Nicest 22LR pistol

Sorry I just re-read the original post and although the Beretta Model 71 is not the nicest pistol in terms of aesthetics it is the best shooting 22LR Pistol that I have had the opportunity to shoot and it is dead nuts reliable with standard velocity ammo.
 
For sure Walther's (and Hammerli's) and Pardini's are nice .. but I never thought they were any better made than a S&W 41.
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Not necessarily better made - just a more modern (and different) design - the Model 41 was designed in '57 and with a 1911 geometry and feel. I shot one last week and was surprised at how skinny and tall the sight base is with a very upright angle. The modern European pistols have a much lower sight base with a very forward angle, 5 round mags and loads of recoil absorption gizmos. As usual it boils down to the shooter not the pistol but the Hammerli Trailside / Xesse is really worth a look at.
 
Hard to beat the S&W 41!

For something a little bit more flashy, you could try to dig up a S&W 622 (which will also use your type-41 magazines). Not so fussy if you keep them clean and well lubed.

If you would like something more substantial (okay, heavy), a Ruger MKIII Hunter or Competition is the ticket. Just make sure you invest in a Majestic Arms speed strip kit;
it does away with the magazine disconnect safety, cleans up the trigger a bit, and makes pulling the bolt for cleaning a snap!

Speed_Strip_Kit.jpg
 
My M&P 22 is a fussy eater. But a great shooter. Will not feed any Winchester regardless of $$ associated with it.
 
Hard to beat the S&W 41
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unfortunately it is often easy to beat a S&W 41. Just insist on running a match with "club" ammo and dont permit any "alibi's"

Model 41's are often (NOT always - but often enough) quite particular about the ammo they want to shoot. This is pistol dependent and barrel dependent .. I have a long 7 3/8" Model 41 that shoots anything and is very accurate with pretty much anything that goes into it. OTOH the well balanced and much newer 5 1/2 barrel that also accompanies it occasionally only likes what it likes - which it likes very well - fortunately.

I havent seen Rugers display this tendency and never saw an older High Standard that didn't behave like a fat girl at an all you can eat buffet. The last time I saw a High Standard ftf was with an older member who bought a used Military Trophy and proceeded to use/abuse it for a few years until it slowed down a match and the RO wandered over and asked "when was the last time you cleaned this" ... and the response was a puzzled look and the words "clean it???"
 
Some nice pistols mentioned here, I like my S&W 41 but prefer the colt woodsman match target second edition. It has a nice feel to it and shoots better than I can shoot
 
AP said:
I have always liked the elegant Browning Medalist and have seen "club guns" with a "whole lot" of rounds through them that still performed like new.
I would see if you could find an (original) High Standard Victor 10X - the older High Standards would shoot anything unlike Model 41's that have always had a special diet they preferred. And the Victors were pretty "special" which says a lot because even the Military Trophies ALWAYS shot better than their owners. Rugers have no "panache" but they sure shoot well! If you wanted something really different a Korth or Freedom Arms 83 in .22LR would be pretty special - and pricey. As would any of the older Colt target .22's. -- not like I dont ask myself the same question you have asked.

For sure Walther's (and Hammerli's) and Pardini's are nice .. but I never thought they were any better made than a S&W 41.
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:agree:
 
Ruger Mk II = good and I prefer over the MK III's
S&W 622 = very good
FAS 602 (22) and FAS 603 (32 wadcutter) make a great pair for target league and aside from caliber operate pretty much the same so there is only ONE style of target grip to get used to.
S&W Model 41 = good but I sold mine and went to the others above; now reducing collection as I don't shoot target league any longer.
I have several .22 Ruger MkII's and MkIII's as well as the 22/45's; all are a pleasure to shoot and if you use good ammo (bought in bulk/cheap) they will give you zero problems. Once you get used to taking them down they are quick to clean and lube for the next outing. Fact is, when I take a newbie to the range I put a Ruger in their hands with Bull barrel, etc.
For those that are very serious about target shooting, you may want to look at the K22 Masterpiece as well in a revolver..... but of all my guns, the FAS 602/603 pair have been the best for target shooting. They are dead accurate and well balanced. Parts and service still available regardless of what you might hear. Top of the line target pistols are not stocked by very many dealers or distributors in North America - most of the parts are coming from Germany or Italy and take a few days to arrive so no big deal. I have been shooting mine for about 6 years now and just posted them for sale in the EE forum. Clean em and use proper ammo to cycle them and they are a treat. 32 wadcutter is readily available and I use Remington 555 bulk pack ammo which is cheap and cheerful and cycles ALL of my .22's just fine. Took me a while to find out about the Remington 555 ammo... it was a target shooter in the next lane that told me a few years back when I was having stovepipes from every magazine full. NEVER a problem with the 555 ammo! Readily available and cheap as dirt. I picked up a few boxes full and have enough .22 ammo for the next 5 years here. Bought at Bass Pro I think.. but many gun shops should carry the stuff as it makes their fussy .22 pistols work well. I have at least a dozen other .22's that shoot well, but when push comes to shove, you get what you pay for and those Target pistols do the job right.

As to the availability of .22 ammo - call around for Remington 555. While it is not target ammo I have found the quality to be superb and the availability...well, like I say, I went into Bass Pro and bought ten boxes of the stuff with 555 rounds in each box.

.32 Wadcutter is a bit more difficult to find for those that shoot target league and target pistols.... I get mine from Wolf out Kingston way. He will custom load the stuff to your specifications for a small premium but I have found his standard loads just fine and consistent. Have never had a problem with Wolf's ammo and I use lots of his loads. He loads for several prominent shooters to their specifications. Save your brass and he will even reload it for you although I go with new brass all the time for a few bucks more.

My K22 Masterpiece is a pleasure to shoot as well, but I prefer a semi auto.

PM me your phone number if you have any further questions and I will try to steer you in the right direction. What you have SW41, High Standard Victor, Colt 1911 with .22 conversion are all good guns and I have shot them all. The bottom line is "what are you using the pistol for?" and how serious are you about your target shooting? If I am just plinking .22, my favourites include the Ruger Mk II, Ruger 22/45, Colt Cadet target, etc. I only take out the FAS pistols if I am VERY serious about target shooting for whatever reason. They sit stowed away these days as I don't get REAL serious about target/target league these days.

Good luck with your quest. Above all, make sure the gun fits your hand. And a nice set of target grips helps a lot as well for serious target shooting. The grips are big and clunky wooden affairs but the make for a rock solid hold and greater accuracy I think. The gun becomes a natural extension of your hand/arm.

If you are a member of a club, get out and talk to some of the target league fellows. They are experienced and have seen them all and the results on paper.
 
Sig 226 in .22lr. Great pistol. I've poured thousands of rounds through mine and while it's not a fan of lead bullets it works OK with everything but federal ammo. It especially likes RGBs and Thunderbolts.I like being able to swap out the upper and mags and shoot 9 mm, same grip, same controls, same sights, same drills. All that said I haven't fired the PPQ so I can't say the 226 is better, it's just the pistol I know and like.
 
OP,
Try TriggerWholesale for HighStandard magazines.
http://www.triggerwholesale.com/product-category/magazines#.VNvObMZ0HgU
 
Volquartsen Scorpion. They shoot as good as they look. Available from Varmint Extreme. You have to go through the import process but it's worth it.
 
SUPER TENERE said:
Ruger 1 and 2 but not 3. I have had them all and would not get another 3 with all the extra moving parts to screw up your trigger. I currently own a Stainless 3 that I have turned in to a 2. Cost me an extra $100. and still isn't as good as a Stock 2. Only good thing about a 3 is the Mag Release Button.
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I have to agree with this post….somewhat. Would have been nice if my MKIII Standard didn't have the "extra moving parts" but they were easily neutralized and yes the "Mag Release Button" location makes it worth getting the MKIII….IMO.
 
torontogunguy said:
Ruger Mk II = good and I prefer over the MK III's
S&W 622 = very good
FAS 602 (22) and FAS 603 (32 wadcutter) make a great pair for target league and aside from caliber operate pretty much the same so there is only ONE style of target grip to get used to.
S&W Model 41 = good but I sold mine and went to the others above; now reducing collection as I don't shoot target league any longer.
I have several .22 Ruger MkII's and MkIII's as well as the 22/45's; all are a pleasure to shoot and if you use good ammo (bought in bulk/cheap) they will give you zero problems. Once you get used to taking them down they are quick to clean and lube for the next outing. Fact is, when I take a newbie to the range I put a Ruger in their hands with Bull barrel, etc.
For those that are very serious about target shooting, you may want to look at the K22 Masterpiece as well in a revolver..... but of all my guns, the FAS 602/603 pair have been the best for target shooting. They are dead accurate and well balanced. Parts and service still available regardless of what you might hear. Top of the line target pistols are not stocked by very many dealers or distributors in North America - most of the parts are coming from Germany or Italy and take a few days to arrive so no big deal. I have been shooting mine for about 6 years now and just posted them for sale in the EE forum. Clean em and use proper ammo to cycle them and they are a treat. 32 wadcutter is readily available and I use Remington 555 bulk pack ammo which is cheap and cheerful and cycles ALL of my .22's just fine. Took me a while to find out about the Remington 555 ammo... it was a target shooter in the next lane that told me a few years back when I was having stovepipes from every magazine full. NEVER a problem with the 555 ammo! Readily available and cheap as dirt. I picked up a few boxes full and have enough .22 ammo for the next 5 years here. Bought at Bass Pro I think.. but many gun shops should carry the stuff as it makes their fussy .22 pistols work well. I have at least a dozen other .22's that shoot well, but when push comes to shove, you get what you pay for and those Target pistols do the job right.

As to the availability of .22 ammo - call around for Remington 555. While it is not target ammo I have found the quality to be superb and the availability...well, like I say, I went into Bass Pro and bought ten boxes of the stuff with 555 rounds in each box.

.32 Wadcutter is a bit more difficult to find for those that shoot target league and target pistols.... I get mine from Wolf out Kingston way. He will custom load the stuff to your specifications for a small premium but I have found his standard loads just fine and consistent. Have never had a problem with Wolf's ammo and I use lots of his loads. He loads for several prominent shooters to their specifications. Save your brass and he will even reload it for you although I go with new brass all the time for a few bucks more.

My K22 Masterpiece is a pleasure to shoot as well, but I prefer a semi auto.

PM me your phone number if you have any further questions and I will try to steer you in the right direction. What you have SW41, High Standard Victor, Colt 1911 with .22 conversion are all good guns and I have shot them all. The bottom line is "what are you using the pistol for?" and how serious are you about your target shooting? If I am just plinking .22, my favourites include the Ruger Mk II, Ruger 22/45, Colt Cadet target, etc. I only take out the FAS pistols if I am VERY serious about target shooting for whatever reason. They sit stowed away these days as I don't get REAL serious about target/target league these days.

Good luck with your quest. Above all, make sure the gun fits your hand. And a nice set of target grips helps a lot as well for serious target shooting. The grips are big and clunky wooden affairs but the make for a rock solid hold and greater accuracy I think. The gun becomes a natural extension of your hand/arm.

If you are a member of a club, get out and talk to some of the target league fellows. They are experienced and have seen them all and the results on paper.
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^ all good info - that's why I like this place. I recently picked up a Colt Cadet target .22 and it shoots amazingly well. Doesn't like lead tipped rounds, but other than that it isn't fussy. Discovered that Beretta Neos mags will work with it, so I have 3 more on the way.
 
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