22 Autoloader

[cabezaverde]

What is everyone liking these days in the current 22 auto's?

I have (had) a Ruger MK1 and a MK2, but looks like my wife and son have stolen them for their use.

Use would be paper, plinking, practice - hopefully not survival.

[wallenba]

I recently picked up a Walther P22, the short one. It's really light, accurate and I have'nt had any FTF or FTL's yet (only 200 rds tho). Its priced right too, about $360. And WAAAY easier to take apart and reassemble than a Ruger Mk II. I'd still say the Ruger is more accurate though.
The grip is a bit small for large hands but OK. I like it a lot!

[MT Gianni]

I have had good success with a S&W 22A. It went back to the factory with a broken extractor this summer in their dime. 5-6 weeks later it returned, no charge, and still a shooter.

[2ndAmendmentNut]

When it comes to 22 plinkers, Ruger is king.

[cheese1566]

Ruger...

[primersp]

i have a sig mosquito and exept the look it's not a real bargain
change for a 617 4

[jh45gun]

I love my Smith 22 A expecially for the built in scope rail to make mounting a red dot or scope easy. I have a Bushnell Trophy Red Dot on mine. The open sights are better then Rugers also. Ruger MK series is ONE thing Ruger did right it is a nice gun I have had several over the years. I like my Smith better because it is a LOT easier to field strip and it is like the Ruger an accurate little beast.

[Four Fingers of Death]

I had a 200year Ruger with the bull barrel. No matter how hard I tried I could not crack 480 out of 600 in an Olympic Standard Pistol match. I tried my late wife's old beater (a Browning Medallist from the 50s) and whammo I couldn't shoot anything less than a 500. I went back to the drawing board and tried all sorts of ammo in each. The Browning kicked the Ruger's butt everytime. Check out the Brownings they are good. I will never sell the Browning, although I use a Baikal Standard Pistol for competition now, it is scary accurate and handles recoil well, barely disturbing the sights with target ammo.

Don't get me wrong, I loved the Ruger, only sold it to feed kids, but it wasn't in the same league as the Browning.

[Firebricker]

I like the Ruger 22/45 gonna put in an after market extracter though. FB

[bobthenailer]

ive shot BE since 1976 and i ve been a high master shooter for over 15 years . i use a orgional hampton hi standard . the entry to intermediat level shooters use various brands but the gun of choise with that level of shooter in my club is the browning buck mark then ruger but the beretta neos is pretty good and it sells for less than the rest . ther are other brands used but use is too limtied.
in every case a intermediat shooter who used these guns and got a top end gun such as high standard or a s & w 41 ther scores improve alot ! even after putting trigger kits and changing the grips on there gun. also a red dot sight will help alot on any pistol !


bob

[dale2242]

I have had a Ruger MK2 for many years. It is the most reliable and accurate 22rf semiauto I have ever shot, bar none. Can`t go wrong with the Ruger...dale

[wallenba]

I have had a Ruger MK2 for many years. It is the most reliable and accurate 22rf semiauto I have ever shot, bar none. Can`t go wrong with the Ruger...dale

I agree, just finished installing a Volquartsen accurizing kit in mine as well as extended bolt and magazine releases, (mine is an older model catch in the butt of the grip). Have'nt got to shot it yet.

[cabezaverde]

I saw a stainless bull barrel MK II at the local shop yoday priced at $295, in very good condition.

I have been thinking about picking it up and putting the volquartsen kit in it.

[wallenba]

I saw a stainless bull barrel MK II at the local shop yoday priced at $295, in very good condition.

I have been thinking about picking it up and putting the volquartsen kit in it.

The kit is a snap to put in, but I had a lot of touble keeping everything in place at the same time. The little trigger spring with the long and short tangs kept dropping out before I could get the pin through the sear. My big fat fingers kept getting in the way of seeing what was happening. Watch out for the detent ball in the safety button. If it falls out without you noticing, you'll have to take it back apart. Also my mag release needed some fitting to catch the magazine. New models don't have them.

[bruce drake]

I'll second the M22A I bought one this summer to replace a Ruger 22/45 I had for several years. My BE scores went up by almost a 100 points this summer.

Scope rail comes standard and the iron sights are easier to see than Rugers. Grip is a bit bigger than my 22/45 but nothing a normal hand can't handle.

The Ruger Mk3s are standard with those cheap plastic sights. S&W are metal.

S&W is a polymer grip with a metal frame , slide and barrel.

The Prices are about the same.

You make the final decision yourself

Bruce

[jh45gun]

I'll second the M22A I bought one this summer to replace a Ruger 22/45 I had for several years. My BE scores went up by almost a 100 points this summer.

Scope rail comes standard and the iron sights are easier to see than Rugers. Grip is a bit bigger than my 22/45 but nothing a normal hand can't handle.

The Ruger Mk3s are standard with those cheap plastic sights. S&W are metal.

S&W is a polymer grip with a metal frame , slide and barrel.

The Prices are about the same.

You make the final decision yourself

Bruce

Pretty much my feelings and not knocking the Ruger as it is one of the FEW Ruger Products they got right but the Smith is better all the way around and I can honestly say that after owning both. In fact I have had 3 MK's in my lifetime a Used MK1 and a couple of II's one of them the Government Target Model. This Smith I have shoots just as good or a shade better than that Target model did.

[HeavyMetal]

The Ruger Mark I II and III's are good solid guns that will shoot all day and not have a problem if treated right.

Having said that if you plan serious bullseye compitation look into something else! Ruger's can be made to shoot in the top levels of bullseye but by the time you get the gun right you've spent twice what it is worth!

For that kind of money a good Colt Match target 3rd model, a Hi Standard Victor, A Berretta 76, an original Browning Medalist, S&W 41, all of these will out shoot a Ruger and be worth more when your done with it!

Heck I was shooting a 200 yr anniversary Mark II in bullseye in 1978 and bought a 6 inch Diamond back that bumped me 200 points in less than 2 match's!

Now don't get me wrong I have a few Mark I and II's in the safe and all are good guns but I have yet to see an out of the box Mark anything shoot well enough for me to endorse the "Target" logo on the side of the gun!

[cabezaverde]

I like the 22A, but have read numerous reports about them being picky about ammo. I have tons of the Wally World Federal bulk pack stuff. Any idea how that runs?

[MT Gianni]

It shoots good in mine but not match grade. 2"-2 1/2" groups @ 25 yards are common. Off hand not off a rest.

[jh45gun]

I like the 22A, but have read numerous reports about them being picky about ammo. I have tons of the Wally World Federal bulk pack stuff. Any idea how that runs?


As the last post stated it shoots good in mine too but there are other brands that may shoot better but I would not be afraid to take head shots at squirrels with it if that answers your question. I have not found an ammo yet that was really bad it likes most types that I can see.

I think most 22's are some what picky they all have preferences.

[Bret4207]

I'm very happy with my Ruger Mk3 22/45 and my family likes it too. It's a very good shooter, but not on par with my FILs Hi Standard Supermatic.

[cabezaverde]

When I said picky, I meant the reports I read said they had a hard time feeding hollow points, etc.

[wiljen]

I bought my Ruger 22/45 Mk III before all my fun started for $245 out the door. Hard to beat for what ya get.

[part_timer]

I have a buckmark and I like it. The biggest problem with it is that I have to crank the sights all the way to one side to get it on target at 25 yards. Lots of fun to shoot and it cycles the cheap federal stuff well.

[jh45gun]

When I said picky, I meant the reports I read said they had a hard time feeding hollow points, etc.

I never had a problem with that. I have shot a lot of that cheap Federal Hollow Point 550 a brick stuff and never had a feeding problem yet.

[NickSS]

I currently have a ruger 22/45, Berretta Neos, and a Walther P22 Short barrel. I use them mostly for plinking and small game hunting. I do not consider any of them a target pistol and if I was to get back into pistol competion I would do what I did last time I was competing and that is buy a Hi Standard Victor or a S&W41. In my opinion trying to get a ruger to be a bullseye pistol is like trying to get a Stock chevy to compete in the indianapolis 500 race. It will go around the track but you will not be in the winners circle very often.

[dale2242]

As far as improving your BE scores, we each find a particular gun that suits/fits us better than others. This will be the gun we give us the better scores. Confidence in a gun will also get us better scores. If we think it will shoot better, it will shoot better for us. You should try all available brand and type of 22 rf ammo in your gun. They will have a preference. It may no be much of a difference. When I found a brand and type my gun liked , I went so far as to buy all the same lot. Shoot as many different guns as you can before you buy and make your choice that way.. most of all have fun.....dale

[jh45gun]

In defense of some Rugers though I am not a Ruger Fan anymore when I bought my Goverment Target model Ruger Sent a factory shot target with the pistol. It was pretty much one small ragged hole with no flyers. It was a nice shooting pistol.

I do not know if Ruger does that anymore or not????

Anyway my S&W 22 A shoots just as good as that Ruger did and I like the feel of it better too. Both are fine pistols. My groups with the Smith at 25 yards are pretty equal to what the Ruger did but I have red dot on the Smith and I had a Pistol scope on the Ruger so for all intents and purposes the scope made for finer detailed shooting but the red dot is really close and faster and easier to use. SO I suspect if I had a scope on the Smith it would shade what that Ruger did.

[500MAGdaddy]

I like the 22A or 22S Smith. I had one and traded it some years ago. I now have a MKIII Hunter and it's a good shootin piece too. Just mounted a scope on it and plan to reduce the population of bushy tails around here this fall. If I could have one .22 Auto though I would love to own a mdl. 41. My dad had one years ago and I grew up shootin it. He traded it about 10 years ago for a 617 and some boot. Still scratchin my head over that one.

[mtgrs737]

You can't go wrong with the Ruger MKII, I have one that I installed a Valquartsen sear in and that improved the trigger pull a lot. Tough reliable and plenty accurate for my aging eyes. My alltime favorite is the S&W 41 but at 3 to 4 times the price it is hard to justify.

[cabezaverde]

Geez, how things change.

I took the wife to the range yesterday, and she was shooting her (my) Mark II with 5.5 bull barrel. She comments that she really likes the pistol, but it is kind of heavy.

Maybe I need to repo it and look at something for her.

[Dframe]

Sorry nothing I have is "current". My Woodsman dates to the 70s and my browning even before that.

[Lloyd Smale]

ive got a 4inch 22/45 heavy barrel that is hands down the most accurate 22 pistol ive ever owned. It is an untouched out of the box gun and it puts even my smith to shame. Funny thing is its not even ammo sensitive and will drive nails with about any 22 shell i stick in it except for the hypervelocity stuff that ive never got to shoot well in any handgun.