I am looking to get one. $300 give or take. Not a fan of the Ruger’s grip angle. Like the S&W 22A. Anyone got one or have reliable info on them? If they are g2g what barrel length is recommended? Not a fan of the 4" version.
Also, looking for a .22 rifle. $300 again. I’ve found a Henry Survival Rifle locally. Any good or should I go w/a regular stlye .22 semi?
I picked up a 5.5" 22A last year from a guy a work for $200. He said he would have a FTF once or twice every mag. I polished the feed ramp and the slide rails and have had no problems with it. It is by no means a target pistol but it is a fun plinker.
Ruger 22/45 (1911 grip angle. not the Mkiii you are most likely thinking of), Browning Buckmark. Those would be what I would narrow it down to.
Rifle: Ruger 10/22 for a semi. Cz 455 for a bolt.
Pistol: Walther P22. It’s a fun little gun to shoot. I also like the Ruger 22-45.
Rifle: Ruger 10-22 is a classic as is the Marlin Model 60.
+1 on the 10/22 rifle
I would really like to shoot one of the Walthers.
I finally settled on a Browning Buckmark. Owned a S&W 22a1 and it was an unreliable and frustrating pistol. The slide on it also peened a nice deep gouge in the feed ramp.
I traded it in on a Beretta U22 Neos. I couldn’t shoot it accurately, it also had a tendancy to make you bleed when cleaning it, and the cross pin for the rear sight liked to back out of the rail. I don’t recall any reliability problems with it, but ultimately the grip was too small for my hands and there were no options available for replacing it.
I traded that in for a Kadet conversion kit for my CZ 75b, the kit is accurate but can be finicky at times, I’ve won a few 22 pistol league competitions with it, and still have it.
Later on I had the chance to shoot my friends Browning Buckmark and was smitten by it. I searched high and low for months for a buckmark with a rail, but apparently the buckmark market dried up at that time (funny how that works) I finally stumbled across one at a pawn shop, it has wood grips a slab side barrel and no rail. It fit my hand great and I finally bought it a few weeks later. Then put a TacSol rail with integrated rear sight on it.
It has been super reliable, accurate, and has the best trigger I’ve found on a factory .22 pistol (outside of rediculously expensive competition pistols of course). It also fits my hand better than any other style of .22lr pistol I’ve run across.
And now that I’m not looking for one I’ve found em all over the place.:o They also seem to hold their value better than many of the other production .22’s out there.
I have a 22A 5.5 inch barrel, and have over 1000 rounds though it.
It shoots well and has been reliable for the most part. No lead bullets, however. And I clean it after every range visit.
Since you eliminated the Rugers, I’d cast my vote for the Buckmark.
With regard to the rifle, in addition to the 10/22 I’d also take a look at the Marlin 795. There aren’t nearly as many after market accessories available for the latter, but it’s a perfectly serviceable rifle, and (with Marlin’s current $25 rebate) it’s roughly half the price.
FWIW my current “plinker” .22 is a Henry H001T. I went with a lever action rather than a semi largely due to my desire for flexibility with regards to ammo. I shoot a wide variety of .22 rounds, from CBs to shorts to Stingers, so this was the best choice for me.
Thx all for the input. Looks like I can get something decent w/o breaking the bank. Usually these things go “well for a hundred dollars or so more you can get…” 
Oh, and it was the MK3’s grip. Thx payj.
Another vote for the Ruger 22/45. Love mine. It has been super reliable.
I am also a fan of their 10/22 for a rifle. So many aftermarket upgrades that it’d be crazy not to pick up one of these little guys.
A couple days ago I had the chance to shoot a guy’s Walther G22 bull pup rifle in .22. Amazingly accurate and easy to handle. The bull pup design makes it a VERY short rifle.
The Ruger pistols and Browning Buckmarks are the most reliable(at least across a broad spectrum of ammunition) that I’ve seen. The downside of course is that the triggers are going to be different from most non-1911 defensive guns.
i had a ruger MKII that was basically as reliable as a glock. any ammo… i did put a tool steel extractor in it. before that it was about on par with most 22 automatics. with the good extractor though… damn.
I’ve shot my friends Browning Buckmark that he’s had for many years, a very reliable gun and a lot of fun to shoot. I plan on getting one eventually. As for rifle, I just bought a 10/22 this week on the basis of there being more aftermarket replacement parts and upgrades. I considered the Marlin 795 and the Remington 597, both being cheaper but the opportunity to tinker sounded like fun.
I think .22 pistols vary greatly, maybe due to QC or ammo or a number of other issues. I had a Browning Buckmark that would not feed reliably with any ammo, well lubricated and with several different magazines. I’ve now put a couple thousand through my Ruger 22/45 and it has been stone cold reliable. If you want something with a less extreme grip angle than the classic Ruger, look at the 22/45. The trigger on the buckmark was definitely crisp and lighter than the Ruger, but in the end I would rather have a reliable pistol.
+1 on the Ruger semi-auto 22 pistol.
I worked on commercial ranges for several years, and Rugers held up about as well as the Glocks. Pop the bolt out and hit it with a toothbrush and Break Free every 1k rounds or so and it’ll run forever.
Neglected specimens turn up in pawnshops for under $200 pretty often if you don’t mind owning a beater. That would leave enough money in your budget for a Clark trigger, which will spoil you for anything else.
Okie John
i prefer the rugers from all that are listed. (excluding the S&W, i have only held one of those.)
but if you stick to a ruger of buckmark, you can use the greatest gun invention in the world.
the “ultimate clip loader”
I have the Ruger 22/45 and I can recommend it. Mine functions extremely well with bulk Federal ammunition.
For the price you are seeking, however, one option would be to get a .22 conversion kit. For the Glock, two seem to be reliable: (1) Advantage Arms
http://www.advantagearms.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=AASOS&Category_Code=GLK
and (2) the TSG-22
My sample of 1 S&W 22A with 5.5" bull barrel and laminate wood grip has been great.
Not mine but identical, with far less wear.
It has held up for the past 13 years and ~3,000 rounds of cheap bulk ammo. I have had my share of FTF and FTE (casings stuck between barrel and slide) and I attribute that to a dirty gun, but could be other things. It has eaten up a few buffers but one call to S&W will get you a few sent in the mail quickly.
Accuracy has been all I could expect out to 25 yards (1" or less), my maximum attempt to date (no proof, just dead cans and squirrels). I just have a cheapo $50 red dot on it and it works great. Gun is also really easy to break down for cleaning and reassembly with the push of a button.
My brother has a buckmark and that is nice too. It has far fewer rounds through it and I don’t think it had many/any issues with ammo. The best part is that if you get a Ruger or Buckmark, you can get a new barrel assembly from Tac Sol in various lengths and ready for a suppressor.
If you happen to own a Glock, then pick up an Advantage Arms conv kit for $300. I have one and I love it.
Another vote for the P22. I have the 5" target version and it has been flawless.