Nicest 22LR pistol

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4dobes

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Here is a question for all of the 22LR lovers, what is (in your opinion) the nicest 22LR pistol? I am thinking of purchasing another one, and am interested in what others think. I have a S&W 41, a Mitchell Arms High Standard Victor (that I am looking for another mag for). I also have a Colt 1911 that has a 22LR conversion that I have used, but it now is back to 45 due to the shortage of 22.

So in terms of NOT being fussy with ammo and jamming, what do you think I may be interested in?
Thanks,
4dobes.
 
+1 on the Ruger Mk I, II, and III. The Ruger 22/45 is also a good gun if you prefer a straighter grip angle.

You also can't go wrong with the Browning Buckmark series for an accurate and reliable pistol.

The GSG 1911 is cool if you want something that resembles a full bore gun along with the S&W M&P 22.

I used to like the Sig Mosquito and the Walther P22 until all the horror stories started with cracked slides. Neat little guns, too bad they didn't stand the test of time.
 
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.
 
if you are looking for a well finished beautiful .22, you could get a Browning Medalist. Just love the quality of the machining. The slide action is so smooth, it's like glass. It cycle's just fine on CCI SV, American Eagle, and CCI Blazer. I have one with the original Medalist grips which can be a bit unwieldy for a two handed grip, so also have one with the Challenger grips on it. The trigger is great, slightly lighter than my SW 41's, and has a built in dry-firing mechanism that can be switched on.

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Depending what you want to do with it... - there are very exotic .22 for ISSF @ NRA 2700 comps, Walther GSP, SSP, Pardini SP - all free pistols are .22 - but for a fun classy .22 semi auto - check out the Hammerli Xesse (also known as the trailside) and has 5 & 6 inch variants. (I should add that Walther bought Hammerli)

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It is - I hadn't noticed but the top (apart from the slide) is dovetailed - this photo shows it better and I pushed the slide back a bit so you can see where the dovetail runs.. The pistol is great for bullseye (my girlfriend loves it) and I was out shooting steel plates too - and it is a ton of fun. A super shooter and a lovely trigger. This one is a Hammerli Hammerli (not a Walther Hammerli so to speak)- and was made in Switzerland - from the photo above - you can see it says Carl Walther Arms and made in Germany as well as Hammerli on the slide, so production did move. I rescued this one for $500 as it was surrounded by Glocks and looked very lonely!

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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.
 
Newfoundlandrover said:
Ruger MK 1,2 or 3 All are excellent and will feed just about anything.
Click to expand...

Don`t ignore the Ruger Mark III 22/45. The grip is at the same angle as a 1911
and you can find hundreds of 1911 grips that will fit.
Volquartsen make a fantastic rubber grip with thumbrest (for right-handers) but it
will only work with the Marks i, II and III, not the 22/45
 
I am really pleased with the Beretta Model 71 that I picked up for $349.00 + tax, it is reliable and accurate, some find the 6 inch barrel ugly and are tempted to hack it down to the legal limit but the extra sight radius is a bonus for me.
I had a Buckmark Camper and swore I would never sell it but a trade came along that I couldn't resist so it was gone, I felt sad and missed it but when I saw this Beretta I was in love again only this time no stovepipes which happened every now and then with the Buckmark. The Beretta has no frame on top of the breach so ejection is less inhibited.
Here is a picture of an M9 and the 71:

 
zippp0 said:
It is - I hadn't noticed but the top (apart from the slide) is dovetailed - this photo shows it better and I pushed the slide back a bit so you can see where the dovetail runs.. The pistol is great for bullseye (my girlfriend loves it) and I was out shooting steel plates too - and it is a ton of fun. A super shooter and a lovely trigger. This one is a Hammerli Hammerli (not a Walther Hammerli so to speak)- and was made in Switzerland - from the photo above - you can see it says Carl Walther Arms and made in Germany as well as Hammerli on the slide, so production did move. I rescued this one for $500 as it was surrounded by Glocks and looked very lonely!
View attachment 21729
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Good deal at $500. Looks like it would be easy to throw a red dot on to that rail if you wanted to.
Enjoy!
 
I was going to recommend a Walther Olympia, but I see you have a S&W 41 which I understand is their copy of the Olympia. I find the Olympia design to be one of the best of any 22 pistol, and they are extraordinarily reliable.

I have the Norconia clone of the Olympia Jaeger (the TT Olympia) and it shoots any ammo I feed it (and good ammo gives very good accuracy). I see some folks have ammo issues with the S&W 41, which I wouldn't expect given it is similar to the Olympia.

I wasn't impressed with the build quality nor design of the Ruger 22/45, Mark III, Colt Woodsman or GSG offerings, so I can't really think of a "nice" commonly available 22 pistol. I still recommend the Olympia as the "best" 22 pistol overall, so you might want to check it out to see how it differs from your S&W.
 
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