Recommend 22 handgun under $400

J_C · August 8, 2005, 02:12 PM

The purpose of this buy is for target practice and plinking. Even under $400 would be great too.

Thanks

Mark54g · August 8, 2005, 02:50 PM

Beretta Neos. I love mine. It has a weaver rail built in, feeds all kinds of ammo, easy to break down and clean, etc etc.

Edited to add that they are about $220 for the 4.5" or $240 for the 6" like mine

chris in va · August 8, 2005, 02:52 PM

I'm biased, can't help it. The CZ Kadet is really amazing and for some reason is more accurate than my Ruger 22/45 6".

What I did was get the 75BD, shoot the 9mm for a while then add the Kadet slide later. The advantage for me is shooting the 75 with the cheaper .22 rounds. Lots of fun.

*Ahem* anyway, you can pick up a decent used Ruger for $250 or less if you pick through the gun stores or Gunsamerica.com. The 6" barrel is a little heavy though so I may be selling to get something shorter/lighter.

Cawdor · August 8, 2005, 04:27 PM

I have a Beretta 87 Target and a SW 617. Given your budget, I'd go with the Neos or a Ruger MKII/III.

BerettaCougar · August 8, 2005, 04:42 PM

Walther P22!!!!

I personally love my P22. I put over 5000 rounds through mine (stopped counting at 5k) and only had problems at first, after trying different ammo I found that mine likes coated hp 22lr's, anything raw lead gave me problems.

CCI stingers run really gun, gives the gun a crisp recoil.. and people love it at the range. Girls love shooting it.

If you get my drift

after I picked the right ammo, I havent had a problem since.

I have the small one, and it is very accurate, and since it's 22lr you can dump the mag without loosing an inch in your groups.

Grip has 3 different back straps, comes with different sights.

Here's a video I made of mine, I had pics of the grouping of that mag only, and all bullets landed in the light blue "killzone" box.

Rapid fire video I made of my p22!

Handy · August 8, 2005, 04:46 PM

The Browning Buckmark is an excellent all-arounder for well under your budget.

Quality steel and aluminum construction; excellent trigger, sights and accuracy. Very reliable, but good enough to shoot bullseye out of the box.

BerettaCougar · August 8, 2005, 05:59 PM

:d

rnovi · August 8, 2005, 06:32 PM

ruger mk2 or mk 3 with a bull barrel and adjustable sights. Can be had for under $400. You can also find the Sig Trailside for around $400 (which fits me oh so well but is out of the budget...)

Tacoma · August 8, 2005, 06:42 PM

No question, Ruger MK II/III is the most durable and has the greatest potential for accuracy of those mentioned. Go to any bullseye and/or gallery league where accuracy , reliability and a decient trigger are required and you'll see ALLOT of MK II's (and zero plastic plinkers.) Additionally, you can get ALL kinds of inexpensive aftermarket grips,sights,mags, trigger parts, holsters, scopemounts, etc to customize your Rugers . Buckmark would be # 2 choice in a Semi. S&W Mod 17/617 is TOPS for a revolver. All can be found and snagged for WELL under your $400 limit if you shop the used market.

38Mike · August 8, 2005, 11:47 PM

Ditto on Buckmark. I have a Micro and a Standard; both have been great...

Mark54g · August 9, 2005, 07:48 AM

Remember one thing. Gun choices are personal. Go and pick them up, handle them and see which you like. You should take into account things like ease of break down, pointability, and just overall feel in your hand.

I really liked the browning buckmark. It pointed second to the neos by a slim margin. The main reasons I did not get one was the price difference and that I had come in to get the neos. I did not like the ruger Mk II/III. It felt like a cold metal brick in my hand, but people love them. Not everyone likes the same thing.

XavierBreath · August 9, 2005, 08:19 AM

Ruger MKII. It comes in a myriad of configurations, and even a polymer framed model called the 22/45. If this pistol is to be a trainer, then I recommend the 22/45 due to the location of controls. The Ruger is a proven, durable, accurate, and reliable .22LR pistol platform, and it can be found within your price range. It can often be found used for $150.

The Ruger .22 pistols seem to never wear out. A plethora of aftermarket parts and accessories exist, second only to the 1911. About the only bad thing that can be said about them is the trigger mechanism can get kind of gritty after thousands of rounds. A blast shield can be fabricated to prevent that though. Disassembly is easy, but some folks say reassembly is difficult. It is not. If anything, it is like learning a secret handshake. Once you know the trick, it's a snap.

As one might expect, the Ruger MKII/MKIII line of pistols has it's own forum of devotees. I personally prefer the MKII to the MKIII and 22/45, but I admit that is due to personal reasons, and does not reflect badly on the other pistols. I would recommend any of them.

Handy · August 9, 2005, 08:36 AM

Quote:

No question, Ruger MK II/III is the most durable and has the greatest potential for accuracy of those mentioned.

I certainly think there's a question. The Buckmark offers similar construction and a better trigger. What, in your experience, leads you to this bold statement?

625 · August 9, 2005, 09:03 AM

Years ago when I was shopping for a nice .22 handgun I opted for the Mk II. I like it so far. Good luck and happy shopping.

MissMak · August 9, 2005, 11:00 AM

I got mine for about 300.

Te Anau · August 9, 2005, 11:18 AM

First choice--Beretta Neos
Second choice-- Ruger
Last choice behind just about everything out there-- Walther P22 :barf:

Skeetin'870 · August 9, 2005, 12:36 PM

Ive heard good things about the neos but i still like my MK2 target it i svery easy to hit with.

Lee M. · August 9, 2005, 12:58 PM

Ruger MK II Government Competition Target. It's da bomb baby!! Trigger is excellent, gun is accurate and there are a ton of accessories on the market to tune them with if you need to. I haven't felt the need for what I use it for.

stephen426 · August 9, 2005, 01:09 PM

I have a Buckmark as well and like it very much. I've had mine almost 10 years and haven't had any problems at all. They have great triggers, 16 click adjustable sight, and comfortable grips (one thing I hate about the Ruger .22 pistols). They are very accurate and durable. Customer service leaves something to be desired though. Spare parts are ALL a la carte and you had better study the manual instead of trusting the rep to order all the right parts.

Brian Williams · August 9, 2005, 01:53 PM

Rugers are great guns, I have a Ruger competition model I am selling to fund my Marlin addiction. Mine is scary accurate and will shoot all day. I now have a Colt woodsman and prefer it to the Ruger, just handier and it has some age to it. I am selling mine because I do not shoot it any more. LOOK HERE PLEASEI have

Alaskanmonte · August 9, 2005, 04:36 PM

Browning Buckmark W/ bull barrel. Accurate, with good sights and trigger.

BryanP · August 9, 2005, 06:24 PM

First choice: Ruger 22/45 or MkII (depending on your preference of grip angle and metal vs polymer). Each is very good.

Second choice: Browning Buckmark.

Honestly first and second choice are a toss up, a 3-way tie.

As for the Beretta Neos, SIG Trailside and others mentioned I can't say much because I haven't used them. You really can't go wrong with either the Ruger or the Browning.

bulbboy · August 9, 2005, 06:51 PM

I have heard great things about Browning Buckmarks and Ruger Marks - I got a Walther P22 and absolutely love it - 2000 rounds through it in the last 2 months with zero jams. Around $260 new

Henry Baker · August 9, 2005, 07:02 PM

My brother has a Sig Hammerli Trailside and it is great. We shoot the cheapest ammo they have at Wal-Mart and it has never jammed after 3000 rounds. It is very accurate we hit spent 20 gauge shells as they float down stream at 25 yards. My only complaint is that the magazine is synthetic not metal, however, it hasn't worn down or given us any problems yet. We got it for $360 brand new. I recomend it to any one.

sincerely,
Henry Baker

stevelyn · August 9, 2005, 11:11 PM

Buckmark.

August 8, 2005, 02:12 PM	#1
J_C Member Join Date: July 15, 2005 Posts: 16	Recommend 22 handgun under $400 The purpose of this buy is for target practice and plinking. Even under $400 would be great too. Thanks

August 8, 2005, 06:32 PM	#8
rnovi Senior Member Join Date: July 10, 2005 Location: So. Cal. Posts: 401	ruger mk2 or mk 3 with a bull barrel and adjustable sights. Can be had for under $400. You can also find the Sig Trailside for around $400 (which fits me oh so well but is out of the budget...) __________________ Robert N. "Remember, Eagles may soar but Weasels don't get sucked into jet engines!"

August 9, 2005, 08:19 AM	#12
XavierBreath Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 2002 Location: North Louisiana Posts: 2,800	Ruger MKII. It comes in a myriad of configurations, and even a polymer framed model called the 22/45. If this pistol is to be a trainer, then I recommend the 22/45 due to the location of controls. The Ruger is a proven, durable, accurate, and reliable .22LR pistol platform, and it can be found within your price range. It can often be found used for $150. The Ruger .22 pistols seem to never wear out. A plethora of aftermarket parts and accessories exist, second only to the 1911. About the only bad thing that can be said about them is the trigger mechanism can get kind of gritty after thousands of rounds. A blast shield can be fabricated to prevent that though. Disassembly is easy, but some folks say reassembly is difficult. It is not. If anything, it is like learning a secret handshake. Once you know the trick, it's a snap. As one might expect, the Ruger MKII/MKIII line of pistols has it's own forum of devotees. I personally prefer the MKII to the MKIII and 22/45, but I admit that is due to personal reasons, and does not reflect badly on the other pistols. I would recommend any of them. __________________ Xavier's Blog

August 9, 2005, 09:03 AM	#14
625 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2005 Location: PA Posts: 858	Years ago when I was shopping for a nice .22 handgun I opted for the Mk II. I like it so far. Good luck and happy shopping. __________________ I don't believe in a government that protects us from ourselves. Ronald Reagan

August 9, 2005, 11:00 AM	#15
MissMak Member Join Date: March 14, 2005 Location: Orange County Posts: 46	Get the Buckmark I got mine for about 300.

August 8, 2005, 02:50 PM	#2
Mark54g Senior Member Join Date: March 21, 2005 Location: NJ Posts: 1,265	Beretta Neos. I love mine. It has a weaver rail built in, feeds all kinds of ammo, easy to break down and clean, etc etc. Edited to add that they are about $220 for the 4.5" or $240 for the 6" like mine

August 8, 2005, 02:52 PM	#3
chris in va Senior Member Join Date: December 26, 2004 Location: Louisville KY Posts: 13,806	I'm biased, can't help it. The CZ Kadet is really amazing and for some reason is more accurate than my Ruger 22/45 6". What I did was get the 75BD, shoot the 9mm for a while then add the Kadet slide later. The advantage for me is shooting the 75 with the cheaper .22 rounds. Lots of fun. Ahem anyway, you can pick up a decent used Ruger for $250 or less if you pick through the gun stores or Gunsamerica.com. The 6" barrel is a little heavy though so I may be selling to get something shorter/lighter.

August 8, 2005, 04:27 PM	#4
Cawdor Senior Member Join Date: December 3, 1998 Location: Houston, TX, USA Posts: 619	I have a Beretta 87 Target and a SW 617. Given your budget, I'd go with the Neos or a Ruger MKII/III.

August 8, 2005, 04:42 PM	#5
BerettaCougar Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 1,224	Walther P22!!!! I personally love my P22. I put over 5000 rounds through mine (stopped counting at 5k) and only had problems at first, after trying different ammo I found that mine likes coated hp 22lr's, anything raw lead gave me problems. CCI stingers run really gun, gives the gun a crisp recoil.. and people love it at the range. Girls love shooting it. If you get my drift after I picked the right ammo, I havent had a problem since. I have the small one, and it is very accurate, and since it's 22lr you can dump the mag without loosing an inch in your groups. Grip has 3 different back straps, comes with different sights. Here's a video I made of mine, I had pics of the grouping of that mag only, and all bullets landed in the light blue "killzone" box. Rapid fire video I made of my p22!

August 8, 2005, 04:46 PM	#6
Handy Junior member Join Date: August 31, 2001 Posts: 8,785	The Browning Buckmark is an excellent all-arounder for well under your budget. Quality steel and aluminum construction; excellent trigger, sights and accuracy. Very reliable, but good enough to shoot bullseye out of the box.

August 8, 2005, 05:59 PM	#7
BerettaCougar Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 1,224	:d

August 8, 2005, 06:42 PM	#9
Tacoma Senior Member Join Date: October 27, 2004 Location: SE New England Posts: 620	No question, Ruger MK II/III is the most durable and has the greatest potential for accuracy of those mentioned. Go to any bullseye and/or gallery league where accuracy , reliability and a decient trigger are required and you'll see ALLOT of MK II's (and zero plastic plinkers.) Additionally, you can get ALL kinds of inexpensive aftermarket grips,sights,mags, trigger parts, holsters, scopemounts, etc to customize your Rugers . Buckmark would be # 2 choice in a Semi. S&W Mod 17/617 is TOPS for a revolver. All can be found and snagged for WELL under your $400 limit if you shop the used market.

August 8, 2005, 11:47 PM	#10
38Mike Senior Member Join Date: October 17, 2000 Location: Wichita, Ks. Posts: 426	Ditto on Buckmark. I have a Micro and a Standard; both have been great...

August 9, 2005, 07:48 AM	#11
Mark54g Senior Member Join Date: March 21, 2005 Location: NJ Posts: 1,265	Remember one thing. Gun choices are personal. Go and pick them up, handle them and see which you like. You should take into account things like ease of break down, pointability, and just overall feel in your hand. I really liked the browning buckmark. It pointed second to the neos by a slim margin. The main reasons I did not get one was the price difference and that I had come in to get the neos. I did not like the ruger Mk II/III. It felt like a cold metal brick in my hand, but people love them. Not everyone likes the same thing.

August 9, 2005, 11:18 AM	#16
Te Anau Senior Member Join Date: June 17, 2004 Location: Somewhere south of the No Posts: 3,824	First choice--Beretta Neos Second choice-- Ruger Last choice behind just about everything out there-- Walther P22 :barf: __________________ "Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it." --American author Mark Twain (1835-1910)

August 9, 2005, 12:36 PM	#17
Skeetin'870 Senior Member Join Date: April 11, 2005 Location: Tulsa,Ok. Posts: 288	Ive heard good things about the neos but i still like my MK2 target it i svery easy to hit with. __________________ Mental prep for skeet 1 Look for the Bird 2 Gun speed to target speed 3 Head on the gun 4 Follow Through

August 9, 2005, 01:09 PM	#19
stephen426 Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2005 Posts: 3,840	I have a Buckmark as well and like it very much. I've had mine almost 10 years and haven't had any problems at all. They have great triggers, 16 click adjustable sight, and comfortable grips (one thing I hate about the Ruger .22 pistols). They are very accurate and durable. Customer service leaves something to be desired though. Spare parts are ALL a la carte and you had better study the manual instead of trusting the rep to order all the right parts. __________________ The ATF should be a convenience store instead of a government agency!

August 9, 2005, 01:53 PM	#20
Brian Williams Senior Member Join Date: September 4, 2001 Location: Lancaster, PA Posts: 1,288	Rugers are great guns, I have a Ruger competition model I am selling to fund my Marlin addiction. Mine is scary accurate and will shoot all day. I now have a Colt woodsman and prefer it to the Ruger, just handier and it has some age to it. I am selling mine because I do not shoot it any more. LOOK HERE PLEASEI have __________________ Brian <><

August 9, 2005, 04:36 PM	#21
Alaskanmonte Senior Member Join Date: September 9, 2004 Location: Florida Posts: 403	Browning Buckmark W/ bull barrel. Accurate, with good sights and trigger.

August 9, 2005, 06:24 PM	#22
BryanP Senior Member Join Date: May 18, 2004 Location: Smyrna, TN Posts: 243	First choice: Ruger 22/45 or MkII (depending on your preference of grip angle and metal vs polymer). Each is very good. Second choice: Browning Buckmark. Honestly first and second choice are a toss up, a 3-way tie. As for the Beretta Neos, SIG Trailside and others mentioned I can't say much because I haven't used them. You really can't go wrong with either the Ruger or the Browning.

August 9, 2005, 07:02 PM	#24
Henry Baker Senior Member Join Date: August 8, 2005 Location: Central Florida Posts: 199	My brother has a Sig Hammerli Trailside and it is great. We shoot the cheapest ammo they have at Wal-Mart and it has never jammed after 3000 rounds. It is very accurate we hit spent 20 gauge shells as they float down stream at 25 yards. My only complaint is that the magazine is synthetic not metal, however, it hasn't worn down or given us any problems yet. We got it for $360 brand new. I recomend it to any one. sincerely, Henry Baker

August 9, 2005, 11:11 PM	#25
stevelyn Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 2004 Location: Fairbanksan in exile to Aleutian Hell Posts: 2,655	Buckmark. __________________ Stop Allowing Our Schools To Be Soft Targets! http://fastersaveslives.org/ East Moose. Wear Wolf.