The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Buying a Ruger 22/45

tostada · January 30, 2009, 11:55 PM

The 22/45 has the same grip angle as a 1911, but that doesn't mean it feels anything like a 1911. I don't really think you're going to get used to shooting a regular Mk III then be shooting at the clouds when you pick up something with a different angle.

A lot of people like the 22/45, but you certainly want to pick one up first. I personally think it's an extremely uncomfortable gun to hold. The grip is a total box -- no contour to it at all. It is also very skinny. So it's like holding a skinny sharp-on-the-edges plastic box in your hand. It just feels like some bizarre uncomfortable toy in my hand.

The regular Mark III feels very good in the hand. It's a kinda similar grip angle to a Glock. You don't hear about people who shoot Glocks being unable to shoot other guns, do you?

Also, I'm confused about why you think a shorter barrel on the .22 would make your practice "more transferrable" to a larger caliber gun. The .22 LR is (obviously) a rifle round, and its performance is severely crippled the shorter the barrel gets.

To me, the Mark III with a 5" barrel is an extremely accurate, comfortable, and fun gun to shoot that I probably shoot more than any other gun. I'll go to the range and go through a couple boxes of 9mm or .45 ammo, then when I'm done with that I always grab my Mk III and run the target out to the far end of the lane and shoot bullseyes for at least 30 min. Do I think the experience with the Mk III carries over to other guns? Well, it does and it doesn't. I think a general comfort with firearms and how to handle them will apply to any gun. Do I think the shape of the gun matters? Not really. If anything, you should probably be shooting something with a similar trigger/action to what you want to shoot in a higher caliber if you really want the practice to carry over. Heck, those Ruger 22s don't even have a slide; how much are they really going to feel like another gun?

If you really think this whole "carrying over" thing is important, you should probably just get a .22 conversion kit for a larger caliber gun.

January 30, 2009, 11:55 PM	#7
tostada Member Join Date: March 7, 2007 Posts: 28	The 22/45 has the same grip angle as a 1911, but that doesn't mean it feels anything like a 1911. I don't really think you're going to get used to shooting a regular Mk III then be shooting at the clouds when you pick up something with a different angle. A lot of people like the 22/45, but you certainly want to pick one up first. I personally think it's an extremely uncomfortable gun to hold. The grip is a total box -- no contour to it at all. It is also very skinny. So it's like holding a skinny sharp-on-the-edges plastic box in your hand. It just feels like some bizarre uncomfortable toy in my hand. The regular Mark III feels very good in the hand. It's a kinda similar grip angle to a Glock. You don't hear about people who shoot Glocks being unable to shoot other guns, do you? Also, I'm confused about why you think a shorter barrel on the .22 would make your practice "more transferrable" to a larger caliber gun. The .22 LR is (obviously) a rifle round, and its performance is severely crippled the shorter the barrel gets. To me, the Mark III with a 5" barrel is an extremely accurate, comfortable, and fun gun to shoot that I probably shoot more than any other gun. I'll go to the range and go through a couple boxes of 9mm or .45 ammo, then when I'm done with that I always grab my Mk III and run the target out to the far end of the lane and shoot bullseyes for at least 30 min. Do I think the experience with the Mk III carries over to other guns? Well, it does and it doesn't. I think a general comfort with firearms and how to handle them will apply to any gun. Do I think the shape of the gun matters? Not really. If anything, you should probably be shooting something with a similar trigger/action to what you want to shoot in a higher caliber if you really want the practice to carry over. Heck, those Ruger 22s don't even have a slide; how much are they really going to feel like another gun? If you really think this whole "carrying over" thing is important, you should probably just get a .22 conversion kit for a larger caliber gun.