Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 The current threads on Browning Buckmark pistols got me pondering and wondering about .22 pistols. That is pistols, not revolvers! Those deserve a discussion of their own. So back in the late 1970’s I was living in San Francisco - before the place went totally wacko. At one point I found myself with a few weeks to kill between jobs, and did a bunch of fishing and visiting friends on their ranches in Central and Northern california. I don’t know which was more fun – harassing a bunch of trout, disking vineyards south of Fresno, or baling alfalfa in Siskiyou County. (My city associates thought I was nuts, but I enjoyed the heck out of the tractor work!) Well, after a couple weeks in the Valley, I came home to discover that the mayor of San Francisco – one D. Feinstein - had just declared that handguns would no longer be legal within the city limits. She was later overruled by the then-sensible California courts, but when I first heard the news my immediate thought was that I needed to buy a pistol. So, on down to the San Francisco Gun Exchange I went. Due to their stock and my budget, choices were limited. But I spotted an almost-new looking High Standard Sport King and plunked down my bucks. When I was eventually able to bail it out of california’s waiting period, I discovered that it was at least as much fun as driving tractors! Loved that li’l pistol; some 37 years later I gave it to my son. In 1982 Ruger released their Mark II .22 pistol. As soon as I saw the first ad, I just KNEW I needed one! But one was not to be had. I searched every Bay Area gun shop, visited or called a bunch between San Francisco and Fresno, and east to Sacramento and beyond. Then one day I popped into Tri-Cities Sporting Goods in Fremont to pick up a bicycle part. As per my custom, I detoured past the gun counter and Eureka! Just as I was passing by, the clerk was placing a Ruger pistol into the glass cabinet. “Hey!” I barked. “Is that a Mark II?” “Why, yes it is,” he replied. “I’ll take it!” I declared. He looked at me with wide eyes, and finally said “Damn! Usually I at least get to set it down!” and pulled it out of the case before it touched the glass shelf. I have loved that li’l pistol ever since – a “target model,” with 6 7/8” barrel and adjustable sights. That one the Kid will have to wait for ‘til I check out. Meanwhile, Ruger has added scads of variants to their lineup over the years; none really interested me until I read about the Mark IV. I would LOVE to have one; alas, ‘tis not to be. The State of california has deemed it to be “unsafe,” as Ruger has declined to produce them with the useless micro-engraved firing pins and chamber walls. So, back to the wondering thing: First, does anyone here have one of the Ruger Mark IV’s? Opinion…? I know I can’t have one, but I can dream! Second, what are your other favored .22 pistols (NOT revolvers)? High Standard Sport King Ruger Mark II Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 Love my Mk IV 22/45 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Riot Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 Thanks for posting this @Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Once I leave The Peoples Utopia of Enlightenment I am planning on buying myself a .22 Pistol and I am not sure what I want. I have only owned 1 .22 pistol and it was an S&W 22S. I will never own another. The darn thing was beyond ammo sensitive. It was ammo stupid. The 22S is basically the same exact gun as the 22A except the “S” stands for “stainless” and the “A” for “aluminum” frames. I have heard many good things about 22A pistols and not much good about 22S pistols. Except with the right ammo they are very accurate and…yada, yada, yada, blah, blah, blah… I will never know as I will not buy a 22A to test / compare. The newer Victory model by S&W appears to have the same frame and slide configuration as the 22A and 22S except the barrel has a different contour. I will not be buying one of these either because of that. It has always fascinated me in our gun world how when a whole bunch of people buy a certain gun then someone new comes along wanting that same gun it seems that everyone piles on with accolades for that gun. A short time later when “new guy” pipes up with “Hey, this gun does (this negative thing or that negative thing)!” everyone that was all “pro new guy gun” all of a sudden is like, “Oh yeah, they are really ammo sensitive” or “Oh yeah, they (blank) a lot unless you….blah, blah, blah…” That is what happened with my 22S. That will not happen with a Victory. I was considering a Glock 44 until I found out it was based on the G19 dimensionally. Though it may be okay because it doesn’t have finger grooves, which sucked for me on my Gen 3 G19. Also the 6# trigger pull isn’t exactly appealing either. I will be watching this thread with great interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062 Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 sorry Uncle 'Pan, .... but I only got revolvers ....... I love my S&W mod. 18 ... with a Hogue grip ...... and I have 3 Ruger Single Six's .... one is an old "3screw" model and the other 2 are stainless ..... and not a mangelum cylinder amongst them. again, my apologies .... wbj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shotgun-Gibbs Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 My favorite .22 pistol is the 1937 Colt Woodsman that my dad purchased used back in the 1940's. The Hunter brand floral carved brown leather holster he purchased with it is still in wonderful condition. It will go to my son when I am ready to hand it over. I've got a 22/45 Ruger that I wouldn't part with either. There are many fine .22 pistols out there! I look forward to hearing about more of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001 Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 find an old S&W mod 41 , CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pulp, SASS#28319 Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 Another vote for the Colt Woodsman. My uncle bought it when he got home from Europe in ‘45. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Gun Barney, SASS #2428 Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 I’m a Mark II person, had this one since the late 80’s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpo Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 I've had five, over my almost 50 years of owning guns. Currently have three. When they came out with the 50 year Ruger Mark II, I snatched one up. Put it in a safe. Never even took it out of the plastic. It was going to be my retirement gun. Buy it cheap and sell it high. Several years later I checked on it, and the going price was $5 more than I had paid for it. Deciding that I apparently was not going to get rich off of it, I gave it to my daughter. I bought a 2245, because of all the hype. And I tried, for a year, to like it. But the grip did not feel like a 45. And while the controls were in about the same place, they also did not feel like a 45. And the damn thing was plastic. First and last plastic gun I've ever had. Sold it off. In 79 I bought a used bull barrel Mark 1. I love that gun. In 81 I bought a Colt 22 conversion kit, so I could turn my Gold Cup into a 22 on occasion. But switching it back and forth got to be a pain, so I bought a AMT hardballer frame and a GI parts kit, and put together a frankengun. Dedicated 22 1911. And sometime in the early 2000s I bought a Mark II with a built-in silencer. Of the three I still have, the one I like the best is the first one I bought. The Mark 1 Liberty Gun. The magazine only holds nine, instead of 10 like the next three versions. And the slide doesn't lock back when the magazine is empty. But I still like this one the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chantry Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 Ruger Mark II Government Target Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snakebite Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 1 hour ago, Shotgun-Gibbs said: My favorite .22 pistol is the 1937 Colt Woodsman that my dad purchased used back in the 1940's. The Hunter brand floral carved brown leather holster he purchased with it is still in wonderful condition. It will go to my son when I am ready to hand it over. I've got a 22/45 Ruger that I wouldn't part with either. There are many fine .22 pistols out there! I look forward to hearing about more of them. I have a 1941 Colt Woodsman and that hand carved Floral holster too. Had it for 55 yrs. It shoots and functions great. The only reason I got the Buckmark was that I wanted to try a Red Dot sighting system and didn't want to put anything on my Woodsman. Also because I was bored and just wanted a new gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpo Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 2 minutes ago, Snakebite said: Also because I was bored and just wanted a new gun. Always the best reason for buying a new one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rye Miles #13621 Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 I like the new Ruger Mark IV Target pistol. I have the Standard but I'd like the Target also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyesa Horg Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 I still have my MarkII, not the bull barrel, but it performed well in Bullseye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawg Hair, SASS #29557 Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 Hi-Standard Victor. Shot in many matches and loved it. Only problem I ever had was it broke the extractor after many thousands of rounds. Easy fix. Had to sell it in the 80's due to unfortunate circumstances. Wish I had another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellowhouse Sam # 25171 Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 Mark II slabside Target. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster Cognizant Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 I asked my local gun store to get me a S&W Mod 41, it took many months, but they did. It's a very good .22 handgun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widder, SASS #59054 Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 I've owned and shot some of the best: High Standard Victor Colt Woodsman Match Target S&W model 41 (probably my favorite but actually no more accurate or better than the others) Ruger MK IV........ which is now converted into a Volquartsen. Love them all. If I had to pick just one, it would be a hard decision. The S&W fits my hands very well, both the 5" and 7". The Volquartsen (MK IV) pistols are dandy. Many options on sights, barrel lengths, internals, etc..... and magazines are relatively cheap and EASY to get. The RUGER MKIV may be the best bet because of these things available to the shooter. ..........Widder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rip Snorter Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 K22 - the first handgun I bought from a Gun Shop. Still attractive and going strong better than half a century on. S&W Model 41 I used for Bullseye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 I've got a Ruger MK III standard with a Tac Sol Pac Lite upper on it. It's my go to for suppressed rimfire from a handgun. My favorite 22 pistol, though, didn't start life as a rimfire. It's a Colt Gold Cup frame with a Wilson Combat 22 conversion kit on it. That thing is awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adolph Vancinghand, SASS #28923 Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 6 hours ago, Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 said: Second, what are your other favored .22 pistols (NOT revolvers)? Sorry that my Smith M17 is included in the photo... Colt Woodsman Match Target 4" Smith Model 41 5" I've shot several of the Rugers over the years and all have been wonderful, I just never managed to OWN one. They're winners! "Ad" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Injun Ryder, SASS #36201L Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 I only have one 22 pistol. Ruger MK IV Standard with 6 inch barrel. Very accurate and fun to shoot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 Sorry guys....only one .22 handgun that fits the bill for me.....High Standard! I bought a new High Standard Supermatic Tournament Military in 1967. I have shot it for over 50 years. I still shoot it in my Bulls Eye pistol leagues every year. I have put literally 1000's of rounds thru it and it has never failed me. 2 years ago I had to replace the trigger as the hole in it that it pivots on was worn egg shaped from so much shooting. Unbelievably accurate and reliable.......nuff said! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Dan Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 Colt Woodsman! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Gun Barney, SASS #2428 Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 All good guns listed above. May I officially state how envious I am of all of you that mentioned suppressed guns! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie MacNeil, SASS #48580 Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 I have a Ruger Mark I that I haven't shot much that I bought from the estate of a friend a couple of years ago. Very accurate. That having been said, the 22 pistol that I've shot the most is my wife's Smith M&P 22. The only ammo that I've found so far that doesn't run well through it is Federal Gold Medal Match. Not enough oomph to cycle the slide. It's digested everything else that I've fed it just fine... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Three Foot Johnson Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 A couple Ruger Mk 1 T-678's with Ruger muzzle brakes. The top one dates to 1963 and the bottom to 1980. The earlier ones had magazines with the button on the right, which were awkward to load for most people, so the pistols were later designed to accept mags with the button on the left, and the mags were slotted on both sides so the button could be quickly swapped to fit either version. The grip screws were also relocated during this modification. Somewhere in those years, the sights also changed slightly. I tried Bullseye in '75 when I was stationed on Whidbey Island, WA for awhile with the Navy, and this was the best I could afford. Later on, after I came home, I found another one and figured, "Why have just one when I can have two for only twice the price?". The garage-based FFL I bought the first one from is still in business at the same location on the island today, forty seven years later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadowCatcher Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 I've got two .22 pistols that I enjoy, the Browning 1911-22 black label for plinking and general fun, and the S&W Victory for fun steel matches. I'm very interested n the new Colt .22 revolver, but that's for a different thread. My S&W is not a performance center one, but looks like it. I use the Tandemkross trigger and muzzle break. I've also handled the 1911-22 with a suppressor on it and it is just delightful; I'm thinking that's next. SC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crooked River Pete, SASS 43485 Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 I have a Colt Woodsman, have owned Browning Buckmarks, got a MK III I have never fired, and if I shot target I might like one of these better. I just carry mine when I'm out in the woods and love my S&W 22 compact, light and dependable, I've tried lots of different ammo and every one has fed and worked great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgavin Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 I have a tiny Mercury 22 pistol inherited from my Dad. This is nigh on useless... unreliable and jams constantly. I'd use it for a boat anchor, except it would sink intermittently. I keep it in the safe as a sacrificial anode to help protect my worthwhile guns. I do have three Single Six Bisley revolvers in 22LR... those are wonderful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forty Rod SASS 3935 Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 8 hours ago, Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001 said: find an old S&W mod 41 , CB There you go. It would be hard to find a better pistol. My high school ROTC traded our High Standards in for the 41s and I fell in love then and there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widder, SASS #59054 Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 This is my next .22 handgun. Already ordered and waiting for delivery. Should be a dandy. https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/new-for-2022-colt-king-cobra-target-22-lr/ ..........Widder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Angus McPherson Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 I only have two .22 pistols. A Browning Buckmark Target model and a Ruger Mk II w/4.5"(?) bull barrel. The Ruger is hands down my favorite and is, for me, the more accurate of the two. I'd love to have a Ruger Mk IV, but I can't decide if I want a "regular" model or a 22/45. Either way I want a bull barrel. The 22/45's I've seen all seem to have a skeletonized looking barrel. I don't like the look. A question for those that have a Mk IV: Will the magazines from the old Mk II pistols fit the Mk IV? I'm sure they won't fit the 22/45 models due to the different grip angles. I'm jealous of the guys with suppressors. If they ever remove them from the NFA list my first purchase will be a Ruger Mk IV with a suppressor. They're just too darn expensive now with all the extra taxes on them. Angus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocWard Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 I have an older S&W Model 41 that is as sweet a shooter as I could want. I gave my oldest daughter my Ruger Mk. II. I'll replace it someday, I do like the tapered barrels, they are allegedly available on the Mk. IV, but I don't believe I've ever seen one in the wild. 3 hours ago, Black Angus McPherson said: A question for those that have a Mk IV: Will the magazines from the old Mk II pistols fit the Mk IV? I'm sure they won't fit the 22/45 models due to the different grip angles. I'm afraid not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kulshan 20262 Posted June 9, 2022 Share Posted June 9, 2022 10 hours ago, Yellowhouse Sam # 25171 said: Mark II slabside Target. That's what I have. It really likes CCI Mini Mags. Very accurate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.