I second the walther GSP - excellent value and they can be had for 800 - 900. Yes, there are lots of very good .22 pistols out there such as the smith and wesson .41, high standards, rugers (although the stock triggers leave a lot to be desired). What it comes down to is what you want to do with the pistol. If you want to do bullseye or scored competition the walther GSP has a lot of features that will help. The grip, balance and trigger is amazing. Plus I believe that the GSP has an even steeper grip angle than the rugers or high standards. The GSP has a completely adjustable trigger (I believe you can adjust the position, weight, pre travel and overtravel). It comes with different front sights. It is a much more modern design than a hammerli 208 (another classic) or any of the other pistols mentioned. It puts the magazine forward of the trigger guard which helps to control timed and rapid fire recoil. I have been looking at all of these pistols, but I can't see spending $600 - $800 on something like a high standard victor or S&W 41 when I could spend $800 - $900 on a walther GSP. The grip angle of the S&W is not as steep as the Walther, which may or may not be right for you. Higher grip angles when used one handed help to keep the pistol steady, especially during rapid fire.
If I were you and looking for a 1st pistol, think about just getting a used ruger mark II. There are lots of guys who compete with them and do very very well. If you like the grips on it and are happy with it, then you can always put a volquartsen accurizing kit in it (look it up). This is something that can be done at home if you have some mechanical aptitude and lots of patience. This will fix the biggest problem with these pistols IMHO - the trigger. That said, I have seen guys do very very well with these completely stock pistols in bullseye competition. You can get one for around $300 used and you can always sell it for what you paid for it later if you don't like it.
Remember that all of the pistols mentioned are capable of excellent accuracy and a good score is always due much more to the shooter than the pistol.