Browning Buckmarks vs. Ruger Mk II 22LR pistols

[P. Plainsman]

Fair number of people mention the same glitch, with the Buck Mark's top screws working loose. Have not experienced it myself. My gun's at about the 2000 round mark.

 

[cookekdjr]

They are both great guns. The Buckmark has better ergonomics (far better) and a better trigger. It will reliably cycle subsonics without any break-in at all. The Ruger is built like a tank and has after-market parts galore.
To be honest, for a low-cost competition gun I'd get a Trailside. However, as an all-around gun I bought a BuckMark Bullseye. Like all other BuckMarks, it points like an extension of your hand, and is handsome to look at. I've had zero problems with it.
You can't go wrong with any of the three.
-David

 

[XP1900]

Can the Buckmark be dry-fired extensively without damage to the pistol in any way? I know the Ruger can, but I am curious about the Buckmark......

Yes you can. the firing pin on the newer buckmarks stop a short of the barrel. slide a piece of paper in between the bolt face and the barrel. dry fire, you shouldn't have a cut in the paper from the firing pin. this only on the newer buckmarks.

buckmarks are much better than a ruger anyday.

 

[Sylvilagus Aquaticus]

"Fair number of people mention the same glitch, with the Buck Mark's top screws working loose."

Red Loc-Tite fixes this.

I have a Buck Mark much like Ala Dan's. Love it.

Regards,
Rabbit.

 

[JackOfAllTradesMasterAtNone]

I had opportunity to purchase any of the plinking/target .22's in the last few days. Anything from a Neos, to Buckmark, Smith, Ruger Mark II & Mark III.

Today I bought another Mark II. This one a Target stainless slab side.

Yes, out of the box the Buckmark has a better trigger. But for less than $12 you can install a spring kit from Trapper in the Ruger. I personally think it's every bit as good as the Volquartson spring set. Then add a Volquartson Trigger. While the inards are out, just take a little off the sear and polish with a dremmel tool. (carefully!) If you mess it up, You can get another from Ruger or elsewhere quickly. There just aren't that many after market parts for the Browning. Don't get me wrong, the Buckmark is a fine pistol for the price and every bit as accurate as one would expect. Most of "us" can't shoot as well as the plinkers really can. (if you take time to test different ammunition)

As for some of the features of the Buckmark, The Ruger Mark III and 22/45 have the side mag release button, a loaded chamber indicator. I'm not sure that the Buckmark is available in stainless. (the whole gun). The Mark II & III, and 22/45 Target models are drilled/tapped and come with a scope mount and rings.

I chose the Ruger. Just personal preference. Take down is different than any other plinker. But field stripping requires no tools. And once you learn how it works, it's a snap process.

How's the Trailside. I hear from fellow Bullseye shooters that they feed anything, but one in seven has a trigger the big guys need help pulling. Be very selective when buying one. They are accurate though. The Magazines for the Ruger are the cheapest, and still made of metal. The Trailside mag prices are out of this world. (The word Hammerli must have something to do with that.) My new Ruger came with an extra mag.

-Steve

 

[c_yeager]

AFAIK, I think this has to do with the nature of the the 22lr round and reliable feeding. Don't think you can double stack them like the bigger centerfire carridges.

Well you CAN do it, but noone really wants to since there isnt much of a reason to do so. A lot of hicaps for the Ruger 10/22 are out there and there have been a couple of hi-capacity .22 handguns. My dad has an old Grendel .22mag with 30 round magazines (fun thing to shoot when it works).

10 rounds is the normal capacity for both of these firearms since long before the ban. A 10 round magazine makes sense in a target pistol since most target shooting involves 5 or 10 round strings.

The screws on the top strap working out, and the failure to chamber the first round seem to be the two most common Buckmark problems. I have had both of them. The screws backing out seems to have solved itself, I suspect that enough grit has gotten into the threads to allow the screws to lock in a little better. The chambering difficulty seems to be solved simply by cleaning and lubricating the pistol.

 

[Randall53]

I Have Both

I feel the Ruger is of better quality than the Buckmart IMO, both are excellent however in the areas of accuracy and being fun to shoot.

I have a Buckmark Camper I purchased for around $275 NIB and it's a much better pistol than the Walther P22, which I also own. My P22 has been a real headache because of problems from day one. It's going back to S&W Monday. It's a fun gun to shoot and accurate, but I feel it's a cheap made firearm compared to the Buckmark Camper and the P22 cost me more than the Camper. I have a BSA Red Dot sight on the Camper and it's very accurate.

 

[MrAcheson]

The P22 at my gunshop is a piece of junk too. It is so bad that it breaks when people are just handling it. God help someone if they actually fire the thing. I don't think my shop will actually sell it because of the trouble they've had with it.