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PostPosted: Sat Jun 21, 2014 2:41 pm • # 1 
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I have two .22 handguns: an old SS 4" Taurus 9 shot revolver that my wife uses a lot for practice and for some carry. I have a Browning Buckmark 22 that I do love, but seldom use or carry because of it's size. I have a shoulder holster for it but in truth, it makes a nice range gun but a poor packing .22 for wandering around in the woods, pop a grouse, etc while fishing or on the 4 wheeler.

I'm looking for a good "smallish but not micro" Semi Auto .22 handgun to pack. I do some CCW with .22's. Not as good as other rounds but better than nothing, and slightly more useful for side duties and though .22 ammo is scarce still, it should come back and it is cheaper.

I looked over some reviews on two so far: the Ruger SR 22 and the Smith and Wesson M & P 22. The Smith has some things about it I would likely become disgusted with: the plastic take down lever for instance but the reviews are good in it. The Ruger SR 22 has great reviews though I think I would find having to push up on a safety rather than down is going to confuse a simple mind like mine and when in a hurry (God forbid), is sure to screw me up. Never saw a side safety on a handgun that you pushed up rather than down. WHat the hell was Ruger thinking?

So, now what? a 4" Buckmark might be the answere but I think I would like a lighter gun. Ruger MII (et al) are perfectly reliable but frankly, also too heavy and large. I mean I want something that I can nearly throw in a holster in the pocket of my Cargo Pants.

I have considered a Ruger LCR 22 but I would like a semi auto for fun shooting.

Any other options?


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PostPosted: Sat Jun 21, 2014 2:59 pm • # 2 
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I think I would go with a revolver here. If you did have to pull it out quickly, you don't have to worry about the safety and they rarely jam up even if they are dirty from being in a pack all day. If you want light weight I would look at the S&W Airlite. If you really want at semi auto I think the Buckmark is your best bet. I'm like you and don't like all the plastic parts not he newer guns.


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PostPosted: Sat Jun 21, 2014 3:04 pm • # 3 
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The SR22 isn't the only one with a wrong way safety, so does the Makarov. It's slide mounted, and works opposite of all other slide mounted safety/decockers. It's down to fire, and up to decock/on safe. For what it's worth, I've never had an issue with getting it wrong, even though it's opposite to the way my Beretta, and every other slide mounted deal works. I guess for me, the SR22 wouldn't be much of an issue because I'm used to pushing up to fire with the Beretta, but then I carry it with the safety off. With the SR being a DA/SA gun I would probably carry it safety off as well, and only use the lever as a decocker.

I think another .22 auto you may want to consider, although it may be bigger than you like, is the M&P 22. I've shot one, and it was reliable and accurate. The frame mounted safety works in the conventional way. The one I shot was absolutely the most filthy dirty .22 pistol I had ever laid eyes on, and looked like it had never been cleaned, ever. This gun is what was provided at my CCW class for the semi auto portion (used an LCR22 for the revolver portion), and more than 50 people shot it that day. The gun never missed a beat the entire time, and that was even running Remington golden bullet ammo that comes in the bulk plastic bucket.

I have my eye on the LCR22, and want one pretty bad. I just wish Ruger would make one in the X version, with the exposed hammer and SA capability.


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PostPosted: Sat Jun 21, 2014 3:59 pm • # 4 
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I have a Walther 22 that I really like-P22 model. I had to put a few rounds through the gun to get it working smoothly but shoots trouble free now with all sorts of ammo. I have smallish hands (short fingers) and the Walther is a very nice fit for me. I would not hesitate to buy another Walther although some folks give it bad reviews. I have put probably 300 rounds through the pistol with zero issues.


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PostPosted: Sat Jun 21, 2014 8:21 pm • # 5 
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Guns without bullets or in safes with locks on them are not worth much.
You can buy .22's???, let me know I might road trip for quantity.


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PostPosted: Sun Jun 22, 2014 10:43 am • # 6 
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blufloyd wrote:
Guns without bullets or in safes with locks on them are not worth much.
You can buy .22's???, let me know I might road trip for quantity.


No 22 ammo still....or rather there is some but the gun shops are committing the evil act of "supply and demand economics" ie: price gouging. The thing the need to remember is we are not stupid and we remember.

It's a good thing I have a fair bit already.

Right now, I am thinking of the Ruger SR 22....the DA/SA system is similar to my Glocks where the first pull is DA and if you don't release the trigger all the way, the next shots are similar to SA. Being the first shot is DA, you could carry with the safety off.


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PostPosted: Sun Jun 22, 2014 11:29 am • # 7 
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Of the size you seek.....my favorite is the Ruger MK II with the short tapered barrel. The MK II's are a lot harder to find now but have a lot better trigger than the MK III's. The SIG Mosquito is nice too. Browning used to make a mini-Buckmark, not sure if they still do or not.
............Don in SC


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PostPosted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 10:05 am • # 8 
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There are a lot of viable choices out there, but if you want something reliable and accurate, a quality revolver would probably be the best choice. A 3" S&W J-frame rimfire with adjustable sights would be my choice; I've found that quality revolvers are generally more accurate than pistols, and rimmed cartridges always leave me worrying about reliability in a pistol. I have several rimfire pistols that have never bobbled, but I can't get past the worry......... I have a Walther TPH that is pretty accurate, and 100% reliable, but those tiny sights don't mesh too well with my old eyes, at least not for grouse-popping type work.

Yes, if it was me I'd look for one of the older 3" S&W kit guns and put a set of Wilson or Safariland stocks on it and dial it in at 25 yards. It would carry a whole lot better than the 4" S&W M-57 I usually end up toting in the woods. And I don't think a 220 grain .41 caliber projectile would be the best way to prepare a grouse for the table.............


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PostPosted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 12:00 pm • # 9 
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Well, I looked over a few guns after researching them on the internet. For now I am holding off. I was leaning towards the Ruger SR22 but after a lot of study, it appears there is an issue with them, at least the early models and I cannot find anywhere that it has be fixed. There was too many reported instances where the slide unlock lever broke when firing the gun and the slide would fly off the gun, sometimes after only a few hundred rounds. There is an after market lever that is machined for only 20 bucks. The thing I don't care for is if I by a gun, I should not have to pay an extra 20 bucks just to insure it is safe and reliable.

I even found many instances of failure on Rugers LCR 22. A revolver failing?

The S&W M&P 22 is nice but costs more than I am willing to spend as does the Ruger 45-22 lite. Browning no longer makes a 4" model. I guess, I will just carry my old 4" SS Taurus 9 shot revolver for grouse,......for now.

Final thought on .22s. I am not a conspiracy theorist but the quality control on most 22 ammo and most 'lesser' expensive 22 guns seems to suck. If the "powers that be" in the manufacturers don't pull their heads out of their butts, the "powers that be" in the long reaching arms of Gov't will do it for them, and we don't want that. Ammo costs will soar after that. I found a store yesterday that had bricks of American Eagle 400 rounds for 40 bucks. Wow! Also, as I understand, there are no firearms made in the 17 Mach2 anymore and ammo might end up on the chopping block. IT is sad. I love that little round even better than the 17 HMR. It is the perfect squirrel gun IMHO. What is really sad is, manufactures dream up a new round, the public buys it, after a time, sales slump, guns, and then the ammo dwindle, then vanish and a customer is left with a useless gun he can't shoot or sell. Remember the Remington SAUM rounds? 5mm Remington? etc.

It is a good thing I have over 3000 rounds on hand for my 17 Mach2.....not that that makes me feel any better.


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PostPosted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 12:19 pm • # 10 
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Just a note on .22 ammo.

Bass Pro had plenty when I was there the other day. There's a restriction on how much you can buy at one time. It's three bricks, I think.


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PostPosted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 1:48 pm • # 11 
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I haven't been looking to buy a handgun for a long time I have been very happy with my Ruger Mark II,If you look around you may find one.I also have a Ruger single 6 with both cylinders it wears a 2 power scope for squirrels Im sure you will find a 22 you will like soon
just my 2 cents :) Dennis


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PostPosted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 6:30 pm • # 12 
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It's a fact these days that many manufacturers have cheapened guns to keep them at a certain price point so that most can still afford to buy them, and also still make a profit. Many folks just love polymer frames, but lets face it, poly frame are cheaper to make than metal ones, and since it has been a proven frame type for many years now, everyone makes them. MIM parts are cheaper to produce than machined ones, and are inferior in my opinion, but they are even being used on higher end combat pistols these days by H&K, and SIG. Getting a gun that works well out of the box these days seems to be a crap shoot. Tolerance stacking, lesser quality materials (MIM), and overall poor QC is real a issue, and I don't see it getting better in the future.

As for sucky .22 ammo, that won't change, because the vast majority of shooters want cheap plinking ammo, not the better target quality ammo, which costs much more due in big part to tighter QC. Match type ammo from SK, Lapua, etc, is expensive, and always has been, but it has also been the best quality ammo.

When I was a kid I shot a lot of Federal Lightning through my Marlin bolt gun. It was cheap back then, usually a little less than a buck a box. When I found some Fed Lightning bricks at Walmart back in February, I had to buy a brick, it was about $23. The stated muzzle velocity on the box put it on par with CCI Mini mags, which is about the only thing my little Beretta 21A will reliably run. So I attempted to run some Lighting though the little Beretta, but the ammo didn't have enough power to cycle the slide completely, leaving the empty case sandwiched between the slide and barrel hood, and the next round was not attempting to feed, so the the slide was short cycling.

Is the majority of the .22 ammo being cheapened up? Yep, I believe so.


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PostPosted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 8:47 am • # 13 
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We can find 22 ammo in Austin from time to time, at 5.00 to 6.00 a box for what use to cost .99.

Federal seems to be producing the cheapest crap 22 lately. They've been selling bricks of 22 marketed towards AR15 style 22's. This is the only ammo I've ever had fail in my Ruger 10-22 Rifle. A Rifle I've owned for 8 years with thousand of rounds shot through it. The Federal wouldn't feed or cycle right.

We can buy some Mexican made 22 for 6.00 a box. It shoots fine but I keep looking for Remington Golden Bullet, which my Ruger loves. It seems to be the same quality as my older batches, but only comes around sporadically, at 25.00 a brick.


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PostPosted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 4:39 pm • # 14 
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My mark II loves Remington power points & I haven't seen them for a while On the other hand the single 6 just don't care what you feed it
:) Dennis


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 10, 2014 11:31 pm • # 15 
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If you're still not settled on a .22 and you have a supply of HOT loaded ammo (cci minimags or similar) the Sig Mosquito is quite a shooter. It has a down side though - the first double action pull is stiffer and heavier than any double action centerfire I've ever shot - including the old Smith & Wesson Sigmas. I swear to god the Mosquito I owned and a friends just like it had 15 or 16lb double action triggers. The single actions were crisp 4-5lb triggers.

Most comfortable little .22 I've ever held or shot - I wished they had made a .380 version (just about the right size grip frame to stuff a double stacked .380 magazine into) or could somehow make a 9x19mm that size, even if single stacked.

It does have a frame mounted safety, up to fire down to safe like the Beretta 92 or old school Ruger metal framed guns. Really cool little gun. The Mosquitos I've shot though don't do well with "standard" .22 ammo - Golden Bullets would occasionally foul or fail to feed. Same with CCI standard stuff, and el-cheapo Federal stuff. CCI Mini Mags made the gun run like a Singer sewing machine though. I think it'd make a cool little squirrel gun or just a woods walking gun or a rabbit hunter. I'm not personally comfortable with a .22 as a defensive firearm against two legged vermin, but it's better than a pointy stick and the Mosquito could fill that role pretty well due to the light polymer frame and zinc (I think, maybe aluminum though) slide.


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 13, 2014 3:47 pm • # 16 
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I bought one of the Browning Buck marks about 25 years ago & would do it again in a heart beat, I tried the Rugers & they just dont have the quality the Browning does, have had thoughts on buying a buckmark with the 4" barrel for packability.


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 7:11 pm • # 17 
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I have one of the new browning 1911-22's and it would be a great gun to pack around. Build and material quality is good and it has shot everything I have put through it with no failures. Light weight and very packable. Downside is the cost but for the quality I do not feel too bad about it. I would not call it micro but it may be smaller than you are looking for. Sights needed some paint on the front blade to make them usable but that is the only complaint I have.
Here it is next to my high standard for a size comparison.
Russell
Image


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PostPosted: Mon Jul 28, 2014 10:23 am • # 18 
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The prayer circle is working in wonderous and strange ways. Just found and bought 2000 rounds of .22's for $100. Amen brothers.....


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