Non pro shooter looking for first pro quality .22 pistol

[rmca]

bsd,

Find yourself a Pardini in your price range, you'll never look back.

To me it's the best .22 pistol you can buy to compete with (ISSF/Olympic style shooting).
Get an extra firing pin (it should come with one extra) and you're done with spare parts.
Just clean it properly. It's very easy to take apart.

Hope this helps

[bsd]

I appreciate all of the comments thus far and I've been searching the web, bookmarking various page, and looking at pistol specs.
I also came across the Walther GSP Expert and was wondering if there was a reason why no one suggested the Walther.
Is there something wrong with the Walther?

[Rover]

Probably the most dependable target pistol out there. It's also available updated; for looks I guess.

[bsd]

I checked with my local dealer, he says the S&W Model 41s are currently unavailable, no news as to when they might be.

I've also been told the 1911 style with 10 chamber mags will be better in "some competition"
I may take up bullseye, but I thought 5 shots was plenty.

[nglitz]

New Jersey is a veritable hotbed of bullseye pistol competition. Our state outdoor championship is the third largest attended match in the US, behind Camp Perry and Canton.

Take a look at njpistol.com

Yes, there are more legal hoops to jump through, but you can shoot a 2700 almost every weekend, many time two.

[Chia]

Also consider that you can "soup up" a Ruger Mark III with various aftermarket parts to make it an all-around better pistol. Volquartsen has an accurizing kit that makes the primary issue with the Ruger, the trigger, a much more manageable thing. I will call it semi-drop-in (VQ claims it is drop-in) due to the complexity of taking the damn gun apart and putting it back together with the parts changed. If you have disassembled the gun completely before (not just field stripping, I mean taking the entire trigger assembly apart), expect it to take about thirty minutes to an hour, plus calibration time. If not, put aside a weekend and expect to cuss a lot.

Tandemkross has some parts for the Ruger as well. Volthane makes a decent one-handed rubber target grip, although it takes a bit of fiddling to get it right (the instructions are only on the side of the box and aren't that helpful).

And if you shoot a Ruger Mk III, for the love of god get a speed-loader. Your thumbs thank you.

All of this said, me and my Mark III do not get along and have not got along from the very beginning when I purchased it (I got the target model). I can get pretty good shots with it at 25 yards, but every time I have to disassemble it I think about taking another kind of shot...the alcoholic kind. It tends to be choosy with ammunition (mine hates sk standard and will actually jam it, but loves eley sport). And...well, not to put too fine a point on it, but mine has several dents on the bottom of the gun. That's due to some time spent with a customer service representative (who was very knowledgeable and helpful) who had me slam my gun against a phone book (and, accidentally, the table edge) several times to un-stick the hammer strut. Any gun that requires actually bashing it against a phone book to reassemble it has some problems.

Ruger Mark II and Mark IIIs can be used professionally in competition, but those tend to be customized by a gunsmith who knows what they are doing. The fundamentals of the gun are very solid from an accuracy perspective (completely solid and heavy barrel with all of the fiddly bits put in the bottom of the gun) but it really takes a professional to change the material/design compromises Ruger makes with these guns.

....looking back at this post, I think I have some anger issues with my Ruger...

[Ricardo]

Check out the Benelli MP 90S. Low maintenance, $1700.00 new.

[bsd]

Also consider that you can "soup up" a Ruger Mark III with various aftermarket parts to make it an all-around better pistol....

I think I may have said this in my original post, but I'll say it again
I have a MkIII, with an updated trigger (yeah, I changed it myself and it was a PITA) from Majestic Arms.

Since my wife is enjoying shooting enough to the point she wants her own gun, I wanted to give her the Ruger and buy something different, and better, for myself.

For now, I think the Model 41 is best suited for our needs and the amount of target shooting we do, but at present, new Model 41s are unavailable.
If I cannot find one, I may settle for a Hammerli Xesse
Not in a rush

[Rover]

Check your PMs.

[motorcycle_dan]

Hmmm, Lots of folk recommended some serious equipment. Let me offer this. The new S&W SW22 Victory. From the box with CCI standard velocity ammo. Iron sights I can shoot my average 94~95%, using the included picatinny rail and a 1" ultra dot, I can shoot 97~98%.
Simple, comes with 2 magazines. Trigger is about 3.5lb and smooth medium roll right from the box. Sub $400 range. IMHO the best bang for the buck target pistol.

Now if someone offered me an AW-93 in trade, yes I'd take it. Would I expect higher scores? Nope.

This sport favors the shooter rather than the equipment. I would suggest money spent on ammo and range time will pay back higher scores than any target pistol with a bunch of vowels in the name.

[SlartyBartFast]

Let me offer this. The new S&W SW22 Victory. From the box with CCI standard velocity ammo.

Personally, I'm still struggling with whether getting something is "settling" or a good place to start.

My initial focus in "standard" semi-auto pistols was the SW22 Victory.

But now, I'm really liking the new Ruger MK IV. Beats the SW22 hands-down for ease of breakdown. No troublesome screw, as reported by many Youtube reviews, and single button take down and snap together assemly.

[motorcycle_dan]

I'm really liking the new Ruger MK IV. Beats the SW22 hands-down for ease of breakdown.

Don't think I've ever bought a pistol because it was "easy" to take apart. Only purchased them because they were accurate in my hand. I like an own several Ruger pistols, a Standard (before they called them MK1) a Mk1, a MkII, a MkIII and two 22/45's including one of the new "lite" versions. I know when buying a Ruger pistol to mentally add $100 to the price for my gunsmith to do the trigger work. They come back fine and are likely the most reliable pistols I own.

I bought the first Victory I put my hands on. Had read about them and wanted one as a loaner or to give my honest opinion of if asked. I was amazed with the stock trigger. The gun feels comfortable in my hand. Goldilocks gun. Not too heavy, not too light. Not too big, not too small. I was able to shoot high master scores with it. Abso-bloom'n-lootly nothing wrong with that.

[SlartyBartFast]

Don't think I've ever bought a pistol because it was "easy" to take apart.

A whole lot of people whine about how hard it is to take them apart and recommend getting something else though.

Have never fired a SW22 and doubt I'll get the chance unless I buy one. But was super impressed by the feel, weight, and balance when I got to hold one at the gun store.

Whole lot cheaper than the SS Rugers, easier to clean and maintain. If a loosening bolt is the biggest issue, just learn to use loctite during assembly.

Now, the SS Rugers were about twice the price of a SW22. So I think I'm still heavily leaning towards the SW22 if reason wins over fantasy for purchase of a pistol.

[Gregbenner]

Don't think I've ever bought a pistol because it was "easy" to take apart.

A whole lot of people whine about how hard it is to take them apart and recommend getting something else though.

Have never fired a SW22 and doubt I'll get the chance unless I buy one. But was super impressed by the feel, weight, and balance when I got to hold one at the gun store.

Whole lot cheaper than the SS Rugers, easier to clean and maintain. If a loosening bolt is the biggest issue, just learn to use loctite during assembly.

Now, the SS Rugers were about twice the price of a SW22. So I think I'm still heavily leaning towards the SW22 if reason wins over fantasy for purchase of a pistol.

I agree. I have several Rugers, as well as a SW22. I strongly suspect the screw issue with the SW22 affect a very very small % of the owners, obviously, those are the ones you hear about. I have not seen the new Ruger, but many seem to be assuming it will have no issues? Also, based on some personal experience, and a couple writups, I think the SW22 might have a better trigger (stock) then the Ruger? I think I would be happy with either, and will ultimately have both, but will wait a bit to see how the Mark 4 shakes out. Wouldn't view it as an alternative though, plus, as you indicate, I think it cost a bit more.

[gwsb]

Jholtman no experts here. Only Rover telling him he doesn't deserve a great firearm.

My philosophy on guns is buy the best you can. It will shoot better than you can until you get to the Olympics, so you don't get to use that excuse. Also the purchase of a common but expensive gun, like a S&W 41 or Pardini SP is an investment that will only appreciate over time. A plinker like a Ruger is like a new car, worth half of what you paid for it as soon as you walk out the door.

So you get a good firearm, you enjoy shooting it and if you lose interest of want to change for some other reason, you get all your money or maybe more out of it. It's kinda like buying Amazon on the IPO except you can't take your stock certificate to the range.

[jmdavis]

I have a Benelli (MP95 with an MP90 trigger group and ortho grip), a Pardini SP (Nygord era with Horton 1911 angle grip and Pardini international style grip), a High Standard Victor, a Ruger Mark I, and a Marvel Unit 1 conversion.

My personal best for a single stage of sustained fire is a 100-10x with the Pardini. My best sustained fire period is a 200-11x with the Benelli. The High Standard and the Ruger are iron sights only. I am waiting on a rail for the Unit 1.

If I had it to do all over again and my goal was what my goal actually is (make Master and Distinguish with the 22 and 45), I would get a Nelson or Marvel conversion and Master it and my 45. My preference would be for a separate frame for the 22 that would allow eventually a lighter trigger than the 45 frame. But shooting the 22 and the 45 with 3.5lb triggers is great practice for a bullseye shooter.

Now, here's the thing that some people don't get. I can actually shoot the 45 for the same price as the 22 if I have my brass. If you make group Bulk purchases you can get good deals on Zero bullets (think quantities of 100,000+ for the group). This reduces the cost of bullets to under .08. Add 3 cents for a primer and 1 cent for powder and you are at .12 per round for the 45. (My actual cost is 10.75 cents based on the price of components when I bought them). I pay .10-.12/round for target 22 and .09 for CCI std.

[jmcxit]

Take it from a life time master shooter a HIGH STANDER VICTOR will shoot with the best of them.
jmc

[tenex]

I go back and forth between a Pardini with a dot and a few classics with iron sights (M41, HS Citation, Ruger MKII). The Pardini is the preferred competition gun, but I also really enjoy shooting the classics with iron sights (I just don't score quite as high). If you're not looking for the ultimate competitive score, I would also recommend the model 41. It is the easiest of the classic pistols to field strip and clean, and is in current production with excellent factory support.

My only caveat is that the M41 is a difficult gun to fit for people with short fingers. If you have medium to long fingers (as I do) the grip geometry is good. I have several friends who have difficulty with the 41 due to their smaller hands. I have a Nill grip and for me it's the best classic pistol to add an anatomical grip, due to the lack of an exposed metal back strap (grip can be smaller). I have the smallest anatomical grip Nill makes for the Ruger MKII and it's gigantic.

the Pardini is also really fun to shoot, it's just not very pretty from a classic perspective.

You can't go wrong either way.


Steve

[Neil H]

BSD

After reading the reply's to your request my suggestion is to go with your own gut feeling about what pistol you think you should get.

* For every recommendation for a certain model there will be at least 3 comments telling you they had problems with it and it is a piece of junk.

* For every recommendation not to get a a piece of junk model there will be at least 3 comments telling you that it is the best one out there

Every pistol is different just like every shooter is different. If you have a club near you go talk to the shooters and see what they have, ask them if you can try them out. If you have one that you think you would like, if you don't get it and get something else you will be wondering if you made the right decision.

I would venture to say that most of the people on this forum bought pistols based on what they thought would work best for them, not what others told them to buy. Take the positive comments and look into those models, take the rest of the comments with a grain of salt and do your home work then buy the one that you want. Most all of the target pistols will shoot and shoot well.

I am sorry for the comments about you not being a competitive shooter and you shouldn't waste your money on a more expensive pistol. I would bet those that said that have expensive pistols sitting around that they haven't shot for awhile (talk about a waste of money). Welcome to Bullseye shooting, we are a very friendly and helpful group however we do have a few arrogant jerks mixed in.

[SlartyBartFast]

Well, after participating in this thread I thought this update belongs here. After handling a Ruger Mk3 stainless steel target model (C$750) and a camo SW22 (C$600) in the store, I took the leap of faith and bought the SW22.

Took the provincial and federal authorities 2 weeks to finalise the transfer and send me paperwork, but the pistol (my very first firearm) is now at home.

I've been dry firing with drywall anchors and am impressed by the finish, feel, weight, balance, and trigger pull. Trigger seems light, smooth, and crisp. But I have no real experience with target pistols. Just rare times with clunky heavy pull higher calibre pistols. However I won't be able to actually fire it until the provincial shooting organisation finally sends me my training certificate and my club issues me a pistol membership.

The wait has been excruciating, but soon I'll see just how bad a shooter I am. :p

So now to infiltrate the pistol shooters groups and perhaps see if I can get my hands on a "higher end" pistol to see if I can try a few more expensive pistols and figure what the ultimate vanity purchase might be.

I ordered a trigger and Halo charging ring from Tandemkross. I'll install the ring as soon as I receive it and keep the trigger until after I've shot the pistol for a while.

(BTW, before anyone freaks out about the prices, it's a great price IMO. Tax included and pretty much the US$ MSRP converted to C$ at current exchange rates. Cheaper than the cheapest price for the std model whether online or local after taxes. And my previous comments about Ruger prices were invalid because it seems I was making the mistake of comparing US and Canadian listing I think. Was surprised to see a blued Ruger IV already listed at one Canadian online store for C$75 more than the SW22. But that's out of stock and "pending delivery" and I've waited long enough.)