Best .22 semi-automatic?

[89Bronco]

I'm thinking of using my refund toward a new pistol. I don't have a .22 in the semi-auto world yet and would like to know people's opinions - good and bad. Right now all I know about is the Ruger line and the Browning Buckmark line of semi-autos. They both seem really good. Is there a specific model that you like better? Is there another brand that's a favorite of anyone's. Thanks for any info. Oh, anything in the $200-$600 range. Thanks!

[xedge2002]

I don't know much about .22 pistols but I know that Sig makes one called the Mosquito. A buddy of mine bought it and seems to like it. Cheap to shoot and the basics are all the same from a small caliber to a larger caliber. It retails for 390 but I am sure he got it for cheaper than that. I have the P220 Sig and I love it. It is easy to shoot, accurate and lots of fun.

[LoneRanger]

Make sure you like the grip on a Ruger before you buy one.

I have a Smith and Wesson M22A with a 7" barrel and it is more accurate than my old 10/22 Ruger Carbine. Of course, that is because of the accuracy of my pistol, but also because my carbine was not very accurate in my opinion. The Smith is a little more blocky to hold but a great gun for the money.

My dad has a Browning Buckmark Camper I think. It has a 5 1/2" barrel and is blued with a black rubber grip, gold trigger, and a high-viz iron sight. He loves it and it seems to shoot well. I do think it is more comfortable to hold than most .22's.

My buddy has a Walther and he likes that as well, but it is a little small. I have pretty small hands and it still seems a little small to me. That is one of those pistols with a barrel that you can have an extension on or just shoot it with the shorty barrel. More money than the other two and not a lot more gun.

There are lots of good ones, but none are going to be perfect. Small caliber slide-action pistols are going to be prone to jamming in many situations. As far as I know, it is because the smaller caliber does not always have the energy that is needed to push the slide action and cycle the next round. Also, .22's are a really dirty little round, and most .22 semi-auto pistols need to stay clean to work well. Revolvers are more reliable but arguably not as much fun.

Your call!

[89Bronco]

I was looking at the Camper. That looks and feels like a nice one. The S&W and the SIG sound interesting. I'll check those out too. It'll just be for fun. I already have a Ruger Single Six that I use for rabbits and such, but I don't have a semi-auto pistol yet that I can carry around and plink with. Just trying to get some opinions from a variety of sources. Thanks to both of you with the responses!

[45acpshooter]

For the money I think the Ruger with a bull barrel is hard to beat. That being said, a Smith and Wesson M41 is my favorite .22 autoloader. If you like 1911 style pistols, Kimber makes a nice looking one although I haven't shot one. Both the M41 and Kimber would be out of your price range new but a used one should be in there.

[fisherking01]

Go to a shop and handle them. Get the one that feels best to you. As far as an accuracy standpoint, most shooters will not know the difference, as they don't shoot enough. I have a ruger bull barrell stainless, and a Smith and Wesson, with that said, I find myself using the S&W more, kinda like the feel better. Both are as accurate as I am. Brent

[picksbigwagon]

I have a beretta neos, 6" bull barrel, nice balance to the weapon too. I have large hands and the grip doesn't feel small in my hand like some others do. My friends have a buckmark and a smith and wesson, both are great guns, the buckmark is the quietest of the three, the beretta is the loudest for some reason. Make sure when you get your pistol your clean the living life out of the magazine and use some dry lube on the springs, my beretta had a hard time ejecting shells and cycling the next one until I cleaned the mags really good. Now it shoots anything I feed it. I have noticed the price on the neos has not climbed much above 200 since I bought mine three years ago.

Good luck, post pictures when you get yours

[mechanictim]

Check out the S&W model 41. Real nice quality 22. The controls are laid out almost identical to a 1911, without the exposed hammer. The triggers on these are probably the best on any 22 auto loader you will ever find. New they retail just over your price range but I have seen them used for $400 in 90% condition. These pistols are accurate, reliable and field strip for cleaning with out tools in about 30 seconds. They come with either a 5.5 inch heavy barrel or 7 inch standard barrel. If you buy the extra barrel you can have a scope on the longer barrel, open sights (click adjustable for windage and elevation.) on the shorter one and can change from one barrel to the other in about 30 seconds.

[Jlineandsinker]

Hey Bronco, last March I picked the Browning Mark II. Was able to shoot about 1000 rounds, Picked up 2 more clips,it's a fun gun to plink with. I really liked the bigger grips. You'll know what feels right. [image]http://[/image]

[Hooliganz]

I have a Ruger .22, model 22/45 with bull barrel. Fun gun, never have had any problems with it. Pretty accurate.