Im a bit confused someone help.Im looking to get a .22LR handgun.Ive shot the Rugers havent shot the S&W or the Buckmark.Im looking to use gun for plinking and some competition.Any ideas,please try to be objective.Budget is approx $500.

Any gun can be used for plinking which is my favorite form of shooting. Competition is a different matter because there is more than one kind of competition and how serious you plan to be. My guess is that it would be hard for you to beat the Ruger 22/45 Lite. You'll most likely want to replace the sear with a Volquartsen unit.

At least try a Browning Buckmark.

As mentioned, for the Ruger, add at least $100 to the price of the Ruger to get a decent trigger.

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With a new Buckmark, you pull it out of the box, take off the top rail and remove the slide, flip the sear spring, remove the grips and pull the connector bar off the mag safety, clean the gun, and reassemble to enjoy a nice 2-2.5 lb trigger.

Here is my Buckmark with a factory 4.4" threaded barrel, as an example.  All factory internal parts resulting in a 2 to 2.5 pound trigger pull.





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There are millions of the Ruger Mk I and II pistols. I'm excluding the pre-Mk Is as they tend to be a little pricy due to the collector value of those early Rugers, and I'm excluding the Mk III as  Ruger added a Loaded Chamber Indicator (LCI), a Key Lock, and a Magazine Disconnect, that many people do not like.   The positive with the Mk III is that the magazine release is on the side of the grip like a 1911, rather than at the heel like a P08 Luger.

The 1 millionth standard Model came off the production line in 1971, and when you include the  5 1/2" bull barrel Mk I Targets and tapered barrel  6 7/8" Targets that were made from 1963-1981, you're in the neighbor hood of 2 million pistols.  Subsequently, Ruger made over 3 million Mk IIs between 1982 and 2005.  That's about 5 million pre-magazine safety pistols floating around out there, and you can find a Mk I or Mk II in excellent condition for about $300, and the standard model will sell for a bit less.  

Then you've got all the later Mk IIIs as well as the polymer gripped 22/45 pistols that have a 1911'ish grip angle.  

The point here is that you can get an excellent Ruger Mk I, Mk II (many people regard the Mk II as the peak of Ruger .22 LR pistol development) or Mk III for a lot less than you can get a new Ruger Mk IV, or another new pistol with similar capabilities such as the Browning Buckmark or S&W Victory Model.

At present, if you want a Mk III you can find them brand new in the box at nicely discounted prices given that it's been discontinued in favor of the Mk IV.

The Mk IV has the features of the Mk III but in a hinged receiver design that is easier for most people to dis-assemble and re-assemble, but it loses the nice lines of the Mk I, II and III.      

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In terms of the triggers, the Mk II triggers were generally better than the Mk I triggers, which were generally better than the pre-Mk I triggers.   However, a Volquartzen trigger and sear kit for a Mk I, II and III will cost you about $75 and isn't too difficult to install.

A Mk I or Mk II with a new trigger and sear will give a S&W Model 41 a run for it's money in a Bullseye match at a fraction of the cost.

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I have no experience with the S&W Victory model 22 LR pistol.  But my preferences in S&W runs to their excellent Model 17 K-frame target revolver. The trigger is excellent and it's a 1" at 25 yard revolver with match ammo, and still only about a 1.5" at 25 yard pistol with plinking ammo.

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The Mk I T678 and the Mk II Target shown below together cost less than the S&W Model 17, but all three are great .22LR handguns:

OP, there is some great info here.    Read some of the other threads too.

In my opinion, it is hard to go wrong with the Ruger MK series, Browning Buckmark, S&W Victory, or the S&W 41.

The biggest issue is figuring out which excites you the most.   I enjoy my S&W 41 but shoot the Hell out my Buckmarks.    I also have come to know the Buckmark series well.   Many people can say the same for the Ruger MK series.   I have had fun with several.    

Shoot several and fall in love.

I just bought  S&W SW22 Victory,I have only shot it once  but it's a lot of fun and have seen the non threaded version for 300.00 on line.
Add some accessories as you like and you have a pretty nice semi inexpensive pistol that shoots great.
I'm waiting for the post office to deliver my new Vortex Venom for the Victory today,I can't wait !

Attached File

Here you go.

Trailsides are getting hard to find for under $500, but if you look around and are patient, they are out there. They are very accurate (note 25M test target in photos) and come with a good adjustable trigger that can be made even better for some $$$. The target models (like the linked one) come with an adjustable rear sight.

The only down side is that accessories can be a bit pricey and are usually only available from Larry's Guns in Maine, and magazines are expensive at $35 each, but otherwise the Trailside/Xesse models are excellent shooters for the money.

Have shot all three extensively.  Not sure one is better than the other, they all work.  Try them on for size.

I would recommend the S&W. Cost less than Ruger or Browning and has the best factory trigger IMO with the Browning being a close second. I was shooting 2 inch spinners at 40 yards sitting on my deck the other night with the S&W. Not really a challenge.

As much as I love my S&W 41, I urge you getting a Buckmark. No need for all those "change this out and then change that" like the Rugers need. With a Buckmark, it's simply lube it, load it and shoot it.

The Buckmark Camper with the bull bbl is almost as accurate as my three-times-as-much Model 41. The Buckmark slabside only a hair less so. Just damn fine guns.

My .o2

What is the pull weight on your Browning Buckmark, and what is it on your S&W (guessing Victory and not the M41) ?

Don't have a Buckmark right now and don't have a pull weight gauge. Pulling them side by side I'd say they are really close, within a pound of each other. They are both really smooth compared to a Ruger IME.