22 CAL. semi-auto handgun recommendation

[tradja]

Well, I'll throw in another recommendation for a pawn-shop blue Ruger MkI or MkII. Depending on your area and negotiation skills, you should easily come in under $200. (At the last gun show, a walker sold a minty blued MkI for $150, but another guy got it before I could get to the ATM. :banghead: ) My MKII is simply a delight.

I searched high and low for the Bersa/Firestorm .22 (a Walther PPK clone), but mine was especially finicky about ammo - wouldn't cycle Federal bulk, and since I didn't want a .22 that would only run on $$$ CCI, it got replaced. Keep in mind the warning in previous posts that almost all .22 autos can be picky about ammo - that has definitely been my experience as well.

Another budget consideration would be to get a .22 conversion kit for an auto that you already own, like a 1911, CZ, many Glocks, etc. I had a 1911 conversion kit but it could barely group a mag on a sheet of paper at 15 yds, so I sold it too.

Every gun is different, but my buddy's Buckmark is a jam-o-matic that sprays hot debris out of the action with every shot (powder residue, lead shavings, or ???). No gunsmith that he's contacted will work on it, so he's stuck.

A friend in Washington paid $150 for a H&R Sportsman 9-shot .22LR revolver. I haven't fired it yet, but it is in great shape and the trigger is not nearly bad - DA is somewhat heavy but very buttery, and the SA is crisp. If I found one like that, I'd get it.

 

[Litlman]

High Standard, Hamden made model Supermatic Tournament Military, Beretta Cheetah. S&W M-41. S&W K22 for a wheel gun. Little Taurus PT 22 , all run well for me.

 

[matai]

I love my Ruger Mark III 22/45 Slabside, shoots great, eats up everything I've put in it, and very accurate.

 

[VetteVert]

You will be well served by spending a few dollars extra and picking up a mk II/III (I'd search for a II myself).

The 41 is obviously out if $$$ is a concern, but IMO the 22A should also be out. My mkII comp has never jammed and will run dirty as heck (who wants to stop and clean when blowing through bulk packs with friends?). That is *not* the case with the 22A. It isn't a jam-o-matic, but has a fair shair of malfunctions.

VV

 

[Sevengunner]

Not walther p22

When I bought it new, FTFs were common; however, that problem went away as it aged. The next drama was that the safety walked down from the Fire position to the Safety position as I shot thru the magazine. Most recently, with less than 2K rounds through the gun, the slide cracked. I had to send it back to S&W at my own expense and I had to pay for the repair.

It's a fun gun to shoot, but I would not buy it again.

 

[sm]

That is one that does not jam on a regular basis

I can name two guns that are not inexpensive, and they are not new guns either.

One of these days when I can, I want these.

- Colt Woodsman

-Beretta 70 series

 

[Pilot]

A Ruger MK II, Browning Buckmark or CZ with Kadet Kit will serve you well.

 

[wanderinwalker]

Another Ruger Mark II vote here. Find a clean used one, give it a good scrubbing, and you're good to go. Add a couple of bricks of ammo and you're probably looking at $230-240.

I have a Mark III 22/45, and while a solid and accurate little pistol, it seems to malfunction more than my father's Mark II did. Feed it better ammo, like CCI Mini-Mags, and it runs like a top. CCI Blazer also shoots well in it, at significantly less cost than the Mini-Mags. Feed my Ruger Wolf Match Target, and it thinks it's a Bullseye gun; scary accurate!

The Rugers are tough to beat though!

 

[Redneck with a 40]

Ruger MKII, mine has been absolutely awesome, 3000 rounds fired, the Federal bulk packs from Wal-Mart work great in mine.

 

[Jkwas]

My S&W 22A never misses a beat. Easy to clean and shoots great. But I'm sure all the above mentioned guns are just as good. I wouldn't turn down a ruger, that's for sure.

 

[2nd 41]

as suggested...Model 41 S&W
It's a lifetime of quality & fun. This pistol is the 1 to have.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

Save up the money and get a 41. I have picked up two recently because I found that one was not good enough. They are great at the range.

I was playing with my 41's at the range just this week. I was shooting 50 shots offhand at 50 ft. Not my best shooting but it was quite windy.

 

[.66Cal.]

"I am trying to find out if anyone could recommend a good 22 LR semi-auto handgun. That is one that does not jam on a regular basis, shoots strait and, is reliable. And, the less expensive the better. My experience with 22's is that they always jam.I have a 38/357 Mag that I use for a night stand gun. But, I am trying to find a 22 that I could use for the shooting range. The price of ammo adds up quickly for the larger gun."

Thanks for any information you might have,
Bent fox

I believe your best bet is to shop the local gun shops for a used pistol in any of the aboved mentioned.
Good luck and lets us know what you found.

 

[trekgod3]

Beretta Neos- $199 to $229 at Gander

 

[JackBauerWannabe]

what about walther p22s or sig mosquitos?

nobody is mentioning those guns....in my opinion they would be nice because they function just like normal autoloaders...they have slide locks decockers etc...... no bueno??

 

[kym]

I've heard the mosquitoes jam a lot. I have two ruger .22 autos. Great guns.

 

[mljdeckard]

Dunno which .22s you have been shooting that jam a lot,

My dad's old Ruger Mk I is beat to snot, has most of the bluing worn off, and is dead reliable. We have my grandfather's old Colt Woodsman that is our family's favorite.

I've had an AA Glock conversion that wasn't great, one of the mags would jam a lot, and it was so lightweight, it felt like a toy. The guy I sold it to says it works much better now, apparently it needed extensive break-in.

I now use a Ciener arms conversion on my 1911, which shoots sub 2" at 25 yards, and comes with 15 rd magazines. It needed break in, and it works best with stingers or velocitors, (I don't know if it has ever jammed with them,) and if I build a dedicated frame with lighter springs, I bet it will cycle anything very reliably.