With ammo costs going up and availability going down, many shooters are turning to the good old .22 Long Rifle cartridge for affordable shooting fun. Rimfire competition shooting leagues are springing up across the country. New shooters are mastering the fundamentals of marksmanship. Experienced shooters are rediscovering that .22 LR competitions are a fun way to hone their skills to a fine edge. What should we look for in a competition .22 pistol?
The tiny Walther P22 is a fun plinking gun, but competitors avoid it.
There are a variety of reliable, affordable and accurate pistols to choose from, but sometimes they can get lost in the noise and marketing of the firearms industry. Gun magazines, websites, and blogs constantly scream that whatever is newest is the best thing ever. Of course, this is not true. Some of the newest .22LR pistols to hit the market are simply range toys of lesser quality. They may look like classic firearms such as the 1911, Glock or Sig 226, but they are just not accurate enough for competition work. Many of these guns are much smaller than the service pistols they mimic. Their tiny grips are best suited for teaching children to shoot. There are also doubts about the longevity of these guns as many rounds are fired through them over time. If you want a .22LR that looks like a silenced 1911, you can buy one and play with it once in awhile at the range for fun. If you want to compete, there are better choices for the same amount of money.
What we are looking for here is a reliable, durable, accurate, and ergonomic pistol. We want large iron sights that are easy to see, a very good trigger, and a barrel that shoots straight. The gun needs to point naturally, and regular maintenance should be easy to perform. We all know that .22LR ammo is very “dirty” ammo relative to its size, and all firearms work better when we properly clean and lubricate them. With these rules in mind, here are some good options to consider.
Ruger MkIII
The Ruger Mk III is a great all-around choice.
The Ruger MkIII is my personal favorite. Although I’ve seen amazing results with heavy-barreled variants, mine features the standard weight, tapered six inch barrel and it is still more accurate than I am. If I miss with my Ruger, I know the fault is mine alone. The big disadvantage of the Ruger is that disassembly and reassembly are notoriously difficult. Many shooters fear the pistol’s complexity and refuse to disassemble it. They clean their Rugers by removing the grips and dunking the rest of the gun in carburetor cleaner or another harsh solvent. Another downside is the price, which starts higher than most other .22LR pistols and gets even more expensive depending on options.
Beretta Neos
The Beretta Neos is a relative newcomer, but looks like a great value.
The Beretta Neos is a relative newcomer to the .22LR target pistol field. These excellent quality pistols are probably the best bargain per dollar spent. They shoot straight, are easy to disassemble, and come with a built in Weaver-type optics mount. However, many pistol leagues do not allow optics, so that may not be a factor. Pricing is very competitive because the Neos is a newcomer. The science fiction looks of the gun may turn off some potential buyers, but they don’t truly matter except for the extreme grip angle. If you are used to the grip angle of a 1911 or Sig Sauer and you decide to pick up rimfire shooting to save money, you will not have a natural point of aim with the Neos.
Browning Buck Mark
The Browning Buck Mark is a high quality pistol with a high price to match.
The Browning Buck Mark is a classic .22LR, loved by thousands of shooters. A wide variety of shooters find the Buck Mark’s grip to be perfect regardless of hand size. Ergonomically, it is almost magical. Maintenance is the problem for the Buck Mark. Small hex head setscrews hold the Buck Mark together. The owner must unscrew them each time they take apart the pistol to clean it. Losing a setscrew means no working gun for you. Strip one out during reassembly and well… I guess you won’t be cleaning your Buck Mark for awhile. The Buck Mark is also the most expensive of the pistols I am mentioning in this article.
Smith & Wesson 22A
The Smith & Wesson 22A is easy to disassemble for cleaning.
The Smith & Wesson 22A is not as popular as the Ruger or Browning, but it still offers one big advantage. Disassembly for cleaning is super easy, with no tools required. Where the Browning has a setscrew holding the barrel in place, the 22a uses a large plunger that you can press with your thumb. The barrel’s accuracy is very good, but the trigger is stiff compared to the other guns I have mentioned. Reliability can be iffy with this gun, especially when dirty, so it’s a good thing that it is so easy to clean. On the other hand, its price is pretty hard to beat and its grip angle is perfect for shooters who are used to full size service pistols. Like the Beretta Neos, the 22A comes with a standard Weaver rail for mounting red dots or long eye relief scopes.
There are other pistols appropriate for rimfire competition, but these are the most affordable and readily available. If you’re a fan of the Sig Trailside, the Colt Woodsman, or the truly exceptional Smith & Wesson model 41, then by all means, go out and shoot your favorite one! There are plenty of bowling pins to knock around at a local shooting league near you!
The mission of Cheaper Than Dirt!’s blog, “The Shooter’s Log,” is to provide information—not opinions—to our customers and the shooting community. We want you, our readers, to be able to make informed decisions. The information provided here does not represent the views of Cheaper Than Dirt!
Putting the Ruger .22 pistol back together is easy once you know how to position the hammer strut.
The hammer strut is a steel piece dangling out of the bottom of the hammer. Take the mainspring housing out, and there’s one dangling piece of metal under there that can flip back and forth. That’s the hammer strut.
In reassembly, when you’ve got the mainspring housing pin through the bolt, but before you lock the housing back into the grip, you need to flip the hammer strut back, pointing aft, so the tip goes in a little football-shaped depression in the mainspring housing. Hold the gun completely inverted, barrel level, grip up, mainspring housing hanging down. Reach in there to manipulate the hammer strut with a punch or a pencil or tweezers, it’s easy. Just be careful not to knock the strut around while you’re folding the mainspring housing back into the backstrap. Once it’s in, the strut’s locked in place.
That’s it, that’s the whole secret. Try it. It works every time. Think about it: If they can assemble these things at the factory, there MUST be some way for them to go together reliably. Well, this is the way.
Comment by Auld Ted — May 30, 2012 @ 1:35 pm
P.S. That’s the Mark I/II/III, don’t ask me about the .22/45.
Comment by Auld Ted — May 30, 2012 @ 1:36 pm
Sorry, one last thing — just double checked, and the “football shaped depression” has a little hemispherical cup in the bottom, and that cup is where the point of the hammer strut goes. There’s a different football-shaped depression on the back of the mainspring housing, but you couldn’t get the hammer strut in that one without divine intervention anyhow.
Comment by Auld Ted — May 30, 2012 @ 1:44 pm
Well put, Ted. I’ve taken my Ruger Mk III apart many times for cleaning. But it is still really intimidating for newbies. Its certainly not as easy as most modern automatics of any caliber.
Comment by CTD Mike — May 30, 2012 @ 4:20 pm
Even knowing the procedure described above, re-assembly of the Ruger is still a PITA. Given that the Ruger .22LR pistols have been in production for 60 years or so, I would think they could have made re-assembly a bit easier. For example, there is an aftermarket version of the cylindrical part that sticks up thru the bolt that can be unscrewed with a hex key–making the tedious re-assembly procedure completely unnecessary. Also, I prefer the MKII–which does not have all the superfluous safety sh*t of the MKIII.
The Walther P22 suffers from a design defect (front sight wobble) that makes it inherently inaccurate.
I believe the best bang for the .22 pistol buck is the Browning Buckmark. Have bought Buckmarks, like new, in pawnshops for around $300.
The article should also have mentioned High Standard .22 pistols–probably second to the S&W 41 for sheer quality–especially the old Connecticut guns.
As for the rest, I pretty much agree with the article.
Peter H
Comment by Peter H — May 31, 2012 @ 3:52 am
It always surprises me that people have problems with reassembly of Rugers. Maybe I’ve just been shooting them too long (nearly 50 years).
I agree, the HiStandard should be on the list, though they’re getting difficult to find. Wish I’d never let mine go. Hung onto the Ruger ‘cuz it felt, and therefore shot, better. The 22A is really finicky, needing cleaning before shooting a whole box- but it may just be my ammo- Feds. The kid prefers the 22A, though, claims it’s ‘his’ pistol. He mounted a Red Dot on it and shoots circles around me. (Actually, my groups are circles around his :\ )
No revolvers on the list- kind of disappointing, but understand the reason for omitting them. People might find them worthy of a second look, though.
JSW
Comment by JSW — May 31, 2012 @ 3:13 pm
I think the author was trying to keep within a reasonable price range with his selections. The High Standards and S&W 41′s are quite expensive these days and most people don’t want to pay alot for a .22 pistol. Revolvers can be alot of fun but aren’t suitable for some types of competition. I’m a Ruger fan in this category. I have an old Standard Model, MKII and MKIII (this one is threaded for a suppressor). Good article CTD Mike.
Comment by Joe — June 1, 2012 @ 8:43 am
Anyone have experience with the Colt .22 target.
I have one and it seems very good.
Don’t see them arouns to much.
Comment by Mac — August 12, 2012 @ 5:47 pm
Ruger Mark II or III is my personal favorite,disassembly and reassembly are not difficult like most people think.
After you understand how the Hammer Strut work.You will see it is very easy and simple to disassembly and reassembly in the few minutes.
Comment by traitor — October 9, 2012 @ 8:42 pm
Reply to Mac: About 50 years experience with colt woodsman match target pistols. Extremely accurate, elegant handguns but none made since the 1970′s and excellent used ones keep going up in price. Find a good one, enjoy shooting it, don’t abuse it; you’ll always get your investment back and more if you decide to sell. One of the few top-quality .22 target pistols that works equally well in the field!
Comment by Bob — October 18, 2012 @ 12:43 pm
There is nothing to be afraid of with the Ruger MKiii; RTFM. This is a great pistol that takes a long time to outgrow.
Comment by mike k. — November 12, 2012 @ 10:54 pm
I have the Browning Buckmark, and it’s unfortunately the reason I’m here looking up .22LR options. I did my homework before buying it, and like you, nearly everyone said it was great. My experience was the exception to the rule. Even immediately after a full cleaning, it jams 25% of the time. YMMV, I suppose.
Comment by Merennulli — January 4, 2013 @ 5:44 pm
Is your Buck Mark brand new? If so, it may take about 500 rounds to break in. I bought a new (old stock) Browning Challenger last summer. I had numerous jams until I realized it wasn’t the gun, it was me. I was limp-wristing —oy. I also learned it liked certain types of ammo better than others. After about 500 rounds, several cleanings and a lot of oil, it now shoots smooth as silk. I’ve also learned to maintain my wrist position. A number of ladies in my weekly pistol league shoot Buck Marks without any issue. ~CTD Donna
Comment by CTD Lady Blogger — January 4, 2013 @ 10:28 pm
It’s about 2 years old. I bought it new, and reading advice on “breaking in” guns, I used it heavily, despite the problems. I’ve put somewhere around 2500-3000 rounds through it. Since the vast majority of the jamming is failure to eject, limp wristing was my first assumption (and the assumption of everyone I talk to who hasn’t tried shooting the gun…). I’ve tried all the usual assumptions (limp wristing, breaking in, 6 different 22LR brands and 2 types within some of those, tightening the screws, strip and thorough cleaning, etc) and the only thing I’m left with is the possibility of a bad extractor spring, but I don’t have the tools to get at it and check or a gunsmith close to here. I love the precision of it, and can keep a 1″ grouping at 7 yards and a 10 inch grouping at 25 yards on a good day, but having to stop every few rounds to pry loose a wedged-in casing that half-ejected is driving me nuts.
Comment by Merennulli — January 5, 2013 @ 12:30 am
Ugh. I am sorry to hear that about your Buck Mark. While my leaguemaster’s Buck Mark doesn’t jam, it does hose up frequently where you have to drop the magazine, clear it, and start over. While uncommon, I have heard of experiences with some of the Buck Mark .22s performing to less than expectation.
Comment by CTD Lady Blogger — January 5, 2013 @ 8:13 am
I did buy a Ruger 22/45 MK III and it is a bit of a pain but gets better as I use it. First outing-FTF after 60 rnds. After disassembly and cleaning the second outing went 150+ until it FTF. Disassembled pistol and mags. Third outing 150+ rnds no issues. Fouth outing-ditto. Fifth outing-300 rnds-ditto. Now I’m feeling guilty and need to clean it well. After going through 500 rnds of Federal (I don’t remember which) I’ve been shooting Remington Golden Bullet copper plated round nose. It’s all filthy but that little pistol is running very well.
Comment by Dan M. — January 8, 2013 @ 12:58 pm
Correction: the Federal is gone and my last box of Remington is gone so that’s 1000 rnds. Breakdown and reassembly has gotten much smoother although you really have to pay attention to the hammer during reassembly.
Comment by Dan M. — January 8, 2013 @ 1:03 pm
I’ve got a High Standard I inherited from my grandpa. I wouldn’t trade it for all the cheaper match grade pistols in the world. A true work of art, but, out of the price range of most casual shooters.
Comment by Michael J. — February 24, 2013 @ 11:01 pm
Ruger has good videos on disassembly and assembly of the MK III pisols. http://www.ruger.com/products/markIIICompetition/extras.html
I shoot the competition model and it’s a great firearm, but I did add a Volquartsen accurizing trigger kit that I find considerably better than the already decent Ruger trigger. Unless you’re very handy, have it installed by a reputable gunsmith. Many shooters opt not to install the extended bolt release that comes with the kit – it sticks way out and is a little on the sharp side. My MK III will shoot any good ammo extremely reliably, but the tightest groups are with Wolf Target Match.
Comment by Bob — March 11, 2013 @ 7:54 pm
I am looking for a .22 target pistol. Haven’t ever fired one, but have gripped all of the pistols pictured above. Except for the Ruger MkIII, I do not like the grip or fell of most of the pistols. They feel a little top heavy and the Berretta Neos grip is way too small for my average hand. It’s a shame that the grip on such a “pretty” pistol is so poorly designed.
I have reasonable shooting experience and accuracy with other pistols (.380, 1911 and 9mm Ruger), but was very surprised by the awkward feel of these .22 pistols.
Comments?
Comment by Rich — March 19, 2013 @ 10:14 am
@Rich, look for a .22 with target grips. I personally shoot an older Browning Challenger (1960s) that has the wider grips and absolutely love it. I have a Beretta Neos as well, but prefer the Browning for my weekly shooting league night. I picked up my Browning Challenger at a recent gun show for about $500, and it is in “like new” condition. ~CTD Donna
Comment by Donna Hornsby — March 19, 2013 @ 10:56 am
Speaking about .22 lr target pistols, I love my Colt .22 Target (some refer to it as the cadet model). I’ve not seen many around and when I pull it out of the bag it get a lot of attention.
Comment by Mac — March 19, 2013 @ 11:22 am
In great respect for both i have owned a beautiful 22Ruger mark 111.To my suprise shoting pine cones from tallest pine tree here is sporting as it come .The accurcy was there.It got stole in my home break in.Sad but true .Next i bought out pawn shop a Browning Buck mark .Expecting the same out the Browning as the Ruger was just not there in accuracy or performance.The main gripe is the hanging up and not accurcy as the Ruger.Im getting another Ruger.
Comment by Kenneth Morris — March 24, 2013 @ 7:39 pm
I purchased a Ruger Mark III Target for exactly the reasons this article was written. I had issues, one way or another, with every gun on the list. Either too light (Beretta Neo) or too unbalanced (Ruger Mk III with standard barrel), grip angle (Neo), disassembly (Buckmark) or lousy trigger (Smith & Wesson). But the closest to what I was looking for was the Ruger. I just had to step up my game, open my wallet a bit more, and get the premium Hunter model. Long heavier fluted barrel was perfect for balance and virtually non existent recoil. The Hi-Viz sights are phenomenal to use I can regularly shoot a quarter size group with the 10 shot magazine at 10 yards. The trigger is like butter with a crisp, positive break. It comes with a attachable Weaver type optics mount, if you have the urge to scope it or put a red dot on it. There are any number of grips available, I switched mine to a target style with thumb rest. Accuracy is beyond words, the stainless steel construction is a breeze to clean. However it did take a disassembly (or three) to get the hang of putting it back together but the Ruger online videos are fantastic, and once you do it a few times it becomes second nature. So don’t let the stories of it being a pain to reassemble dissuade you from buying one
Comment by Tim — March 30, 2013 @ 8:37 am
I have the 22/45, used it for many years with no problems. I did some trigger work on it, and it has a bull barrel with compensator. the trigger breaks like a piece of glass, and the accuracy is good. I bought the 22/45 because of the grip angle which is more like the 1911. On a second note, I recently purchased a Marvel Precision conversion for the 1911. Now in a three gun pistol match, I’m using the same lower for both the 22 and the 45. Also, you have to purchase a gun from outside the US to find one with the same accuracy as the Marvel. You can check out their website, http://www.marvelprecision.com/
Comment by Donovan Dyer — March 30, 2013 @ 10:02 am
I also have a Ruger MkIII Hunter and enjoy trouble free shooting of it, but for the life of me I can not figure out why Ruger put the buck horn rear sight on it instead of a normal square notch. That is my only complaint with the pistol. I find it harder to get a good sight picture than with other pistols I own. Nothing beats the High Standard.
Comment by Herb — March 30, 2013 @ 12:27 pm
All are nice guns; I like my S&W 41. It shoots just about any ammo including the cheepie stuff. Super accurate – wish I could say the same for me.
Comment by Lorenzo — March 31, 2013 @ 3:30 pm
I love the S&W 22A. I shoot every 2 weeks averaging 5,000 rounds a year with my dad. As of this writing the pistol has 7,600 rounds through it and hasn’t experienced any problems. We had another S&W 22A prior to this one and my dad sold it with 31,000 rounds through it. The spring needs replaced at times but S&W has always provided parts those at no charge.
Comment by Jenny — April 30, 2013 @ 4:32 pm