.22 handguns

[monotonous_iterancy]

I have a birthday coming up, and I've decided that I want a .22 handgun. At the distances I usually shoot, it's not very challenging with rifles, so I'm looking for something that's going to be used for plinking.

At a store I saw a variety of different .22 handguns, although I couldn't read most of the tags. But I liked the Ruger Single Six at first glance, it was stainless, seemed pretty balanced, and I've heard good things about it. On the other hand, I've never shot a single action only revolver, and I'm not sure if it will be fun or not.

I asked the guy behind the counter what he recommended and he showed me a Sig 1911-22. I've never shot any 1911, but it seemed like a cool gun. Although it's not as flexible about ammo type as a revolver. I also wonder about it's reliability, and durability.

Which is a better deal? The Ruger was $375 and the Sig was $435.

There was also a S&W M&P, which I might consider, although I know nothing about it, and also a model 69, which was out of my price range.

I just want to make an informed decision. What should I look for in a .22 handgun?

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Ruger Single, MK, or Browning Buckmark...Forget the rest.

 

[xjsnake]

^this^ with the addition of the Smith and Wesson 22A and Beretta Neos.

 

[jad0110]

What is your budget? I ask because I'd also recommend the S&W K-22 / Model 17 / Model 18 / Model 617. Those are excellent guns, but their prices ($550 and up for a 617, and likely $600 or more for the others) reflect such.

The Single Sixes are great .22s, and you get the flexibility of shooting .22 Magnums if it comes with the extra cylinder. Now, if you treat a gun as a bullet hose (you aren't satisfied unless you expend 100 rounds in 10 minutes), you probably won't like the slower loading/unloading process of a single action revolver. Personally, I enjoy my Heritage Rough Rider (a SA revolver as well, just not as expensive or as nice as the Ruger). Nothing like "rolling the can" on a sunny, 60 to 85 degree day where the slower operation of such a gun can be a real plus.

 

[monotonous_iterancy]

^ those are too expensive. I'll say that $450 is my budget. I'm lean towards the Ruger, but I'm not sure if there are good semi options besides the MKI-III, or the Browning Buckmark.

 

[Sgt_R]

I went with the the Ruger Mk-III 22/45. I probably have less than $450 into mine, including rail & optic:

 

[KodeFore]

I had a ruger mk1 as as my 1st 22 handgun. It was a nice shooter but hard to take apart. About about a year I traded it in on a new buck mark camper. I have now been shooting that for over 13 years.

 

[jp9mm]

I've got a single six, gsg-1911 (same as that sig but cheaper $350OTD w/ 2 mags last year)
MKII, SW 317 & NAA mini widow.

Single six is a lot of fun and i kinda like the challange of reloading it quickly.
The GSG 1911 is great also, functions well with bulk ammo and accurate.
Of course the market at the moment is generally +$100 than what guns were going for 3 months ago

 

[powderx]

Look at the Browning 1911-22 A1:

http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/firearms/detail.asp?fid=028B&cid=051&tid=802

I have the Browning and at least 6 Ruger 22s: Single Sixes, 22/45s, Target MKIII, SR-22.

The Browning is my favorite of all of those. Love that little gun. Unlike other 1911-22s, the slide is not pot metal - it is aircraft grade aluminum.

Still love my Rugers but the Browning is the most fun!

 

[Pilot]

It is hard to beat the Ruger MK series pistols. They are very accurate and reliable, and can grow with you if you want to become a more serious target shooter. Plus, they are a blast to shoot and handle even the cheaper, bulk ammo well.

Single Six's are fine, but I just don't find them as much fun to shoot. As they are designed to handle both .22LR and .22 Mag, the barrels are a little oversized for the .22LR so they are not as accurate as the MK series Rugers.

 

[foghornl]

My Single-Six is waaaay up on the "Fun Gun" list, as well as my Ruger MK II.

 

[cja245]

I see used Ruger MK III and 22/45 pistols all the time for 200 bucks or so. Thats what I would recommend. I paid 175 for my 22/45 about a year ago. Of course this buying frenzy is going to affect your ability to find good deals. Good luck.

 

[monotonous_iterancy]

All this talk of MK IIIs and such have me considering one now. They are fun to shoot, and I guess the only real advantage the 1911-22 has is that it looks and feels like a 1911. Functionally they're both pretty much the same - semi auto, 10 rounds.

Are there any good double-action revolvers?

 

[CB900F]

Mono;

I've got some .22 handguns, including some of those mentioned above. As was mentioned, the single-six is an excellent choice - if the six at a time doesn't get to be too much of a PIA for you. I got a helluva deal on a 10 shot S&W stainless revolver, which does get away from the rather stodgy pace available with the Ruger. And it's truly a fine handgun in fit, finish, and accuracy. Nonetheless, it's still a pricey number & I doubt you'll ever see the deal I got. And I wouldn't have it myself unless that deal did come around.

Then there's the SIG/MKIII question in the semi-auto camp. I went SIG simply because everybody else has the Ruger. That's a decision I don't regret making at all at this time. And the reason I say that is simply that the SIG doesn't have the history that the Ruger does. However, the platform is pretty darn faithful to the centerfire 1911, the .22 rimfire is not a high-intensity round, and SIG's got a fair decent rep themselves, ya know? So I'm not particularly worried about my choice.

There are some nice perks that come with buying the SIG also. It came with three front sight blades to make POI & POA come together. It also came with all the little allen wrenches needed to change the sights & for the field stripping, nice! The grips are stippled wood & very nice looking on mine. All-in-all, I'm quite happy with it. Particularly at the price I paid at my LGS, well under $400.00. I can't say whether or not the dollar difference between what I paid & you're looking at is due to the current market, or just the LGS giving me a "frequent flier" deal against what may be a corporate big-box store everyday cost to anybody.

But as far as the gun itself goes, it's a keeper as far as I'm concerned.

900F

 

[USAF_Vet]

If the Single Six comes with the magnum conversion cylinder, that would swing my vote. I think the Ruger Single action .22 revolvers are a lot of fun (could even jump up to a single ten).
The Ruger, Browning and S&W target guns are fun, accurate and can be used for more than just plinking.

The other semi auto pistols are, IMO, more trainers than anything else. Not to say they aren't fun, though.

 

[skoro]

I just want to make an informed decision. What should I look for in a .22 handgun?

You can't go wrong with either a Ruger MkIII or a Browning buckmark.

 

[BCRider]

Semi pistol vs single action revolver. They don't get much farther apart than that. I've got examples of both types and I enjoy them both pretty much equally. But the enjoyment is due to the big differences between the two in grip style and operation.

The Single Six is great because it lets me practice for my cowboy action shooting with cheap ammo. It's a bonus that the gun is one of the more accurate guns of any type that I own so the smaller groups, when I'm on top of my game, makes me feel like I'm not just spinning my wheels at the shooting skills.

But the SA style revolver DOES require the shooter to handle the gun more during the loading and unloading. If you're like a lot of us we don't mind handling the guns as it's part of the experience. It also tends to make the shooter focus on their accuracy to make each of the shots count. On the other hand if you're the sort that enjoys tossing a lot of lead downrange as quickly as possible with the minimum time between for reloading then you may be more of a semi auto sort of guy. With a magazine loader and multiple mags you can dump pretty quickly.

A good indicator of which sort you are is likely to be found in the rimfire rifles you have. If you only own semi autos then you're likely best to go with a semi pistol. If you prefer bolt or lever rifles then the Single Six would be a good companion handgun.

I would not worry too much about the ammo flexibility issue. Due to cost most of us only shoot .22LR. Although with the buying idiocy that is going to be around for the next few months being able to "make do" with .22Short would certainly be an attractive option. Which tends to suggest the revolver since the semi won't work with that ammo.

 

[monotonous_iterancy]

The other semi auto pistols are, IMO, more trainers than anything else. Not to say they aren't fun, though.

That's true, they pretty much are trainers, rather than dedicated .22 pistols. I've also read conflicting things on the sort of ammo the Sig shoots reliably. I've read that it only handles high velocity ammo, and I've read that it handles cheaper stuff fine.

I also don't know if that single six comes with a magnum cylinder. Although I don't really know what the point of .22 magnum is. It seems like a more expensive, louder .22.

 

[MedWheeler]

I'm with jad0110 in post 4 in the use of a single-action revolver. I was amazed at how much fun my Rough Rider is to shoot. I can easily put a couple of hundred rounds through it in a session, interrupted by the use of other guns, and that's despite its slow load/unload manual-of-arms.

I think everyone else has got the other choices in semi-automatics covered. My first .22 (which was my second handgun, purchased within weeks of my first, a .357 Magnum) was a Ruger Mk-II standard barrel (tapered, with fixed sight.) Great gun for what it seems you're gonna use it, and I still have it. I got it in 1987.

 

[MWP]

Semi pistol vs single action revolver......................

..........But the SA style revolver DOES require the shooter to handle the gun more during the loading and unloading.

Another less costly and faster loading .22 single action option might be a Harrington & Richardson Model 199 Sportsman which is a top break revolver chambering 9 rounds. H&R might be near the bottom of most shooters wish list but ..... if ..... you can find an old Model199 that has been given a clean bill of health by a reliable gunsmith the 199 might just do the job. The 199's were said to be very well built and accurate.

MWP

 

[Sergei Mosin]

My .22 handguns are a Browning 1911-22 and a Ruger SP101.

I chose the Browning over the bigger 1911-style .22 autoloaders because I think it's a better-quality gun - aluminum construction rather than Zamak. It's also a cute little thing next to my real 1911. I passed on the Buckmark and Ruger Mark III on aesthetic grounds - good guns, but ugly. I like 1911s.

I chose the SP101 because I wanted a double-action .22 revolver. Although I want a single-action revolver at some point, it doesn't fit the kind of revolver shooting I've been doing lately. I want to work on my DA shooting and I also wanted a .22 that would be a good outdoors gun. Of the available double-action choices, I think the SP101 is the best value - good quality, an appropriate size (the 617 feels huge to me and the snubnose .22s don't fit my needs), and a good price. I just bought it and haven't taken it to the range yet, but I'm pretty excited about going.

 

[monotonous_iterancy]

^ I read that the .22 SP-101 has an extremely heavy trigger pull. I think that's because of rimfire casings being less reliable than centerfire.

 

[SouthernYankee]

I own several .22's, and an all around favorite is my Taurus Tracker. I believe it has a 7" barrel and the new ones come with a second magnum cylinder, giving you a two for one deal. Get a trigger job and they are a delight to shoot. Super accurate, I can consistently hit a 6" target at 75yds, and Super fun.

 

[jp9mm]

You could always do springs and trigger job on sp101.
At the moment they are selling in the 600 price range

 

[Fiv3r]

I love my 22/45, but it's a tad heavy. Great for the range and around camp. I'm contemplating an SR-22 sooner or later. More for a fun gun than anything.