TargetTalk

Hello.

I am still new to bullseye and I am shooting a Ruger MKIII for .22. I am looking for an affordable back up .22 in case mine developes an unresolvable problem during a match. ( I know the Ruger is a reliable work horse, it is Mr. Murphy I am worried about !!))
The Smith model 22A has adjustable target sights and a scope rail for later red dot mounting, but I don't know anything about it other than it is very affordable.
Is anyone out there familiar with this pistol? Accuracy, reliability, feeding and temperment etc. My other choice was a Browning Buckmark.

Thanks for any responses... magi

Why not another MKIII ?

I had one ... Sold it.
It was a good gun... not great I would not bother buying one as a backup.
It did not have a great trigger, it also had feed issues.
there are very few aftermarket upgrades made for it.
IMO save the green and if you have a failure borrow or dsq.
If you really want a backup look for a used Ruger Mark2 or 3

I have thought of a MKII for back up because of it not having the disconnector, but a used MKII is around $350 in my area and the Smith was $245; it seemed like a good deal. magi

If I needed to switch guns in the middle of a match, I'd want to switch to the model that I had benn using. Is that a switch? Hmmmmmm . :-)

The S&W 22A is more of a decent "plinker" if you will, and is generally not considered a bullseye-quality pistol. I agree with the others comments. If you use a backup pistol, you should use a pistol that you are familiar with that will minimize mid-match adjustments should you have a primary gun malfunction.

Every MKII I have shot grouped better than any MKIII. The chambers are tighter on the MKII, but I haven't had any issue with feeding cci standard or eley sport.

I am starting to see 22a's with new shooters, at the local bullseye matches. I have one, and have had no problems with it. With a red dot I can even shoot decent indoor bullseye scores.

Is it a good back-up? Probably not. But it is under-rated. Some aftermarket parts would spruce it up nicely.