Most Reliable 22lr Semi Auto

[wmg1299]

My parents are elderly, and my mom recently approached me about getting a handgun for home defense. My father has several pistols in the home, but his health is unfortunately failing. He carried a 1911 in Vietnam and has sworn by the .45 ever since. My mother does not feel that she can handle a .45, and dad's gun are essentially just display items at this point. I would like to get her a mid to full size .22lr, but have limited experience with these guns. Any recommendations from someone who has put a significant number of problem-free rounds through a .22lr pistol would be appreciated. Please do not recommend higher calibers, as my mom would be very recoil sensitive and I do not believe she could handle anything larger.

[Ibmikey]

S&W Compact M&P .22. Great little .22 and mine has been totally reliable through thousands of rounds. Handles great, carries like it wasn’t there and accuracy above plinker level.

[Fishbed77]

Assuming you are looking at this pistol for a defensive use. In that case the Ruger SR22 is a solid option that is built better than most of the potmetal .22LR pistols that mimic the look of popular defensive centerfire pistols.

If you are looking for some for general plinking, target shooting, etc., it's hard to go wrong with the Ruger Mark II/III/IV or 22/45 variants.

[dgludwig]

In terms of extreme reliability in a .22 auto (plus many other attributes, including accuracy, durability, after-market accessories and good customer support), my vote goes to one of the Ruger Mark series (my favorite being the MKIII).

[ttarp]

Not cheap, but my Browning 1911-22 has been a very reliable .22, and has fired a very wide range of .22 ammo without failures. The only ammo its choked on so far has been CCI's "Quiet", or "Suppressor" ammo, I forget which one, any standard or HV ammo I've tried runs like a top.

[Nanuk]

Ruger MK IV

[bassJAM1]

As long as it's kept relatively clean, pretty much all of the auto .22's on the market today from the big guys are reliable. My Mark I and Browning Buckmark only have issues with rounds my other .22's don't like either (like Automatch). For self defense I'd probably gravitate to the SR22 or M&P compact, but there's no reason the target style .22's wouldn't work either. Or a CZ Kadet or the baby Browning 1911-22.

The most important thing will be to run good ammo in it. I'd probably stick with Mini Mags.

[rt11002003]

For the stated purpose, a short barrel Ruger, a Mk ii, or a Mk iii. I have four Rugers, two S&W Models 41, a Hammerli Xesse Sport and a 58 year old "Saturday nite special". Have shot almost every .22lr pistol readily available, Rugers are like a favorite tool. One can depend on them to get the job done.

[Jim Watson]

I am with Ibmikey, my S&W Plastic M&P Compact is thus far 100% with fresh HV. It seems to have broken in enough to shoot SV, but I trust CCI Mini-Mag the most.
Sights are decent, trigger is blah, thumb safety located like 1911.

The medium and nice grade target pistols can be a little spotty in spite of long service and good reviews.
I shoot a little Speed Steel and some of the Rugers and S&Ws have a hard time getting through the 125 target day. My M41 is 100% when clean with CCI SV.

[RickB]

I've never shot a rimfire auto, rifle or pistol, that was more than about 99% reliable.

Maybe a carbine in a more effective caliber? Most people can shoot long guns dramatically better than handguns.

[gnystrom]

As a RSO/instructor I have seen hundreds and hundreds of literally every model 22 manufactured. BY FAR the most reliable are the Ruger MK series and Browning Buckmark series. You will find a large number of polymer 22's that owners will say work well. I will tell you I have witnessed the opposite.
For Mom,
Please consider her age and her ability to correct a malfunction while someone is coming at her with a knife.
That said, I would look toward
1. Mod 60 S&W 38sp. or Ruger LCR revolver loaded with wadcutters.
2. Ruger LCR in .22 Mag.
3. S&W or Ruger revolver in .22 with as many rounds as possible that can be loaded into a cylinder.
My 2¢

[jmhyer]

I understand the situation. Still, I don't recommend 22LR for self defense. Too underpowered and not sufficiently reliable.

Having said that, my SR22 has been extremely reliable with good ammo. To me, ammo is more important than the pistol when it comes to reliability in 22LR.

Consider also 22 magnum, 25 ACP, or even FN 5.7 for your stated purpose.

[ttarp]

Well I've had good reliability with my PMR30, but as loud as it is out at the range, I hate to think of what a .22 magnum would do to my ears indoors.

[Fishbed77]

As long as it's kept relatively clean, pretty much all of the auto .22's on the market today from the big guys are reliable.

That depends. I lot of the semi-auto .22LR pistols from the "big guys" are poor-quality potmetal pistols that are outsourced or license-made by other manufacturers like GSG or Umarex.

[BigJimP]

Browning Buckmark ...if you really want a .22 .../ but there are a lot of other options out there in 9mm especially ( even in 1911's for your dad, if he wants them ).

[haiauphixu]

This is my favorite semi-auto pistol

[T. O'Heir]

Budget?
Take mom shopping. Any hand gun must fit the shooter's hand regardless of the chambering. And one must try a box of as many brands of ammo to find the one(s) that will cycle the action and be the most accurate.
The biggest issue is that using a .22 for self defence requires a higher level of skill. Shot placement is critical as well. If mom's not going to practice, she might as well get a big instead.
"...do not believe she could handle anything larger..." I'd bet she can. Doesn't mean she wants to though. Different thing.
"...or even FN 5.7..." Ammo is in far to unreliable supply and distribution.
There's no such thing as a "pot metal pistol".

[HighValleyRanch]

If it's for self defense, I also would highly recommend a revolver.
In any semi auto with a round not going off, is your mom ready to practice proficiency in clearing?
With a revolver, she could just keep pulling the trigger.

Most novices are more comfortable with keeping a revolver loaded, rather than one in the chamber in a semi.

[pblanc]

If it has to be a 22lr and has to be a handgun, I would also go with a revolver. A lot of 22lr semi-auto pistols fail to cycle with some ammunition. Typically, these will be more reliable with higher velocity ammunition from one of the more reputable manufacturers, such as CCI, but occasionally you may get an under-powered round which causes a failure to eject or feed. Rimfire cartridges also have less reliable ignition than center-fire cartridges. I have had an occasional "dud" even with ammo from quality makers. With inexpensive bulk ammo, I expect to have at least several rounds per box of 300-550 which will fail to ignite.

A failure of ignition or a jam in a semi-auto pistol will render it temporarily unusable. A failure of ignition in a revolver requires another trigger pull, but this is usually much faster than clearing a jam or an dud round from a revolver.

Although there is no metallurgical standard for the colloquial term "pot metal", the term is most commonly applied to mixed metal alloys containing zinc, lead, aluminum, copper, magnesium, and/or iron which have a low temperature melting point and are used for casting. ZAMAC 3 is a mixed metal alloy containing zinc, aluminum, magnesium and copper. Zinc alloys of this type are often called "white metal" or "pot metal".

There are a number of less expensive 22lr pistols and revolvers that utilize die cast ZAMAK slides or other parts. These include the Walther P22 and SIG Mosquito. ZAMAK can be used in 22lr handguns, or parts of firearms that are chambered in other calibers that are not subjected to much stress. But slides made from ZAMAK are more brittle than steel slides, and slides in the above-mentioned pistols have been known to crack or fracture.

[DaleA]

BassJAM1 and Jim Watson and T. O'Heir and Pblanc have ALREADY pointed out the gun is probably going to be much more reliable than the ammunition. For quality control CCI Mini Mags would get my vote.

The 'major' brands I'd rate roughly the same. Buckmark, Ruger Mark, Ruger 22/45, Ruger SR22 and S&W Victor.

Since your Dad is into 1911's maybe take a look at the Browning 1911-22, the 85% sized 1911 in caliber .22. I shot one once with very low expectations and was amazed at how well I shot it and how well it handled.

http://www.browning.com/products/fir...s/1911-22.html

All that said, and especially since I agree ammunition is a MAJOR reliability factor for .22 handguns I'd go with the .22 REVOLVER. Ruger and S&W make some nice ones.

Good luck.

[DanPop]

For sure stay away from the Walther P22. That being said you can't go wrong with a revolver, if a semi automatic is more desirable a Rugar SR22 is by far the most reliable.

[spawndn72]

I know we are in the semiauto forum but I would suggest a Ruger GP100 in 22lr.
It holds 10 and you just keep pulling the trigger. Plus it looks big and could scare someone away.

[kenny53]

I find 22 revolvers have a heavy trigger. Make sure mom can handle the heavy pull. I love my MKII and would trust for SD. The trigger is pretty good with the MK series.

[TailGator]

Your mom might the small grip of the Neos. Funny looking little dude, but mine has been extremely reliable with everything except CCI standard velocity.

[zukiphile]

Originally Posted by wmg1299

My parents are elderly, and my mom recently approached me about getting a handgun for home defense.

Is your elderly mother going to carry this pistol?

If not, why are you looking into pistols? A 22lr rifle will be quieter, easier to use and cheaper.