Which .22lr should I buy next?

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BreechFace said:
I like Glocks but just can’t get excited about a 19 sized gun with only 10 round magazines in 22.
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That has definitely been a gripe with the G44. But surprisingly the ProMag 18 round magazines work very well. The ProMags I have work as well as my OEM mags. I know, it's shocking that a ProMag product actually works, but their G44 mags do.
 
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Tx 22 is hard to beat but it sounds like you want some different range experience while staying in affordable 22 caliber.

I heartily recommend the ruger wrangler
 
chaim said:
So, usually when I decide to post here it is because I'm having trouble making up my mind. I've been thinking about this for a few weeks to a month (since I got my TX22, and really, before then since this is simply pt. 2 of the decision that brought me to that). Heck, I've thought about adding a .22 and specifically the 317 many times over the years, nearly making a decision but always putting it off. Well...

Today on my break at work I started searching for Taurus 942s and saw there are a few out there right now (all 2" and steel). Then I was thinking about how long I wanted the 317 and how often I'm not really happy with a compromise choice when I really want something else. Then I went on Gunbroker and there was a new 317 with a BIN price of $659... it isn't there anymore :)

So now I just have to wait for my local FFL to get together with the selling FFL and for shipping... then MD's stupid 7 day waiting period can begin when it gets here, and in somewhere around 2 weeks I'll finally have it.

Still thinking about the other options though (including a 2" 942).
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Congrats on your acquisition. :cool:

I have read where a couple of folks had issues with cylinder binding on the 317 and they sent their revolver back to S&W to have a stainless cylinder installed, probably a model 63 cylinder. I do not know if S&W charged them for the replacement or if they did it under warranty, but I do know that the folks that had this done were very happy with the results.

I am hoping it’s no worry at all with your 317. :D
 
Of the list, the G-44 or Kadet kit is where I would go for your next .22.

The 317 is not a “fun” gun to me, mine has a rimfire trigger pull ( rather hefty) combined with ultra light weight ( not easy to steady against the trigger pull) and hi-viz front/V notch rear sights on a 3” barrel (not conducive to fine accuracy), so it is work to shoot rather than fun. Mine is more of a backpacking companion than a true fun plinker, let us know what you think.

The wrangler is ok, I have the black 4.25” and a 3.5” birdshead. The longer barreled model is pretty accurate, but the hand failed and it had to go back. I put in a reduced power trigger return spring in the birdshead and the trigger pull is much improved over stock. :thumbup:

The G44 isnt a target-grade gun, but it is a great stand-in and trainer for any of my double-stack Glock pistols. (If they just made a G-48 sized one!)

The CZ 75-series is my newest favorite. A Kadet would be a great stand-in, too!

Let us know how they shoot when you get a chance . :)

Stay safe.
 
I have had a 317 Air-lite "Kit Gun" with 3" bbl and adjustable sights for 20+years and it's one of my favorite . 8 shots , CCI Mini-Mag ... the 3" barrel with fully adjustable sights are the only way to fly!
No harder to conceal than 2" w/ fixed sights . On a belt holster or in a pocket ... you don't know it's there ...it's that lite . Many times it gets dropped in a pocket because it's so easy to carry .

That said ...two years ago I bought a black Ruger Wrangler , 6 shot , SA . 4 5/8 short gunfighter quick draw barrel length . $199 . Just Plain Range FUN GUN ... plinking and fooling around ... I just LOVE it . DeSantis Wild Hog Holster allows right or left side carry in conventional draw or cross draw. Carried Cross Draw the Wrangler is handy and out of the way .
Mine is well made , fitted . finished and timed ... I found a brand of ammo that shoots dead on to the sights . The Kit Gun is all business ... the Wrangler is a we wanna have Fun Gun !
Gary
 
Plus 1 on the Taurus TX22 I.ve had one for a year or so, and it is accurate, indifferent to ammo brands, quite reliable if you clean it once in a while, and it fits most of my carry holsters. Big tip: Clean the magazines as soon as you get them home. As they come from the factory, they tend to jam. I cleaned mine as recommended, and have run a lot of rounds through them without cleaning again.
 
The FN 502 would likely be my choice, or the TX22. I have a target 22 already, a S&W Victory. I’d like a carry version.

Then there is also a slab sided 7” barrel Browning Buckmark floating around I really like. The Keltec 22 target pistol would be neat except the price tag locally is over $500.
 
All the Tx22 suggestions... I guess you didn't catch it, that is NOT on my list to buy, it is the .22lr handgun I currently own. It has helped awaken an interest in .22lr pistols, originally buying it because it was inexpensive to use for cheap practice with .22lr, but I'm really enjoying the gun. It helped inspire me to finally buy the S&W 317 from this thread, and I'm still considering the Glock 44, Beretta 92, 1911 (probably Walther to keep costs down), maybe the Wrangler, but with the rebate the Heritage Arms has become a strong contender (hard to beat a handgun around $100). Unfortunately, I can no longer say my Tx22 has been 100% reliable (after somewhere between 750-1000 rounds), Taurus autos apparently still can have an issue with the rear sight screw and mine disappeared (I was still able to shoot it, I just had to move it towards the center with my thumb every mag or so). Easy fix, I've ordered another for $2 online, I'll use Loctite when it comes so it doesn't happen again, and while I was at it I ordered a front night sight for my Taurus 856 revolver to make the shipping worthwhile. For years I was on a carry gun kick (even though, living in MD, I could only carry when out of state on my UT non-resident permit). I guess, even after the minor glitch, the Tx22 may have awakened a rimfire kick for me (I'm also thinking I may want a .22mag revolver soon as well- or maybe the Rough Rider with the interchangeable cylinders).


Riomouse911 said:
Of the list, the G-44 or Kadet kit is where I would go for your next .22.

The 317 is not a “fun” gun to me, mine has a rimfire trigger pull ( rather hefty) combined with ultra light weight ( not easy to steady against the trigger pull) and hi-viz front/V notch rear sights on a 3” barrel (not conducive to fine accuracy), so it is work to shoot rather than fun. Mine is more of a backpacking companion than a true fun plinker, let us know what you think.

The wrangler is ok, I have the black 4.25” and a 3.5” birdshead. The longer barreled model is pretty accurate, but the hand failed and it had to go back. I put in a reduced power trigger return spring in the birdshead and the trigger pull is much improved over stock. :thumbup:

The G44 isnt a target-grade gun, but it is a great stand-in and trainer for any of my double-stack Glock pistols. (If they just made a G-48 sized one!)

The CZ 75-series is my newest favorite. A Kadet would be a great stand-in, too!

Let us know how they shoot when you get a chance . :)

Stay safe.
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If the 317 ends up not being so fun due to the trigger (I'm familiar with rimfire DA revolvers having heavy triggers due to the heavy springs needed to reliably ignite the rimfire primers), that is fine, though it will be a disappointment. It will largely be a trainer for my 2" and 3" revolvers, and with the weight, may sometimes be carried as a backup gun.

The Wranger still interests me, but with the rebate putting the Heritage Arms options at about half the price, if I go SA revolver, I'm leaning Heritage since they are both budget guns anyway. If I go more expensive than the Heritage, I'll probably spend more and go for a Single Six.

The G44 and CZ Kadet would serve a similar purpose, though for that purpose I'm slightly leaning towards the Glock. The PCR and P01 have long been among my main carry guns (when out of state). Before I got them, I had 10000-20000 rounds through my full sized CZ 75B. The Glock 19 is new to me (right around 1000 rounds plus or minus a couple boxes of ammo). While cheap .22lr practice out of my CZs would be nice, I already shoot them very well. Like many, the CZ 75 grip angle and grip thickness feels like it was carved out custom for my hand, and I shoot it like it is a natural extension of my hand. It isn't that I'm a poor shot with the Glock 19, but with 1000 rounds plus or minus a hundred or so, it isn't the same. Meanwhile, with the slightly smaller size and noticeable weight difference, I suspect that the Glock 19 will probably end up with a lot more carry time now that I'll be carrying nearly everyday. So, the trainer in a Glock that was purposely designed to be around the size or a G19 may make more sense.
 
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The heritage 22s are lots of fun. I’d recommend the 22 magnum cylinder if you get one. It just increases the versatility, even if I can reload 9mm cheaper than buying 22 mag right now.

The Heritage will also shoot any 22 ammo I know of out there right now. Short, long, LR, Quiet, CB, Colibri, etc.
 
Some thoughts on the trainer for my larger guns (G44, CZ Kadet) vs. a fun gun (SA revolver, 1911, Beretta)...

My Taurus Tx22 is sized somewhere between a compact and subcompact 9mm. It is nearly as thin in the grips as a single stack 9mm. It is almost as if it is the perfect "generic" 9mm carry gun training pistol. From what I read, that was intentional on Taurus' part. It is indeed meant to be a perfect training gun for nearly any CCW 9mm. The trigger, the hand position, it fits that role quite well. It even fits many holsters for other guns from my understanding. I recently put an XS Big Dot on my G19 and love it. I'll probably eventually put them on all my carry guns (anything I have that already has night sights will only get them when the existing sights need replaced so it will be slow). I may put one on the Tx22 for training purposes. It wouldn't be as directly similar as a G44 vs. G19 for instance (though .22lr vs. centerfire recoil, noise, shot recovery, etc. keeps even a more direct training pistol from being a 100% match anyway), but it would work well (this is part of why I picked the Tx22 to begin with).

I'm still thinking of the Kadet or G44, but if I went with a fun (only) gun instead, the Tx22 could take up some of the slack. Plus, like I mentioned initially, any practice will always transfer over to other guns to some degree.
 
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chaim said:
If the 317 ends up not being so fun due to the trigger (I'm familiar with rimfire DA revolvers having heavy triggers due to the heavy springs needed to reliably ignite the rimfire primers), that is fine, though it will be a disappointment. It will largely be a trainer for my 2" and 3" revolvers, and with the weight, may sometimes be carried as a backup gun.
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There is no rule that I am aware of that says one cannot shoot a double action revolver in single action. ;)

When I first bought my model 63 the double action trigger pull was quite stiff. Over time shooting it mostly in single action the double action pull has lessened. It’s DA pull now is much more manageable.
 
Hmm, one addition to my list...

How would an Advantage Arms .22 conversion for my G19 compare to the G44? Obviously, I have the advantage of shooting my actual G19 with the exact same trigger and not a gun that is close to it. An obvious disadvantage, if I want to practice with both on the same range trip, it is a little inconvenient. How is the AA conversion for reliability and accuracy?

One big advantage, at $50-100 less than the G44 (depending on sellers, $100 at the cheapest for each), I could get the conversion and the Roughrider for roughly the same money as just the G44.
 
Pat Riot said:
There is no rule that I am aware of that says one cannot shoot a double action revolver in single action. ;)
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I shoot my Taurus 942 single action quite a lot when I am after the best accuracy whether hunting or target shooting. I also shoot it double action for the practice when I EDC my Taurus 856.
 
chaim said:
Hmm, one addition to my list...

How would an Advantage Arms .22 conversion for my G19 compare to the G44? Obviously, I have the advantage of shooting my actual G19 with the exact same trigger and not a gun that is close to it. An obvious disadvantage, if I want to practice with both on the same range trip, it is a little inconvenient. How is the AA conversion for reliability and accuracy?

One big advantage, at $50-100 less than the G44 (depending on sellers, $100 at the cheapest for each), I could get the conversion and the Roughrider for roughly the same money as just the G44.
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Once issue you will run into with the Advantage Arms conversion kit is that it will be more finicky on what ammo it runs reliably when compared to the G44 which eats pretty much anything.
 
chaim said:
Years ago I had a Ruger MkII. It was OK, but I much preferred a little drama (recoil and noise) when shooting, and back then 9mm was well under $10 a box. So, while it was cheaper to shoot, it wasn't worth it to me to keep it. I haven't had a .22lr for 10-15 years.
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These days my go-to .22LR pistol is my Beretta 92FS with the Beretta 22LR conversion slide and barrel. It's great for training on the range, and of course I have the original 9mm parts for serious purposes.

I like the idea of a .22LR kit gun, but my go-to for this is my S&W 637 in .38spcl. Having the more potent cartridge gives me more punch in the woods if I need it.

The Ruger Wrangler is intriguing, but I already have a Single Six with the additional .22WMR cylinder and a Ruger Bearcat.
 
foxmeadow said:
i thought the same way, but a friend advised me that the weight of the optic might slow the slide down and induce stoppages. Taurus makes a TX22 Competition with provisions for an optic, not on the slide but on the barrel. https://taurustx22.com
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Not a red dot sight, the XS Big Dot night sights. It is metal unlike the plastic stock sights but shouldn't be all that heavy for the gun
 
I would try and find a 43c over the 317. Still hearing “crapshoot” with the 327 as the 43c pistol I had was a nice pistol. Trigger pull was as good or better than my Airweights in 38. Not saying much, but still. LOL

The g44 is solid. It’s a trainer, so don’t know why so many get hung up on the capacity.

I might add a Taurus TX22 or a LCR22 to the list. Both are GTG and fun shooters.

Lefty
 
I recently had a gun replaced buy Taurus. I picked the 3”Stainless 942. 22LR. I thought my wife may like to shoot it having no recoil. I shot it to try it out. Nice shooter. I hadn’t shot a 22 in a lot of years. The grip was a little small so I replaced it with the old Taurus 85 Wood Grip. 8285EA33-9FB4-4293-B803-4424734CE9F2.jpeg 7EE214A2-72C6-4ACF-9FA5-1ADEC9D5DB7E.jpeg
 
I don't really care for the rubber grips that come on the Taurus small frame revolvers. Those grips just don't fit my hand well. I have installed the old Model 85 wood grips on my 942 and 856 and it makes both fit my hand better.
 
Surprised the SW MP 22lr compact hasn’t been mentioned. Small,lite,easy to rack, accurate and super reliable. If I’m going to carry a 22lr this will be it.
 
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