My New Browning Buckmark, Range report

[Speedo66]

Bought a new Browning Buckmark .22 pistol, matte finish with very nice cocobolo wood grips, and a light gathering front sight.

I'd read a lot of complaints about the current crop of .22 pistols, including the Sig, Beretta, and Walther, having lots of fail to feed, fail to eject, etc. problems with bulk pack ammo and others. The common thought seems to be they need to be worked in, rough edges removed, etc.

I didn't see any Browning problems mentioned, so decided to buy one. Took it to the range yesterday for the first time, met up with a friend, and I'm happy to report the gun operation was flawless. Zero problems, and on top of that, it even has a nice trigger pull, and a heavy barrel which points nicely. Nice adjustable sights, too.

I tried it with cheap Federal HP bulk ammo, CCI Mini Mags, CCI standard velocity, and Remington high velocity solids. All fed, fired, and ejected perfectly. Shot almost 200 rounds. Was also happy with the accuracy.

My friend had a relatively new S&W M&P .22, and his was also flawless.

So, after this admittedly unscientific testing, I'm happy to report I'm thrilled with this gun and its performance. The only downside I see is it requires tools, 2 different sized Allen wrenches, to take it down completely for cleaning. The S&W has a take down lever; pull it down, pull it out, and the gun comes apart. Nice.

I'd rate the Browning as a 4 1/2 out of 5.

 

[C0untZer0]

Which model did you get?

 

[jonnyc]

Those hex screws will tend to loosen up and give you problems. Use a dab of medium Loctite on them and leave them alone. Get a can or Synthetic Safe spray gun cleaner, lock the slide back and go to town. A little wipe and lube after that and you're good-to-go. I only clean mine when the trigger starts to feel scratchy, and I never clean the barrel.

 

[Speedo66]

Thanks for the info on the hex screws and cleaning. Based on the included instructions, I cleaned the barrel and whatever I could reach before I fired the gun.

I understand Browning is a little picky about refusing warranty work on guns that have been disassembled, so I'm leaving it alone until after the warranty period is over.

This is the model I got: http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/...3490+BUCKMARK+CAMPER+22LR+ADJ+FOS+COCOB+GRIPS

 

[Fremmer]

Nice pistol, and good review.

 

[Pilot]

Buckmarks are excellent .22's. A friend has the slabside Buckmark Plus model, and I really like shooting it. They have nice out of the box triggers also.