.22LR Handgun Opinions

Browning Buckmark with custom grips. Would not trade it for anything!

I'm torn on these as well.... I've had the buckmark (great great gun!), spent a lot of time with a mosquito (very picky on ammo), bought the fiancé a ruger sr22 (she is scary accurate with it but kinda small in my big ol hands) and I'm currently awaiting the arrival of my new 22/45.... I gotta see what all the hype is all about!

I bought a Ruger MKIII about 6 years ago. Put in the Volquartsen Accurizing Kit. Sweet shooter. Much better than I am.
I love shooting rimfire. Did a little informal Bullseye and it was a blast.

My advice would be a version of the Ruger 22/45 and add the Volquartsen kit.

Good luck.

recently got a S&W M&P Compact and just love it. It has a threaded barrel as well. Very accurate for a small .22

I've had 3 .22lr pistols....

Walther P22
The P22 has gotten a bad rap in years past. It has undergone a number of redesigns on several parts, however, it did needed some "mods" out of the box to perform reliably. It also has a high user base and accessory demand. I have also added a Fiber front sight, Threaded barrel adapter and a captured recoil spring/guide rod. All really add to this great little pistol with plenty of aftermarket options.

ISSC M22
The M22 functioned great and is the same look/feel as the Glock and fits in Glock accessories (holsters, has an underrail, sights, etc. ). I purchased it as a training option to fire cheaper ammo when 9mm and 45ACP prices skyrocketed. Then .22lr became scarce. It's a great little pistol, except the slide has a little bit of a "cheap" or almost die-cast metal feel to it. It looks stamped instead of machined and feels almost like a BB gun.

PPQ 22lr (My favorite)
It's like they took all the issues with the P22 and fixed them. No problems whatsoever and it can use all of my PPQ accessories. The Walther products have the best ergonomic feel and triggers. Also can use the same threaded barrel adapter as the P22.

On a side note, I think my favorite conversion kit is the Advantage Arms .22lr conversion slide for my Glock 19.

The Ruger SR22 is almost a replica of the P22 and there are pros and cons to each. The Ruger does have a "Fatter" grip and is cheaper than the P22. The SR22 also comes with the suppressor adapter, replacement magazine bases, zippered case, etc. The P22 has a shorter trigger reach than the SR22, and is a little lighter. The P22 has replacement grip options, but feels like a single stack weapon (the pads only make the grip longer), meaning it feels a little skinny. The P22 also has a paddle magazine release, not a traditional button... so there's a learning curve. I do not own an SR22, but I have shot one and compared the two.

Not that anyone will be using it for self defense... but the Walther can also be carried with the safety on, a round in the chamber, and the hammer back (Condition One). The Ruger has the hammer down with the safety on.

I will also say that since I collect Walthers I may be a little biased. However, I do have a couple of Rugers and I must say that they impress me. While Walther is a standard and ground-breaker in gun-making, Ruger can definitely stand on their own.

IMHO.

For a real treat , find you a S&W K-22 Revolver . I have one and it's incredibly accurate . Obviously a suppressor is not an option but what the hell .

I agree, Dan, but how do you suppress a revolver?

Another +1 for the Buckmark....

TTNKountze said:

I agree, Dan, but how do you suppress a revolver?

Click to expand...

Start with a Russian Nagant revolver!

http://pixgood.com/suppressed-nagant-revolver.html

In the OP's original post I think he mentioned something with the look of a smg...this 10-22 kit might fit the bill;
http://www.1022fungun.com/store/pc/home.asp

Lots of great guns mentioned here.

As others have mentioned, it's tough to go wrong with the Ruger. I've got a Standard from 1954 that can cut a ridiculously tight pattern all day long.

But, I'd tip my hat to the Colt Woodsman. Unfortunately there's a good bit of collecting interest in these (and, like anything Colt, you'll pay for the name). That said ... my Woodsman is the smoothest cycling, crispest breaking gun I've ever shot. When I get bored of whatever else is in my safe, it's the gun I go back to, to remind myself of why I enjoy shooting.

If you can find yourself a Woodsman, you'll be in for a real treat.

Mike