Most reliable .22 rimfire pistol?

[His lordship.]

Out of the primary and most common .22 pistols, such as the Ruger Mk., Buckmark, S&W 22A, Beretta Neos, and High standard, which has been the most reliable in your experience?

I had a Ruger Mk. 2 that was very reliable if I cleaned it after every range session, skip cleaning it and it would jam.  My current Mk. 3 has been fine, but again, I clean it.  My Buckmark was jamming on 3 different brands of ammo, but was ok with Arscor brand and some high velocity Federal.  I read somewhere that the Browning Buckmarks can be ammo sensitive.  I know that the SIG mosquito is very limited in the types of ammo that will function the gun, I won't buy one of those.

[teddy12b]

I had a buckmark, but the top strap screw kept coming loose every time.  I never used locktite on it because you have to take it out to clean the gun.  I didn't care for that design and I sold it.  I had a mark III stainless target that I sold for quick cash when we got word of our first child on the way, but that gun was 100% reliable and accurate.  Currently I ended up getting a ruger mark III blued target model not to long ago to replace the one I used to have, but a less expensive version.  It had some gunk, or a burr in it somewhere that was very frustrating when I first bought it, but now it's 100% reliable and very accurate.

My vote goes for the ruger mark III.  I'd buy another one without a second thought.

[Casull]

I only have two .22 autos.  One is a Ruger MKII w/ the bull barrel that I bought about 14 years ago.  The other is a High Standard built in 1951 that my sister gave me (it was her deceased husband's gun that his father gave him).  I haven't really shot either that much, but they have both been 100% in the reliability area.

[Keith L]

I have a Buckmark that has been trouble free with all ammo I feed it.  My other .22 pistol beside my Contenders is a Single Six that I can't imagine ever failing to fire.

[mbopp]

My Ruger MK1 cycles anything I've ever fed it.
The old HS Victor I bought is more finicky but now that I've settled on one brand of ammo and tuned the magazine it's been fine. HS doesn't use a feed ramp so mag tuning and ammo selection are more critical for it.
My vote goes to the Ruger.

[hillbill]

id have to choose my buckmark, had it for prob 10 yrs and no problems yet.never have really cleaned it yet.ive had the rugers and they were excellent also.wish i still had a couple of the ones of traded off.ive had several single sixes and they were fine also, cant imagine a malfunction with one of them.i have a nice colt new frontier that is reliable as a rock.it doesnt seem very accurate with the lr ammo and havent tried it yet with the 22 mag stuff. ive had a lot of 22 pistols but id have to say the buckmark has impressed me the most so far.now mind yu i dont have any experience with what they are selling now as i always try to buys guns at least 10 to 20 yrs old.

[Jim n Iowa]

I have a Ruger MKl target tappered barrel, MK2 5" target bull barrel, and a S&W 617 6". They are all accurate pistols, if I would have discovered 22 pistol shooting first I would have saved a lot of money, as to the fun of it.
All three perform great, the 617 has trained my wife in ccw training, as she qaulifed with a 686. I would say the 617 is the best value in revolver 22 pistols. The Ruger MKII bull 5.5" is the best auto 22 that can be had. My thinking so!!!
Jim

[skarke]

Model 41, hands down.  That said, any of them will jam with dirty ammo.  I currently shoot a Mark III.  It jammed horribly with dirty ammo, but when I switched to Mini Mags, no more problems.

One other thing, I've gone to dry lube.  Seems to help.

[Drilling Man]

  I've owned a bunch of semi auto rimfire handguns.  The worst one i ever owned was a Ruger, what a jamo-matic POS!  The best i've ever owned is my OLD High Standard Victor.  My old Woodsman has been good too.  Also i've owned a couple S&W M-41's, and they were pretty good.

  The Victor is the winner though.

  DM

[Flynmoose]

My grandfathers' Smith and Wesson model 46 with a seven inch barrel.
Dependable and accurate!

[mcwoodduck]

Ammo and magazines are the Achillies Heels to any semi auto 22LR.
Of all the 22 Semi autos I have owned.
The Walther TPH is the one I have had the fewest if any Jams.
I have tried everything in it.
If you want reliable no if ands or Butts.
Get a revolver.  The down side to them is just when you start having fun you're out of ammo.
Of all the brands I have had the fewest, if any misfires with CCI ammo.
But since the Remington Golden bullets are the cheapest in my area I shoot them and deal with the 1 in 50 snaps.

[LHS]

I have a Ruger Mark II I bought in the mid-80's. Back then, cleaning was not at the top of my list, and I shot about 3000 rounds without cleaning it. Never a problem with any type of ammo. Now I keep it clean and have no problems. Wife loves to shoot it, as does the kid. It does seem to be more accurate with certain types of ammo, but it will digest anything you feed it.

I have a S&W 617 10-shot revolver which I love. Can't imagine an issue with it. I just wish it didn't take so long to reload it.  I asked the local gunshop if he thought they'd ever make a moon clip for it, and we both had a good laugh.

I also have a Ruger 22 Charger with a 4x scope that is a blast to shoot. Problem is the aftermarket mag I have- even though I paid $40 for it and it was supposed to be "the one witjout problems" for it. Likes to not reload a shell once or twice out of 25 rounds ever few mags. Shoots well though, and I consider it a keeper. More a "fun gun" than anything. I bought it with the money I made from selling a rifle I didn't really like.

My friend bought a Sig Saur Mosquito 22 pistol, and hates it. It shoots terrific with CCI Mini-Mags, but will not cycle with anything less most of the time. He tried to sell it to me, and I almost bought it, but he decided to keep it. (He has not shot it in over 2 years now.)

[LHS]

the 617 has trained my wife in ccw training, as she qaulifed with a 686. I would say the 617 is the best value in revolver 22 pistols. Jim

Same her, but my wife hasn't gotten her CCW. I taught her how to shoot with the 617, then the Ruger Mark II, then the "what was mine but now is hers" 686. She loves the 686 so much she considers it hers to the point she bought me a 629 Classic to replace it. She has decided she likes the Ruger Mark II more than the 617 lately, as how she puts it "it's fun to run the magazine fast". Her fast is not a super fast, but her accuracy is still good, and that helps her in her double taps when shooting the M&P 9mm. I'm still trying to get her to shoot the 625 in 45ACP but she is worried it will cause the bone spur on her wrist to hurt, and I will not push her. I reload her light loads in 38 Special for the 686, and she can shoot around 70-80 rounds before she switches to the 22 for the rest of the time. I'm just happy she shares a love of shooting with me and wish we could get out together more often. Darn those different work schedules.

[DC]

I have only owned three autos, two of which were Ruger Mark II's and a Browning Buckmark Camper.  I ended up selling the Rugers, the target model was just too heavy for a desert plinker and the shorter bull barrel only liked a couple brands of ammo.  The Buckmark likes just about anything I choose to feed her.  On sale bricks work great and when I feel like pretending I am an Olympic shooter, I will run a box of good stuff through her.  I have shot 1,000 rounds through it without cleaning it., (My Bad!) It never failed, misfired, jammed. 

[Pat/Rick]

Sold my ruger MKII, the rear sight would loosen up ALL the time. Would tighten the dovetail and it would hold. For a while. Then slip again. Sold it. I am thinking of replacing it with an adjustible sight Ruger convertible. I use them primarily for plinking/grouse.

[The Hermit]

Ruger MK111, .22/45. Reliable, accurate, no misfires. I've had good luck with it.

  The Hermit

[petepaaz]

     My experience w/.22LR semi-autos has been limited to Ruger Mk 2 22/45 SS with 5&1/2". It shot reasonable well, but was a bear to take down for cleaning. I later traded it and got a Ruger SS6 Hunter with 7&1/2" scoped barrel that shoots Hi Vel Fed H.P. into 1&1/2" at 50 yards. I love it for serious small game hunting here in the Sonoran desert of AZ. However, it is bulky and I'm still interested in a more compact, accurate, reliable and easy to clean semi-auto for the second gun in a 2 gun battery for trail/survival purposes. My main handgun is a 1911 .45ACP.
     Therefore does anyone have experience with the more compact Beretta Cheetah in 22LR or the Sig 220 in 22LR or a 1911 style .22LR?

[teddy12b]

The way I clean the ruger mark III is pretty simple.  I lock the bolt back and spray the insides with carbon cleaner.  A couple shots of that stuff will get rid of most if not all of the crud.  Wipe it all down and then add oil where needed.

[petepaaz]

teddy12b....you almost have me reconsidering a Ruger 22/45....especially if it's in SS.  I've been doing more research and the GSG1911 .22LR is looking mighty tempting. It would match my other 1911's in form and function w/o being too expensive like Kimber's Rimfire Target .22LR. Accuracy with the right High Velocity ammo is w/in 1&1/2" at 25yds....my minimum for a small game survival/trail gun.

[mcwoodduck]

Ruger MK111, .22/45. Reliable, accurate, no misfires. I've had good luck with it.

  The Hermit

What ammo are you using?
I have found that the rimfire ammo is the weak point.
So far I found that the CCI stuff does not have a failure rate.

[His lordship.]

I usually clean my Ruger pistols (.22 cal.) by just swabbing the inside chamber with cleaner, and the bolt body that is exposed, lubing with oil and grease, occasional spray downs with spray lube also help.  I did take my Mk. 3 apart a few months ago, used an American Gun Insititute DVD, and the internet for visual instructions on how to do it.  The problem with most of the films is that they are not totally complete on the technique to reassemble the gun, that can be frustrating.

I found one video that uses slang to explain the parts of the gun, he uses a method of tipping the gun barrel up and down different times to get the hammer into the right position, and other parts.  The trick is to dry fire during reassembly and tip it up and down as needed.  The Ruger owner's manual is also helpful, saved my hide during the reassembly. 

I don't see a need to tear the gun down after each trip to the range, with me it is more like several years in between cleaning (2-4) with the casual use of the pistol.

[Savage]

I currently own a Mkll Slabside Target, (w/Red Dot) and a Mkll 5 1/2" bull barrel. Most any ammo works ok in mine as long as the bullet is copper washed. Both of mine do well with the Federal 550 packs, but the one ammo I have never had a problem with is the CCI Mini Mags. I shoot NRA falling plates and the Steel Challenge with mine so I put a bit of ammo through mine each month. I clean mine monthly, right before the next Steel Challenge. I have not found disassembly/assembly, to be particularity challenging, although some seem to have problems. It took my next door neighbor, about half an hour to learn using the Owner's manual. That was after I replaced the hammer and hammer bushing of his Mklll with Mkll parts, eliminating the magazine disconnect. Never owned a Buckmark, but I know a few shooters that do, For the most part, they have good things to say about them. I'd say if you stay with a Ruger or Buckmark and use good mags and ammo, clean and lubricate now and then, you'll be happy.
Savage

[44 Man]

Ruger semi-auto of any style.  You hear lots of stories about various guns being fussy about ammo, or feeding, or magazines.  But I have to say I've never seen a Ruger fail to function that was the guns fault. 44 Man

[Empty Quiver]

Except for my experimenting with Mobil 1 grease in cold weather my Neos has always gone bang. The rear sight rattled off the thing though. It went back for the safety issue and they fixed the sight as well.

It doesn't care what it eats as long as there is plenty of it. It has never stopped due to dirt but then again it is so easy to field strip I usually strip it after a couple hundred rounds any way. It is far more tolerant of neglect than the Marlin auto rifle I own (mag fed). That thing was at about 2500 rounds before it was good and loose enough to shoot 200 rounds through at a sitting.

[Drilling Man]

Ruger semi-auto of any style.  You hear lots of stories about various guns being fussy about ammo, or feeding, or magazines.  But I have to say I've never seen one fail to function that was the guns fault. 44 Man

  I wish you had got the one i had, then you would have!  It was a POS right from new, and it never got better.

  DM

[P.A. Myers]

In my humble opinion:  Auto- Colt Woodsman, S&W model 41 close second.
Revolver- S&W model 617.

[44 Man]

I would like a Sig 'Trailside' just for it's 'cool' factor.  But if I'm spending the money myself, give me the Ruger!  44 Man

[The Hermit]

mcwoodduck, sorry to take so long to respond, but at 75, I sometimes forget where I posted.
I use CCI minimags, HP's, in all my .22's.


The Hermit

[Blue Duck]

Yep,  my old Ruger auto never lets me down.

[budman46]

imo, ruger .22 auto-loaders are the small-block, 327 v-8's of the firearm world. ya just can't do any better in the class.

budman

ignorance is fixable, stupidity is forever...