Recommend....

[MedWheeler]

Bersa Thunder 22.

Kel-Tec P17.

Ruger LCP-II Lite-Rack.

..just three that came to mind that I didn't see (or simply missed) mentioned already.

 

[Blkhrt13]

I’ve read many good things about the Ruger sr22.

 

[Mark_Mark]

cheap .22 for serious work. Ruger LCP .22! about $325-i think. $100 over very cheap

 

[doubleh]

I don't think you can beat the MK IV Target as a target pistol for the money. Add a Volquartson sear and trigger and Hogue rubber grips and you have a really easy to shoot and accurate 22 pistol. There are cheaper guns of course but none that will stack up with it at it's price IMO. The Phoenix is cheap and fairly accurate with the longer barrel. It has three safeties but it is easy to convert it to use only one.

 

[Craig_AR]

I don't think you can beat the MK IV Target as a target pistol for the money. Add a Volquartson sear and trigger and Hogue rubber grips and you have a really easy to shoot and accurate 22 pistol.

All true, but recall the OP's purpose for this recommendation:

The purpose of this gun would mainly be for introducing new shooters, but it would have the benefit of allowing me to plink..

 

[Throwbackguy]

As to showing new shooters/friends, I have two I always fall back to: Ruger SR22… and a Wrangler revolver. Obviously, you’re looking for an auto; I’ve put thousands of rounds thru the SR22 with no problem. To complain about, the de-cocker (reverse of a safety) and mag disconnect will ALWAYS come up; but as a plain-Jane iron sight trainer/plinker, it’s hard to go wrong. (And the DA/SA is simple to ignore, if you always rack it to prime.) Easy to instruct, to shoot, and to clean. Can’t go wrong.

 

[Shanvanvocht]

If the OP is interested in introducing newbies to shooting, I would suggest sticking to full sized pistols. The small, pocketable eexamples like the Ruger and Bersa are fine for experienced shooters, but poor teaching tools.

 

[Marc Alverson]

The Walther P22 and the S&W M&P 22 are both small guns. The TX22 and the Sig P322 are both full size (like a Glock 19), have similar triggers, feel, and site radius to a "real" 9mm gun but no recoil. If your goal is to introduce a new shooter with the expectation that they will move up to a 9mm gun, than the TX22 or P322 are the ones. If you are looking for a .22 target pistol, then the Ruger MK1-4 or Buckmark or any of the other .22 target guns should do the job.

 

[citizenconn]

Someone on this thread recommended this one a while back so I bought one. It might not be a great trainer if the shooter plans to mostly shoot polymer pistols, but its my only .22LR pistol and I like it so far.

 

[westernrover]

....an inexpensive semi .22.

The purpose of this gun would mainly be for introducing new shooters,....

Introducing them to what?

If you want to introduce them to Glocks, get the Glock.
If you want to introduce them to 22 pistols, get a Mark IV.
If you want to introduce them to fine pistols, get a S&W Model 41.

That said, there are some revolvers and guns not chambered in 22 that are good for introductions.

If you want to introduce someone to shooting, consider a 3-screw Single Six.
If you want to introduce them to double-action revolvers, get a S&W Masterpiece.
If you want to introduce them to target shooting, consider an air pistol.
If you want to introduce them to handgun combat, consider an airsoft pistol.

 

[westernrover]

I would also add that some new shooters will enjoy moving on from rimfire sooner rather than later.
Some people enjoy rimfire all their lives.
Others take many range days before they're comfortable moving to centerfire guns.
There are also people that would be disappointed if all they got to shoot was a 22 on their first day.

I'm a proponent of air power myself, but kids can be disappointed if that's all they get to shoot. There's a lot of eight year olds that should probably be content with rimfire. I'm not excluding the exceptions. There's not many teens that should be prohibited from centerfire. I introduce teens that have never shot before with a 38 Special -- a few grains of a fast powder like W231 or Titegroup behind a 125 grain bullet. Out of an all-steel Ruger single-action or double-action L-frame, It doesn't catch them off guard, tend to form bad habits, or disappoint them. I'd introduce them with a full-size, steel 1911 too if I had one. But I won't introduce them to bad taste in guns.

 

[citizenconn]

I would also add that some new shooters will enjoy moving on from rimfire sooner rather than later.
Some people enjoy rimfire all their lives.
Others take many range days before they're comfortable moving to centerfire guns.
There are also people that would be disappointed if all they got to shoot was a 22 on their first day.

I'm a proponent of air power myself, but kids can be disappointed if that's all they get to shoot. There's a lot of eight year olds that should probably be content with rimfire. I'm not excluding the exceptions. There's not many teens that should be prohibited from centerfire. I introduce teens that have never shot before with a 38 Special -- a few grains of a fast powder like W231 or Titegroup behind a 125 grain bullet. Out of an all-steel Ruger single-action or double-action L-frame, It doesn't catch them off guard, tend to form bad habits, or disappoint them. I'd introduce them with a full-size, steel 1911 too if I had one. But I won't introduce them to bad taste in guns.

Me and their Grandpa recently took my twin 17 year old nieces to the range for the first time a few weeks ago. These aren't urban dwelling, subway riding Sex in the City types. They live in the country, ride horses, and show calves. Not that that matters, just setting the background.

I started them on .22LR in an AR, after about 30 shots each they graduated up to .223 and were shooting 10 shot strings within a 2 inch circle at 50 yards. Moved then up to a silenced bolt action 6.5 CR and they shot it even better. Results with the .223 and 6.5 CR were almost as good at 100 yards. All in the space of 2 hours.

To cap off the day they shot some 9mm and then Grandpa's 1911 in .45 ACP at some steel plates. They can't wait to visit again to shoot some more. So, it really depends on the shooter and how comfortable and motivated they are.

 

[Good Ol' Boy]

Introducing them to what?

If you want to introduce them to Glocks, get the Glock.
If you want to introduce them to 22 pistols, get a Mark IV.
If you want to introduce them to fine pistols, get a S&W Model 41.

That said, there are some revolvers and guns not chambered in 22 that are good for introductions.

If you want to introduce someone to shooting, consider a 3-screw Single Six.
If you want to introduce them to double-action revolvers, get a S&W Masterpiece.
If you want to introduce them to target shooting, consider an air pistol.
If you want to introduce them to handgun combat, consider an airsoft pistol.

It would seem you answered your own question with the second post you made below the one I'm quoting, with the first sentence.

I have a SA .22 revolver I've used to introduce new shooters to shooting pistols. The sights are garbage and the overall manual of arms is more complicated, which is why I'm considering a semi.

I'm well aware some folks might be willing, and more importantly able to step up to a larger caliber on their first session. However thats really irrelevant to the discussion.

 

[Scrapiron45]

Bought a tx22 to introduce new shooters since most were looking at a striker style polymer type pistol for self defense. It's worked well, probably got 4 or 5 thousand rounds thru it.
Got the g44 for me since it fits all my g19 holsters, wanted cheap practice, have used both in classes, seems more students prefer the TX.
I'd have to say the Taurus is more accurate, probably due to trigger and sights but the Glock guy in me feels the g44 will last forever.

 

[MedWheeler]

BlkHrt13 writes:

I’ve read many good things about the Ruger sr22.

I'd forgotten about that one. Man, did I want one of those when they came out. I just thought they were pricey at the time. Definitely should be on the list.

 

[bnolsen]

I have a mkII 22/45. I hate taking it down to clean (have to watch a video or pull out instructions for that every time). It runs like a clock and eats pretty much everything including rejects from my ruger charger. I would really like to try out a tx22 as I think something like a modern carry pistol might be more beneficial for first time shooters. At that point I'd probably go for a tx22 competition model.

 

[Robbins290]

I have Just over 30K rounds thru my G44, Up until round count 27k did the extractor start to cause issues. Before that, only malfunctions were break (less then 300 rounds) and ammo related failures (bad primers)

 

[doubleh]

All true, but recall the OP's purpose for this recommendation:

Please explain why the MK IV isn't a good plinker. I "plink" with mine a lot. I would certainly rather "plink" with an accurate gun than an inaccurate one. I much prefer to hit my "plinking" target than to miss it and I bet new shooters would too. Look at it this way. When you are teaching someone to fish, fish for some species that is easy to catch to start with to maintain their interest. It is the same for about anything you are trying to introduce some one to. Start out where they will have some success. This applies to adults as well as kids, especially kids.

 

[Craig_AR]

Please explain why the MK IV isn't a good plinker.

A Mark IV is an excellent plinker, and I never said otherwise. However, the OP was asking for an inexpensive .22 to help beginners in shooting, not a plinker for seasoned shooters.

....an inexpensive semi .22.
The purpose of this gun would mainly be for introducing new shooters, but it would have the benefit of allowing me to plink.

[emphasis added]
The Mark IV is a bit pricier than some other options.
As many others in the thread have listed options, you can see a wide range of costs and quality. Plus, there are the target pistols like the Mark IV and Buckmark, and the SD-style guns like the M&P22C and the TX22.

 

[Smaug]

Here are the ones I've shot and what I thought of them:

• Ruger 22/45 - Nice, but I thought the grip was too slim
• Ruger Mk. II Target - This is my 22 pistol. I love it, but now after 25+ years, it's malfunctioning a bit. Probably just needs a new spring or something. Mk. II series are considered one of the greats, but are not super-easy to field strip. It takes a bit of practice and the parts need some breaking in before it's easy. They also don't have a magazine disconnect button on the grip, it has the old latch on the bottom.
• S&W 22A - Great gun. I like the included rail and mag disconnect button recessed in the front of the grip. I'm not sure if these are still made. The latest one is called something else I believe.
• Browning Buck Mark - I got one for my wife. (now ex) She made sure to get it in the divorce, which was a shame. It was a nice gun, but needed screws taken out to field strip. Even so, it was easy to clean and accurate. Lots of different flavors.

One that might be worth looking into for new shooters is the Ruger SR22. I have a colleague who has one and says it's great.

 

[12Bravo20]

The S&W 22A was discontinued years ago. The S&W Victory replaced it. They are totally. different pistols.

 

[Mosin77]

Ruger Mark I or Mark II can generally be found for around $300 on Gunbroker without much trouble. Great pistols.