Looking into getting a .22

many options

I have a browning buckmark 22...great little plinker....only thing i don't like is the factory sights...looking into williams firesights for it....

I have been considering another .22 for the collection as well....between the Walther p22 (fiance likes it....and i think i could get her into shooting if i had that....and the Beretta NEOS at this point....the walther being the much more pocket plinker type....NEOS has the advangate of buying a carbine kit to turn it into a rifle as well...

another little 22 to look into is the Bersa firestorm 22....pretty much the same gun as their popular 380....but in 22...i have read good things about it.

I used to have a Beretta 87....this was a wonderful fit and finish 22....just felt good in the had.....i eventually traded it in for my GP100...wanted a .357 for hunting...and yes i have taken a deer with it...but i do miss the feel of the 87....they are pretty pricey these days....not likely to be able to pick another one up....

Hey Steyrfactory...if you are following this thread...An S22 would be great addition to the line up!!!!

 

ummm ... what revolver is it?

As for a pistol, another vote for the Buck Mark ... my Camper is so easy to shoot its silly ... you won't find a better trigger for the money ... my son now "owns" it as he has just started shooting with me and its the only pistol his little hands can reach and pull the trigger on. However, I will second the recommendation of better sights ... the Campers come with a Tru-Glo sight that looks nice ... Williams sightsa are also nice for about $50.

 

Ahh ... the 9 forty-niner ... those H&R are good plinkers ... you'll find very few 22 revolvers with decent DA triggers barring Smiths ... thus, you'll be well-served by getting a Buck Mark unless you spring the $ for a Smith 617.

 

There is also the classic Ruger 22's (MKII & 22/45) ... these are good durable pistols (very sturdy build) but the ones I've tried did not have a trigger that was as good as my Buck Mark ... very crisp with little to no "slack". Browning offers many models from the budget Camper & Standard models (probably what you're looking for) up to Target models. In all, expect to pay ~$250 for one of these at a gun shop ... you could probably do better on the Net but Buck Marks are harder to find than Rugers so you'll need to do some searching ... I know Davidson's has em (http://www.galleryofguns.com).

 

Don't overlook the Sig Trailside. I've been looking around at .22s for a while, so I'd know which one that I wanted when the funds became available. I stopped looking when I handled a Trailside.

 

One advantage of the Ruger Mark I,II,III series pistols is the grip angle is almost the same as the Steyr M and S series.

 

Very true ... now if only the triggers were as good as the Steyrs then they'd be perfect.

 

Browining Buckmark: I have one; easy to clean good trigger

Sig Trailside: I want one.

Ruger MKII: Don't want one, heard too many bad stories about their triggers and the small parts one encounters when trying to disassemble.

 

Let me add this. Look real hard at the Buckmark. I picked one up at a gun shop today, it felt just as good as the Trailside, the trigger was just as nice, and the Buckmark has been proven. If it wasn't cheaper than the Trailside I would have a real hard time deciding between the two. The plus side with the Trailside is that it has a built in rail, you would have to add one on with the Buckmark.

 

Rails can be purchased for as little as $30. There is one nice one available that merely replaces the Buck Mark sight base and allow you a cheap way to add a scope/red dot. For more info, search the Browning forum over at RimfireCentral.com

 

I've got a Walther P22 - it was my wife's first pistol.

It's definitely a fun little plinker, and certainly accurate enough. Trigger is good. I enjoy shooting it.

Two issues to look out for:

It prefers high-power .22 ammo. It will function with "normal" ammo, but has a tendency to jam up; the lower-powered ammo doesn't seem to have the juice to operate the slide reliably. I've heard this is the case with many .22 semi-autos, and not just the Walther.

Secondly, I've had intermittent trouble with the thumb safety. It seems that if it gets over-lubricated, it doesn't stay put. Since it is slide-mounted, the cycling of the slide has a tendency to drop the safety on its own while shooting. If the safety is dry, it won't happen. But I have to be careful when cleaning the gun, to make sure no cleaner or lube gets into the safety assembly (inside or out), and if it does, I've got to clean it off WELL.

 

safety issue on the p22

Hiho,

Was just doing some browsing last night on the p22 over at RimfireCentral, seems your safety problem is not uncommon with that gun, and more scary, if you dry fire it with the safety on, the same problem can happen in reverse, turning the safety off!....which as we know could ruin a perfectly good day...or life...I have no doubt you and the wife are safe individuals with your guns, but a little extra knowledge, and in this case, care with that particular gun may be handy.

that safety issue alone has removed the p22 from my list of wanted guns...too bad....it looks like a fun one...but safety comes first in my book...guess the NEOS is back on my list....

be safe....

 

I looked long and hard for a "combat style" .22 before I decided to get an AA conversion for my Glock. The P22 is an alright gun a for a good price, but does have many drawbacks, IMO. Other than the already mentioned safety problems, the P22 has been plaugued by reliability problems. My friend has one, and his has the problem with the not-so-safe safety, and it also randomly ejects the magazine every few shots or so. Also, the slide is made of a magnesium alloy, meaning that the slide rails will wear the slide to the point where it will not cock the hammer after 10 - 20 thousand rounds (although I have heard of P22s lasting longer, these seem the exception and not the rule). To me a .22 that may only last through 10K rounds is unacceptable (after all, I may fire 1000 rounds in a long day of shooting).

So, if you are looking for a plinker / hunter .22, I would go with either the Sig Trailside or the Buckmark. If you are looking to get a "combat-style" .22 to practice pistol techniques without spending mucho $$$ on ammo, I would either wait until June for the Sig Mosquito, or get a CZ-75 Kadet (a standard CZ75 frame with a .22 upper).

IMHO, YMMV, IANAL, etc.

James

 

Another highly anticipated re-entry into the firearms market is the Whitney Wolverine ... heard many good things about the original ones ... they have the "space gun" look of the Neos which was probably modeled after the original Wolverine ... check them out at http://www.olyarms.com

 

I know that the safety issue is not an uncommon one. In fact, Walther (or whoever the parent company is) told me to send it back to them for repair if I like.

I just haven't bothered to do it. Fact is, if I keep the safety area clean & clear of oil & solvent, it works just fine.

And for the record, neither the wife nor I EVER dry-fire with the safety on, unless the gun is confirmed unloaded, or we're out in the desert and feel like testing it pointed in a safe direction. The Walther can, indeed, defeat the safety by dry-firing into the block, however, it generally takes several "shots" before the safety is fully disengaged and the gun will fire. And again, when cleaned really well, it doesn't happen.

I'm always on the fence about selling it. But it's a fun little plinker regardless.

 

Hiho

good to know you are aware of the prob, and also good to know you know your safe practices.

I always thought it was a bit strange that you could still drop the hammer on that gun with the safety on....kinda freaked me the first time i was looking at one in the store and the hammer still went clunk when i pulled the trigger to test the safety....not the traditional decocking mechanism, but i guess it works...

I'm not a big fan of dry firing rimfires myself.....wish there was a decocking mechanism on the buckmarks...