Smith & Wesson 22 A vs. Ruger Mark III

[Pilot]

The S&W 22A has also had frame cracking issues, but as far as I know S&W will replace them.

[jimbob86]

My (and my kids') experiences:

I own a MkIII 22/45, and have shot thousands and thousands of rounds through it, mostly el cheapo bulk stuff. It works, and is more accurate than we are. Will run dirty ( if you shoot up a bulk box of el cheapo, the gun WILL be DIRTY).

We have shot other .22 pistols, mostly borrowed at bowling pin shoots ..... the kids shot a filthy 22A at one, and it sprayed them in the arms and face with bits of powder residue when they fired it ...... not popular with the little kids.... much so that years later, daughter Jac sees that gun at the range or at the store, and says, " That gun SUCKS. It shoots crap at your face. How are you 'sposed to hit anything with crap flying at your face!?!?"

[m_liebst]

That's not been my experience w/the 4 Ruger Mark I and Mark II that I've owned.
All 4 suffered from the Ruger "after thought feed ramp"...the little piece of the reciever that Ruger stamps out and calls it a feed ramp.
My one .22/45 Mark II is worlds better about it than the other three - but - even it will hic up sometimes on less than 40 grain hollow points.

I've shot a few MK's including the MK2s', and considering ammo- most of the bulk stuff I normally use is RN because of the power facter in having less then 40 grains go down a short non rifle barrel. I have shot hollow points too, just not as much as the RNs. Though I can't say that I've had any glitches even with that cept for maybe the real loose type crap.

Considering the S&W- found it to not feed properly(fully chamber)and eject certain varieties of lubed/ lead/ match like type ammo. Just was finicky with that.

Some Ruger owners polish the feed ramp which takes but a few minutes- then wow- you have a superb feeding machine that eats just about
anything.

I haven't found the need to polish mine. I often go to the range and spend in excess of 300+ rounds with the ruger MK3 with not one single hitch.

None of my Buckmarks do either

I've seen and used buckmarks that have had issues with various ammos.

The point I'm legitimitely trying to make is: If you were to put the MK3, 22a, and Buckmark together- and try 10 different brands of various ammo ( Bulk/ Premium/ HP/ RN/ Lead/ copper washed etc.: It's just my opinion resulting from personal experiences/ ammo testing, and what I see -that the Ruger would edge the other 2 out.

You can have a different opinion. I'd say most opinions on action reliability results from idividuals keeping to a certain ammo type diet saying their pistol has a flawless action.

I've tested various ammo through different pistols just out of curiosity to see the results. I'm not saying the Rugers have perfect actions. I'm saying that the Ruger is probably the least finicky using all variations of .22lr ammo thats out there.

[Tortuga12]

My only experience with a SW22 was a range rental, but I just wasn't impressed. There's nothing about it that isn't done better by a Buckmark, or a nice used High Standard, for that matter. You could really tell it was made to a price point.

[Hal]

You could really tell it was made to a price point.

That pretty much sums up the S&W right there.

The point I'm legitimitely trying to make is: If you were to put the MK3, 22a, and Buckmark together- and try 10 different brands of various ammo ( Bulk/ Premium/ HP/ RN/ Lead/ copper washed etc.: It's just my opinion resulting from personal experiences/ ammo testing, and what I see -that the Ruger would edge the other 2 out.

It might be minor point and it might not..
My S&W is a 22/s, not a 22/a.
It's all steel.

Some Ruger owners polish the feed ramp which takes but a few minutes- then wow- you have a superb feeding machine that eats just about
anything.

As do I.
The problem isn't that feed ramp is rough, it's that the feed ramp is sometimes too short and has a horrid ragged edge on it from the stamping process.
All of my Ruger's, with the exception of the one Mark II .22/45, experience feed problems when using hollow point bullets under 40 grains.(Winchester X-Pert).
Someone here suggested a fix for it - a dab of hot glue on the front of the magazine.
I never got around to trying it since K-Mart, which had been my source for cheap .22 X-Pert ammo, closed up.

[MrApathy]

the sw 22a is a tack driver I shoot golf balls with it as long as I can see them.

[OkieCruffler]

Can someone name a pistol that isn't made to price point? And FWIW my S&W 22A with the 5 inch barrel shoots better groups than either my MKII or my 22/45. None of them have been the least bit picky about ammo. I perfer the grip on the Rugers over the S&W and there's nothing I can do about that. The factory trigger on the S&W is better than either of the Rugers. And there is that buffer problem but I called S&W to inquire about those and an extra firing pin and they sent me a dozen buffers and a new pin free of charge.

[Hal]

Can someone name a pistol that isn't made to price point?

S&W M41 maybe?
The Sig 210 - again, maybe?

Don't know for sure what price point S&W really had/has in mind.
I do know that if S&W ad sunk a little bit more into the manufacturing of them, it would show a lot.

I looked at the 22/a vs the 22/s when I bought my 22/s, and there's a good bit of difference between the way the two appear.

Other than the buffer, the only thing I'm really concerned about w/my 22/s, is the cheesy hook on the barrels where they hook onto and attach to the frame.
I get real anal about swapping barrels and handle that chore w/kid gloves.

[OkieCruffler]

41's are overpriced, nice guns but as legendary for their crankiness as for their accuracy.
I swap barrels on my 22A constantly, sometimes several times each range trip. Never seen any wear. If it weren't for that 2X4 of a grip I would love mine.
But in the midst of all this debate I have to say that in this price range I wouldn't go with either. My wife's buckmark beats both the 22A and the rugers hands down. But she perfers the Neos which I can't stand. It's all in the eye, or hand, of the beholder I suppose.

[mrlizzzard]

Look at m&p22 best I have owned.

[Leejack]

I don't think you can go wrong here.

The Ruger has a bigger following and looks pretty cool, but the ease of takedown tips the scale to the Smith for me, I have one on my list this year. You can drive tacs all day long with both of these guns, lots of fun.

You won't go wrong either way.

[1stmar]

I have a 22A, I like it, but as previously mentioned the trip is a bit awkward and not a lot of aftermarket options. It's accurate and reliable w various ammo