22 pistol recomendations?

[whistlepig]

I have no idea how they start police recruits now, since Dallas issues Sig Sauer P226 semi-auto 9mm pistols to officers. But in 1964, when they issued .38 spl. revolvers; either Colt or S&W (depending on which one bid lowest), they started recruits shooting the S&W model 18 Combat Masterpiece .22 revolvers. I really like that gun, but had no idea they'd gone that high on price.

I have a S&W K22 Masterpiece (not combat). I consider it one of the finest revolvers ever made. I also have a Ruger Mark II Target. The Ruger is a bit more accurate than the K22 but not enough difference to matter to me. I enjoy shooting the K22 a lot more than the Ruger.

 

[JB4310]

I went to one local gun store today and took a look at a Mark III and a the Walter. Both nice guns but starting price of $400 caught me off guard. I really want something used and not pretty. That way if they dropped I wont blow my lid.

Chris

Should be able to find a good condition used one for $150.-200. unless things changed alot in the .22 market.

Being a non carry gun just used for training/ entertainment, pre-owned would be no compromise.

JB.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

I second the choice of the Ruger Single Six. Many years ago I use to go to the Range with Dad(27yrs. with DPD) who was an execellent pistol shot. After he was finished he'd let me shoot his .38 snub nose. Needless to say I couldn't hit the broadside of a barn. A few years later I decided I needed to work at becoming a better shot with a pistol and bought a Ruger Single six. It is the simplest of design and function, and is great for teaching kids and women safety and marksmanship. I started the boys and wife out on the gun and they all learned well. Wife perfers to plink with it over any other weopon, and the kids like the old west look of it.

Charlie

I have a single six and it may be a Ruger but I got it around 40 years ago. I keep it laying out loaded with bird shot mainly for noise but it will kill an opposum at point blank range but not very far away. :thumbsup:

It is the most safe handgun I have.

 

[AlanB]

I have a Mk II, a Single six, and don't laugh, a Jennings, J22.

Might want to look at the Buckmarks, they are reasonably priced and a great gun but they are going to feel big for some kids.

I got the Jennings, just for those times when I have smaller kids that want to participate (shoot) While that gun has to be the most maligned gun out there, I believe the term "saturday night special" was written immediately behind "jennings" I have had fantastic service from mine. Probably 3 to 4K rounds through it and very few hangs.

If you truly want to work with smaller kids, it works for me.

Oh, but if you expect to hit anything smaller than the side of the barn, uh, go with one of the others mentioned.

 

[JDdude]

The Ruger get my vote also..Just remember to keep your thumb down at the back of the gun when firing..The slide will take the hide off of your thumb when young kids, women use 2 hands to fire it.

 

[kjung17]

The Ruger get my vote also..Just remember to keep your thumb down at the back of the gun when firing..The slide will take the hide off of your thumb when young kids, women use 2 hands to fire it.

What sort of grip leaves your thumb behind the bolt????:confused2:

 

[JDdude]

What sort of grip leaves your thumb behind the bolt????:confused2:

I have just seen it happen a few time with this particular gun is all..

 

[kjung17]

I have just seen it happen a few time with this particular gun is all..

:laughing:Fair enough. I suppose I've corrected some pretty weird grips on the range.

 

[whistlepig]

This is a Smith and Wesson K22 Masterpiece like the one I have. You really have to shoot a K22 to appreciate one:

 

[CurlyDave]

...Again, I want it to shoot 22 longs. First off I have well over 20,000 shells in my gun safe. Bought them on sale once. For that matter I have tons of ammo for all the other stuff I own also but not nearly that much, maybe 300 to 500 shells for each of them. The other reason for longs is they are cheap and easily found in a wide variety of loads.

Chris

Do you really mean .22 longs, or do you mean .22 long rifle?

There is a difference, both are made and sold.

The reason I ask is that I once mistakenly bought .22 longs for a Smith & Wesson model 41 I owned at the time. The .22 long is lower power than .22 long rifle, and would not reliably actuate the autoloader. This was extremely frustrating and could turn an afternoon of plinking into an afternoon of fiddling with the pistol.

If the ammo you have is .22 long, I would highly recommend a revolver over an autoloader.

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I sold the model 41 and replaced with Browning Buckmark, a serious downgrade by the way. I can not recommend this gun for kids. Maybe it was my sample, but my Buckmark would sometimes misfire, and the stock slide grips were not large enough to positively draw back the slide to eject the misfired cartridge. I do not have small hands or a weak grip. The pistol is in an unsafe condition after such a misfire and it usually resulted in a wrestling match with the pistol where it was often quite challenging to keep the muzzle pointed downrange.

I returned the gun to Browning and they replaced the slide with one which had massive gripping lugs on both sides of the slide, which fixed the problem of racking the slide, and they must have done some internal work on the piece because it has not misfired since,. But I can not recommend the gun, especially when there are kids who will shoot it.

Another minus for the Buckmark is that disassembly for a thorough cleaning (maybe a once per year activity) requires removal of two allen screws fitted with very special lock washers, which can not be replaced with anything but those same very special washers. Lose one and you are out of business until you get another either from Browning or a gunsmith. The same disassembly removes the rear sight, a feature I have always disliked, since anything other than the most careful re-assembly means sighting in again.
* * * * *

For kids, a revolver is almost always a better choice anyway. An autoloader is always ready to fire, whether the shooter is or not.