I recently looked at CZ Kadet mags
220 and 226 22lr conversion mags aren't any better.
I'm partial to the Ruger MKII 22/45 as they will have less additions to mess up the trigger.
Mags for the Beretta Neos (discontinued) are pretty cheap.

I wish I could get my hands on a Bersa 22 but again, it comes down to mags and I would want a few.

If you find a Ruger Standard or MKI (both take different mags) I would consider it but it seems everything it either getting rare or exorbitantly priced.

Good hunting.









Everyone should have a RR brace

Another vote for the Ruger MK IV. Super easy to field strip (finally), accurate and as dependable a .22LR as I've ever owned and I have quite a few of them.

I’ve had Browning Buckmark and Ruger MK2, MK3, and 23/45. All were great. The most fun I’ve had is with a cheap ($200) Kel Tec P17.
Looks like hell, shots like heaven. Fits my suppressor too!
You’ve got some real thinking to do, good luck!

Find a Ruger MKII with a bull barrel. You grandkids will be shooting it, long after your gone.

I think it is hard to beat the Ruger and lots of other people here seem to think the same.

Hated my Walter P22. Love my Ruger SR22!

The Ruger MkIV is outstanding. I've shot the "Hunter" version.

If you want something more like a carry gun, I've enjoyed shooting a friend's Ruger SR22.

quote:

Originally posted by Texas Bob C.:
I like the S&W M&P Compact 22 a lot.

Me too!
I have read that the larger version is made by someone else and is not reliable.

S&W 41 if you can afford it.

I like shooting all of my .22lr’s

what to get is difficult to say as you mention that you are all set with 9mm’s and 45’s and that you do not want to use up your ammo for these handguns.

So for a .22 pistol you can go 2 ways

Or you buy something that is similar to your other weapons so that shooting the .22 also aids you with the other pistol. A glock 44 if you own and or carry a glock or a sig sauer p226 in .22lr to go with your p228’s , a ...

Or you can chose something completely different if it supposed to be for fun and plinking and then it all comes down to your personal taste / preference for a certain brand / look

Since you said semi-auto I would go for the S/w Victory22. Lots of up grades available. Since I have shot some 22s I would go for a S/W 617 ,10 shot with a 4 inch barrel and mount a red dot on it. You can pass it down to your grand children.

I've owned the Ruger Mk2 & 3 as well as the Browning Buckmark.
I decided to stick with the Mk3 as I had it just the way I wanted by removing the LCI and the mag disconnect. The Ruger gets a bad rap for its breakdown complications but after doing it a few times its got easier from doing it and also loosing up the parts.
Really all I so for service is keep the Bbl clean along with using a good carbon remover like Bore-Tech C4 Carbon remover after each range session and it functions good and looks clean.
Keeping my .22's clean was a chore before I discovered carbon remover cleaners and it sure makes life easier and more dependable when shooting cheap .22 ammo.
Really nothing wrong with the Buckmark I just preferred the Ruger.
Try to find and shoot several brands before buying to see which one fits you the best.

quote:

Originally posted by Texas Bob C.:
I like the S&W M&P Compact 22 a lot.

Agreed. If you want a service style pistol it’s tough to go wrong with this. It’s cheap (pre-covid at least) and mine had been completely reliable with all types of bulk pack and very little cleaning. It’s a great gun.

I have a Buckmark that I'm very happy with.
I also really liked the Advantage Arms .22 conversion I had for a Glock 17.

Love my Beretta 87, have a Ruger MKIII Hunter I use off a bag, my kids and I both love my old school Beretta 70 (the one that had the fake silencer) though mags for that are hard to find. I just picked up a Taurus TX22 and did some upgrades from Tandemkross with their “everything” kit. The Taurus is the real deal, a nice compact size .22 with extended mag capacity of 21 and a decent trigger. My bearcat and single six are fun too when I am in no hurry. Love my .22s and they get exercised more these days. Heck, I even found some CCI Quiet for .10 cents a round a couple weeks back.

Editing to make clear - The beretta 87 I have is not the 87 Target (front counterweight). It is the stock Cheetah. Very nice .22, somewhat hard to find - picked mine up new a number of years ago when I got an alert in stock...they were gone in a few hours.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: FlyingScot,

Really difficult to beat a Ruger Mark (I/II,III,IV), a Ruger SP101 or a Ruger GP100 in .22lr. They seem to accumulate quickly. Then add a Ruger 10/22 (accessorize at will) and a couple of Henry lever action rifles in 22lr and you may discover a completely new aspect of the sport.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: TN Mark,

I had a Walter P22-shot it so much I cracked the slide.

My buddy the FFL used them (P22)in his CCW classes...after a few broke he switched to Ruger SR22.

I shot every 22 made by man and eventually settled on the Ruger MKIII 22/45......in fact I have two of them now. I replaced the barrels with the PacLite (Ruger now sells their guns with a lightweight copy of the PacLite) threaded.

The second place was the Browning Buckmark. But my buddy the FFL had the Ruger in Stock for me and the Browning was going to be a long wait.

I have shot thousands of rounds thru it/them. They eat everything, ammo wise.

I did remove the stupid magazine safety doo-dad, and the gun is much easier to strip, clean and reassemble now.

My friend at the PD had a MKII that he used for training and he lost count of how many rounds went thru it. He just sprayed it out with brake cleaner, blew it out and oiled it, and it keeps on shooting.

I like the Buckmark and Ruger Mk series.

They are accurate and reliable. Also, a huge advantage of these two firearms is the magazine and the availability of a magazine loader that loads magazines in about 2 seconds. I hate loading mags at the range, especially .22lr mags.

quote:

Originally posted by pedropcola:
Ok Vtail I’m going to be that guy. Save up your pennies and buy a Beretta 87. ... .

You and FlyingScot love the Beretta 87.

Are you both talking about the true Beretta 87?

OR, are you referring to the Beretta 87 Target? I have no experience with the 87, but do have some with the 87Target.


V-Tail, You state that you are set for 9 and .45 pistols- What type?

I ask as I am not quite sure what you want.

Are you looking for a casual plinker? Or something with beer can bragging rights? Or something more target/competition, on a budget, related?

You do indicate cost is a factor. Yet, I don't know you, so I don't know how much is too much.

You have received some very insightful advice about handguns.

It all boils down to what you are trying to accomplish.
I wrote a heck of a lot, but realized it was unnecessary. PM me if you want to chat sometime over the weekend, for more play by play about different .22 options.

What you really need to do is to figure out:
How much can I spend.
What type of shooting do I want to use it for.
What 'look' makes me happiest.
What is my need for trigger pull/break/reset.
Do I have the ability to gunsmith things for myself, or do I need it to work great out of the box?

Once you have those ideas clear in your mind, you will be better able to make an informed decision.

For all-around use, I favor Buckmark and Ruger.

I'd give the nod to Buckmark if you never want to replace any part. I'd give the nod to Ruger if you were willing and able to upgrade parts down the road.

I will say this- I use about 200 rounds of .22 for every 50 rounds of anything else I shoot.

I don't shoot as often as I want [time, access to range, ammo shortages].

But, when I do, some .22 goes with me.

I am confident my accuracy is a result of this, as I saw a huge improvement after switching to more .22 and then some centerfire.

Whatever you pick- enjoy! They are fun.

My vote is for a Ruger Mark III even though the II is more popular... I have a III and it is the bees knees... for sure...

the one issue with these is the degree in industrial mechanics one needs to break the gun down and put it back together.... the secret is the internal hammer will not 'fall' in place and one needs a thin piece of metal to slip in and push it to the right place... My real solution so far is to just don't take it apart just keep spraying lube in the pistol... which I have done for the last couple thousand rounds....

If you have an earlier Ruger, you can put a Majestic Arms Speed Strip kit in it. Makes field stripping simple and easy.