Recommend a 22lr

[Duelist]

A Ruger MKII standard auto was the first firearm I ever owned. When I recently spoke with SWMBO about selling some guns and if she cared for any of them to stay, the first thing she asked was if that gun was on the list. “No, of course not,” and then she was fine with the plans. It’s just that fun and easy to shoot, always works, hits what it’s aimed at. Rewarding enough, that I bought a Competition Target version of it in January.

Also accurate and fun: Ruger Single Six, Beretta 21a, S&W M18 & M17 & 617. Still have the Single Six, M18, and both MKIIs. Dad has the 21a and thinks it’s a hoot.

I’ve had 2 G44s. One lives with my MIL now - the first time she held it, she claimed it. I was not surprised, since she was learning that her 637 isn’t that fun to shoot regularly. The G44 is fun to shoot. I don’t find them as accurate as the .22s I’ve kept, but they are reliable and fun.

The second G44 was recently sold to raise funds. One of my buddies has three little girls he’s teaching to shoot, and has 3 identical G19s and 3 identical ARs for them, but is teaching them with .22LR rifles and pistols since they aren’t ready for CF shooting yet, and needed a 3rd G44. He’s a good dad.

My dad taught me to shoot pistols as a little kid with a .22LR H&R revolver, so when I say that .22LR pistols are my first love and I can’t imagine being without one, that stems back nearly 5 decades. I’d rather have a good .22LR pistol than just about any other gun, if I had to only have one.

[cosermann]

… Not sure what I want in a 22, never had one. Honestly I don't even know how much I want to spend…

The above, along with not knowing what you want to use it for, makes a bit difficult to make recommendations.

A few more details might be helpful.

[Jim Watson]

My M&P .22C is handy and reliable, but it is light, twitchy, and dinky.
Similar to G44, Taurus, Sig, and Walther plastic .22s.

A full size .22 from Browning, Ruger, or Smith is a lot easier to get hits with.

The Ruger lineup is kind of like Glock, AR, and 1911, there are many many things you can select, modify, or replace to get something to suit your personality.

Me? I like and shoot 1911 types and a Nelson Conversion on the receiver of my least used .45 is a real treat.

[APS-PF]

I will add to the recommendation of a Ruger MKIV. I have a few and they are easier to deal with than my MKIIs. Volquartsen's bull barrel clearance uppers for $40 add to the fun. Put together the combo that works best for you. One upper with a red dot, one with irons, etc.
https://volquartsen.com/inventory_co...54?clearance=1

The "Standard" grip angle is like the Glock and a 22/45 grip angle mimics the rest.

[41magfan]

You certainly can't go wrong with the Ruger Mk-series and Browning Buckmarks, I've owned quite a few of them over the years. However, my favorite full-size .22 auto these days is the S&W Victory. It's offered in a "suppressor ready" model, as well.



If a smaller "Kit Gun" sized pistol is something you'd be interested in, give the Ruger SR22 a look. A friend of mine has one and as long as you feed it ammo it likes, it's accurate and reliable. It's more difficult to shoot than a full-size pistol, but it's handy and you still have 10 rds on hand. It's simply a fun gun to shoot.

[4RNR]

The above, along with not knowing what you want to use it for, makes a bit difficult to make recommendations.

A few more details might be helpful.

Well, I'm not looking for anything geared towards competition. The rest...idk!?!? That's the only specific thing I can think of.

[Borderland]

I'm another Ruger MK** fan. I've had a MKII target for 30 years or more. My only suggestion would be to buy something that's dot ready. It adds about 2x to the fun factor. A dot will make them a fun 50 yd shooter.

Be aware that some will not like certain types of ammo. My MKII wouldn't run on most of it. I found CCI std. velocity was the key.

Good luck.

[psalms144.1]

For a plinker, I think the Ruger MkIV 22/45 Lite or one of the Buckmarks is the best way to go. I have owned a G44, and, if you needed a low-recoil trainer for a G19, it would be a great option. Unfotunately, you can't put a dot on it without buying a slide that might or might not work, and costs more than half the price of the base pistol. I won't own another G44 unless/until Glock redesigns the pistol to allow optics mounting as a factory solution. I own a P322, and it's a fun gun to shoot, easy to mount a dot, lots of rounds in the magazine. Trigger is OK, accuracy is OK, reliability is about 95% - (usually at least one failure to fire per 20-round magazine).

If you're looking for something SMALL, the LCP22 will likely fit the bill as well as any, though I've got an emotional soft spot for the tiny tip-up barrel Berettas.

[Moped]

I've had the TX22 for several years now and have had no issues with it at all. It ended up replacing my Ruger MkII, which I gave to my dad. The price is hard to beat too. You can usually find them around $300 in your LGS of choice. I have the standard model, which fits in most of Glock 17/19/45 Kydex holsters.

Thinking I might add a compact model for the price at some point. I like it that much!

https://palmettostatearmory.com/taur...1-tx22141.html

https://www.budsgunshop.com/search.php/q/taurus+tx22

[42Willys]

My favorite .22 is a Beretta 71, but that is probably an unhelpful suggestion. That piece is from another era….