btmonnat said:
I just bought one for my wife. She is in process of getting pistol permit. I don't like the sights but changing to fiber optic front. I had a mark lll that spoiled me as far as accuracy but it was the slab side long barrel. Great shooter, only gun I regret getting rid of. The Sr 22 is not even close in accuracy to mark lll but all together different guns. Got the Sr 22 because the grip felt great to her and it was light even with the longer 4.5" barrel. To me it is easy to clean after the first time. Not liking the trigger very well and the safety is backwards of most guns. Wished I would have looked harder at the 22 45. All in all a decent starter hand gun.
The comparison is quite different, concerning sights, barrel length and, above all else, the COST. The SR 22 is what I would consider a fairly close range, plinker and fun-gun. Fur trappers around here have bought 3 of this style Ruger and how much more accuracy do you really need at 10-feet. If someone has hands the size of ping-pong paddles, no, the SR22 will not work without adaptation to the grip to make it larger. Fit, and common sense should play a part, at least somewhat.
The steel frame Ruger Mark pistols are in a class unto themselves, with target sights and longer barrels. I have a "personal" Ruger Mark II Competition Target, and it will compete easily, accuracy wise, with my Smith & Wesson Model 41, when both are stabilized in a
Ransom Rest. And, the Ruger Mark II Competition Target is not as finicky about which .22 Long Rifle rimfire ammunition is used in it, whereby the S&W needs to have recoil springs changed if CCI Mini-Mags are used. As was mentioned above, the SR22 pistols, at least the dozen, or so, that I've been involved with, show no certain preference to any specific brand of .22 Long Rifle ammunition.