Browning Buckmark 22lr

[treg]

I've had mine for 28 years now. Still use it regularly (weekly +) for small game and plinking.

It has seen many weekends of multiple bricks rune through it and stretches of a month or more being shot every day. Still takes squirrels out of trees, running rabbits and tin cans at 100 yards.

I've had it apart and back together many, many times for cleaning and several times for a complete take down. It still has the original screws.

[dahermit]

My only problem with the Brownings is that I have known several owners who disassembled their pistols and lost one or both screws. The Ruger is harder to take down, at least at first, but the parts are big and don't run off and hide in the corner.

I agree. My working gun (killing 'coons, etc. that I trap in my barn...after my barn cat food), varmints around my hobby farm. I have owned a couple of Ruger autos, one High Standard Model B, and my current Browning Buck Mark. The only complaint I have with the Browning is the two screws and star washers can work loose and get lost...other than that, no complaints. Over all, I prefer the simpler (no screws to work loose and lose), if not more difficult to take-down, Ruger standard autos.

Addendum: The screws that hold the slide on are Allen head screws. The down side of that is, if they loosen in the field from firing, there is no way of tightening them (who carries Allen wrenches in the field?). No such problem with a Ruger Standard Auto.

[saleen322]

The Browning Buckmark is a decent 22 but two things happened that prevented me from buying one. First, I have sort of 3 Ruger MKs and never had an issue taking them apart to clean them. Second, I bought a Browning Medalist before I ever tried a Buckmark. Absolutely no comparison, the Medalist is better pistol in every way. I then did the logical thing, I bought a second Medalist!

[Brutus]

My sentiments are with DaleA, while never a big S&W fan back in the early 80's while on a Musky fishing trip in northern Wisconsin we stopped in a local gun shop and I could have bought a Colt match target for $100. in mint condition with box and papers. Needed my cash for the resort cost, bars and strip clubs. Been kicking myself in the a## ever since. Especially since I've had an opportunity to shoot one and it was like a piece of art. Pounded the water 10 hours a day for a week straight and caught one 38" Musky. Boy if only I could turn back time, even the strippers didn't look that good.

[2ndsojourn]

"Absolutely no comparison, the Medalist is better pistol in every way. I then did the logical thing, I bought a second Medalist! "

Thanks for nothing saleen, that's just great. After looking it up, now I want one.!

[saleen322]

Thanks for nothing saleen, that's just great. After looking it up, now I want one.!

Sorry, I really have nothing bad to say about a Buckmark but I really like the Medalists. The problem is they are getting so hunted by collectors the price is going crazy. However the second generation of Medalists that were also made by FN are not as pricey. They have a sort of parkerized finish and not the deep blue but come with better target grips and are mechanically about the same. I have one of each. Here is a link to an example. Not mine I just found it on a quick search.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=527426499

[Unlicensed Dremel]

The Buckmark is pretty much the best there is in this genre, short of a S&W 41, Walther, RWS, or similar. Good stuff maynard. Beats its main competitor (Ruger Mark II / III) by a country mile in both looks and ease of maintenance; probably accuracy too, in my understanding.

[zukiphile]

I agree. My working gun (killing 'coons, etc. that I trap in my barn...after my barn cat food), varmints around my hobby farm. I have owned a couple of Ruger autos, one High Standard Model B, and my current Browning Buck Mark. The only complaint I have with the Browning is the two screws and star washers can work loose and get lost...other than that, no complaints. Over all, I prefer the simpler (no screws to work loose and lose), if not more difficult to take-down, Ruger standard autos.

I agree. I have both.

The Browning has a better out-of-the-box trigger and sights. When I was buying them, the basic model also had a more comfortable grip than a basic 22/45 Ruger.

But, those screws. I never wanted to over tighten one, but I never tightened one so well that it would not come loose over the course of a couple hours of shooting.

The Rugers on the other hand had less sharp sights and a trigger that always seemed more crude, but the thing was held together with leverage and spring pressure, and none of them ever suggested that they were beginning to self disassemble while I was shooting them.

If you buy a Ruger and throw some money and Volquartzen parts at it, you can get a pistol about as nice as a Browning that is easier to take down for cleaning (once you know how to do it) and stays put together.

[FrankenMauser]

Great pistols.

I have two. And mine are both the "bad" old design that Browning actually recommended disassembling and cleaning.
There's also a pristine Browning Challenger in the family (precursor to the Buckmark/Challenger II), that is an excellent pistol and highly praised by everyone that uses it.
I also bought a Buckmark rifle the day they hit the streets (1999?). Fantastic. Awesome. The funnest rifle I have ever owned. But I sold it...

One of these days, I'll find a Ruger Mk I that makes me happy (also good pistols). But, until then, it's this pair of Buckmarks and the once-a-decade chance to shoot the Challenger.

One of the Buckmarks (a mid-'80s "Standard") has been discussed several times on TFL. Current round count is 130,620 rounds. It has seen so much use that the slide and barrel are slightly mushroomed from the slide slamming into the barrel 140,000+ times. It's on its fourth or fifth recoil guide rod assembly (includes rod, spring, retainer, and guild block), and has gone through several dozen buffers, but that's it. No parts failures, just routine maintenance. Oh... that's not true. I wore out a magazine spring and follower that came with the Buckmark rifle. The originals are still going strong with no parts replacements - just maintenance.

The other Buckmark, an early Target model (early version of what Nathan posted), had a much harder life and round count is difficult to nail down. I estimate 120k, but it's anybody's guess. It broke a firing pin after considerable abuse, and still ran for 10k rounds or so with the broken pin; but hasn't had any other parts failures.


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"Those screws! Oh, those screws!"
Lefty-loosey, righty-tighty. Read the instructions, and everything is fine. And you don't have to remove both (or all three, or four) top strap/rail screws. Remove the rear screw and loosen the under-barrel screw. That's it. Pull the slide back slightly and pivot the barrel assembly forward and up to clear the frame. Only ONE screw has to actually come out of the frame, and it won't require sighting-in the pistol again. (And if you have the older slotted head screws, upgrading to the newer hex screws is well worth the $5.)

Some time in the '90s, Browning changed a few parts, including going to the self-contained firing pin assembly that drops into the slide (rather than firing pin being pinned into the slide and retaining the spring itself). Along with those design changes came disassembly and cleaning changes. Before, Browning recommended disassembling and cleaning on a regular basis, and specifically stated that replacement of the 'rib washer' under the heads of the top strap screws was mandatory every time the screws were removed.

But, after the design changes, Browning no longer recommended any disassembly by the end-user. They went to the "spray it out and it'll be fine" suggestion.

The problem with screws getting stuck or backing out seems to arise from either not reading the instructions or having the later versions of the instructions that do not tell you that the washers are meant to be one-time-use. (Or the factory failing to install them, to begin with.) If you don't replace the washer(s) at least every second or third disassembly, the screws will A) get stuck, or B) loosen up with use. I keep about a dozen spare washers on hand and replace them when I can no longer feel the 'squish' as the screw is tightened (about every other disassembly).

The screws never work loose, nor do they seize up.

[zukiphile]

Originally Posted by fm

"Those screws! Oh, those screws!"
Lefty-loosey, righty-tighty. Read the instructions, and everything is fine.
***
If you don't replace the washer(s) at least every second or third disassembly, the screws will A) get stuck, or B) loosen up with use. I keep about a dozen spare washers on hand and replace them when I can no longer feel the 'squish' as the screw is tightened (about every other disassembly).

The screws never work loose, nor do they seize up.

I wasn't worried about a screw seizing, but stretching the threads over time or stripping something.

I didn't complain about the buffer because I've never replaced mine. The screws never work loose, except when they do.

I have real affection for aspects of the Browning design, but not an obligation to keep an inventory of consumable parts. It bugged me enough that I had an old High Standard for a while.


Instead, I've made peace with the Ruger curse, a jumble of aftermarket parts that end up costing more than a High Standard.

[zincwarrior]

The screws in ours come loose (my wife says mine have been loose since she met me) when shooting but we just run a slight tightening every 100 rounds. Its no biggie. We have .22lrs from Browning, Ruger, and Beretta and they've had their quirks, and all gone to the shop over time. Its the nature of the beast.

[saleen322]

The Buckmark is pretty much the best there is in this genre, short of a S&W 41, Walther, RWS, or similar.

I am familiar with most of these but not the RWS model 22LR pistol. Could you elaborate?

[twister]

I've owned a Hi Standard HD Military type for near fifty years. It is a great weapon.
Incredibly accurate. It is one of my prized possessions.

[erob3]

First I apologize for not directly answering your question, I hope you will overlook this. I own one Buckmark 22. I own several Ruger 22's. There is a reason for that. Look at a Ruger MKII, it is over engineered in a good way and will last lifetimes. If you want to take the next step, I definitely echo Twister's post.... Hi Standard. What a trigger and pistol. I hope this helps. Good Luck

[zukiphile]

I've owned a Hi Standard HD Military type for near fifty years. It is a great weapon.
Incredibly accurate. It is one of my prized possessions.

I can understand why. I had one of these:



It's a great design, well thought out, not crude like the Ruger and no delicate consumables.

The magazine situation a few years ago wasn't ideal. Someone offered me more for my Hamden example than I had paid for it, so I sold it.

Too bad the Texas product isn't reputed to have the same quality.

[ka9fax]

I learn towards my Buckmark only because its easier to clean that my Ruger.

[pilpens]

I have 3 Browning Buckmarks. All three started with 7" barrels but 2 now have shorter barrels. The current configurations: factory stock 7" fluted target, Target frame with 5.5" SS camper barrel, Hunter frame with 4" slabside. The 5.5 and 4 pistols also have Dawson FO front sights.
All three pistols have the top rear screw loosening problem and all have been fixed with Locktite.
The pistol which remained stock (7" target) took the longest to loosen the first time but once it had loosened, it seemed like it took less shots for the screw to loosen again.
Before using locktite, I had 1 screw break which required me to send the pistol to browning for warranty work (all free). This pushed me to put Locktite on all. I even put locktite on the front screw and a some where the barrel meets the frame (acts like bedding).
Also, I had grip panels loosen - Locktite and a little bit of epoxy at strategic places on the grip panel fixed the issue.
The most fun is the 4" but requires more concentration to shoot as well as the 5.5". The 7" feels front heavy and noticeable when swinging fast from one target to another compared to the short barrels.
I have other .22s besides the buckmarks (S&W 41, Ruger MKII) but the Buckmark 5.5 gets shot the most (when ammo was available).

==================
Between Ruger MKxxx and Buckmark - pick what fits better. both are good.
Ruger MK seems to be built tougher than buckmark.
Ruger vs Buckmark cleaning is a non-issue for me. I hardly disassemble the pistols for cleaning.

[fallingrock71]

There aren't many things that most everyone in a gun forum will agree on. IS there anything that most everyone agrees on more than the fact that you just can't go wrong with a Buckmark or Ruger mk something?

[notahardwareguy]

Right you are.

I currently have a Ruger MK II and a MK III, both targets and a Browning Buckmark Hunter. Got the hunter first "back in the day" because I was getting a can and it was far easier to put it on the Browning. Purchased an after marker barrel and away I went. Today Ruger offers threaded barrels so the choice would be harder. I like them all and can not complain about them.

I do think the Rugers are a little easier to clean but the Browning is a little more accurate. My .02...

[ms6852]

I love the hell out of my buckmark. Does not matter what ammo you use, it shoots it without any problems. It is a very accurate handgun.

[chadio]

FrankenMauser - thanks for the Buckmark tips ... good stuff

[Lexspeed]

Good information here regarding the Browning and Ruger 22s and how they compare. I handled a Walther P22 w/5" barrel at a recent gun show and it felt great in my hand. Anyone with experience, can you advise how the Walther compares to those other two popular 22s?

[gyvel]

I purchased a Buckmark in the early 80s and was very disappointed with it due to mediocre accuracy and feeding problems. I dumped it, and haven't looked back. There are many other, better .22 pistols available out there.

Ironically, the new Browning 1911-22 (which I think comes from the same factory as the Buckmark), has been a real sweetheart with zero malfunctions of any kind so far. It has become a favorite carry gun for me walking in the desert scrub.

[Northrider]

I've had mine since about 1985 and am generally pretty happy with it. I like the way it handles pretty much any ammo I have on hand.

[Super Blackhawk]

A relatively little known gem of a 22 pistol is the Beretta Neos U22.
Superb accuracy, great full length rail, solid build, ease of disassembly n a fantastic price of around $250-280.