Question - first .22 handgun

[Bart68]

Do what we all did...get a Ruger MK II

No we all didn't..

so many 22's out there and for the most part they all have faults and greatness, when we purchased my wife S&W .22A-1
we looked at every gun the local shop had and that's what she liked the most for feel weight and looks. I have an old .22 revolver and I like it
but it is old so I have been looking at new .22's and I boiled it down to 3 semi auto's with 1911 the best fit for my hand and for looks. "BUT" everyone
is different so pick some that you think would work and go down to your local gun shop and check them out.

 

[Still alive]

Even though Strangeday’s suggestion might be construed as tongue in cheek, he does make a good point. Many of us old timers did learn on the Ruger Mk. II and IIIs, along with a S&W K-22 Revolver. It was what was available at the time and they did work well. The Ruger has the natural point ability of a Luger or close to a 1911. That’s why it was so popular.
I agree that with the modern options now, you are no longer limited in choices. If your wife shoots the M&P well then it’s the perfect gun for her. I love that gun too btw!

Enjoy!

 

[RdK]

I'm considering a Walther P22Q or PPQ 22. Any opinions on those?

 

[FLYBYU44]

I have owned a Ruger 22/45 in the past and recently bought a Buckmark Camper, not sure why anyone would buy the Ruger. The Buckmark has a way better trigger, you don't need a degree to take it down, and it has far better controls. Oh yeah, the mags actually drop free like they are supposed to on the Buckmark.

 

[sailor723]

I have owned a Ruger 22/45 in the past and recently bought a Buckmark Camper, not sure why anyone would buy the Ruger. The Buckmark has a way better trigger, you don't need a degree to take it down, and it has far better controls. Oh yeah, the mags actually drop free like they are supposed to on the Buckmark.

A Buck Mark SS Camper was my first pistol purchase. I still have it and shoot rimfire steel challenge with it. It has a ton of rounds through it and is still dead reliable with bulk ammo.

 

[BCRider]

Everyone wants a .22 that looks like a center fire gun. But you know what? If you get a .22 that has a grip angle that is similar to a center fire gun you'll get later than it really does not matter at all what the gun actually LOOKS like. And a set of sights is just a set of sights. So when you're holding the gun and sighting over the notch and post they all look alike.

So instead of finding a .22 that LOOKS like a center fire gun you really should just get a .22 with a really good reputation that has a grip size and angle that is comparable to many center fire guns. And those would be the Buckmark, Ruger 22/45 or the new S&W Victory. Your hands will learn all the right things and your brain won't know the difference.
I've been around a lot of folks shooting a lot of rimfire pistols thanks to RO'ing frequently at matches. By far the more reliable examples are the Buckmarks and Ruger .22/45's. GSG's can be good once well broken in but I've seen a lot of those jam up when fairly new. And I've seen some good and some bad S&W M&P .22's. Enough of each that I'd still rank the Browning and Ruger above the S&W option. Of those two? I'd rate a good GSG over the S&W. But it's a near thing. And the difference between a good and bad GSG is usually just some wearing in from a lot of shooting. Shoot lots and they just get better and better.

They are out of production now but I would not turn up my nose at a decent price on a S&W 22a. The couple I shot were good guns. One I shot quite a lot. And it was a rental gun at DVC. So it was hardly ever "clean". Yet it only gave me issues a couple of times when it was so dirty that I didn't want to stick my finger in there.....

My own rimfire semi pistol group includes a S&W 422 and one of the shorter but still restricted 2206's. The magazine safety has given me a bit of an issue on occasion but other than that the guns cycle reliably and have proven highly trouble free. And once I strip out that darn magazine "non safety" feature they'll be golden.

 

[Got Juice?]

Everyone wants a .22 that looks like a center fire gun. But you know what? If you get a .22 that has a grip angle that is similar to a center fire gun you'll get later than it really does not matter at all what the gun actually LOOKS like. And a set of sights is just a set of sights. So when you're holding the gun and sighting over the notch and post they all look alike.

A set of sights is not just a set of sights. Not all are equal. Buckmark Silhouette Sights are far finer than anything short of a free pistol (and hooded, no shadows or glare) Same goes for the Anschutz Exemplar pistols

 

[rockport guy]

Just going to say... keep in mind how easy it may be to clean!

 

[Sochi]

Thanks everyone for all your input! I've learned a lot

I finally made it to Firearms Outlet and had a chance to handle Ruger SR22 and oh, boy! It's so small and grip is so tiny and short - no way I can have anything like this.
I tried Sig 226 classic in .22 instead and this is the main contender now. The fact it could be easily converted to 9mm or .40 and back is a great bonus. I don't like how decocking is done (not what i am used to) and I still want to read up on this gun a bit first, but it seems like the best option now for what i need it for (get my daughter comfortable shooting and learn how to handle DA/SA without stress of weight or recoil)

It seems to chose .22 is harder than 9mm - so in the meantime I bought myself a M&P M2.0

 

[silverfoxdj]

Not sure if you've considered a revolver, but the 617 is a very well made, nice sized gun too.

Can't go wrong with this pistol..

 

[Arielized]

Realize I'm late to this discussion, but here are my 2cents: the Browning Buckmark UDX is the best .22 target pistol for the price. I have recerntly shot 3 examples of these (all different vintages) and in my opinion you can't go wrong with a Browning Buckmark. If price is less of a concern, the SW model 41 is the BEST .22 you can buy (imho)!!