Beretta u22 Neos vs. Ruger SR 22 vs. CZ 22

[Just A Dad]

History
I posted a few weeks ago asking for advice on a first (and maybe only - since my wife is against it) pistol for range fun (90%) and home defense (10%). I got some great advice and have since rented 4 different 9 mm pistols to get a feel for them (CZ P-01, XDm 9, PX4 Storm, 92FS). I was hoping to love the P-01 because of all the research I did and the great reviews. It seemed to have the most kick/recoil of any of the 4 although it did feel the best in my hand.

New Idea/Direction
Since it cost me $29 for 100 rounds AND my wife is starting to soften to the idea, I'm now thinking of getting a 22LR pistol instead for minimal recoil so she might enjoy it too and succeed at the range and much lower cost for ammo (and gun).

I'm looking for feedback from guys who have PERSONAL EXPERIENCE with any of the 3 guns in my title. I'm favoring the first 2 for lower cost but would still consider the CZ even though it's over $500.

What do you think? Thanks in advance for the help!!

[marine6680]

The SR22 is a fun gun to shoot...

But I would add the Ruger Mark III or 22/45 (based on the Mark III) to your list. They are very accurate pistols and are easy to shoot well and accurately. That is very important when learning to shoot. You will see an improvement as you improve, and you will know that any inaccuracy is you not the pistol.

Being easy to shoot and accurate can help sway those not very fond of firearms.

The SR22 is decently accurate for a short barrel 22, but even when fired from a rest it has groups of a couple inches with good ammo.

The Mark III and 22/45 can be had for about $275-350 on the cheap end with adjustable sights.

[Just A Dad]

Thanks for the feedback. I've looked at the Mark III and the 22/45 and just don't like the way they look. I know that's not a good reason to take a gun off my list and I realize they're probably both more accurate than the 3 on my list, but aesthetics means something and I'm not sure I would be happy with them....kinda like having the most loving, caring girlfriend that is ugly. She meets your needs, treats you great, but you have that nagging feeling in the back of your mind that you're just not going to be content with her long term.

[LockedBreech]

I hadn't shot any of the .22 autos other than a Beretta 21A Bobcat when I was younger. At a range last month I tried the Ruger SR-22 on a lark. I was blown away by how crazy fun it is. It was dirty when I rented it, and it ate 250 rounds of crappy brand-x .22 from the range without a hiccup. The safety is kinda lame, but it's a range .22, not a combat gun, so I don't much care about that. Grip was a bit small for me, but I guess it comes with a bigger one. That little gun shot itself onto my short list. Very entertaining for cheap.

[chris in va]

Look, I started with a Ruger 22/45. It didn't take me a couple months to get bored with it and start looking for a centerfire.

I would go ahead and get a 9mm from the start. CZ makes the Kadet slide for about $300 if you desire to shoot 22 at a later date, and it fits on the P01.

Much as I really enjoy the CZ Kadet, I wouldn't pay $500 for the dedicated pistol. Quality piece but...it's still just a 22. If you absolutely must get a 22, I vote for the SR22.

[aarmel732]

I have no experience with the Ruger or the CZ. I do have a lot of experience with the Beretta. I traded an old Llama Especiale .22 for one since the owner of the Beretta wanted something more "traditional" looking and I didn't really care either way. The Neos is well made and you can disassemble the gun quickly and easily for cleaning. So let me start off with the bad: the grip angle. It makes me naturally point high. Also, the mag release is above the trigger on the right of the gun which takes some getting used to, but for a range gun, not really an issue. Now the good: everything else. It is well made, fit and finish are acceptable, and it will run on everything I have tried. It is crazy accurate, with only the 4.5 inch barrel, much more than I am on Walmart federal bulk. Even more so on CCI mini mags. The mags are very nice all stainless steel, and have a very nice lug to hold the follower down to make reloading super easy. The trigger is typicall for a striker fire, it has a little give before it breaks, but it is consistent, easy, and predictable so I can focus on sight picture instead of trigger work. My Dad says it looks like a space gun and gave me a hard time about that until he shot it. He had trouble giving it back. I think he summed the Beretta up the best, "Well, it is either a love it or hate it looks on that girl, but she sure is a sweetheart." At least I think he was talking about the gun and not my wife, but who knows.

Overall, the Beretta is one gun that always goes to the range, even over some of my higher dollar stuff. It is fun, cheap, fun, and more fun. For me, that is what a good gun is for.

[aarondhgraham]

The NEOS is a single action target pistol,,,
It's primary purpose is target shooting.

The Kadet is a full size DA/SA combat pistol,,,
I think it's primary purpose is as an understudy to the CZ-75B in 9mm.

So your question could be answered by deciding,,,
What type of gun is appropriate for her.

A NEOS with a 4.5" barrel is a joy to shoot,,,
The smaller grips often fit a woman's hands perfectly,,,
And everything a person needs to know can be learned on a NEOS.

While I love my CZ-75B Kadet,,,
I recommend the Beretta NEOS for her first pistol,,,
It's inexpensive enough that you could buy a matching pair for the cost of one Kadet.

Aarond

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[AdrianVall]

I absolutely LOVE my SR22.. very fun gun to shoot! Quite accurate, and my girl is able yo shoot it just fine. Its the only gun she enjoys shooting!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2

[tahunua001]

I was at a tossup between the sr22 and the 22/45 and ended up going with the 22/45 lite. kinda kicked myself afterward, should have gone with the standard. I too was looking at aesthetics and the SR22 sure is a lot prettier than the 22/45/MKIII but the things that did it for me were:
longer sight radius(easier to center sights)
fixed barrel means fewer moving parts and chances for wear, also increases accuracy
design requires very little cleaning
fits my hand quite well while the SR22 feels a bit small for me but then again nobody would let me try the larger grip

those were just the things that swayed me towards the 22/45 and away from the SR22. but between the guns you have listed and since aesthetics are important to you I would go with the SR22.

fully interchangeable grip sizes
aluminum construction instead of pot metal
will fit the role of a training pistol for your larger caliber(later down the road) home defense gun better.

[Ralgha]

I have a Neos and I love it, looks included. It's easy to disassemble and clean, eats everything you feed it, and it's super accurate. Mine does tend to get a little temperamental when it's dirty, but that was close to 1000 rounds of cheap bulk without any sort of cleaning at all, so I can't blame it.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus that ate your iPhone.

[Venom1956]

I learned on a NEOS. Fantastic gun for beginners or just the money in general.

Much easier to maintain for beginners then a 22/45 or any of the 'mark' series.

CZ 75 Kadet is a fun gun. that looks like its big brother. Remember though .22s look different for a reason!

[pgdion]

The NEOS is an awesome gun. Very reliable, shoots everything, easy to clean, and very accurate (once you loc-tite that rear sight elevation ).

It is very different from any regular gun though, the grip is small, canted pretty good, and just very different and the gun is an SA only striker fired setup. It shoots like a dream, especially with the 4.5" barrel, but is probably not the best practice gun as a substitute for a SD gun. It's still good shooting practice but it is different. Very nice guns for a great price though and if you want to shoot on leagues these guns will hold their own fine. I like them enough that I have two of them . I like the one with the shorter 4.5" barrel (in INOX) better.

[mes228]

I'd have to say the Neos is the most reliable .22 semi I've owned. It's approx. 2,000 rounds with not one malfunction. The trigger was horrible from the factory so I sent it back. Still not great but bearable now. Quite accurate and well designed. It's a low cost pistol that's UGLY but works extremely well.

[Pilot]

Well, I have the Kadet, but it is the Kadet Kit which typically lives on my 9MM 75B, but also works great on my compact CZ PCR. The Kadet Kit on the 75B frame is essentially the Kadet Pistol. It is excellent, accurate, and reliable. The accuracy gets quite close to my Ruger MK II Target, and that is saying a lot. If I had a trigger job, and a spring kit on the Kadet, I would say it would at least equal the MK II.

If you are considering the Neos, you should also consider the Ruger MK II/III and Browning Buckmark.

[TailGator]

I am another happy Neos owner. But I am of the opinion that a .22LR is the second pistol anyone should buy. A 9mm is a better choice for a first pistol because of the considerable improvement in self defense capabilities, IMO.

Keep in mind that a Neos or other similarly priced .22LR pistol pays for itself in ammo costs pretty fast. It is almost silly not to own one. (That may work on your wife.)

[pgdion]

TailGator makes a good point ... buy the 9mm first and then later say you need to buy a .22 because it will save you money shooting the cheaper ammo.

This worked for rifles for me. I bought a .22 magnum first. After a $40 range trip with kids it was easy to that a .22lr would not only be free but would even make me money. Only problem was I still like shooting the Magnum better (and so does everyone else) so i still go through lots of ammo in it.

[Billy the Kidder]

The only one I have experience with is the SR22. It has 2000-2500 rounds through it and have not had any problems since the first 50-100 rounds. It shoots any cheap ammo I buy. It's accurate enough for me to use in my rimfire league and I don't do too badly for having just started shooting again after 30+ years.

[SRH78]

The only one of those I have shot is the SR22. It is a little small for me but my daughter(21) really liked it and will be getting one for Christmas. The one I really like is the M&P22. It has the same grip as the full size centerfire M&P. It feels great and was accurate for me.

[danez71]

I have the SR22.

Not a single failure of any kind while using 4-5 different brands of ammo.

Its a fun gun.

Others for you to take a ganger at....

I also have a Bersa 22lr. That one is all metal. Nice classic styling (to me at least). Runs well with the higher velocity ammo like CCI mini mags and Blazers. It hasnt like the really really cheap stuff but other peoples' have.


I also have a Browning Buck Mark. Similar to the Ruger's but a little more 'normal' looking in my opinion especially if you get one with a 4" barrel.

You may also want to take a look at the S&W M&P 22. That one is more combat looking like the SR22 but a bigger size.

The SR22 and the Bersa are small.

The Walther P22 is very similar to the SR22 but not as good.

[bitttorrrent]

My mkII is more accurate than my sr22, but just by a little.

I had the sr22 out today and just pumped as many as I had time for - probably several hundred rounds. Great little gun. No problems. There was one dud round out of all that and thats what you get sometimes with cheap bulk ammo but gun was fine.

BTW, if you put the pinky extension and the large size grips on it like I did, it fits a large hand very well.

I would get the sr22 cause it is also very easy to take down unlike the mkII.

I might also get a Baretta u22 cause I have a red dot that would fit on it and look pretty futuristic and I am unable to mount it on these two guns.

[bonefamily]

Sorry to bring a somewhat older thread back to life but, is there a reason the S&W 22A wasn't mentioned with the others? It seems in the same price range as the Baretta Neos. The the S&W 22A a not well liked .22LR?

[Pilot]

IMHO, the Neos and 22A are decent .22's but a notch or two below the Ruger MK series, and Browning Buckmark. However, they are priced accordingly, and are a good value. The 22A has had some frames break, but S&W stands behind their products.

All I can say is I've let several people shoot my CZ Kadet at the range, and they all want one.

[Hal]

Sorry to bring a somewhat older thread back to life but, is there a reason the S&W 22A wasn't mentioned with the others? It seems in the same price range as the Baretta Neos. The the S&W 22A a not well liked .22LR?

Probably because the S&W 22/a and 22/s are pieces of junk.
My 22/s is one helluva shooter - but - it's a piece of junk.
Pity since all S&W would have had to do was make about $100 (retail) in changes to the line and they would have had such an excellent product.

My only guess there is that they wanted to stay in the same budget price range as Ruger and Browning. (~ $300/$400).

If they would have aimed a little higher (no pun intended), S&W could have had a real winner.

Look, I started with a Ruger 22/45. It didn't take me a couple months to get bored with it and start looking for a centerfire.

I would go ahead and get a 9mm from the start. CZ makes the Kadet slide for about $300 if you desire to shoot 22 at a later date, and it fits on the P01

I couldn't agree more.
I've lost track of the sheer number of "newbies" I've taken out that didn't want something "more" on their very first trip to the range.
I used to be one of those that believed a .22 was a good starter, but, not any more.

[9mmsnoopy]

I have the SR22, i like it, its fun to shoot,its pretty accurate and i think it looks pretty nice too. However its been picky about the ammo it likes. If fires the CCI stuff without fault, the Remington X stuff it eats like candy, and it seems to like the Remington "golden bullets" but the Federal 525 pack was iffy at best and it doesnt at all like bullets that are not copper coated, it wont feed properly. I have heard that most 22's are picky.