Ultimate Plinker

[Hickory]

by Wayne Lincourt

Every gun nut looks for that perfect .22 pistol that will always be a staple of their gun collection. Even if you have more than one, and most of us do have several, a .22 pistol is lifetime purchase, so even though they are less expensive than most centerfire pistols, you have to choose carefully.

http://photos.gunsamerica.com/d/6698-1/3600.jpg

The “old” Ruger .22LR pistol, currently called the Mark III, is one of those guns you can always advise someone to choose and they will never regret it. The classic Luger lines of the gun and the hefty weight of 30oz. and up make it easy to shoot for novice shooters, and steady and accurate for a lifetime of punching paper and eliminating the dreaded grey squirrel. The Ruger Mark III will never let you down. But the world has moved on from steel guns, and most people want a .22LR pistol that looks and feels like the centerfire pistol they use for home defense, concealed carry, or competition.

This new Ruger SR22 (catalog number SR22PB, noting I think that you may shoot inexpensive lead bullets) brings a whole new era of .22LR pistols to the ever expanding Ruger line. It has the look and feel of a medium frame centerfire pistol, much like the Ruger SR9 and SR40, but with hammer fired system and a double action/single action trigger with safety de-cocker. It weighs 17.5oz. empty, and it comes with two 10 round magazines and optional extended floorplates you can snap on to hold in a third finger if you have big hands. This is a whole new gun, not a knock off or scaled down model from other guns in the Ruger line, and a lot of thought went into the design, construction, and execution of the SR22, making it the new current gun you want to check out before buying any other .22LR pistol.

http://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/ruger-sr22pb/

[subsonic]

That's about what I'd say if I was paid to write something about it.

But since I'm not being paid, I'll keeping looking for another used MKII.

[pdawg_shooter]

The “old” Ruger .22LR pistol, currently called the Mark III, is one of those guns you can always advise someone to choose and they will never regret it. QUOTE

I bought a new MkII and had to recut the sear disconnect plate to get the trigger to reset without having to jiggle it after each shot.

[Reload3006]

love my buck mark.
http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/ee403/reload3006/2946.jpg

[jh45gun]

I have had 3 or 4 MK series Ruger Pistols they are nice pistols One of Ruger's better designs because MOST of them work and are accurate but I did have a MK 1 that did not shoot well. That said I prefer my Smith and Wesson 22 A much better. Built in scope rail which is nice for a 22 pistol in case you want to scope it or red dot it. Mine has a Bushnell Trophy red dot on it. The Smith is easy to field strip where the Ruger is a PITA to do so and the Smith I think has nicer open sights too. As far as accuracy goes the Smith is very accurate. Nice pistol for the money. I noticed the Buck Mark pictured above has a built in scope rail also. Nice feature for a 22 pistol which is what attracted me to my Smith in the first place the scope rail.

[fecmech]

Thanks but no thanks, I went through that with the Walther P22. Trying to hit anything at 25 yds with an 18oz. gun with a spongy 5 lb. trigger, good luck!

[ebner glocken]

Not much wrong with rugers, have a few myself. But if I want to make sure I hit something at 25 yards this is the one I grab......too poor to get a pardini

[aarolar]

Not much wrong with rugers, have a few myself. But if I want to make sure I hit something at 25 yards this is the one I grab......too poor to get a pardini

I want one of those so bad it makes me sick but there alittle costly for me at this point...

[bcp477]

How much did they pay you for the glowing review, anyway ?

[ebner glocken]

I want one of those so bad it makes me sick but there alittle costly for me at this point...

Don't get me wrong I like my 41. If it were to be done again I might lean to the hammerili xesse for a bit less money. For about the same money I think you can get a benelli that will shoot a tad better and a less bit ammo sensetive.

It's with a heavy heart I say the euroguns are probably the better bullseye gun.

Ebner

[Matthew 25]

The all new Ruger/Walther/mini-XD. I bet it feels as cool as it looks, but I'll keep my big, heavy, ugly MkII and drive tacks all day.

[David LaPell]

I can tell you I have had a number of .22 pistols and revolvers over the years, but I have sold them all save one, my Colt Woodsman. I make it fair and I put all the guns against this one, it groups better and has a nicer trigger. So far it has whipped a Smith K22, two Ruger Single Sixes and a Smith 22A. This was my Grandfather's pistol and he bought it in 1950 and I got it in 1995. He told me he killed more game with it than with any other gun he ever owned and he hunted all manner of small game in addition to big game and he carried this on his trap line. He also won several pistol matches with it. Since I got it, I have shot pesky beavers (four so far), grouse, squirrels, and more. I really have no need for a reviewed gun, this gun has all the reviews I need.

http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss57/Smith29-2/Picture1815.jpg

[EMC45]

Smith Model 41 is THE finest .22 pistol I have ever fired or handled.

[bobthenailer]

Ive owned a S&W 41 but my true love is the real Hamden & early Hartford HI Standard target pistols for plinking or serious BE matches . somehow or other ive ended up with 5 examples of this fine pistol and im a shooter not a collecter.

[Trey45]

I have a Browning Buckmark as well, really accurate, perfect trigger right out of the box.
My CZ Kadet is in the same category, spooky accurate, eats any ammo I feed it.

The best feeling and shooting 22 semi I've ever used was a Browning Nomad a buddy had, if I ever see a good one for a good price, it'll come home with me,

If I was being paid to write an article about a pistol I was given for free, I'd give the SR22 high marks too.

[x101airborne]

When I finally get the old 22 I learned to shoot with, I am going to carry it till the steel wears through. I believe it was a High Standard - Lightning, I believe. I cant remember and it has been many, many years since I got to handle it. My dad wont give it up either.

[aarolar]

Don't get me wrong I like my 41. If it were to be done again I might lean to the hammerili xesse for a bit less money. For about the same money I think you can get a benelli that will shoot a tad better and a less bit ammo sensetive.

It's with a heavy heart I say the euroguns are probably the better bullseye gun.

Ebner

I have a buckmark that I absoutely love and it is very accurate but I just think the 41's are sexy as all getout and plus the ones I have handled at gunshows fit my hand like a glove...

[Mk42gunner]

I never could warm up to the Ruger Standard Auto or MK I or MKII, haven't tried the MkIII.

I currently have a High Standard Model B, but my favorites are the Colt Woodsman either Second or Third Model with a six inch barrel. I learned to shoot on Dad's third model, and I had a Second Model for a while.

Robert

[ebner glocken]

As I stated earlier, nothing wrong with the rugers as most shoot decent. Some well. I have an old high standard 101, nothing high end but shoots well. For all out sex appeal is there anything not sexy about a browning medalist? Unfortunatly for me I never ran across one that was selling low enough for my immediate attention. BTW shot a buddies Kadet on a SP01 frame. All I could say was "wow, what a shooter".

Ebner

[Dave_n]

I have a couple of Ruger Mk II's, an old Hi-Standard and my favorite, a 1969 M41. When I win the lottery, a Pardini or Hammerli. Dave_n

[Old Caster]

I have an almost unfired Woodsman target, 2 Hamden High Standards, A 41 with 5 and 7 inch barrel, a Marvel, Benelli 95, and I sold my Mark I and Mark II's. I have tested all of them and would say that the 41, Colt, both Rugers, and the High Standards are essentially equal when it comes to accuracy. A different one would win depending on the day and the ammo, even to the different lot. The next in line would be the Marvel and the least accurate would be the Benelli however I shoot the best scores with the Benelli and it is mostly because it fits me better than all the rest. The grip angles are different on all these guns plus the minimum size grips that are available are different too with the 41 being the largest of the lot. A lot of people don't like it only because the grips cannot be made small enough. Triggers are all different and everyone of them can be made to be satisfactory for bullseye shooting which is something I am not so sure can be accomplished with a Mark III. The bottom line is to get what you like or what shoots well for you because all of these types of pistols will be accurate enough if you pick the right ammunition but a persons scores will vary wildly depending on which works best for them. About 45 years ago I sold the only 22 pistol I ever had that was horribly inaccurate and that was a Colt Frontier Scout with convertible cylinders.-- Bill --

[smoked turkey]

I have an old K22 that was my dad's from way back and I have a Smith mod 41, but when I am going to my tractor to get wood in, or scouting, or sometimes deer hunting I usually take along this old High Standard in an old canvas holster with full flap. I just feel better when its along with me.

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

Ain't no flies on a 4" K-22.

[Green Frog]

The Ruger Standard Model .22 was a technical and manufacturing masterpiece, and with a lot of work by the likes of Jim Clark could be built into a world beater. Later versions of the same design met with similar success, and within manufacturing variances, some truly exemplary ones showed up from time to time.

As far as all-out .22 target pistols (production models) go, the S&W Model 41 was about the best, but like all thoroughbreds it required lots of TLC and special treatment to do its best, and ammo was always an issue with many of them.

For the best compromise between mass production and target accuracy, the High Standards of the late '50s through the mid '70s rule the roost. They came in a variety of grades, but all were dependable and accurate as well as durable. I have a Supermatic (Model 102) that has surely had a couple of hundred thousand rounds through it with zero break downs and precious little maintenance. Brag about the others if you will, but High Standard ruled the roost for American target .22 semi-autos. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Froggie

[Kraschenbirn]

Ain't no flies on a 4" K-22.

+1!! Even though I've got a 'Clarked' High-Standard Citation and a recent production Ruger 22/45, my 'go-to' for general fun plinkin' is still my 4" S&W 17-6.

Bill

[gnoahhh]

I've gone through a bunch of .22 handguns in my life- a couple of Woodsmans, 5-screw K-22, Colt Officer's Model all shined about equally. When I pared things down to just one, it was the pre-war Woodsman with target grips that stayed. In a week moment recently I picked up a S&W M2206 6", unfired in-the-box. It sure is a dandy, and shoots like a young rifle, but it just doesn't have that certain something that the Colt does, so away it will go. They'll have to bury me with my Woodsman!

[shtur]

I too enjoy my woodsman, it's light and accurate for small game. When I'm shooting bullseye, the High Standard reigns. When plinking or small game hunting, the woodsman is the ONLY choice.

[olafhardt]

I always thought of my 4"model 34 as the ultimate plinker but my 3" model 317 is coming on strong. A 2" taurus shows promise after a spring change. I hate loading magazines. I often wonder if one could go through a box of 50 faster with a DA revolver than one could with a simi starting with 50 loose rounds.

[shtur]

I started with a S&W 63, then left it in favor of the woodsman for many years. Last year I only shot the 63 to see if I could get as many rabbits and grouse with the woodsman. On a bright day the 63 was good, but on cloudy days, I had trouble seeing the red front sight precisly. Plus the small grips and grip angle are not as natural as the slant grip of the woodsman.