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On the subject of .22 pistols ~ favorite...?


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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.  :rolleyes:

 

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!  :blush:

 

Second, what are your other favored .22 pistols (NOT revolvers)?  :)

 

          High Standard Sport King

Brown Grey Trigger Gun barrel Silver

 

                                                  

 

                                                                                                              Ruger Mark II

image.jpeg.2b335589294d8663d50ddfd1e6cbab6f.jpeg

 

 

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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. :)

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 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  :blush:

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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.

Colt Woodsman.jpg

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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.

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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.

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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.

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I like the new Ruger Mark IV Target pistol. I have the Standard but I'd like the Target also.

image.png.494f77f0a2d65bd3d29c637f6bc529a0.png

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I still have my MarkII, not the bull barrel, but it performed well in Bullseye.

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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

 

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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.

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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"

 

IR5RUZnh.jpg

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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!

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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...

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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?". :lol: 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.

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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

 

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BPT16_051814490.jpg

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

 

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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

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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.

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10 hours ago, Yellowhouse Sam # 25171 said:

Mark  II slabside Target.

That's what I have. It really likes CCI Mini Mags.  Very accurate.

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