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Best All Around .22 Pistol?


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caspian28r - I have the Walther P22 and I have to disagree with jhgtyre. I have the short barrel (3.4") and I find it remarkably accurate for what it is - a fun plinking pistol. If you are after a target pistol go with a target pistol. I have no problem getting 4-5" groups at 25 yards off hand. Now for a few things you need to know. The double action pull is bad. The single is OK. The manual recommends high velocity ammo to cycle the gun. I found after 500 rounds or so of CCI mini mags the pistol would cycle with standard ammo - I would assume it broke in. I've heard others complain of the barrel nut loosening - it does but if you snug it down with the barrel warm it hasn't been a problem. The last thing I can think of is putting the slide back on. It takes a few tries but once you are use to using the guide spring allignment rod it's not too bad.

Back to the original question - I prefer the Browning Buckmark !

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I love my MkII. To me, it is a lot like a stock 1911. Through the years, I have changed most everything on it, but after installing a clark trigger, (first mod), the gun was most shootable. In later years, I put a wilson mag release on it (thumb operated aka 1911 (sorta)), a tasco dot, various sizes, and finally swapped out for a clark bbl. I introduce many new shooters with this gun, and after a few minutes, they can hit steel targets at 50 yds with no problem. Mags are cheap and work, and my gun likes cheap ammo. I gotta have at least 80,000 thru it. It works for me.

Mike

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[Hans and Franz Mode ON]

Listen to me now or hear me later....

I'm sorry to keep beating the Trailside horse and I hate to disagree with Mr. Strader and a couple others (one of the dumber moves on my part, I'm sure), but the Sig Trailside is just the epitome of how to make a chintzy plastic gun. At least on mine, the chamber was rough, so it wouldn't extract. The sights and safety were plastic. Ugh! The front shroud is plastic and held on with a goofy screw that you'll need a screwdriver to strip the gun. The trigger mechanism would freeze like a mother during rapid fire, so it was just totally useless for IPSC-style shooting.

All that, and I paid $430 + tax for the sucker. Yes, the Trailside looks purty in the glass case. It's accurate as anything (when it decides to fire), but the Ruger runs circles around it as far as bang for the buck goes. This is one of the rare, rare occasions when I'll pass judgement on a gun as not being up to par. I was *THAT* underwhelmed with the Trailside.

OK, OK, I'm getting off the freakin' soapbox.

Sorry Phil, I'll try to give you some respect now.

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I didn't start this thread, but thanks for the responses about small or LITE .22 pistols. Personally, I love the grip angle of the Ruger MkII, but it's a typically heavy steel gun. Fiance says: thumbs down. :unsure:

Leo: if you're there either Friday nite or Sunday, I'd love to check out the S&W 41. I think I've talked Susan into coming with me to Ruskin - chance for her to go shopping in Ellenton afterwards.

Any more stories about the Trailside or the Walther P22, good or bad, I'd love to hear them. They don't weigh much.

I wish the S&W Model 22A with the built-in rail was accurate or reliable, but I've heard otherwise. Anyone know if the new S&W 41's are as good as the old ones? Or are the triggers still lawyer-proof? Same question about the new High Standard Victor. Thanks again.

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Leo: if you're there either Friday nite or Sunday, I'd love to check out the S&W 41. I think I've talked Susan into coming with me to Ruskin - chance for her to go shopping in Ellenton afterwards.

Eric,

I'll be out on Sunday and will bring the goods with me along with some ammo.

Leo

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Tightloop,

Mags were $20 ea from SIG. If I were to do it over again, I'd go with the fixed sight version. Mine is the 6 inch and has a dot on it, which has not come off so the sights are useless. Kind of small too. Bought Leupold rings which were kind of pricey but the rail is the small type and thats all I could find.

The trigger takes some getting used to and EricW is right that the plactic is kind of cheap but so am I :P Can't see putting down $1100 for a P208. The weight for the comp model can be had to replace the plastic too.

Overall, I'm happy with it, shoots great with Aquila and Scoremaster and has not puked once. Good bullseye .22 for the very occassional shooter. (Open gun for center fire and the Trailside HA HA HA :D )

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Sounds like your Sig was built on Friday around 4:45pm, Eric!

As far as the best gun for the money, I'd say it's a toss-up between the Ruger MKII and the Browning Buck Mark. I've shot both of these and, depending on which grip angle the shooter likes, they're both very solid. I always prefered the Browning simply because the gun was a bit more similar to the 1911 (thumb safety, mag button, etc). The Ruger always seemed to be a bit more accurate, though.

Buying a gun is much like buying a car. Some people are into Fords, others like Chevys. The most important thing is how comfortable you are with the gun. Hell, have you ever seen the POS Eric Grauffel shoots with! :huh:

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Just about ALL the shoooters in our .22 League group shoot Ruger or Buckmark. We took a poll one night during match.

I haven't heard any more from the guy who bought the new Trailside. I think I'll ask him if it's still alive. :lol:

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I have 3 "competition" .22's... in about 1980 I started sport shooting with IHMSA metallic silhouette, and acquired a HS Citation 7 1/2 inch for about

$270...(I liked the sights a lot better than the Ruger I had, and they were pretty sticky on allowing modifications to your sights in those days... thanks to the BS from Elgin and Scott I moved on to another sport) it always shot far better than I did... made it into AAA Standing before I quit.... when I started shooting USPSA style matches about 82, I picked up a floating chamber Colt conversion kit for a 1911 for about $175... not quite as accurate as the High Standard, but I put a lot of rounds thru it working on muscle memory... was able to shoot the Chevy Truck Sportsman's Team Challenge for the last 3 years it was held in Florida, and and a friend picked up a SW41 for $300 for me....it is a 5 1/2 inch heavy barrel pistol that will pretty much shoot the eyes out of anythng you can see...If I ever get a chance to shoot the STC again, it will have the Holo Sight on it .... regards

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  • 1 year later...

Just added the Browning Buckmark Camper to the mix it fits all my grip options freestyle, strong, weak hand and similar to the 1911 in feel. It shoots very accurately by my standards(no problems hitting the clay pigeon pieces on the fifty) and it likes alot of different kinds of ammo. The trigger pull is also much smoother than I'd thought not sure what the weight is but it's nice to shoot. Only comes with one mag(what a rip) but for $219 out the door new I can only complain so much!

Froglegs say... the Buckmark Ooooo.K. B)

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I purchased a Buckmark in NE a couple of years ago to relieve the boredom of being on a contract away from home. I shot it at an indoor range for a few months then put it away for a couple of years.

A friend got me addicted to Practical Shooting. I now have a couple of S_Is.

A couple of months ago I started shooting the Browning at the beginning of my practices. WHAT AN IMPROVEMENT IT FACILITATED IN MY SHOOTING!!

I put 300-400 rounds of .22 through that puppy every practice session. It has performed flawlessly.

My @^&@$&&* of a friend that got me involved in this sport shoots a Ruger. It has worked flawlessly during our practices.

It just seems to me you can not go wrong with either Browning or Ruger.

BTW: the purchase price for either the Browning or Ruger was under $200.00

Hmmmmm, under $200, thousands and thousands of rounds, no problems---hard to go wrong with either brand.

If I had some extra cash laying around I would buy a Marvel but for now the Browning is doing just fine.

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It's the Walther P22 for me.

I bought one for my 7 year old daughter to use after she gets tired of ROing me during my practice sessions. She likes it and it's definitely better than starting her off with my .38 Super or .45 auto, as she gets tired of holding that Walther up after 100 rounds or so. She'd hate a heavier gun for sure.

Personally speaking, this thing is like a blast from the past. Ammo is so cheap I can buy 1000 rounds without giving it a thought. For pure shooting fun this thing is hard to beat. Walked out of the gun store with 6 mags for it, but may buy 6 more just to keep shooting a little longer between mag refills.

Mine has a terrible double action pull, but I never use it DA anyway. The SA pull is OK enough. At 15 yards I'm getting 2.5 - 3" groups, but this is with the Federal bulk pack HPs that it likes better than CCI or Remington. I'm thinking of getting some of the high dollar stuff to see if it's any better. As it is, anything I'm wanting to shoot is getting hit, so I'm in no hurry to switch off of the Federal ammo.

Functioning has been flawless with all ammo.

I've got the longer barrel with the "comp looking" weight on it. Definitely looks cool. It's a definite keeper.

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I have a Ruger Gov't target MKII (6 7/8") and I shoot my brothers Buckmark standard model that he leaves in my care. If I was buying today the Ruger would be a tapered barrel less than 5 inches (muzzle heavy pistols don't agree with me).

They both shoot great though. If you shoot a 1911, the Buckmark is closer in the "feel" department.

I think I have found the perfect "neat little .22 pistol", but it hasn't been made in years. A friend recently let me hold two of his Colt Woodsman .22s. I don't know the year it was made, but it was stamped "THE WOODSMAN". I think the barrel was around 4 inches, and it was the best feeling .22 I have ever held.

Now I have to find one. Plus, a High Standard model C in .22 short is on my wish list. God how I wish they would make those pistols again.

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I am with phil on his choices.

I have a Sig trailside comp that I put an aftermarket trigger in from Larry's gun works. It sits at about 2 pounds and is more accurate than I am.

I have a browning buckmark 5.5 target that I shot Camp Perry bullseye national matches with when I was 11. It took me from marksman to sharpshooter in a year.

Though now I have put all up and shoot a walther GSP with a 14oz. trigger on it and nothing can touch it but its really pricey.

Also have access to my fathers smith model 41's. They are great guns and its hard to beleive the quality. He also has a hammerli 208 which is almost the same as a trailside only they start at about $1500 used.

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