I love my Mark IV with a Venom RD optic.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by metric:



For my personal use, I have found the Beretta 71 and 70s to be far and away my favorite -- my personal grail 22 (do not confuse with the 21A which is very different). They are the most consistently reliable 22 semi-autos I have ever encountered, with the broadest spectrum of ammo. Great SA trigger, and it's a small, concealable package (mine also does CC duty at times). Consistently surprises me outdoors, shooting at all ranges out to 100 yards. Great for opportunistically bagging small game, e.g. rabbits and snakes.

Also a great history, including numerous Israeli anti-terrorist missions in the 1960's and 70's that are almost unbelievable to read about now. It's basically the "real" spy pistol of the 1960's, where the PPK was the fictional one.

Out of production since the 1980's, these were a bargain 6 years ago (when a surplus wave came in from Israel) -- unfortunately, the price has gone up.



If I had to stick to Good write-up, and good recommendation of the Beretta 70/71 model. Incredibly reliable, and feels great in the hand.
Do you know whether the Beretta 70s, when cocked and locked, is drop safe?

quote:

Originally posted by ScotP7:
If I had to stick to Good write-up, and good recommendation of the Beretta 70/71 model. Incredibly reliable, and feels great in the hand.
Do you know whether the Beretta 70s, when cocked and locked, is drop safe?

The size and mass are just perfect, imo. Just exactly big enough to be super-comfortable, pointable, and useful -- but no bigger.

Same inertial firing pin as almost every other SA 22 out there. Dropping not recommended. Don't drop your Buckmark, MKIV, High Standard, or S&W 41, either.

The ones with glock-style triggers tend to have a firing pin block. But imo that negates a big advantage of 22 -- the extreme speed/accuracy if equipped with a good trigger.

While I generally agree with scotp7 on how great the beretta 70 series is, but one shortcoming is magazines are hard to find and expensive, at least eom

Luckily the aftermarket triple k mags ( a brand not known for decent magazines at all) do seem to work just fine.

I have no personal experience on this Beretta but on the surface it seems we have an out of production model, not readily available, with unobtanium for parts and magazines and that's your recommendation to the OP's post? Seems a bit far afield to me...

quote:

Originally posted by hrcjon:
I have no personal experience on this Beretta but on the surface it seems we have an out of production model, not readily available, with unobtanium for parts and magazines and that's your recommendation to the OP's post? Seems a bit far afield to me...

Sure, I'm saying what I would personally look for -- I don't see a reason to self-censor. Granted, it's a far less common choice. Most people will quickly rule it out. But, some people are open to well-made pieces from the 70's or 80's -- especially when there is nothing comparable made today. I would not describe it as unobtanium or even inconvenient to get most parts (Jack First sells them). OEM mags are definitely expensive, yes. Triple-k mags are not.

Just my opinion, but it would be pretty boring if all choices were strictly limited to big-box retailers.

I really wish I'd grabbed one of those Model 70s a few years back when they were cheap!

Personally the only 22 I have is a Henry Frontier, it holds a lot of rounds and digests anything. I ve had Ruger , PPK/S and others that were fun to shoot but very inconsistant even with MiniMags. I wouldnt want to bet my life on them. Is there any reliable 22 revolvers out there???

quote:

Is there any reliable 22 revolvers out there???

I have a S&W Model 63-5 and a Ruger Single-Six. Both are completely reliable and very accurate. While I don't care for the ballistics of .22LR as a self-defense round, the only failures I've ever had with either of those guns have been the result of dud .22 ammo, and even those were few and far between because both are sprung heavy enough to prevent any light strikes. If there's any priming compound in there at all, it's going to go bang.

My son had a Ruger Wrangler, and I can't say the same thing about that one. It always went bang, but it had some bullet stabilization issues with certain ammo, and the fixed sights were way off even with ammo it liked. We got rid of that gun, but were in the market for another I'd push him to save up for a Single-Six, or at least get the new Super-Wrangler with adjustable sights.

^^^ I'd pick the S&W 617 for a revolver.

Although I don't have one, of the above suggestions, I'd go with the Buckmark over the Ruger simply because of more standard grip angle.

I have a S&W M41, but it's too dressy get down and dirty.

Here's another "different" thought, brought to you by Ernest Hemingway:

“The rifle and the pistol are still the equalizer when one man is more of a man than another, and if…he is really smart…he will get a permit to carry one and then drop around to Abercrombie and Fitch and buy himself a .22 caliber Colt automatic pistol, "Woodsman model", with a five-inch barrel and a box of shells.
...
Now standing in one corner of a boxing ring with a .22 caliber Colt automatic pistol, shooting a bullet weighing only 40 grains and with a striking energy of 51 foot pounds at 25 feet from the muzzle, I will guarantee to kill either Gene Tunney or Joe Louis before they get to me from the opposite corner. This is the smallest caliber pistol cartridge made; but it is also one of the most accurate and easy to hit with, since the pistol has no recoil. I have killed many horses with it, cripples and bear baits, with a single shot, and what will kill a horse will kill a man. I have hit six dueling silhouettes in the head with it at regulation distance in five seconds. It was this type of pistol that Millen boys’ colleague, Abe Faber, did all his killings with." -- EH

Of course, the Colt Woodsman is no longer made, but can be obtained at a reasonable price. However, Standard Manufacturing makes a copy of the second generation Woodsman, presumably with modern metallurgy. I can't vouch for it myself, but it does look interesting -- similar in price to a S&W 41.

The Bersa Thunder 22 is an interesting option. Still produced but 4 extra mags will run you the cost of the pistol itself. I only bought one because I had purchased a couple Bersa 644 mags at one time to modify to use in my 70s. They didn't work but fabbing a new mag catch made them function.

I love my old classics ( colt beretta etc) but for a long term heavy use gun would select something current production with easy part and magazine availability
Ruger / browning/S&W

Since you said Sig, the P322 looks to be a capable pistol, 20 rounds makes it better than most like my G44's lower 10 round capacity. Base model $399

Other options that might be tempting is Kel-Tec P33 a cool 22lr that holds 33 rounds in the mag, so three mags means 99 rounds and it's light weight even loaded with a full mag, has rails for an optic and threaded barrel.

Link

quote:

Originally posted by KevH:
Ruger Mk or Browning Buckmark

It isn't worth considering anything else.

I agree with this. My feeling is that if you are going to own only one it should be of good quality. Either of those fits the bill. I would recomend the Ruger Mk4 or Mk4 22/45. I have the 22/45. Its light, functions reliably with almost any ammo, and is threaded for a silencer. The mk 4 is also has a very simple take down making it easy to field strip and clean.

I did splurge and get a volqaurtsin trigger for it and feel like it was the guns one weakness.

Oh man, I have been away from this great thread for too long.
(And apologies for my earlier reply butchering to Metric’s post on 12/1.)

Hrcjon - You of course are absolutely right. We have drifted off from the original OP question for a “One Second After” 22LR. I haven’t read the book for context, but presume the answer should be a Ruger, Buckmark, or more even more practical plastic item with (no soul but) great utility.

Captain127 is right about focusing on utility. And the crop of light weight plastic 22LR’s is awesome.

I am sure in the end of the world, my Beretta 70s would click on a dud round, or my old Woodsman or Browning Nomad would jam on their accumulation of unrecognized internal rust, or my CZ Kadet would prove itself too heavy, or I would be trampled after pulling my Beretta 87 and just staring at its form rather than firing it.

But Metric did capture the allure of those old 22’s. The “size and mass” of a 70s is indeed perfect (if impractical). And that quotation from Ernest Hemingway! Can you tell us its origin?

I’m gonna try to slip out to the range with something impractical today.

IF you want an inexpensive 22lr pistol, PSA has the Kel-Tec P17, with 17 round mag for $179 which is $20 below retail and well below the crazy Plandemic prices.

Link



Must not click on buy now
must resist the price
Using the Schwartz!

SIG Mosquito, "well, we don't want to talk about that". Haha.

I’ve got a SIG P322, and have or have had most all of the pistols mentioned in this thread. The 322 is my newest purchase, I’d gone into Academy Sports with the intent of buying a Glock 44 and while I had researched the price before going to Academy I didn’t realize I’d have to buy another barrel to suppress it … that’s when the guy behind the counter said he had a 322 that came with the thread adapter, but when he said it came with 2 20 round mags it came home with me!

So, I did some research and found most of the problems stemmed from loading the magazine. In the last few months it’s gotten most of the love when I’ve gone to the range. However like most here know, you don’t take just one gun to the range, so I’d pack up a couple others too, like my Beretta 70 & 71, Ruger MKIV Hunter & 22/45 or my Nelson Custom 1911-22.

At any rate, although I know a few have had issues with it, I don’t have any trouble recommending the SIG P322

That video really makes me think about the P322!