just don't shoot me

April 26, 2006 11:03 PM

can anyone suggest a relatively inexpensive, decent, higher capacity (as opposed to the 5-round magazines that many seem to have) .22 caliber target pistol good for a beginning shooter?

ease of assembly & disassembly, longer barrel, general sturdiness are all big pluses. as for capacity, i realize that here in California laws restrict the number of rounds, but constantly reloading the clip is a pain so the most that are legally allowed would be great. i'm not sure what kind of optics i need on something like this, so the ability to mount different types of sights would be ideal as well.

posted by luriete to sports, hobbies, & recreation (9 comments total)

I've shot an old Ruger with my uncle which I really liked the feeling of, although I know it's a relatively cheap gun compared to a Haemmerli or something like that. I don't know what the model was it was though, or if it's a respected type of firearm.
posted by luriete at 11:07 PM on April 26, 2006

Ruger makes a the Mark II Target, a heavy barrelled version of the Mark II.

These have 9 shot magazines, as I recall. They are also suitable for mounting fine sights, as opposed to the coarse sights that are on most pistols.

http://www.ruger-firearms.com/firearms/P-CategoryPistolsRF.html
posted by FauxScot at 3:19 AM on April 27, 2006

The Ruger Mark II has a 10-round clip. The world's most popular match gun, I believe. Spring for the "bull" (aka "match") barrel.

Ruger makes a variant of the Mark II called the 22/45 which is also very nice.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 6:43 AM on April 27, 2006

Everyone's already said it with the Mk II. That's the gun that I learned to shoot with.
posted by SpecialK at 9:35 AM on April 27, 2006

I'll add my vote for the Mark II.

It is an inexpensive, well built, time tested design. Simple to operate and clean, enjoyable to shoot.

I'd also recomment getting the heavyweight barrel, it isn't much more and it improve the shooting experience. For what tiny amount the .22 recoils, the heavier barrel really smooths it out.
posted by JFitzpatrick at 9:46 AM on April 27, 2006

While I definitely recommned the Ruger Mark II (I have owned a couple and love them), you'll probably have to find one used as I believe Ruger no longer produces them. They've moved on to the Mark III.

I would also add that the Mark II/III is not the easiest gun to disassemble for cleaning - this is the product of tight manufacturing tolerances and its unique design. I have a Mark III that's been disassembled tens of times, but still needs a mallet to disengage the grip frame from the barrel assembly (receiver) and a mallet, a dowel and a paperclip to remove the mainspring housing. Ease of disassembly is a problem with most .22 handguns, but there are a few on the market that can be disassembled without any tools.

Another gun to consider - Smith & Wesson makes the 22A, which is much easier to disassemble than the Mark II/III, includes an integrated scope mount and costs about the same. link

Also, if you decide to go with a used Mark II - note that not all have been set up to accept a scope mount ("drilled and tapped"), but I think all the Mark IIIs have been. You probably don't need anything other than the default sights while you're starting out, though.
posted by dbolll at 11:29 AM on April 27, 2006

Keep in mind that .22 are loaded with all kinds of toxic heavy metals, not just lead, that vaporize when you fire them so don't do it indoors and wash your hand very thoroughly afterwards.
posted by 517 at 1:13 PM on April 27, 2006

Ditto Mark II, and sub-sonic ammo is ?smoother? and more accurate than regular .22 ammo.
posted by buzzman at 1:25 PM on April 27, 2006

What do you know, I also learned to shoot on a Ruger Mark II.
posted by ikkyu2 at 1:31 PM on April 28, 2006