Looking for a little .22 semi plinker

[joeintexas]

I would throw in another vote for the Ruger SR 22. Shoots and cycles anything you put in it.

 

[S&W Fan]

Ok, I'll say it...look for a S&W 2213! Had one when they first came out and it was 100% reliable and plenty accurate out to my usual 25 yard "can" range-lots of old soda and beer cans fell to it.

 

[LittleCooner]

My vote for a 22 plinker would be a Ruger Mark II or older version. very accurate and will shoot most any ammo without any jams. Good think to look for at gun shows and pawn shops.

 

[samwood]

You might want to look at the Browning Buckmark. The example I've got is more accurate than the Ruger 10/22 rifle I purchased the same week.

 

[cowart]

It's the stainless version

They are nickel plated, not stainless - see
PPK/S .22 - Walther Arms

I just like the look and feel of the PPK.

The actual PPK has not been importable since 1968. It was replaced by the PPK/S which has a longer grip to meet the importation specification. The original PPK had wrap-around grips, while the PPK/S has flat panel grips. Here is an actual PPK:

 

[Hdhic]

It's a tie between a Colt Huntsman 6in. and a Ruger MK-II with the
6 7/8 tapered target barrel. The new walther 22's don't even make
good trout line weights,too light
Hdhic aka cliff

 

[nutsforsmiths]

If I was to advise someone on a .22 semi-auto at the lower price end, it would be a Ruger Mk II. I have owned one for years and it is accurate and has never jammed. They are truly great pistols.

I also have a Beretta 70s and a Astra Constable in 22LR and they are very nice pistols.

I do own a Browning 1911/22 and a PPK/s (made in 1975), which are both on the higher side of price. The Browning is a wonderful pistol. I found the Walther likes CCI mini mags, but not if they are hollow points.

 

[litenlarry]

It's a tie between a Colt Huntsman 6in. and a Ruger MK-II with the
6 7/8 tapered target barrel. The new walther 22's don't even make
good trout line weights,too light
Hdhic aka cliff

Since this model was mentioned, here is a pic of mine.. Ruger MK II model 678..It is boring to shoot almost, as it is so accurate...

 

[BAM-BAM]

As the owner of a couple of PPKs in .32 and .380 I was excited about the new .22 version..... as I had sold my German .22PP back in the 80s.

I've been on the hunt for a .22 auto "plinker" also for the wife and boys.

When I handled the PPK in a LGS last summer I was not impressed.



Another thought; I handled one of the new S&W M&P "Compact" .22s yesterday and was impressed..... need to do some more research but have seen some good reviews comments.

Not to big not to small , lightweight and it had adjustable sights.....

 

[durango]

I purchased one of the new Walther PPK/S pistols in nickle from Cabelas about a year and a half ago. I love the pistol, it has not failed on me with any standard velocity or high velocity ammo. I have about 700 rounds through it. It is as accurate as a 3.5ish length barrel is. It is not as nice as a real ppk as it is not steel, but the overall function of the pistol is great. Recoil is minimal because the pistol is heavy.

The trigger pull in double action was painful when i first bought it. After 500 rounds it has evened out but is still heavy.
However, single action is a dream with maybe a 3 pound trigger and very short reset. I run the gun very oily and it seems to prefer it that way.

The sights are black on black. You would have to modify different sights or use paint or stickers to help with that as there are no custom sights available to purchase.

You can purchase custom wood grips for it, but they run around $80 as the pistol will not accommodate normal ppk grips.

There are a lot of folks on the Walther forums who dislike the pistol. It is made of zamak and the barrel is a pencil barrel inside a larger tube. All Umarex made .22 guns have the same setup including the M&P .22, MP5 .22, Colt .22 AR, and the Colt .22 1911s. I don't have a problem with that but it does concern me a little as to the longevity of these pistols/rifles.

Everyone I have let shoot the gun has been pretty thrilled with it for what it is.

I paid $400. If I were doing things over, I would probably buy the Bersa .22 Thunder. Or I would fork over the 200 extra clams and get a proper PPK.

That said, Walther afficionados don't like those S&W PPKs much either, so if it says Walther but is not made in the right factory in Germany, someone somewhere will poo-poo it. I will post some pics with a couple of targets so you can get an idea of the accuracy at closer ranges. (It isn't a long range gun imo. The sights aren't helpful for that.)

(Added a few pics, will add more in following post.)

 

[fiddyate]

I bought one of those new Walther/PPKS. What a joke, a piece of Umarex pot metal(Zamak).

Try the Ruger SR22.

 

[durango]

Here's more pics of the guts of my PPK/S .22. I hope this helps give you a sensibility of the gun. The knife in the preceding post is a 3.9" blade CRKT Fossil btw, so that should give you a sense of the size of the gun.

FWIW, I am not a fan of the reversed safety on the SR22, it's counter-intuitive. I'm sure it's a great shooter though, I haven't met anyone with anything bad to say about it beyond the safety.

 

[silentflyer]

Any of the Ruger Mark's 1,2 or 3, great firearms and a lot of bang for the buck....

 

[model70hunter]

If I was to advise someone on a .22 semi-auto at the lower price end, it would be a Ruger Mk II. I have owned one for years and it is accurate and has never jammed. They are truly great pistols.

I also have a Beretta 70s and a Astra Constable in 22LR and they are very nice pistols.

I do own a Browning 1911/22 and a PPK/s (made in 1975), which are both on the higher side of price. The Browning is a wonderful pistol. I found the Walther likes CCI mini mags, but not if they are hollow points.

I agree Ruger is an awesome buy for the money.

I think Comrad did specify a small 22 like the PPK. Like Texas star and a couple of others I have not read a lot of good press on the NEW Walther. To get a real Valther Comrad is going to have to scrub places like GB or forums and an older one will be pricey and can you even own one in NJ?

I have an Astra Constable 22 LR. It is made of machined steel and very, very accurate with all ammo I've tried, it does like the higher speed for reliability. Not Stingers just high speed.

Astra went under. I did lots of research before I bought the Astra, I was looking for a Bersa when I found the Astra at a Gun show. You could not trade me 2 new Walthers for it. It is tough, I was carrying it in my rear pocket while bush hogging. It fell out, my John Deere 3020 rear wheel ran over it. I looked for it several times over the next 2 days and found it smashed into the dirt. Checked the bore, cleaned the dirt off and oiled it. Shot a snake in the head at 20-25 yards a day or so later.

Not sure if the pot metal one would have held up to the Deere.

The other thing is the Astra which has the same profile as the PPK/s is small enough to fit in a coat pocket or front pants pocket and not be noticed. I usually put something flat between the pants pocket and gun to hide the outline.

It would be hard to stick a Ruger or 1911 or any other larger framed plinker in your pocket and have it out of sight.

 

[eveled]

Any of the Ruger Mark's 1,2 or 3, great firearms and a lot of bang for the buck....

I agree 100% they come in so many variations, there is something for everybody. From long heavy bull barrels, to short and stubby. I have a feeling the OP would love a little 4inch one.

If a really small automatic is necessary, I have a Beretta 21 that has been flawless. I also have a stainless Jennings that I traded half a box of 9mm for, it has been flawless too.