Looking for a .22 pistol in semi auto.

My preference is it fits and functions similar to a modern defensive pistol, similar to a Walther P22 or.a Ruger SR22 (unsure of model number)

Price, reliability, and ease of use are all important.

This would be used for fun, and for inexperienced shooters esp female and youth shooters to introduce to semi auto pistols and later move them up in caliber.

So.... make your suggestions.

And yes I have considered Mark III and Buckmark... would prefer more similarities to defensive handguns unless you can talk me out of that.

P22’s are sketchy, I owned one of the unreliable ones and it drove me nuts. The PPS in 22lr however has been solid and has a much better rep. The M&P 22 (handgun) is supposed to be a good shooter as well.

My post needs correcting. Walther doesn’t make a PPS in 22. Rather, I have a PPQ IN 22 and it’s been great.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: dry-fly,

S&W M&P Compact 22, probably closest to what you’re looking for. It’s a “striker fired” gun that in reality has a concealed hammer. It does have a thumb safety, but that’s the only thing I don’t care for, beyond that it’s been a great little gun and mimicks the larger M&P very well. I use mine as a suppressor host and it does a great job.

As a caveat, don’t bother with the slightly larger M&P22, these were made for S&W by Walter and are nowhere near the same quality of the compacts.

Sig classic .22. P226 or P229 either or.

My personal opinion and experience is the Buckmark works very well as a trainer for a beginner. I've used it as an NRA certified instructor and although I understand your logic about the transition between a Mark III/Buckmark vs. a modern defensive pistol style, it's a non-factor in training and in making the transition to any other modern pistol.

The reason is the grip, controls and functions are substantially similar to a modern handgun and the accuracy of a buckmark goes a long way to boost the confidence of the shooter. I think it also has a friendlier less intimidating look for someone who might have a fear of guns. I also find that the Buckmark is extremely dependable so it viturally eliminates the distraction of jams and malfunctions.

I don't own a Walther 22 but here is a good review that might help you with your decision:
Walther Review

My Smith & Wesson M&P .22 (full size) has been flawless.
Great training pistol.

Glock 43 with .22 conversion kit.

Ruger Mark IV Lite with Primary Arms Red Dot and a Tandem K Ross compensator for better balance.

Are the m and p .22 a dedicated .22 pistol or a conversion?

Ruger MK II.

quote:

Originally posted by KevinCW:
Are the m and p .22 a dedicated .22 pistol or a conversion?

They are a dedicated .22, Kevin. I haven't used one, but they are very popular.

From my experience, the SR22 does a lot of what you're wanting, also with good reviews, but they do feel very small and toy-like. The M&P22 or the PPQ22 will give you more of a compact rather than sub-compact feel.

Best.

I have a Sig 1911-22, it is the same size and weight as a centerfire 1911. I don’t know if Sig still offers them, however they are available from GSG (who made them for Sig, anyway).

quote:

Originally posted by clubleaf206:
I have a Sig 1911-22, it is the same size and weight as a centerfire 1911. I don’t know if Sig still offers them, however they are available from GSG (who made them for Sig, anyway).

I just picked up a used one, and was pleasntly surprised that it would shoot 1" groups with mini-mags. The other 5 brands of ammo I tried at least doubled the group size.

A used S&W Model 41 is a bit more expensive than most .22s, but worth it.

quote:

Originally posted by bionic218:

quote:

Originally posted by KevinCW:
Are the m and p .22 a dedicated .22 pistol or a conversion?

They are a dedicated .22, Kevin. I haven't used one, but they are very popular.

From my experience, the SR22 does a lot of what you're wanting, also with good reviews, but they do feel very small and toy-like. The M&P22 or the PPQ22 will give you more of a compact rather than sub-compact feel.

Best.

I have shot an SR22, and Walther P22. Both seemed just fine for my application. Interest in the m and p.

I've had great results with my Buckmark Camper stainless target model. Super-reliable, very accurate. FULL takedown is a litte bit of a pain, but not too bad. Great accuracy without any trigger mods, etc. Can't recall the last time I had any failure to feeds with even crappy Remington Golden Bullets.

Another vote for the M&P .22 Compact. It is known to be reliable with a wide range of ammo as mine has also shown to be. TTAG did a good review on it. Made in USA and slide is made from Aluminum.

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.c...esson-mp-22-compact/

Given your form factor preference, the M&P Compact .22LR would be a great choice. The SR22 is also a good option though I'm not convinced that it's the best one. I have one and it's been a decent peashooter but the manual of arms of the M&P is more "authentic" to a centerfire service/defensive weapon. You can use either to train and teach the basics of shooting, but IMHO the S&W is closer to what you're after.

As for the Walther, it's been a rather spotty gun in terms of reliability. I've had feedback from customers that run both good and bad. Roughly 50/50. A coworker has owned several of the P22s and used them regular for his training courses. They did have problems early on but with his gunsmithing skills he'd worked with them to the point where they became mostly reliable. I've shot a couple of them over the years and besides feeling rather cheaply made those ran okay (aka 'not perfect'), better than my awful Mosquito did at the time which I used for a yard stick comparison. I ended up retiring my 'SIG' (and ultimate sold it) and bought a Buck Mark, and have never regretted the choice or looked back.

Take a look at the Ruger 22/45s. The frame dimensions and control layout were designed to be similar to a 1911. The grip is definitely fullsized, not miniturized like a Walther P22.

Here are the three main variants.

Mark IV™ 22/45™

Mark IV™ 22/45™ Tactical

Mark IV™ 22/45™ Lite

A few years ago I researched for a .22 suppressor host. I considered the P22, CZ Cadet, SIG Mosquito, and a few others. Given the issues with some and the lack of a threaded barrel stock from factory of others, I ended up with the 22/45. I like it. It's been a great little pistol.

quote:

Originally posted by grumpy1:
Another vote for the M&P .22 Compact. It is known to be reliable with a wide range of ammo as mine has also shown to be. TTAG did a good review on it. Made in USA and slide is made from Aluminum.

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.c...esson-mp-22-compact/

Add one more. I can't say enough good things about mine and almost started a thread last week about how impressed I am with it. I have shot several thousand rounds without failure including some of the cheapest bulk pack crap you can find. Last week i busted out some very old Remington Thunderbolt after shooting over 200 other bulk pack stuff and basically dared it to fail. It did not.

The only other experience I have with a service type .22 is the Mosquito so i can't really compare the S&W to much else but anything else would have to be pretty phenomenal to beat the Smith.