In lieu of the ammo shortage most of you know that 9mm target ammo is extermly difficult to find and when you do its either double what you would normally pay for it or you can buy 2-3 boxes max. Therefore, I’m now searching for a good 22 LR so I can 1) resume practice sessions myself and 2) start teaching my oldest son how to shoot a real gun. My options are as follows:
[ul]
[li]Advantage Arms Conversion Kit for current G17
[/li][li]Ruger SR22
[/li][li]Ruger Mk III or 22/45
[/li][li]M&P 22
[/li][li]Walther P22
[/li][li]Sig Sauer Mosquito
[/li][li]Sig Sauer P229 Classic 22 ( with conversion later)
[/li][/ul]
I would like to have the most reliable and trouble free option.
I have an Advantage Arms .22lr conversion for my Glock 26. I think that if your go-to pistol is a Glock this is the perfect solution as you can practice and train with the same grip, same trigger, same sights, same holster, everything.
It loves Mini Mags, but what doesn’t?
I actually haven’t shot it for awhile so I don’t remember how good it was on Federal Bulk, although Remington was no-go (not uncommon, IME Remington .22lr just plain sucks)
Those are two of the most reliable .22 pistols which I have owned. And I have owned several brands/ models.
Some differences: New Ruger Mark IIIs have a magazine disconnector, and the Browning models are typically much lighter in weight than a comparable Ruger model unless you purchase the plastic framed variants.
The Browning models also have an aluminium receiver. Whereas the Ruger is steel or plastic. The magazines for the Browning are more expensive.
I currently have two Browning models and noticed that the previous Ruger Mark IIs were more forgiving in ammunition selection.
I have tried two conversion kits and did not like the fact that they both seemed very ammo sensitive. Which is something to consider when there may not be much choice in rimfire ammunition because of the current market conditions.
p.s. The Mosquito is a less than reliable pistol. I would stay clear of that model.
The practice from a conversion kit or SR22 translate most closely to a G17, but from what I’ve seen, the Ruger MkIII would be the most reliable of the bunch.
I have quite a bit of experience with Ruger Mk II’s and III’s and they are generally very reliable and well made. With some care a Ruger will probably outlast anything else on your list. Plus they can be pretty accurate, something not always true of the conversion kits. As a rule of thumb you’re better off with a .22 pistol that was designed to be a .22 pistol to start with.
I would also throw out the suggestion of buying a revolver instead. Many .22 autos can be overly sensitive to ammo and don’t want to run right. Revolvers don’t suffer this issue.
My wife, daughters, and I love the 22/45 and have been shooting it for years. It runs whatever ammo we feed it. I’m pretty sure Ruger also makes a lightweight Mk III.
I was going to get an AA kit for my 19 before all of this but I’m glad I didn’t. I’ve been able to find cheap 9mm better than I have .22. I worked it out with some math and for the kit plus maybe 4-6 mags it costs about what 3k rounds of 9 would have. If you’re set on it though, I’d say get the kit. Might as well train as many different aspects as you can (how to shoot in general and how to shoot the Glock).
I’ve owned and fired most of those you listed. And the first thing you need to look for is the fit to your hand. Fifty people may tell you how great one pistol is compared to another but if what they like is too large or too small for YOUR hand then your accuracy will be crap. Once you’ve found one that fits your grip then half the search is over. Next check out how the sights line up for you as you aim at a target. Does the pistol come up and go on target quickly or do you need to adjust a bit? You might also consider the weight difference. A small pistol like the Ruger SR-22 or Walther P-22 will weigh your hand down less than say a larger Ruger MK III. Most of the 22 pistols will feed the majority of ammo out there but a few will also be a bit finicky. Lastly, nearly all companies will resolve any issues quickly if one arises. A phone call to customer service will result in their sending you a label for the pistol to be picked up for repair and back to your hands in 2 or 3 weeks.
I would advise the Ruger MkIII. I have a 22/45 and for the price I paid (189 OTD) I felt like they may as well have given it to me for free. It’s had thousands of rounds through it with few non-ammo related malfunctions (not uncommon to get failures to fire in .22). I have never cleaned it. If/when I do, I’ll probably just hose it down with non chlorinated brake cleaner and squirt a tiny bit of CLP on the bolt. The thing just runs.
I have never tried the Glock conversion kits, but I have a .22 conversion kit for my 1911 (kit by Kimber) and have been less than satisified with its reliability, though it is a very fun to shoot gun. For use to compliment your defensive pistol, I would prioritize the ability to go a couple rounds without having to clear a malfunction over identical ergonomics. Practice the non-live fire skills with your carry gun at home - reloads, draw from concealment, malfunction clearances (use snap caps!), etc. Then use .22 live fire to compliment simple shooting drills (bill drill, simple target transition drills, etc). And of course repeat all these drills using your carry pistol too. but above all I think its worth bearing in mind that .22s will never fully replace real practice with your gun, only supplement it.
Add my voice to the chorus who’ve recommended Ruger 22/45 and the Buckmark. They are the only .22 pistols I’ve seen that will consistently run more than a 100 rounds of bulk ammo without choking.
Just about any Ruger Mark II or III will run with decent .22LR and the best bulk I have found for accuracy and reliability is Federal 510’s 40gr LRN. Almost all the .22LR forums have come to the same conclusion that price vs performance the 510’s are hard to beat.
That said I have a Tactical Solutions G-17/22 .22LR conversion kit which came with two 15rd magazines and found that its a decent unit for the money and allows one to shoot more for less since 9mm is almost non existent in my area.
Just a side note when I first purchased the T/S kit I did have a bout with early generation magazines which would double feed two rounds at once jamming the gun but T/S replaced them asap and everything has been good since. So if you buy a unit manufactured before 2010 one might need the free magazine swap if this problem occurs.
I have a 22/45. Fired over 7000 rounds through it, cleaning after every range trip. Wonderful pistol, and a favorite to shoot. You really can’t beat a good .22 for shooting fun. Only advice would be to go for the steel receiver vs the plastic, not because the plastic is bad, it’s just that you’ll like it so much it’s easy to justify the extra expense. Also, buy a maxi mag speed loader.
I love the Ruger too. Have a 1975 Mark I and 1985 Mark II that still run fine. The new version of course is the Mark III. These are heavy pistols so compare them with the polymer framed 22/45 versions.
I own a Ruger MKII, GSG1911, a Kimber 1911 kit and an Advantage Arms Glock 17 kit. The GSG1911 has seen the most use and I like the Advantage Arms kit when I am warming up to shoot my Glock 17.
I almost had the Ruger MKII sold yesterday, but the buyer backed out.
