Need .22 semi-auto recommendations

[gfors]

A female friend of mine is looking for a semi-auto, in .22LR. This would mostly be a plinking/range (out to 10 yards) gun. Everyone has warned us to stay away from the Walther, but other than that, there are a bunch of choices out there. My range does rent guns, but I'd like to narrow down the list of possible guns. $10 a range gun can get spendy, if we try to shoot everything they have. She had a Beretta 71, which was just about perfect, for her, but she had to give it back to her Dad. Eventually, she'll end up with it, so she doesn't want to "duplicate" that gun. She had no problem racking the slide, on that one, and I enjoyed its ease of field stripping, for cleaning purposes.
Looking for something similar. What do you guys and gals recommend?
Thanks,
George

 

[cadmike]

What’s wrong with the Walther? My P22 works great.
Have you considered the ruger mark series or is that out of her price range?

 

[Farmer17]

This:

Buck Mark CAMPER UFX 22LR 5.5B

 

[Stevie]

Nobody warned me about Walther?....On of my favorite .22 pistols is a Colt Government Model .22 made by Walther/Umarex. A friend bought a Berretta Neos and likes it. The Browning Buckmarks are generally fine guns too

 

[uncleted327]

For the stated purpose I don't think you could ever do any better than a Browning Buckmark or Ruger Mark 4 for a Semi, tons of great revolvers available as well.

 

[gfors]

3 different salesmen at 2 different stores said the Walther P22 was prone to jamming. I have no personal experience, with any Walther model.
Thanks for the suggestions, and keep 'em coming!

 

[Ranger17]

I had a SW compact 22 and it was very reliable with multiple ammo brands (at times a rarity with 22’s) and at short distances was a fun plinker. Just not the most accurate gun, makes sense with shorter barrel etc.

I own a Buckmark, great gun but does not break down easily for cleaning. To me that is its only downfall, well that and it runs mini mags far better than other brands so it is a little finicky.
I also own a SW Victory and love it. Just as accurate and fun to shoot as the BM, but is very simple to take apart for general cleaning. And comes std with some nice features. So the Victory may be my suggestion based in my experiences anyway

 

[jmart172]

Browning Buckmark

 

[Rpg]

Take a look at the Colt Woodsman and it’s various spin-offs as well as the High Standard models.

The quality of these guns is unmatched by contemporary offerings and they are a real delight to shoot.

You won’t get a warranty, but you don’t need one on these guns: they’re dead on reliable unlike many of the current production offerings.

These guns can often be had for quite reasonable prices if you shop around.

 

[Triggernosis]

Ruger MK series.

 

[andy52]

I went with a Browning Buckmark not because its a better gun then the Ruger it's just a whole lot easier to disassemble.
I also so have a Ruger SR22 which is a nice compact .22 and functions surprisingly well with most ammo. The SR22 is the treaded model and is amazingly quiet when suppressed.

 

[KarmannGhia]

Used: S&W 622 or 422
New: Ruger Mk 3 or 4

 

[LoboGunLeather]

3 different salesmen at 2 different stores said the Walther P22 was prone to jamming. I have no personal experience, with any Walther model.
Thanks for the suggestions, and keep 'em coming!

Every .22 rimfire handgun ever made will display some sensitivity to ammunition. Not every ammo brand, type, or production lot will function equally in all handguns. Semi-autos are more sensitive than revolvers.

I have owned a dozen or more .22 handguns over the years. Every single one demonstrated a clear "preference" for ammunition brand and type. Every time I acquired a new .22 I always tried it with several different ammo brands and types to determine which provided best function in that handgun.

I would never condemn any .22 pistol until I had tried it with at least 5 or 6 different types of ammunition.

For the purposes described some of the best choices (in my opinion) would be the Ruger (Mk I, II, IV, 22/45) or Browning Buckmark series. Good proven designs, plenty of accuracy for the purposes intended, and lasting value with very good residual value and demand in the event you ever want to sell or trade.

 

[Grayfox]

Another vote for the Browning Buckmark. Great pistol! I have two.

My Walther/Umarex PPK/S .22 is a great little gun. Often found on sale quite cheap. But it does prefer high velocity ammo. Mine is accurate and runs perfectly on cheap old Remington Thunderbolts.

 

[Sgt911]

I just bought a Taurus TX 22, excellent pistol for 250 shipped. 16 round mag. Feels like a full sized H&K. For the money its the one to get. I see you are in CO. tx22 comes in a 10 version

I also bought the LCPII in .22. easy to operate and take down but not easy to load the mags or shoot as the TX22. sights are pretty tiny and are part of the slide

 

[Sgt911]

I went with a Browning Buckmark not because its a better gun then the Ruger it's just a whole lot easier to disassemble.
I also so have a Ruger SR22 which is a nice compact .22 and functions surprisingly well with most ammo. The SR22 is the treaded model and is amazingly quiet when suppressed.

MK4 is just a button now

 

[Gene L]

Buckmark. Easy to fieldstrip. I've never felt the need for complete disassembly. For a true nightmare, try disassembling a Ruger Mk I. I've got a Colt Woodsman and a Targetsman and while they're great pistols, they're way too (IMO)expensive for plinking. High Standards are also good, but depending on the model, range from somewhat expensive to very expensive when you can find them.

 

[DWalt]

For a true nightmare, try disassembling a Ruger Mk I.

Ruger .22 pistols are quite simple to disassemble and re-assemble after you have done it a time or two. That they are not is one of the great myths of Gundom. All you have to do is read the directions and keep the hammer DOWN (uncocked). YouTube is full of videos showing how to do it. There is a little doohickey available to help re-assembly that you can buy, but it isn't really necessary.

This is one of the better videos. Takes me about 30 seconds to disassemble and reassemble a Ruger. I have timed it. I would, without any hesitation, recommend getting a Ruger (new or used) as a first .22 pistol.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDDB9t2qa7Y[/ame]

 

[Buford57]

I would also recommend the Ruger Standard Model in the newer MK series. The original requires three hands and the vocabulary of a Chief Petty Officer to reassemble unless you know "the trick". When you only disassemble every few years it's easy to forget "the trick" until after you've used the vocabulary.

But for plinking at ten yards it's hard to beat.

 

[Speedo2]

I've got no experience with the Browning Buckmark, but a lot of folks here seem to think highly of them. However, I own and would recommend the Ruger Mk4 Target with the following caveats:

Pros: moderately priced; accurate; easy to take down & clean; many after-market options for grips, sights & magazines.

Cons: requires Volquartsen (or TandemKross) trigger upgrade for match accuracy; requires replacement of firing pin (Mk2, VQ or TK recommended) to eliminate probable firing pin breakage; some people have reported loosening of the barrel-to-frame pivot requiring replacement of the original flexible grommet/buffer.

I would recommend also the Ruger Mk2's but they're a pita (...in my opinion) for reassembly after cleaning. Most owners, however, eventually get over this annoyance and regard them as superior in many ways to the Mk4's and Mk3's.

-S2