Help please

[RealityC]

I'm new to this forum and to gun ownership. As a matter of fact I do not own one yet. Looking to buy my 1st one soon. Was looking at the M&P 22 Compact but then visited a local gun shop and they encouraged me to look at a Ruger Mark IV Tactical because it will be much more accurate. I'm buy a 22 pistol to just have fun with at the range or friends house "plinking". Want to work on my accuracy and learn more about handguns. Like the idea of a rail to put different sights on but is not a game breaker one way or another. Looking for advice and thoughts on if the Ruger will be that much more accurate then the M&P 22 Compact. Thanks in advance.

 

[WRA]

Interested in some of the others answering your question.

Welcome to the group!

 

[Smiffer]

I would sure bet the Ruger will be more accurate than the M&P .22. However I am a fan of Smith and Wesson and I would sure take a look a their new Victory, I am searching for a reason to buy one myself.
To be totally honest though I highly recommend renting each one you are attracted to and see what one fits you best.

 

[OKFC05]

I have a couple of .22 handguns that I can shoot squirrels with, and others to learn/teach/practice action pistol games or roll tin cans.
The M&P .22 is not one that I use to hunt squirrels, but is good for learning the fundamentals of defensive pistol.

 

[Jeppo]

It doesn’t matter which you pick

One of the downsides of being into firearms is that it’s almost impossible to own just one. You’ll buy one of those .22’s and then you’ll want the other one. Then you’ll want to try a 9mm. Then a revolver. Hey, why not a rifle?

Wash, rinse, repeat ad nauseum or until bankruptcy.

So, don’t sweat it...just pick one.

 

[gunny4053]

I am a fan of S&W. That being said, I'd buy the Ruger Mark IV. These are awesome firearms, always have been, and the mark IV is way easier to disassemble for cleaning. If you go with S&W, look at the Victory. The M&P 22 is good for familiarizing you with the M&P platform if you're planning on going with a larger caliber in the M&P line. Another one to look at is the Browning Buckmark. Good luck and welcome aboard.

 

[swsig]

I would sure bet the Ruger will be more accurate than the M&P .22. However I am a fan of Smith and Wesson and I would sure take a look a their new Victory, I am searching for a reason to buy one myself.
To be totally honest though I highly recommend renting each one you are attracted to and see what one fits you best.

Renting before you buy is good advice. If you try and like the Ruger, I can tell you that my first gun was a Ruger Standard .22lr. I still have it 45 years later. It is rugged, reliable, and accurate. And it has the best trigger of any gun I have ever shot. If you go with Ruger, and you don't need all the bells and whistles, you can save some money by getting the Mark IV Standard. If you think you might want to add an optical sight, then the Tactical model is the way to go. I wish I could tell you more about the M&P .22, but I've never shot one. No matter which you buy, both S&W and Ruger stand behind their products with free lifetime service, including shipping, so you'll be covered there.

Enjoy your new purchase, and welcome to the Forum!

 

[webfarmer]

I own an M&P .22 compact (Cerakoted FDE with threaded barrel) but not the Ruger tactical. You can't really compare anything honestly if you aren't really familiar with both - at least for me anyway.

For the M&P, I can tell you it's a hoot to shoot. Only have 200 rounds through it so limited to that round count. Benched I measured 1.43" at 15 yards for 5 rounds of CCI MiniMag. Can't tell you how that compares to the Ruger because I don't own it. Have fun and good luck with whatever you choose.

 

[s&wm&p4me]

All I have is the 22c is a HOOT to shoot, EVERYONE loves it and it will eat ANY ammo you throw thru it!
The Ruger is a lot harder to clean, I shoot a lot, so the 22c is a dream to clean!

My 22c and my 10/22 get more rounds thru than anything else I own!

 

[Ranger17]

I had a 22 compact and it was a reliable fun plinker. Over 1k rounds with zero ammo issues and would run multiple brands of ammo flawlessly (not always normal with rimfire). I also own a Buckmark and kept going to that at the range due to its superior accuracy, as the short barrel on the compact wont compare to those with longer barrels and sight radius. But i did want a second 22 and went with a Victory. Love that gun. It’s just as accurate as my Buckmark, comes with nice features stock and is easy to take down to clean (Buckmark is not).
I’ll end in saying the compact 22 is a very good gun for what it is; but if range and target time is to be the main use i would consider the Victory, the Ruger mk 4 and/or a Buckmark.

 

[Walt Sherrill]

If this is your first handgun, it probably won't be your last -- and you will likely, after you get some experience, want to upgrade to something that will be a better self- or home-defense weapon, probably in 9mm.

A .22 will kill someone but it's not the best self-defense weapon, but it is a good starting place.

That said, I'd look around for a good USED .22, maybe a S&W, but I would also consider a Ruger MK II or MK III. I would NOT buy a new and relatively expensive Ruger Mark IV Tactical. I would also think seriously about shopping at a different gun shop... as those folks just want your money.

Save your dollars at this stage of your handgun experience and spend them on a decent used gun, ammo, and range time. Consider joining an indoor range if there's one nearby. Unless you live outside the city limit, it can sometimes be hard to find a place to shoot. (It can be hard even if you do live out in the country...)

The Ruger Mark IV is the same basic gun as the older Rugers, but with an easier field strip process. All of the Rugers have a flawless reputation, but the older (pre-MK IV) models can be a pain AT FIRST to field strip and reassemble until you get the hang of it. Just read the manual and you'll get it. (If the gun you buy used doesn't come with an owners manual, you'll be able to find one on line from the gunmaker.)

Some of the other .22s available from the major gun makers are not made by the company that carries the brand name; I prefer the ones that the company makes itself. Ruger and S&W are good brands for that.

 

[Jim Watson]

I think the Plastic M&P .22 Compact is a dandy trainer for a real PM&P Compact or Shield, or any similar hideout gun. If absolutely positively limited to .22 LR, it would do as a defense weapon, mine is 100% with CCI MiniMags, including hollowpoints.

BUT for recreational target shooting, the Ruger (Victor, Buckmark) is a better choice. Better trigger, better sights, longer sight radius, more mass for steadiness. I shoot some Steel Challenge and normally all but one of the .22 pistols in use are from those models. The odd man out is me, with a M41 or High Standard.

 

[Dave Lively]

I bought a 22 compact a couple of months ago and so far it has been as reliable as a 22 can be and great fun to shoot.

But I would go with a larger handgun like the Ruger Mark 4, S&W Victory or Browning Buckmark since they are much easier to shoot accurately.

Note that I said easier to shoot accurately, not more accurate. If you are shooting offhand accuracy is going to be limited by your ability to shoot the gun well, not how accurate the gun would be in a machine rest. The larger pistols usually are more accurate but the real difference is that they have better triggers, longer sight radius and the extra weight makes them easier to hold steady. Shooting is more fun if you can hit your target.

I like my 22 compact but it was an addition the my S&W 41, a larger 22 pistol. If I could only have one it would be the S&W 41.

 

[BE Mike]

I've owned a Ruger MKI with 5 1/2" bull barrel. I now own a S&W M&P .22 Compact that is suppressor ready. There is no doubt that the Ruger is more accurate out to say, 50 yards. There are a multitude of aftermarket accessories for the Ruger. Not so much with the M&P. The M&P is accurate out to 10-15 yards. The trigger pull on the M&P is nothing like the centerfire S&W M&P's. It is pretty heavy and a single action, rather than a double action. I'd go with the Ruger MK IV for a first .22 pistol, over the M&P .22 Compact. I like the M&P as a fun plinker and suppressor host, though.

 

[Luger9x19]

First off... WELCOME to the forum!

The M&P 22c and the Ruger MKIV are completely different types of pistols. The former a plinker/trainer and the latter a target pistol. Both of them will fit your stated purpose of use.

Not to complicate your decision more but....

Check out the Browning Buckmark or Smith & Wesson Victory - both good target pistols and would compare to the Ruger MKIV

Ruger SR-22 pistol - great shooter/plinker and would compare to the M&P 22c.

Buying a gun is an extremely personal decision and only you can decide what feels right in the hand. Reading reviews or watching youtube can help, but renting or borrowing and shooting is the best.

Once you get one you will likely want another and then another and so on and so forth.

Good luck with your decision and come back and tell us what you decided and please give a range report.

 

[Ramapithacine]

One lesson that I've learned over the 30+ years since I bought my first firearm (shooting my Dad's guns not included), is that the "good for now" guns were almost always a waste of money in the end. Buying one quality firearm that I could hold onto was better than a cheap one that I would get annoyed with due to back accuracy/ergonomics.

I like the fun and quality/design of the Ruger Mark-series, but tend to shoot my 1911 with a Marvel conversion kit more as it shares the trigger, controls and sights of my favorite pistol for CCW.

As many have already said, it is hard to own only one firearm and having a variety with some being great for defense and other great for target or fun shooting is nice.

 

[BigDog48]

I’ve had all three. Don’t buy until you seen, held, and if possible shot the S&W Victory. It is a great shooter out of the box, and will enable you to add an optic if you decide you want to. I got the MFP we Compact to teach my wife how to shoot the Shield. She never really gave it a try so I sold it. I also sold my a Ruger Mark III after getting the Victory.

 

[Saudade]

Welcome to the forum and to the joys and trials of gun ownership.

I'll echo some of the earlier comments.

A .22 is a great gun to start with and learn the fundamentals of firearms and marksmanship.

Ruger makes great firearms (I own several, just not a .22) but the MK IV Tactical is a bit overkill IMO. No need for all the rails unless it you *REALLY* like it. I'm guessing they had the Ruger in stock.

Lot's of great .22's around including the Rugers, S&Ws, Brownings, Walthers.

Just take your time, do your homework, budget for ammo and a few classes plus range fees (unless you can shoot from your porch).

Post back when you decide.

 

[Shooting Padre]

If Only..

One of the downsides of being into firearms is that it’s almost impossible to own just one. You’ll buy one of those .22’s and then you’ll want the other one. Then you’ll want to try a 9mm. Then a revolver. Hey, why not a rifle?

Wash, rinse, repeat ad nauseum or until bankruptcy.

So, don’t sweat it...just pick one.

Oh, that Smith and Wesson would produce cannons.

 

[jim46ok]

Before the gun........take a SAFETY class such as the NRA Basic Pistol or another offered by someone in your area. There will be someone, I'll bet. A .22 can, will, and has killed.......And don't be offended. Smarter (but gun ignorant) people than you or I have learned the hard way!! Good Luck!