Which 22 Pistol ?

[lonewolf5347]

I been looking at the Ruger 22/45 or the Mark III or the Browning Buck Mark Plus UDX
I shot the 22/45 tack drives bullets but the trigger is a lot less to desire for bull eye shooting.
The buck mark a few shooters shoot them on the line and it seem they are a little finicky to ammo I seem more fail to eject or stove pipe:
on the other hand ruger needs upgrade parts and the buck mark can be tweak with out buying aftermarket parts,I am not crazy about browning customer service.Ruger on the other hand has super excellent customer service
I like to get one for IDPA and Bull eye matches as well as shooting steel plates.

[CastingFool]

I have a MKII I use for plinking, although I have been thinking about taking squirrel hunting. Ruger gets my vote.

[BruceB]

One great thing about .22 handguns is that they generally do NOT "wear out".

This means that if a used handgun LOOKS decent, it usually is a good bet, and this in turn means that the "used" market is a viable source for good .22s.

Therefore, I would recommend a used High Standard with the "military" grip shape, (similar to the .45 1911A1 pistol). These were made in several versions..... one with the rear sight mounted on the slide ("Sharpshooter"), one with the rear sight on a bridge over the slide so it didn't move("Citation" or "Trophy" depending on finish) and one with the rear sight on a rib, beneath which the slide cycled ("Victor").

These pistols have won MANY championships over the years, and are highly regarded in competition circles. Their reputation is reflected by their prices, which are far from cheap even in used form. Go to www.gunsamerica.com or www.gunbroker.com and search for these guns. They are fairly common on the used market.

If you are seriously interested in one of them, MAKE CERTAIN that it is a "true" High Standard, made in Hamden CT, and not one of the latter-day poor imitations.

Not all .22 pistols are good Bullseye guns by any means; go to a model with a history of success in that demanding sport. The sky is the limit when it comes to prices, with Hammerlis and similar exotics running into the thousands of dollars. The High Standards , however, will do the job for you. MOST common .22 pistols will NOT.

[M Hicks]

I have a Buckmark and love it. It hasn't proven picky with any ammo I have used in it yet. Accuracy is up to the one squeezing the trigger.

[flounderman]

The supermatic citation High Standard is a pretty fair pistol. The angled grip model had a smaller grip that fit smaller hands better than the 45 type. I have one and back when I shot competition all you saw was High Standard. I have a ruger and a Buckmark. I'm not that crazy about the way the Buckmark shoots. For dependability, you can't beat the Ruger. The magazine lips are made of thicker steel and don't get bent could be why. There's a reason you don't see a lot of used High Standards and when you do, they are pricey. People keep them.

[grampa243]

with my stock markIII i can hit 8 inch plates at 100 yards all the time.. at 50 feet i can hit a quarter offhand. i know they make trigger upgrades and such but i'm very happy with mine the way it came.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

As a BE comp shooter I have always used what I believe to be the best machinery possible. In the world of 22 I have 2 Smith 41's and 2 High Standards. They shoot and they shoot well. When you go to the line you want to be sure that you are using the best. If there is a weak link it is in the ammo that you find on the open market. Most of it is massed produced by companies what are only interested in making money and don't give a hoot about quality control. When/if you are hungry and want to win, you always go with the best. LLS

[Gee_Wizz01]

I have a 22/45 Stainless Bull Barrel that is an awesome pistol. I bought mine used but it had been used very little and wasn't broken in well when I got it. It is a tack driver and will feed any ammo that will fit in the mag. The trigger on mine is excellent and I wouldn't change anything on it. I have put thousands of rounds through it without a hitch. The only pistol I like better is my Dads old Colt Woodsman Target model with a 6" barrel. It is a natural pointer and has a trigger that breaks like the proverbial glass toothpick and is a tack driver too. If you can find a Woodsman grab it.

G

[kyle623]

Taking the magazine disconnect out of the 22/45 made a world of difference on my 22/45. the mags drop right out now and trigger feels much better.

[Forrest r]

I've always found it interesting that people say something is setup like a 1911 or has the grip angle of a 1911. Heck!!!! This 1 has the grip angle of a 1911.

Attachment 86809

A marvel unit 1 on a springfield range officer frame. It has the same grip angle & feel of the 1911, actually it's a 1911 frame/lower with a 22lr conversion kit upper. These conversion kits will easily not only compete with any of the pistols that have been listed above but they can & will excel against them. If you ever plan on getting into any serous bullseye shooting past 50ft you will most likely end up with a 1911 platform. People use the 1911's for bullseye, steel & bowling pins, plinking. The 22lr conversion kits that go on top of them will help any 1911 owner bring their shooting skills to the next level.

[fouronesix]

There's quite a few good ones out there. Maybe depends on what "hold/feel" is right for your shooting. I like the S&W M41 and the S&W K22. But those aren't the only good ones. Before jumping in, at least try hold a few in hand or better yet shoot different styles, if possible.

[earplug]

I own and shoot the Marvel, High Standard and S&W 41. The Marvel is fine when it works. Feeding and magazines have been a problem. The screw holding the breach insert is a problem. If you get the trigger all fine as a High Standard it may not work with a .45 ACP load. Magazines are a **** shoot due to the many various 22 ACE type magazines.
High Standards are fine unless you want to scope them. Then the rear sight frame mounted sight makes it hard to rack the slide or clear a jam. Fellow shooter has a new version built without the frame mounted sight. He likes it. Magazines are expensive and the lips can be a problem.
S&W M-41. The trigger is not quite as fine as the HS. Parts harder to get then a 1911. I have a stock 5 inch barrel and then bought a after market barrel made for shooting steel challenge and Bulls-eye with a scope. Magazines are easy to find, cheap and work. This is a very easy to live with pistol. Deactivate the magazine safety and enjoy it. Ammo cost $7.00 bucks for fifty in my area, best make use of it. I have been out shot with many a Ruger. The M-41 is a easier pistol to shoot with out of the box. Twenty years from now you will still own a very nice pistol.

[bobthenailer]

IF you are looking to shoot your very best in bullseye type one hand shooting then the HI Standard Victor ,Trophy or Citation made in Hamden and the first 5 years or so of production Hartford models with push button barrel take down, or S&W 41 or a disconued Browning Medalist are your only USA made options , with these you can shoot master class scores of 289 or higher . you probley will not be able with rugers or browning buckmark unless modfied which may be more than the S&W & HS costs in the first place
Ive been shootin BE matches since 1975 and have been in the high master class for 20 odd years.

I use my Hi Stds for every type of shooting that you stated ! with complete satisfaction

[felix]

Agree with Bob! ... felix

[Speedo66]

I recently bought a Buckmark and I'm enjoying it. First time at the range I took many different types of .22's with me, i.e., standard vel., high vel., Stingers, etc., and they all shot fine with no problems. Gun ran perfectly right out of the box. I was impressed with the trigger, too, Very nice.

I owned a Hi-Standard Victor and foolishly sold it. Make no mistake, the Buckmark is not a Victor, but it's still a nice gun. When I was doing my research to buy a .22 pistol, I read lots and lots of reviews. The Buckmark consistently was praised for it's trigger, and for digesting everything. Almost all the other competitors had problems with certain ammo, some with all. With the dearth of .22 ammo, that was enough to steer me towards the Browning.

[daniel lawecki]

If money is not a problem then Hi-Standard gets the vote but based on funds Ruger MarkIII gets my vote.

[country gent]

I have the marvel conversion, several rugers mk1 mk2 and 22/45 and a S&W41. barrel lengths are Marvel 5", Mk1 4 3/4", Mk2 5" heavy, and 22/45 8" slab side. All are excellent pistols very accurate and useable. All function very well.
The Marvel is a conversion unit that requires a 1911 lower end. ( some are building a dedicated frame for them now. When I bought my unit on comercial row they came with a 50 yd test group and the ammo that produced it. Fit and finish is very nice also. Marvel only recomends standard velocity ammo in the paper work that came with mine.
The rugers are all way more accurate than cost suggests first 2 are 1" or less at 25yds with good ammo. triggers are now very good ( were touched up and then many thousands of rounds fired to final fit them). Very reliable very forgiving of ammo choices. User friendly and easy to care for. The 22/45 is eaily one of the most accurate handguns I own. With ammo it likes and a solid bench dime sized or smaller groups are the norm. The trigger has been tuned up. And several thousand rounds later its just a whisper of factory. My smith did a little polishing on parts, still has the factory springs. and it is an exceptional trigger. This pistol wears a scope or red dot at times also.
S&W 41 very ergonomic, grips are the best fitting I own but may not be good for Off side shooting, Very reliable very accurate, slightly finicky as to ammo. But this pistol will make any shooter look good. I have shot the buck mark, neon,colts woodsman, High Standards and several others at one time or another. These never leave the collestion. Others come and go.

[220]

Between the wife and I we currenty have a high standard citation, ruger, buckmark, a hammerli 208 & SP20RRS.
In accuracy there isn't a great deal between them, in ergonomics and adjustability the SP20 leaves the rest for dead even the old 208 is still better than the others it may have once been the state of the art 22 target pistol once but that was 40 years ago. Of the rest the buckmark would is my first choice.
When it comes to target pistol design the Europeans are decades ahead.

[Artful]

I started Bullseye with a Colt Match Target, when it was discontinued I retired it and
I bought a High Standard Victor.

At one point I purchased a 22LR conversion for my 1911.
- accuracy and reliability didn't match to the colt or high standard pistols.

When the High Standard plant closed I retired it and bought a Ruger Mk2 Gov't model

I think enough of the Ruger Mk 2 I would recommend it - you will have to have it worked
over most likely to get the ergonomic's to your own liking but it's a very dependable gun.
I have little experience with Mk 3, but from what I have experienced I'd advise looking for
a Mk 2.

[jeff423]

Therefore, I would recommend a used High Standard with the "military" grip shape, (similar to the .45 1911A1 pistol). These were made in several versions..... one with the rear sight mounted on the slide ("Sharpshooter"), one with the rear sight on a bridge over the slide so it didn't move("Citation" or "Trophy" depending on finish) and one with the rear sight on a rib, beneath which the slide cycled ("Victor").

These pistols have won MANY championships over the years, and are highly regarded in competition circles. Their reputation is reflected by their prices, which are far from cheap even in used form. Go to www.gunsamerica.com or www.gunbroker.com and search for these guns. They are fairly common on the used market.

If you are seriously interested in one of them, MAKE CERTAIN that it is a "true" High Standard, made in Hamden CT, and not one of the latter-day poor imitations.

I've got a Victor with 3 barrels: 4.5", 5.5" and 5.5" with a scope mount. The first two barrels are Hamden and the scope mounted barrel is E. Hartford. I hope the gun is a Hamden gun. High Standard's don't have feed ramps and can have more frequent FTF's than some other guns unless the magazine is adjusted correctly.

A Ruger Mark II or III with a VQ trigger kit is an excellent gun. A fairly clean 2 lb. trigger release. You can also convert a Mark III trigger to a Mark II trigger for about $10 - $20 by buying a bushing. Youtube is loaded with instructions on how to install these kits and do almost anything else to a Ruger Mark II & III pistol.

"When it comes to target pistol design the Europeans are decades ahead". I have to agree. I recently bought an old Pardini SPE. The grip takes some getting used to but the trigger is great. It has seven separate screws to adjust every aspect of the trigger position and pull - both first and second stage. It's like an Anschutz benchrest trigger. I can't swear to it but I think that if all my 22's were fired from a Ransom Rest it would have the smallest group. But any of my guns are better than me.

RimfireCentral.com has individual sections for all these guns - except the foreign ones, and is a great source of information about rimfires. You can also learn how to modify or fix any thing on a Ruger Mark II or III there as well.

Jeff