.22LR Pistol Recommendations

[superbarnie]

Hello folks,

My birthday is coming up, and with it I should be able to legally purchase a handgun. I've decided that I should get a .22LR pistol to hone my pistol shooting skills with out breaking the bank. What I really wanted to get was a Ruger Mark III, but to my chagrin it has since been dropped from the Roster. So then it looks to me like the Buckmark is the other main contender. But I have heard reports about the Buckmark having trouble with bulk ammunition, which poses a problem, since bulk ammunition is about all I shoot.

So, I would like some suggestions on .22LR pistols that are available in California. What are your thoughts?

Thanks

[pauloween]

my experience with buck marks has always been positive. i also shoot mostly bulk 22's.

are you looking for semi-auto only? how about a revolver?

[5.56]

I had a long post about how great my S&W MP22 pistol is and how it's supposed to be a copy of a Walther P22. I then realized you're more than likely turning 21 and are now old enough to buy your first pistol.

Forget .22LR pistols and buy a good 9mm of your choice. It's slighty more expensive for ammo and a pistol, but not by too much. Also, 9mm with the right load is equal to or better than the best of .45 or .40. 9mm ammo can be had for cheap as of late, 16 cents a round if you're willing to shoot reloads and 19 cents a round if you want factory new. That's only 8-10 cents a round max more than .22lr and the ballistic effectiveness isn't even comparable.

I love my .22lr pistol but it only serves 2 roles, a pack gun for small game and fun target practice. My 9mm pistols serve the same 2 roles plus self defense.

[MongooseV8]

I'd suggest getting a glock 19. But if rimfire is a must, then take the time to find a nice Ruger Mark III either in the classifieds or on consignment.

[Andy9161]

My lady is picking up a buck mark urx lite today.

I have 3 boxes of bulk ammo. I will report back on how it goes.

It wouldn't have been my first choice to spend around $500 on but it did seem like a really nice pistol!

[Stumpfenhammer]

Forget .22LR pistols and buy a good 9mm of your choice. It's slighty more expensive for ammo and a pistol, but not by too much.

I seem to remember Jerry Miculek advising someone--who had asked how they could get good with a pistol--that they should buy 20,000 rounds of 22LR and use that up before going to a centerfire caliber.

I'm guessing the suggestion to get a 9mm was made because you'll want one at some point and they might be harder to get then. Maybe they will be, but I don't see the Gen 3 Glocks going anywhere this year.

The cheapest 22LR and 9mm online per round prices I could find today (that I would shoot) are 6 cents and 17.8 cents a round respectively. So as far as I can tell 9mm is going to be about 3X more expensive to shoot.

What do you want out of a pistol, what can you afford at this point in your life (not just the gun, but the ammunition, training), etc?

If you don't have a pressing need for a defense gun then a 22 is a great place to start and may be better to develop the fundamentals on. And when you start teaching friends/girlfriends it will be the best pistol to get them started on.

The save up and get a Glock 17 or 19 later this year.

...and Happy Birthday!

[Jimi Jah]

NAA .22LR mini pistol. If you can hit with that, you can hit with anything else.

[ktm162]

Pick up a Sigg mosquito you'll have a blast

[Garv]

PPT a Ruger Mark II or III if you have the patience, they take a while to find, but worth the wait.
My two Buckmarks shoot most, but not all bulk.

Figure out what works and feed the rest to your rifles.
If not for HD, so what if you get a FTE once in a while?
Or, convert to better ammo
Or, get a revolver.

[k1dude]

Your choices are limited compared to the rest of the nation because of the roster. So some of the best choices aren't available to us. You can use the Olympic exemption for some fine guns, but since you're just turning 21, I doubt you have the deep pockets required to purchase those guns.

I'd consider looking at the following roster guns (in no particular order) if you want a new pistol:

Sig Sauer Mosquito

Sig Sauer 1911-22

Smith and Wesson 22A-1

Browning 1911-22 A1

Browning Buck Mark

German Sport Guns GSG1911

Walther P22 CA

There are a whole bunch of additional off-roster choices if you purchase used. Unfortunately, off-roster guns command a premium these days, so the deals for a used gun aren't what they used to be.

I'm assuming you want a semi-auto. I think a .22 LR is a fine way to introduce yourself to pistol shooting. Especially if you're on a tight budget. Which when I was 21, I didn't have 2 nickels to rub together.

Almost all brands of .22 pistols can be finicky when it comes to ammo. It's luck of the draw. But usually with use, they loosen up a little and become less finicky. Find out what your pistol likes to eat and feed it a few hundred rounds of that to break it in. Then it'll probably begin to behave and eat whatever you decide to feed it. Hopefully you'll get lucky and won't have any problems right from the start.

Almost all .22 seems to be selling at 8 cents a round regardless of make these days. That's simply due to demand (hoarding). Before Obama was elected, it was usually 3 cents per round for bulk. CCI was always 8 cents per round even before the craziness started. Sometimes you can still find it on sale for 8 cents. If you do, grab as much as you can. Sometimes if you're lucky, you can still find sales of non-CCI .22 bulk at 6 cents per round. But it goes quick at that price. I prefer CCI and Federal. I have less luck in my guns with Winchester and Remington. But your experience might differ depending on your gun.

Good luck and happy hunting.

[steel30]

What's your location OP?

[Wordupmybrotha]

Buckmark has no problems cycling bulk ammo. Buy with confidence.

[WRXKid]

I love the GSG 1911. Perfect gun for the price and all controls are the same as a 1911 in 45acp. I have shot the mosquito and the pk22 and both are finicky with ammo. I love them so much I bought two! 1 for me and one for the wife. Great guns with tons of mods. Most 1911 parts can may transfer over. I have had no issues with bulk ammo. Just gotta keep the thing clean. For ~$300. Can't go wrong.

[SweetPotato]

I 2nd WRXKid. After about 600 rounds without cleaning, it wouldn't cycle half the time. After a quick clean, it works well again. Out of the box so far, it shoots TB, GB, CCI SV and other. The most out to range .22 Pistol that I have.

[superbarnie]

Thanks guys, I'll look into the Buckmark and the GSG/Sig 1911-22.

I'll probably get a 9mm sometime down the line, but .22LR is just much more feasible for me right now. Especially since I already have a 10/22. It just makes things simpler.