.22 semi auto pistol - recommendations

[Whitewater]

I'm trying to get my girlfriend into shooting but she's brand newto it and is fairly intimidated by most handguns.
I'd like to get her a .22 to learn the basics and get comfortable with and then hopefully graduate her up to something larger. I love the looks of the Walther (I'll be shooting it too) but figured I would ask for some other opinions. Just looking for something to play with, not worried about using it for self protection or competition shooting. I would like something reasonably accurate and most importantly reliable. I also would like to stay under $300.
Oh gun geeks what say you?

[4runner]

Walther P22 only choice there is...

[TexasBlake]

My dad has an old Colt Peacemaker revolver, you can switch it to .22 mag. It's a fun gun to shoot. Plus revolvers are much cheaper.

Are you definately looking for a semi? I'm just partial to .22 revolvers.

[BudTX]

The Browning Buckmark is a nice little firearm. I used it to teach my middle daughter before she decided that she preferred a revolver and stepped up to a Colt Python.

[LordRatner]

Ruger Mark III

I dont like the Walthers much after shooting a hundred through it.

And be careful starting her on a .22. I know a few people who got used to no recoil, and dont like shooting even 9mm now.

[Glenn]

Ruger 22 MK II... I have owned two of these and still have one of em. Very accurate and never had a misfire or problem. Easy to take apart and clean without tools... (come by and check it out) :D:D

http://www.rpgfirearms.com.au/HI%20RES/RUGER%20MK2.jpg

[Hef]

Walther P22 only choice there is...

I agree 100%

[Glenn]

And here's a MK III...

http://ruger.com/Firearms/images/News-MKIII512.jpg

[NastyNate]

I've had the P22, S&W 617, High Standard, and Ruger MKII. I enjoy the Ruger the most, but the High Standard is right up there with it, and twice as easy to field strip.

http://qualityfirearms.biz/images/high-standard-supermatic-lf.jpg

[Cue-Ball]

What about the P22 Suppressed :evil:

http://www.pdhsc.com/p22suppressed.jpg

[LordRatner]

What about the P22 Suppressed :evil:

http://www.pdhsc.com/p22suppressed.jpg
That one's overpriced...

[Cue-Ball]

I know, but I was just stealing the image

[bob large]

http://www.gem-tech.com/OASIS.html
http://www.gem-tech.com/Images/OASIS.jpg
:smokin:
http://www.ruger-firearms.com/Firearms/FAProdView?model=10107&return=Y
http://www.ruger-firearms.com/Firearms/images/Products/263L.gif

[Sully]

There are only two choice.

The Browning Buckmark (I am very partial to it) and the Ruger MKII.

The Walther is junk. It is nice looking, comfortable to hold, but poorly made junk. I've seen the barrel rifling peel away from not just one, but two of them. My experience has been that they stovepipe easily.

The only problem I have ever had with my Browning, is that with an aftermarket mag that I ave, it sometimes has difficulty feeding the first round. It has zero problems with the factory mag. So as far as I'm concerned, that's a mag defect, not a problem with the gun itself.

[SeaBass44]

another vote for Ruger MKII

[TEX]

Search for Browning vs. Ruger - we did a whole thread on this subject about 6 months ago when I got ready to buy a .22 for my wife. I ruled out the Walther right away because I prefer single-action semi-autos & ultimately went with a Buckmark Camper - paid $269 for it new.

TEX

[SeaBass44]

Saw the Sig Mosquito, looks sweet

[Sully]

Saw the Sig Mosquito, looks sweet

The Mosquito does look cool, but I'm reserving judgement on it until I get an opportunity to play with one. I know it has been crapped on for "not being up to typical Sig standards" on some of the gun boards I frequent. However Sig standards are pretty high, so it may be a good little gun.

I'd definitely like to play with one and see how it performs in real life. It would make a cool little suppressor host if it was better than the walther.

[crawler#976]

Damn, that's the easiest gun ??? ever asked, and there is only ONE choice.

any Ruger MK series, be it a I, II or III.

Pick your flavor, there all good.

[Sully]

Damn, that's the easiest gun ??? ever asked, and there is only ONE choice.

any Ruger MK series, be it a I, II or III.

Pick your flavor, there all good.

I prefer the Browning, as its design makes it easier to clean. Otherwise, the two are neck and neck.

I find the controls on the MKII preferable to the MKIII.

Never shot the MKI, so I can't really talk about it.

[4runner]

I own a Ruger MKI and a MKII, a Browning Buckmark, a S&W 422, a S&W 622, S&W 41, Colt Huntsman,an IZH, three HiStandards, and a Walther P22.

The Walther is suppressed and has over 50,000 rds thru it, NO PROBLEMS at all...the others all get shot, but my kids shhot the hell out of the Walther because they love the small size and it is really QUIET.

The latest generations of P22's have some mods to them and they are really reliable.

[Roktoys84]

Another vote for the Walther. I haven't shot a Ruger but didn't like the feel of them as much. I have no regrets buying the Walther at all.

[creeperjeep]

I like the Walther, cheap effective doesnt look too homogeigh for a girl to have.

The only problem Ive witnessed is a junk magazine, other than that its been flawless for 200 something

[hoohaa]

Beretta Neo.

[Sully]

Beretta Neo.

The Neo is a pretty cool gun. I almost bought one before I bought my Browning. The controls were just a tad awkward for me. I'd definitely give one a test spin if I were shopping.

[indulf]

I've had the P22, S&W 617, High Standard, and Ruger MKII. I enjoy the Ruger the most, but the High Standard is right up there with it, and twice as easy to field strip.

http://qualityfirearms.biz/images/high-standard-supermatic-lf.jpg

i have a ruger mkII and my buddy has the high standard.

i like both but we have had a lot of jamming issues with the high standard. and he is meticulous about keeping it clean and serviced. no probs with my ruger.

[DougK20]

Love my Smith & Wesson 22S! Looks like this excpet a stainless barrel. The grip is awesome and it shoots so accurate.

http://www.smith-wesson.com/wcsstore/SmWesson/upload/images/firearms/107431_large.jpg

[jeeptjs]

I shot a Walther p22 2 weekends ago and have never had so much fun shooting a 22. Thats the next pistol that i'll be taking home.:D

[aloharover]

Ruger MkII or MkIII

[basketcasejeep]

Ruger MKII is a good one... it works best with a good load, like CCI minimags. Subsonics work, but not great. :D

[indulf]

Ruger MKII is a good one... it works best with a good load, like CCI minimags. Subsonics work, but not great. :D

i like the CCI minimags but my favorite are the winchester T22s :)

[basketcasejeep]

i like the CCI minimags but my favorite are the winchester T22s :)

Are they cheaper than CCI? I might give them a shot. :D

[ROBULUR]

ruger 22 45 and if shes a bigger girl move her up to a 1911.

[mudslinger99]

Love my Smith & Wesson 22S! Looks like this excpet a stainless barrel. The grip is awesome and it shoots so accurate.

http://www.smith-wesson.com/wcsstore/SmWesson/upload/images/firearms/107431_large.jpg
Here is one you can buy :D

http://www.gunsamerica.com/upload/976327175-1.jpg

http://www.gunsamerica.com/guns/976327175.htm

[indulf]

Are they cheaper than CCI? I might give them a shot. :D

yeah, bout $5 cheaper for a brick of 500.

but when you're talkin $20 vs $25 for 500 rounds then you should shoot whatcha like :D

edit: i buy mine from www.22ammo.com, they're up in dahlonega so shipping is fast.

[pepe]

Ruger Mark III x11 billion

[Bill4rest]

Walther P22 only choice there is...

X2 That's what I bought for my 8 year old:D

[kodiak1232003]

are suppressor's legal in cali on .22's? i know they're banned otherwise, but is it different for rimfire weapons?

if not, i'd love to have a sup. .22.

regards
brian

p.s. i've shot a ruger mk..whatever and man did we have a ton of problems with that thing...may have been poor maintenance.

[Todd W]

yeah, bout $5 cheaper for a brick of 500.

but when you're talkin $20 vs $25 for 500 rounds then you should shoot whatcha like :D

edit: i buy mine from www.22ammo.com, they're up in dahlonega so shipping is fast.

Pricey!

$11 here for a brick of .22 hollow point remington I believe... very very few if any missfires per-brick and we sometimes go through multiples in a day.

[am4x4]

I will throw in a vote for the p22. It is a great little gun to plink with. My girlfriend loves shooting it. She will go through 300+ rounds in a sitting with it but will not shoot anything bigger. I was having some feed problems but I traced it down to some burrs in the mags and fixed it in about 30 seconds with a needle file.

[Diesel Smoke]

Another vote for the Ruger MkII. Great guns, I shot them while in college and occasionally when I go shooting with one of my good buddy's. Would like to own one, but other gun purchases keep getting in the way.

[rokspydr]

ANother vote for the browning BM .22 I have had mine for years and ran thousands of rounds and it is still perfect. and with the cci mini mags are acurate as hell.

[300sniper]

http://www.ruger-firearms.com/Firearms/FAProdView?model=10107&return=Y
http://www.ruger-firearms.com/Firearms/images/Products/263L.gif

i love my ruger 22/45.

[DMG]

The Ruger Mark I II, etc is the best by far. I have one with 50k+ through it between me and my dad and other relatives. It is the only one of the pistols mentioned to have been around long enough to be considered 100% proven.

[Weasel]

Old roomate had a Walther P22 it was a blast. I'm real interested in the Sig Mesquito. It looks really sweet too.

And if you want accurate Sig trailsides are some of the better .22 pistols.

[Dychen]

I've heard alot of complaints about the P22, cracked slides, zinc parts. I was talking with a guy at the gunstore (didnt work there) that bought the SIG and he said it jammed 46 times out of a 100. Sent it to sig and they where going to send him a new one with differant S/N, so he would have to re DROS it.

Personally, if you get the money, i would get a glock 19 and buy the Advantage arms conversion kit, i've heard alot of good things about that, plus when its time to step it up, you dont have to buy a new gun, you already got a 9mm :)

[imwiththebann'd]

I'd recommend the High-Standards, Ive got my Grandpa's old sport king and its great, nice straight shot, feeds decent (likes CCI more than anything else), and is VERY quick to field strip

[txapacheguy]

Ive had really good luck with my Ruger MK II. Had it for 14 or 15 years and put probably 10,000 rounds or more through it. Go for the Bull Barrel and target sights if you get one though....

[Lazarus401]

I would say start her with a 9mm. She has to get used to some recoil, if you plan on moving her up. I have a P22, great plinker.

[SilverZuk]

I like the Rugers.
Buckmarks are good, but I am partial to the ruger.
Never fired the Walther.

Heritage revolvers are good single action revolver for the money. Shoot well.

My all time favorite 22 pistol was a S&W auto.
Not sure the model number, but the pistol was purchased in the 60's by a friends grandpa. We shot it through the 80's, and I figure he is still shooting it. It was a very nice gun, smooth, great trigger, and the fit and finish was excellent.

My biggest problem with the buckmark is the fit and finish makes it look like a $150 gun. The Rugers have a much higher quality fit and finish. Both shoot well.

[300sniper]

I would say start her with a 9mm. She has to get used to some recoil, if you plan on moving her up. I have a P22, great plinker.


i personally wouldn't do that. i think he has the right idea of starting her off with a .22 to get the shooting fundamentals down. after she has the fundamentals down she can move up and then learn to deal with the recoil. even the small recoil of a 9mm can mask very basic shooting problems.

[Weasel]

and some people don't like anything bigger then a .22 period.

My buddies wife won't shoot anything but a .22, thats what she likes to shoot.

The Sig Misquitos did have some issues with the first ones but I think they got that figured out now. Guy at work has one and has put 500 rounds through it with no issues.

[Lazarus401]

i personally wouldn't do that. i think he has the right idea of starting her off with a .22 to get the shooting fundamentals down. after she has the fundamentals down she can move up and then learn to deal with the recoil. even the small recoil of a 9mm can mask very basic shooting problems.

Yeah, but a even a decent shooter/teacher should be able to catch many of those mistakes. I was able to catch and correct mistakes my father has been making for more than 20 years, with his black powder pistols in one afternoon. When we started my son shooting black powder at 12, he took a couple (3) or so shots with the .32, then we moved him up to the .50.

.22s are great, dont get me wrong. I would never get rid of any of the ones I have, but I consider use, cost, and replacement as factors as well. For $300 you can pick up a fairly nice 9mm (such as a Taurus Millenium), to train with, or spend the $300 on a .22 then another $300 + or so when (and if) she wants to move up.

Shoot, add another $100 or so to that and you can get a mid sized Glock, 9mm, .357Sig, .40S&W and a .22 Slide conversion.

My main point is - if you can pick up a .22 for say $100-$150 then great, but if your going to spend $300 then you might as well move up the caliber so you dont have to later on.

[Lazarus401]

and some people don't like anything bigger then a .22 period.

My buddies wife won't shoot anything but a .22, thats what she likes to shoot.



I may be wrong, but this may be due to your wife only shooting a .22 when she started. Had she gotten used to a bigger gun first, she might feel differently. Again, just speculating as I dont know anything about your wife or how/when she started shooting.

My wife is the same way about snowboarding, she enjoys skiing and doesnt want to spend the time learning to snowboard.

This is just my .02. Remember what opinions are like, and that everbody has one.

[Weasel]

read again, buddies wife not mine. No she shoot a 9mm jsut fine, just doesn't like it. Hey if thats what she likes to shoot then great, I'm not going to say otherwise.

[Redmist]

.22s are great, dont get me wrong. I would never get rid of any of the ones I have, but I consider use, cost, and replacement as factors as well. For $300 you can pick up a fairly nice 9mm (such as a Taurus Millenium), to train with, or spend the $300 on a .22 then another $300 + or so when (and if) she wants to move up.

Shoot, add another $100 or so to that and you can get a mid sized Glock, 9mm, .357Sig, .40S&W and a .22 Slide conversion.

My main point is - if you can pick up a .22 for say $100-$150 then great, but if your going to spend $300 then you might as well move up the caliber so you dont have to later on.

Im sorry, did you just make the argument NOT to purchase two guns? :confused:


That shit should be BAND!!!!

[Lazarus401]

Im sorry, did you just make the argument NOT to purchase two guns? :confused:


That shit should be BAND!!!!


Oh :eek: No. Read it again. I uhhhhhh crap! Hey wait. I said 1 frame and 2 slides. Does that count as two guns? :cool2: ?