'll chime in here and say the Ruger Mark IV is my choice. I prefer the 22/45 model for the grip angle. I think I got mine for <$300 at a big box farm/auto store. They redesigned the gun in 2016 and made it much much easier to field strip and clean; it's easier than my Glock. Apparently previous models are complicated to break down. A friend has a Mark III and also loves everything about it except cleaning it.
I feel you about .22 range pistols. I'm currently looking for a wheel gun in .22LR and the choices are overwhelming. The Walther PPK in .22 has been catching my eye too, but I can't justify buying another gun right now just because I want one that looks like James Bond's. ;-)

I’ve got several .22 autos. The all run “well”. All have jams more often than I would like. Ruger 22-45. A Colt Ace conversion on a 1911, a German PPK/s.

All good...not “great”.

.22’s, for me, shine In a nice revolver. I’ve got two that get the most use, a S&W Model 18 and (my first gun) a Colt Diamondback.

They are just a pleasure. A DA revolver that’s cheap to shoot, no recoil and great accuracy make for a fun day at the range.

I've got a Ruger Mk 1 and a Browning Buckmark that are both great to shoot as target guns. Both are 100% reliable now but neither were that way when I got them. A .22LR auto to me is well worth what it takes to get one running, but often times it can be a bit of a headache to get one operating right.

film495

My favorite, all-purpose .22 would have to be my Beretta Model 70S. Well built, reliable, durable, accurate, and a pleasure to shoot, it's my always take to the range or on a hike through the woods gun.



Another favorite .22 plinker is my SIG Trailside. With a preference for CCI Standard Velocity ammo and a very light trigger, it's capable of some rather impressive accuracy.



Factory test fire for accuracy:



For target shooting I have my Ruger Mk.II Model 512. Pretty much box stock except for the grips. This was a limited edition from the factory. Great trigger, great sights, and a very comfortable gun to shoot.

film495

As Armored farmer pointed out a .22 revolver can handle a lot of different size .22 ammo (CBs, Shorts, Longs, and of course Long Rifle), and can include .22 Magnum if it's a convertible model with an extra cylinder.

Found this S&W Model 34 like new in the box at my local gun shop (helps to have friends who work there too), and got it for my wife (first gun of any kind), for a great price.



This older Ruger Single Six was given to me by a friend of mine who used it when he was running trap lines. A little rough when I got it, it cleaned up really nice and I found a pair of factory grips to complete the new look. Found a spare .22 Magnum cylinder at a gun show and had it fitted to my gun. I believe most everyone should have at least one Single Action .22 revolver!

If you have a PPK or similar defensive handgun, as the other poster said a rimfire understudy for cheap practice makes perfect sense.

If you’re wanting a .22 for plinking and target shooting, the sights and trigger pulls on most of these compact rimfires leave a lot to be desired. Small guns like this are often ammo sensitive as well, usually requiring only being fed high velocity ammo to function reliably.

I shoot MUCH better with my Ruger MK pistols than with my Iver Johnson TP-22 ( A Walther TPH clone, as is the FEG SMC22 )

Just an opinion, YMMV.

Stay safe.

I currently own two .22 handguns. A Rossi Plinker revolver and a Ruger Mark III 22/45. I use the Rossi for woods carry in a shoulder holster I modified to fit it. The Ruger is my porch gun. The red dot is absolute zeroed. I hit a ground hog at 35 yards with it. Neither are expensive guns but thats the way I live my life.

I currently have 4 .22 firearms: Ruger SR22, Heritage Arms (22lr & 22 wmr), Beretta NEOS, and the Ruger MK IV. If you are looking for something that you can conceal and carry, I recommend the SR22. It's small, light, accurate (it has an adjustable rear sight) and very reliable. If you are looking for plinking, I would recommend the Ruger MK IV. It is super accurate (also has an adjustable rear sight), and eats anything. If you are looking for a revolver, then of course the heritage Rough Rider is my recommendation. It's cheap, accurate and has the additional 22 wmr cylinder (love the sound of the cylinger as you load each round. very classic. Lastly, I would say the Beretta NEOS. The beretta NEOS is very accurate, but it's picky on ammo and has the worst trigger feel (after receiving a replacement due to a safety recall) of my collection. As far as pricing here's the order from least expensive to most expensive: Heritage Rough Rider, Ruger SR22, Beretta NEOS, Ruger MK IV.

A Colt Government conversion kit, A Ruger MK II, and two S&W Model 17 revolvers. Wouldn't finding another MK II with the heavy barrel or an older Ruger 22/45.

Ron

Crazy Horse

Lastly, I would say the Beretta NEOS. The Beretta NEOS is very accurate, but it's picky on ammo and has the worst trigger feel (after receiving a replacement due to a safety recall) of my collection.

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One of the kid's has a Beretta Neos and while the trigger is a bit mushy it's not the worst trigger I have found on a .22. One of the nice things about the Neos is the magazine. Very easy on the fingers to reload, well made (I think the body is made out of stainless steel), and relatively inexpensive. Bought a bunch of them when she got the gun.

a .22 semiauto is good to have around for al purpose plinking, they are great guns for cheap and easy fun. a D/A .22 revolver is nice to have around for some of the same purposes but it can double as a personal protection piece for those not "in to guns".

I bought a Walther P22 on an impulse buy a few months ago. I had nothing but probelms with it and traded it in towards a Ruger SR22. I also have a Ruger Mark IV. Both of the Rugers have been fantastic. The only issue I've had is with Thunderbolt ammo in teh SR22, but that's an ammo related problem. It's been fine with any other ammo.

my s and w victory with compensator, target trigger and loop for fast pulling the slide are in the kitchen table drawer with two loaded clips.if i need it fast for varmint or some one trying to break in im confident that 20 fast and easy reliable rounds of 22 long rifle will handle the job.

TomJ said:

I bought a Walther P22 on an impulse buy a few months ago. I had nothing but probelms with it and traded it in towards a Ruger SR22. I also have a Ruger Mark IV. Both of the Rugers have been fantastic. The only issue I've had is with Thunderbolt ammo in teh SR22, but that's an ammo related problem. It's been fine with any other ammo.

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I inherited a P22. Least accurate .22 handgun I have. My TPH will outshoot it by a wide margin. My Ruger Mark II tapered barrel target model is 100% reliable and the most accurate handgun I own. But, my 4 5/8" single six is my favorite .22 handgun of all. Ruger has .22 handguns figured out. Or at least they used to. Been a while since I bought one.

bannockburn said:

Crazy Horse



One of the kid's has a Beretta Neos and while the trigger is a bit mushy it's not the worst trigger I have found on a .22. One of the nice things about the Neos is the magazine. Very easy on the fingers to reload, well made (I think the body is made out of stainless steel), and relatively inexpensive. Bought a bunch of them when she got the gun.

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Bannockburn,

I understand. I did caveat it with the worst trigger feel in my collection. It is very easy to reload the magazine's as you mentioned. The trigger was decent on my original NEOS, but when I turned it in for a safety recall, Beretta sent me back a new one with a magazine. I will say that Beretta customer support in my experience has been top notch. I've enjoyed other Beretta firearms and have recently purchased a Beretta 81 in 32 acp. I'm still on the lookout for a 9mm 92 or M9 beretta which was my daily carry in my past life, which is a good indicator of their reliability. All in all, I like Beretta's, but when compared to my Ruger semi's, I have to rate Ruger higher in terms of trigger feel and ammo issues.

I did forget to include my GSG 1911 22lr (oversight) That is another great firearm that is a great replica of a 1911. The sights are not adjustable like the others (requires a sight pusher or brass punch and hammer), but it is very accurate out of the box. I don't shoot it as often, but when I do, it's always nice to see its accuracy. The GSG 1911 will also eat anything I feed it, and except for being aluminum alloy it looks and feels just like a 1911.

ive been shooting my .22 long rife uberti 12 shot colt every day for the last few days. tried some 40 yard shooting today and kept a tight group. for some reason it kept bending the flat trigger spring.\, so i solved that problem with a wolf wire spring. should not have a problem with that one. i saw a youtube video that some uberti colts have that problem of bending the trigger spring. its my only uberti that has done that. now it wont.

A bit ago I got a Ruger Mk IV Lite 22/45, added a muzzle brake and a Bushnell reflex sight. It's much more accurate than I am as well as a pleasant inexpensive mellow time at the club terrorizing paper. For shooting enjoyment, I'd take it over any .22 I have any familiarity with.