Buddy wants a 22lr Pistol. Narrowed it down to. Suggestions please

[cc-hangfire]

I have two (used to have 3) Ruger MK’s, the S&W Victory 22, and also used to have a Buckmark. As far as fun .22 shooting, you can flip a coin to decide which one.

My 30-yo son prefers & only shoots the Ruger - it’s got target sights. I prefer the Victory but it has combat sights (wider front post w fiber dot) so he always outshoots me. (Yeah, sure, that’s why.)

But as others have said, start w the Ruger due to decades of accessories & aftermarket support.

 

[Varminterror]

None are bad options, but were I to choose only one, it would be the Ruger Mark IV.

I’ve accumulated target style 22LR’s for a long time, under the guise of having options for test fit and test drive for students in my handgun classes, but truthfully because I simply enjoy them so. I’m a big Ruger Mark series fan, and the IV has been the best directional change made since the beginning. The slab-sided Competition models have always been my favorites. I’m doing quite a bit of shooting lately with a Mark IV with a threaded stainless bull barrel, since it allows use of a suppressor, facilitating conversation and casual shooting without individual hearing protection.

 

[PapaG]

Draw numbers from a hat. Peas in a pod though I'd go Ruger. (Personally a Mark II)

 

[Slamfire]

People are recommending the pistols they own. I do own several Ruger MKII's, and they are far better than the horrible MKIII's. Given that, buds who have the MKIV Ruger's like them. They are easy to take down and reassemble for cleaning.

And the S&W Victory pistol is a real winner, and I think the reason Ruger got off their duff and designed the MKIV.

If money is no object, how about a nice S&W M41?

 

[Boattale]

Most accurate handgun I own. So naturally Ruger is my recommendation.

 

[nettlle]

Ruger MKll. I used one as a trap line gun for years. It's a no nonsense gun and does what's expected of it.

 

[Rubone]

Do not forget the High Standards, some of the best 22s ever! Shown here with a couple of MKs, a II and a III.

 

[bcook4321]

Mk ii is also a great value. The easy disassembly / assembly of the mk4 drove down the price of mk ii and iii. I don’t find the mkii To be all that difficult to service once you know how to do it.

I have both a mk ii target 6 7-8 taper barrel and mk 4 lite.

 

[roval]

i have a ruger mark 2 heavy target barrel a victory that has upgraded volquartsen abrrel with truedot and used to have a buckmark eclipse. all are good. the victory was good out of the box but i still upgraded some components. i prefer sigbts without fiberoptic inserts for rarget shooting. i am sure it's my astigmatism ( though supposedly corrected) but the inserts "flare " too much for me. i like the overtravel screwhole in the victory. i place.my fingerpad on it the exact same way each time.

i probably would get a ruger mark 4 just for ease of cleaning over the others.

 

[reddog81]

If you can find a shop that has the various models for sale I would try and handle them to see what he thinks about them in person. Getting the guns in hand and checking out the sights, grips, and other features might help. All the .22s mentioned in the original post and following posts are quality guns that can make great shooters.

 

[SDGlock23]

Ruger Mk4 Target

 

[bannockburn]

1) Ruger Mk.IV
2) Browning Buckmark
3) S&W Victory
4) Beretta Neos

I have been shooting Ruger Mk.IIs for years now so much so that it's the .22 I'm most accustomed to. I like the various configurations of the Buckmark that you can get and would go with one if I couldn't find a Ruger that I wanted. No experience with the Victory but it seems to be a decent enough pistol. The Neos is a fairly good gun but could use a bit of work with the trigger.

 

[johnjohn]

I like my Mk4.

 

[Space Ghost]

I have the Ruger MKIII, and it's so sweet.

Then again, I got it of a competition shooter who upgraded the trigger.

 

[Raimundo]

Yep, Hi-Standard HD Military

 

[borrowedtime69]

Ruger mk IV 22/45, 6.7/8" bbl. I miss my old mkII I had, super accurate with a 4X Simmons pistol scope. Took many squirrels, rabbit, and marmot with it. I would buy another if I could trade my charger.

 

[DTL]

Might as well consider the GSG 1911 .2 and the Walther 1911 Colt Gold Cup version also.

 

[Slamfire]

Do not forget the High Standards, some of the best 22s ever!

I think, on an ounce per ounce comparison, Gold is cheaper than High Standard magazines. It could be close.

The High Standard was a well loved target pistol in 2700 Bullseye, I occasionally see one. But I always make jokes about the security detail guarding the shooter's magazines......

 

[AzShooter1]

I'd go with the Ruger Mark IV. I started out with the 22/45 Lite and added the 5.5 inch Target and 10 inch barrels from Volquartesen's Bargain Bin. They have barrels for as little as $25 that are threaded for your compensator or can.

The 10 inch was a hundred dollars. For 45 you get a case with the target barrel and sights. I bought mine without sights because I had an extra set from my 22/45 barrel since I shoot that with a red dot sight on it.

I've shot the Buchmarks a bit. My friend owns two and they are fun but the Ruger has more support and more options to get.

I haven't seen anyone at our matches shooting a Victory yet. I'm sure it's a fine gun. I know there are some upgrades to it but until I fire one I'll hold back my judgment.

 

[Spurgenasty]

1000% Ruger Mark 4 22/45!!!! Tactical if you can find it

 

[Zebraranger]

Personally I think that any of the three you mentioned would be fun, but I give another vote for the Ruger.

 

[FL-NC]

Ruger

 

[armedwalleye]

I have 2 MK II Ruger and 3.5 MK IVs. The customer service is impeccable, the pistols all shoot wonderfully right from the box but can be adapted to do more. Add a threaded barrel and a silencer and the giggle factor increases. Mine have never failed to feed or fire anything except a poor primer load. A second hit always fires, so I count that an ammo issue

 

[Speedo66]

I find my Buckmark will shoot well anything I put in it. The trigger is nice right from the factory, and the Haggis Flip made it even better.

Probably the nicest .22 I've handled, with the exception of the High Standard Victor I foolishly sold. Now if he really wants a great gun, find one of those...

 

[cpoakes]

Bought the Victory as my first .22LR pistol after borrowing one. Still one of my favorites three years later.