Roger that, will do!

Pretty limited list on the poll, but as long as the Rugers are there I guess it doesn't matter. Gotta tip the hat to the old High Standards too though. They won a lot of matches and filled a lot of pots over the years. Perforated a lot of old cans too...

All my experience is with the MK3 (which I loved so much, that I bought one) but I still voted for the 41, it's just too damn good of a gun to be in an economical .22 pistol poll. It's comparing apples and oranges.

I have:
Browning Buckmark
Ruger MK II
Beretta Neos
Walther SP22 (not p22)
Chiappa 1911-22
GSG 1911 22

 From over 15 years of shooting 22 pistols, and experiencing the strengths and weaknesses of each,  I must say that I really have developed a fondness for the Buckmark.  I love the comfortable grip, the great trigger, the accuracy, and the reliability.  I have put countless rounds thru mine and I never hesitate to grab it each time we go shooting.  I like shooting other pistols, but if I could only have one, I would start with my Buckmark.

Another vote for ruger 22/45 eats everything the 2 mags have lasted forever.

P-22 very light weight, accurate, and reliable gets carried a lot due to fun factor.

1911 conversions great training and the Marvel (full size) is the most accurate of all the .22s I own and came threaded for can.

Longest owned and hunted with (MKII target competition as accurate as a 10-22) 5.5 bull barrel broken awaiting repair after used by a deployed team.

Sig, great trainer and fun gun, no problems plinking and training accurate.

My Ruger MKI jammed once. After 30+ years of shooting God knows how many of 1000s of rounds. Took it completely apart and cleaned it totally (first time ever) and it is running like new again.
I also have MKIII Hunter with a scope on it. It kills pine cones at 75 yards all day long.

Best Accuracy.........what exactly are you looking for?  I've read that soda cans at over 50 yards....Clay birds at 100 yards.  First off, if you're looking for accuracy you will have to put away the bulk paks of ammo and buy some "good" 22 ammo.  Eley comes to mind, along with a lot of other bands.  Next, which pistol is the most accurate...let's take a look at what people are using in competition(not just plinking away on a Saturday morning at ther local public range).  Since handgun silhouette starts at 25 yards and ends up at 100 yards I would have to say that this will be an excellent test of accuracy.  Not shooting two or three times at a soda can at 50 yards, but one target, one shot.  What gun is being used to shoot the highests scores??  Well, if you would have included ALL .22 pistols the TC Contender would have been the overwelming winner.  This single shot pistol holds just about all the records.  Hands down the most accurate, and realiable(since it's a single shot).  But you're asking for a semi 22.........so what are the competitors using?  I've seen a LOT of the old High Standards shooting some outstanding scores in IHMSA.(International Handgun Metalic Silhouette Association).  The Ruger just don't stack up after 50 yards(perhaps the sights could use some help).  So which Auto is/was King of the Hill?  Easy....the orginial BuckMark Silhouette pistol, with it's heavy barrel(made with 10 and 14 inch).  Back several years ago, when the Autos' had their own division(now they're combined with the single shots) the Buckmark Silhouette stood head and shoulders above the rest.  Reliablity....no problem there...you can't afford to have a jam in competition.....
SO.....the question remains.....are you only looking for accuracy and realiablity at 25 yards or are you really looking for the holy grail of the BEST semi auto out there, in terms of the ultimate accuracy and realiablity?  If the gun shoots under 1inch groups at 100 yards, imagine what the groups look like at 25 yards. Again, I mention the system of one target, one shot.  If it takes two shots to hit your target, you're missing 50% of the time.  I "plink" with a lot of shooters over the years....and when you're just having fun you're really not counting shots...when you hit the target, whether it's a tin can..swinger...or whatever, shooters have a tendency to "forget" that it took 2 or 3 shots to hit the target.  We're having fun and we're not so serious as competition....but when the "money is one the line" it's back to "one shot, one target down".  No room for error.  I've been an active IHMSA competitor for 33 seasons....one missed shot in silhouette(in International class) and somebody else is going to eat your lunch for you.


Just my thoughts.

Some years back I purchased a Sig/Hammerili Trailside for my wife and it has proved to be a very nice gun, many rounds have been fired with no issues. I think as far as the best gun for longevity,accuracy it`s hard to beat a Ruger MK II/III especially if you spend a few bucks on it, they are very reliable. The only drawback I can see is the Ruger is heavy'

I`m in the market now for a 22 for myself and trying to deal with alll the options. At the moment the Ruger 22/45 with a LIGHT Tactical Solutions barrel may be the best option, it will be lightweight, accurate and it`s good looking also. I`m also looking at a conversion for the Glock or 1911 don`t know which is the most accurate, for course the 1911 will be heavy so that may be out though.

To me the perfect 22 would be 23 ounces, with a mag capacity of 20, "easy field strip" accurate and have good  longevity and not over $500

Over the last 40 yrs., I've owned a couple of S&W 41's, a High-Standard Victor (older model), several Rugers (Marks I and II), and my current Buckmark Stainless Camper. During those decades, I competed in NRA Conventional Pistol 900 matches with all but the Buckmark.

The Smiths were beautiful, classic designs, but no more accurate or reliable than the Rugers. The Rugers (all bull-barrels) were accurate and more or less reliable. Their triggers stink and even with Volquartsen replacements, only mediocre. I shot my new Buckmark yesterday and put a couple of hundred rounds through it. Some CCI mini-mags and Federal bulk. Even as a new pistol, functional reliability was 100 %, accuracy seemed equal to the best of the others, it had a better trigger out of the box than the Ruger even with the Volquartsen replacement and has absolutely the best ergonomics of all of them, IMO. I won't be able to make a conclusive accuracy comparison with the Ruger until I mount a red dot on the Buckmark and feed it CCI Standard velocity.

Out of the options in the poll I'd say the S&W 41 is the most accurate.

If you want extreme accuracy you'll have to go with dedicated race guns like Hämmerli, Unique, Feinwerkbau, Morini, Walther (premium models only) etc... These guns are far superior to the ones listed in the poll but they also cost significantly more (which is why I bought a Ruger MKII).

I shoot a Ruger MK II 6-7/8" heavy tapered barrel.  Ammo is Remington Golden Bullet 525 count bulk or Federal 550 count bulk.  

Function is 100% with either.  Accuracy?  I've never fired it off a bench but at 15 yards, with one hand, it chews a 2.5" hole in the target and it hits 10" steel plates at 50 yards all the time with two hands and about half the time with one hand.

Problem: the previous owner polished the sear, polished it through the hard surface, eventually it failed.  Solution: a Volquartsen sear and hammer, now all is well again.  To me the trigger pull is pretty good.

Cleaning:  I used to clean the MK II after a couple hundred rounds, then I let it go for a couple thousand.  That seemed to make no difference.  Now I put a drop of CLP on bullet 5 and 10 in the magazine and some on the cases through the cutout in the side of the mag.  Reason, I got used to this with a S&W K-22 revolver and with a Ruger Single Six, they need a little CLP in the chambers, every damned cylinder full, so ejection isn't a problem.  After a few thousand rounds of using the CLP technique on the MK II, I took it apart for cleaning and it didn't seem to need much cleaning, it was still pretty clean.  

Buckmark: got a new one and took it out and shot it.  Remington Golden Bullet bulk caused a lot of malfunctions.  Seven mags, 70 rounds of Fed 550 bulk from Wally World ran flawlessly.  The magazine disconnect was very easy to remove.  Trigger pull was fair, not as good as the MK II with VQ sear and hammer.  I'll flip the spring and shoot a few hundred rounds tomorrow and let you know the results.  http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=174356&page=4


One other thing, Ruger magazines are $18, Buckmark magazines are $30, on the web.  If you need 10 or more for a league it makes a difference.


Finally, the Ruger MK III 22 45 is available with 1911 style grips but it needs a lot of work to fix it for serious shooting.  The Buckmark needs the mag disco removed and the spring flipped.

Update:  flipped the spring last night and took the Buckmark to the range today.  It's trigger pull was probably better than my MK II with Volquartsen sear and hammer.  Total round count with Federal bulk 550 count from Walmart is now 310, function has been 100% with this ammo.  Offhand at only 7.5 yards the Buckmark shoots as well as the MK II, that is it shoots out the same size hole.  Grip comfort is better with the BM and it shoots softer.  The MK II's relatively heavy bolt slams into an inflexible steel pin, the shock is transmitted to the hand by the back of the grip which is narrow.  The Buckmark's slide is lighter and it is stopped by a buffer.  The resulting lower level of shock is transmitted to the hand by a wider and more rounded grip.  So, the Buckmark is more comfortable to shoot.  The MK II 678 has an undercut front sight, it is a lot easier to see than the Buckmark's more conventional front sight.

I shoot cast bullets, and follow with 25-50 rounds of jacketed bullets to help remove leading.

Been shooting a Ruger Mark III that came from an Olympic shooter (serial #5) that is one of the most accurate guns I've ever shot.

I have a Kimber conversion kit chambered in .22LR  for my 1911.  It works well,  I like it.  After every range trip I have to lube where the slide and the frame meet or else the weapon will not cycle after each shot when I go back to the range.  I am also looking for a frame so my .45 upper can be paired with a lower, and I won't have to keep switching uppers and lowers.

I give the conversion kit a 8.5/10

Funny because I feel the same exact way about my Walther P22 I had.  The pot metal POS slide couldn't have been made any poorer.  Of course mine was when they first came out, apparently they've improved them quite a bit.

CZ Kadet... Too bad I can't vote

Ruger MK I,II,III

I notice Sig has a 1911 in .22 now for around $420..  What is the word on those?

Tagged. Inquiring minds want to know.

I have had a lot of .22 pistols over the last 40 years; they are easily my favorite thing to take out for an afternoon of fun at the range and I have shot competitively for many years as well.   Currently I own a Ruger MkIII and have owned Mki and Mkii models as well and it is probablt the best all around pistol that I have had or shot over the years.

The other .22 pistols that I currently own are a Beretta model 89, Walther P22, S&W Model 41, S&W MP22 and a High Standard Supermatic S-101.

They all have some advantages and some disadvantages.   The Ruger is a little heavy and is a little difficult to strip down, but not bad; it's very durable, accurate and reliable and not ammo specific.   The Beretta model 89 has a pretty large grip and is hard to get magazines for but it is a fantastic shooter; it's very accurate and reliable and not ammo specific.  The Walther P22 is very lightweight and is flexible (I have the version with 2 different length barrels) it has been very reliable with a variety of ammo, but lacks great accuracy.   The S&W 41 is an extremely accurate and reliable pistol with the right ammo, it's a bit heavy but feels good and it's expensive.  The S&W MP22 is pretty new so I do not have a lot to say yet; it seems reliable and fairly accurate.   The High Standard S-101 is a gun the I have had for about 42 years or so and it still is very hard to beat; as long as the magazine is in good shape it is perfectly reliable and it is as accurate as any of the others and runs any type of ammo.

I think the one that stands out as an affordable, reliable accurate and durable gun that has many accessories available and shoots any ammo is the Ruger MkIII; I have owned about 4 Ruger Mk's since 1975 and they all have been fantastic in every respect.

Houston High Standard 10X Citation, Vitarbo Grips add-ons.
Classic, finnicky, capable of very good groups with the right ammo and marksman.
Made as a "Camp Perry Competitor" several years ago.
Probably NOT a mass-produced product and never intended to be.

It's a GSG with different markings and grips. Far as I know they are pretty good pistols. Mags are around 25-30 bucks though.

Helpful thanks guys.

I purchased a Walther P22 5" Target Model when they first came out...as a matter of fact - I got the first one my old FFL dealer received. That POS was a major jam-o-matic with every kind of ammo you could think of. Took it back and took a $50.00 loss to fund a Glock.

My p22 has never had any failure!  It has roughly 2k rounds through it of dirty remmington thunderbolt and yellow jacket.

Ruger Mk II all the way. Takes a licking and keeps om shootin

the new ruger SR22 is one of the all around best

hasn't really been around all that long to make that claim.  Its a nice little pistola for certain though.  As for the best all around, I still will stick by my S&W 22a, never a single misfed and the price was right.

i had a smith and wesson 22a that was the last 22LR gun i owned and it was great shooter really nice square barrel and ate everything.i have put 300 rds through my new SR-22 and only one misfire, it just clicked but everyone else has said it will eat any brand ammo and i agree it does. i think its gonna be a top gun in the 22 market for yrs too come. i just wish i would of got a ruger mk 3 or buckmark cause now im wanting to go suppresor.

I am currently having a love affair with my S&W M&P 22 pistol, as I have not had a single malfunction with it and it shoots just about anything to point of aim/impact... and it accepts my AAC can.... BUT.. the most accurate and reliable .22 I have ever owned was my Browning buckmark micro (4 inch bbl). My only complaint was I has some bad mags for it and it took a while to weed them out of the pile. Over all, it is one of the best out there from the price and SOOOOOO much easier to take down and clean than a Ruger... IMO.
-Tac

I have one word for you in regards to the Ruger MK 1 and 2. Volquartson. I can trick a Ruger out to be one bad ass accurate little beast with their accesories. I love their trigger kits and have installed over 100 of them over the years.

I have shot in excess of 100,000 rounds through my 2 MK1's and 3 MK 2's over the last 20 years. This is just the ammo I purchased and does not count the untold amounts of ammo my freinds and students have purchased through these guns.

It seems there good for about 500 rounds before the chambers need a scrub to bring reliability back to 100%.. My Browning Buckmark and High standard Trophy go about 300 rounds before needing the same treatment.

I really love my High Standards but to me the Ruger is the better all around gun.

I have a MK 1 - someone apparently installed a Clark trigger and did a trigger job and it is so light I can't shoot it. What parts do I need to go back to normal? I found a place that sells parts, bur they show the hammer and trigger as factory restricted and so does Ruger. I don't know about trigger job gunsmithing, just want to go back to normal and be able to shoot it. Is a new trigger all that's needed, or more parts?Thanks!

I have had both and shot both in college matches. Hands down even the Modified MKII's we had could not hold to the S&W 41.  That being said Yes it is more and unless you are shooting those matches and can not affored the Walther GSP's we went up against, go with the Ruger!!! I wish I had never sold my 41, but things happen and I did.

I Take it you not a tree hugger !!  

I just bought a AA conversion for my G19. Today was the first time I'd had a chance to shoot it.
Seemed to run fine on CCI 40gr MiniMag. 100 rounds, no malfunctions.
I bought the kit for low cost practice on the Glock. Sights and self defense trigger limit finite accuracy, but it will be fine for it's intended purpose.
If I want to shoot a target to brag about, the S&W 41 comes out of the safe. The only problem with that is that it likes CCI Green Tag and it's almost as expensive as centerfire ammo.
I saw a Buckmark Micro Standard URX at the local shop that seemed very nice and may follow me home soon.

If you care about super accuracy, the Rugers, buckmarks and old s&w are best.  I imagine the SP22 by walther would be good too.
BUT I really think the SR22 and P22Q are or can be made to be super reliable––plenty have 5K through the former and 10K-15K through the latter with no issues...and theyre plenty accurate inside of 20Y for most stuff.   Both had some teething issues, but Ruger learned and improved on the Walther.

The only popular .22lrs that still seem consistently hit-and-miss are the Sig Mosquito (which i hear nothing but bad AND good about) and the Beretta 21A (which misdeeds/overfeeds on occasion for most people it seems)  both of which I'd love to have a 100% reliable version of––even if they only ate CCI minimags and SV.

It comes down to preference.
I've never shot any of the long barreled .22LR revolvers, but there are some 8-10" barreled ones that would be super accurate and reliable...not that I'd want one.
 :)

Same here. My CZ Kadet might not be as accurate as my Model 41. But it is 100% reliable, compared to the model 41's 80%. (CCI Standard and CCI Mini-Mag in both, although the CZ Kadet has been 100% with everything from Blazer to cheap Remington and Winchester.)

My Pardini SP beats them all.  And I know, because I have the rest.

S&W 622 or 422

I haven't shot a Smith 41, but I've shot all the rest.  I vote Buckmark.

I had a Kimber Gold Match lower and Wilson Combat 22 conversion kit married together years ago. Probably my favorite gun of all time. Darn thing was pretty looking, could damn near eat gravel with a powder charge behind it and was accurate enough to harvest hordes of varmints throughout the western US. I replaced it (foolishly thought $850 was too much to have in a 22) with a P22 7 years later. Worst. Decision. Ever. That was like going from a Lexus to a Ford Escort.

The P22 is a poorly constructed, miniaturized plaything that if I ever have the misfortune of getting stuck with again I will use as a fetch toy for my neighbor's chihuahua.

I own a lot of .22 pistols, but the most reliable and accurate is a S&W 2" kit gun.  I don't think they sell them anymore, but they are little dandies.

1993 Ruger 22/45, bought in honor of Bill Clinton's election. One of the early ones, brandy new. It badly needed to be broken in and there were a lot of sharp edges that needed fixed. I was thinking I had a lemon, but with a bit of work and breaking in, this has been one of the sweetest pistols I have ever shot. I have a frame that I hang pop (beer) cans on and at 50yd it is just amazing, and I'm an old guy. I don't think I have ever had a jam.

On edit, target model, 5.5" stainless bull barrel, adjustable sights.

BAM!!



yeah, 22LR  in P226

For me it's a Ruger MK II 512 model, I bought it new in the box in 1989. It runs reliable on CCI Mini-Mag 36 or 40 grain, never had a jam on this ammo. If I run cheap ammo with leaded round bullets coated with wax, you can guarantee problems with feeding in 200 rounds and having to clean the chamber/magazine in 250. With the CCI, it burns cleaner and have yet to run into any problems, but have not exceeded 500 rounds fired at any given time to give a true endurance test.

I have a Ruger MkII 22-45 with bushnell red dot.  It is flawless as is my MkI.  I have friends with Buckmarks that are equally as accurate and easy to shoot, especially with the fiber optic sights.

I have always loved the Ruger MK II's esp the bull in 5.5" and Gov't. I also have a S&H suppressed MKII. I gave the 5.5 to my son years ago, and will someday get another. It's balance is hard to beat. Just hate stripping them to clean.

I have a mint Model 41 that was my dad's that I have only heard great things about. I want to spend a lot of time with it on paper with good ammo. He used to shoot Bullseye and used High Standards. Someday I want a Citation or HD.

I had an AA kit on a Glock that was stolen, it was the funnest thing I've owned with a can on it. Will get another one. Never jammed and super light!

I'd also like to maybe look into a 1911 conversion kit if they make one in commander length.

Always been intrigued by the Beretta 87 too. Fine stuff.

I found a like new Ruger Mark II Target Competition Slabside barrel.  It is outfitted with a Volquartsen trigger and internals.  It's the only target gun I need.