I need helping picking a new .22 pistol

[nnero93]

Hey everyone,
I am starting research for my next pistol, which will be a .22. I have only had my pistol permit since august and rushed out and bought a GP100. Now I would like something cheaper to shoot for practice. I have narrowed my choice down to three, only 2 are Rugers and I know this forum might be biased but I just would like some honest opinions.

My choices are between a single-six convertible, MKIII and walther P-22. My buddy has the Walther and it is such a fun little gun and seems to shoot any ammo without jamming.

I will be getting a single-six eventually no matter what anyways. I think it would be a good companion for my GP and the .22 mag cylinder is a plus. I have heard nothing but good things about them and love the simplicity and ruggedness of a revolver (reason why I got the GP).

I dont really know much about the MKIIIs or a MKII if i can find a good used one. I have heard good things but have read they are finicky with ammo, which is my biggest complaint about my 10/22.

Wow, I guess this is a long post. I broke it up into paragraphs so it would be easier for everyone to read. Researching firearms and learning new things are just as fun to me as shooting them. It took me a year to decide on the GP100. Thanks for reading my novel and I look forward to hearing everyones suggestions.
Thanks
-Nate-

 

[1gunsnotenough]

I had a P22. Fun to shoot but not accuate enough. Go with a good MKII.

 

[miatank]

I had a P22 - it shot OK but I just did'nt 'bond' with it. Sold it off.

dave - P22s are popular, just not with me

 

[96/44]

The MKII or MKIII would be the most accurate of the three, if that is your primary concern. The Single-sixes are great too, but accuracy wise, can't hang with the Ruger autos, at least in my experience.

 

[Chris]

I realize that this is not going to sound good coming from a ruger collector but the fact is the P-22 is garbage compared to the Rugers you mentioned. Just in terms of durability they can't compare, in terms of accuracy it's like comparing a Volkswagen to a Cadillac any of the ruger you mentioned would be a fine choice. Keep in mind the single six's are not for everyone, you either love them or hate them, and really can't compare to the semiautomatic pistols, they are both very very different.
If you wanted to step out of the box and could afford it the Smith and Wesson model 41 semi automatic pistols is one of the best .22 ever made. Revolver wise other than the rugers... Smith Model K-22 or Model 17 would be great choices also. Opposite end of the spectrum the berretta Neos is a fun little gun to shoot.
It really all depends on what you are comfortable with and how you're your pockets are.
Hope this helped
C

 

[rooger]

nnereo93, my MK III is seven months old and I am very glad I bought it. My early FTE's were solved with a Volquartsen extractor which I installed in minutes. I didn't need to do the mag tweeks for either the two original or the two additional mags I added later. Disassembly and reassembly is quick and simple now...it took a few times at first to learn the tricks.
You asked about ammo. The only ammo I had trouble with was the Remington Golden HP.

 

[blume357]

Out of your 3 choices, in my opinion the only real choice is the MKIII... but then that would be my choice anyway.

A lot of folks here like the single six, I have one and it is probably one of my least favorite handguns... for me it is just too hard to load those six idy bitty 22s in the cylinder... If I was going to buy another 22lr revolver it would be a double action one that the cylinder swings out.... with that said...

the damn MK III is just too much fun to shoot. when you order the MK III go ahead and get another 4-8 extra magazines because you are going to need them.

the only down side to the MK III is the disassembly of the thing. There should be some kind of certificate for those of us who have mastered it... Doctorate of Ruger MKs, or such. But don't panic, you can do a search here and with a little reading and being prepared it is not that hard.

 

[VAdoublegunner]

Of your choices, I'd go with the Single-Six. I like the MKIIs but am not real fond of the MKIII changes. I find the Single-Six to be more fun at the range though for general practice, and you do have that 22Mag capability.

However, if your goal is to practice cheaply with something that is similar to your GP100, none of the above are what you want. Unfortunately, finding an SP101 in 22LR isn't going to be that easy, or cheap. So you may want to look into a Taurus, or better a S&W K-frame, 22LR. The Taurus isn't too expensive, and the S&W can sometimes be found used for a reasonable price.

When, oh when, is Ruger going to put another 22LR DA revolver on the market (and not one based off of the LCR, please, if you want anyone to actually buy them!).

 

[nnero93]

Thanks everyone. I am leaning towards a MKII or MKIII first. There was a MKII in the local gunshop for $215. It has a tapered barrel which I dont like the looks of, I would like one with a bull barrel if possible.

 

[airwin]

nnero93, I highly recommend a good used KMK512 (MkII). Before buying it check the barrel-inside very careful if it is really smooth like a mirror without any damages. For me, the MKIIs are one of the best .22 pistols ever made. With good ammo a MK II or even MKIII is almost as accurate as a much more expensive sport pistol. One of my KMK512s hits 5 rounds in a ring of 3/4" at a distance of 25 m (27 yards). The overtravel of the trigger can be adjusted very precise, but this is not as simple as on other guns. To do this, you have to disassemble the gun. And disassembling/assembling a MK II is not very easy the first few times. MKIIs are very solid and reliable if you use HV ammo. I prefere CCI MiniMag and dislike Remington golden bullet. Maybe you can get a possibility to testfire a MK II in future and then you will see it´s a lot of fun to empty out one mag after the other. The safety features of the MKIII models I don´t like, therefore I like the KMII more. But this is only my opinion.
The Single Six is a nice gun too, but it fits better for patient shooters. Loading the six little beans takes some time. The Accuracy of my SS with .22 LR cylinder is not as good as of my MKII and worse with .22 Mag ammo. But it´s still a nice toy and it handles like a "full-grown" gun.
About the Walther I can´t say anything.
The GP 100 is one of the best affordable .357 revolver on the market. Your choice for it was perfect!

 

[mattsbox99]

I have lots of .22s, including a Sig Mosquito and a Walther P22. Both of which sit in their cases and never get shot. Neither were accurate, and both have lots of malfunctions. I gave them each 1000 rounds to shoot and the FTEs & FTFs were ridiculous.

I have lots of Ruger 22s, including MK I,II,&IIIs Chargers, Single Sixes, and 10/22s. The best guns are the MKIIIs, even though I like them all. I have 4 MKIIIs all are bull barrel target guns and one has a Tactical Solutions Pac Lite titanium upper. I shoot Steel Challenge with them and I am very happy with their reliability and accuracy.

They are factory, I haven't removed any safety features or added any Volquartsen parts. They all run flawlessly.

 

[slowpoke]

When, oh when, is Ruger going to put another 22LR DA revolver on the market (and not one based off of the LCR, please, if you want anyone to actually buy them!).

I agree with the above. Ruger needs to put out something along the lines of the S&W 617. I bet it would sell.

As for single actions, I have a few Single Sixes and love them. Some are more acurate than others. I just bought a USFA 12/22 and let me tell you!! That is one nice S/A 22!! Fit and finish are excelent and its very accurate.

To the OP- I have a Ruger 22/45 with a 6" bull barrell and can't recomend it enough. Feels great in your hand, doesn't seem to finicky on ammo and has acceptable accuracy. I'd get one and then a Single Six later.

 

[Tommy Kelly]

I have 2 of the three and my son in law has the other. I personally don't care for the walther but it seems reliable. I have a 4 5/8" single six that is a great shooter that I really like but I also have 9 other ruger single actions that I love. My mkIII is the 5" hb and it has been flawless in over 5000 shots not the first jam of any type. The mkIII is very accurate also. I probably shoot the single six more than the mkIII. Probably because its a single action which I like. I have owned quite a few mk pistols and all have hung up from time to time maybe bad ammo or whatever but the mkIII has been flawless so far. In my opinion either ruger would be the best choice for you. I have never shot a magnum in my single six just lr's.

 

[WANT A LCR 22LR]

When, oh when, is Ruger going to put another 22LR DA revolver on the market (and not one based off of the LCR, please, if you want anyone to actually buy them!).

Why not make a 22 LCR? The target audience would be people that purchase a LCR 38 for personal defense but need someting with low cost ammo to practice with. This group is likely to only have 1 or 2 guns and didn't but them for hobby purposes so they are unlikely to thousands of rounds under their belt.

 

[WingMaster]

I have a Super Single Six 50th Anniversary.

I am also going to be buying a .22 auto soon. I'm getting a Buckmark. Buckmarks feel better in my hand than Rugers - MK II's, MK III's or 22/45's.

 

[tomiswho]

I bought a 2245 MkIII in September. Didn't seem to be bothered by ammo choices, shot the dreaded Rem Golden Bullet, fine, shot the CCI stinger, Fine, shot Winchester and Federal bulk, fine, I could not find a problem. I was shooting for function, not necessarily best on target. While I had no problems, I heard great things about some of the Volquartsen stuff over on rimfirecentral, and I was used to a better trigger pull than factory (though it wasn't really bad) so I ordered some parts. Put in the sear, target trigger, extractor, and a Sam Lam bushing, and the pistol is now not just good, but fantastic. I sunk about $50/$60 into it.

 

[rugerlovah]

if yer just going to get one, get a 5 1/2 bull barrel mkIII or mkII. i like the 22/45, mainly cause its about $100 cheaper. its gonna be more practical than the p22.

for best grouping, shoot cci standard velocity. $25 a brick at dick's sporting goods.

this is coming from someone that owns a p22, a mkIII, a mkII, a "standard" model, a smith 422, a smith 18, and a single six. the p22 is neat and fun, but shoots patterns compared to the rugers.

 

[CanonLyles]

Why not make a 22 LCR? The target audience would be people that purchase a LCR 38 for personal defense but need someting with low cost ammo to practice with. This group is likely to only have 1 or 2 guns and didn't but them for hobby purposes so they are unlikely to thousands of rounds under their belt.

Because, my 98 year old grandmother could do more damage throwing pennies at an intruder than a snub-nosed .22. Probably, more accurate, too. LOL It would be cheaper/more practical to just practice with the .38 if they're going to only have 1 or 2 guns. The other gun would most likely be a rifle or shotgun that they probably never shoot. "Train as you would fight." For a defense pistol, .38 spc +P is the smallest/lightest I would dream of going. That's why I keep the SR9 loaded with Speer 124 +P GDHP and the 870 w/ 3" 12 ga. 00 buckshot. You MIGHT make it in, but you WON'T make it out. :twisted:

Make sense?

 

[I_Like_Pie]

Check out the Beretta Neos also. It looks wonky, but fits the average hand wonderfully and has the best Iron sights I have ever seen on a factory pistol.

 

[nnero93]

The more I read, I think I will leans towards a ruger mkII or mkIII, definitely a bull barrel one, I love the fluted barrel on the MKIII hunter but that might be a little out of my price range. I would like to stick with ruger for the time being. Appreciate all the comments and suggestions.