What rimfire .22 would you recommend?

[Dismas316]

So competed today in a Real Steel Challange which was a blast. I notice a lot of people were shooting rimfire .22’s and it got me thinking. This could be a great solution for my wife/kids to start shooting with me when I go to the range and really enjoy the shooting experience. My thoughts are more around something like the Walther 22, M&P 22, or something that is a little brother of a carry gun. I know nothing about these so any thoughts and suggestions are welcome. Thx as always for suggestions.

[OlongJohnson]

Since you mentioned service pistol cross trainer, there's a thread on the P250 in .22LR around here somewhere. I've really been enjoying that one. Sig also makes rimfire conversions for the classic series. Don't know if there's a P320. There's a .22LR version of the Beretta 92 that's supposed to be pretty decent.

Some people really like the K frame S&Ws. I like the balance of the 5.5-in GP100 in the gun shop, but haven't shot one.

For the Steel Challenge scenario, I'd look into a Browning Buck Mark. It's my fave. Unlike the Ruger, you can swap Buck Mark barrels easily, so playing with length and weight/inch with either aluminum or steel and bull or pencil profiles is easy. A bazillion SKUs get made. The triggers start OK and can be made fantastic. Trolling for deals on GunBroker will lead to excellent results eventually, and Browning seems to have $25 or $50 rebates a couple times a year if you buy new. Like any pistol, they really need a detail strip and deburr/smoothing of all the bits before going into service. I suggest the URX grip as magically fitting small and large hands well. You can ditch the wraparound and get stocks for that version of the frame that provide the minimum grip radius, if the smaller people in your life want it even smaller.

For the rapid target transitions in Steel Challenge, an aluminum barrel may be the hot ticket. The factory has built many, such as this one, which also has the URX grip:

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/789716045

This is what that frame looks like with non-wraparound stocks:

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/789302527

If you think you may want to run a red dot at some point, there are plenty of versions that include a partial or full-length rail from the factory. A super-rare cool-kid version of this is the Contour Lite, if you can ever find one. And there are factory threaded versions if you're into paying tax on stamps.

Tons of info with the hardcore geeks over at RimfireCentral.com.

.22LR ammo seems to be particularly cheap and plentiful these days, at least compared to the past five years.

[LittleLebowski]

https://www.brownells.com/firearms/h...rod117131.aspx

[GJM]

By chance, I also shot a Steel Challenge match today. Bunch of people were running a 10-22 with this stock:

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/21...0-22-synthetic

Guy had a 22/45 Lite with a dot, like LL linked above, that looked good. I shot my CO Glock and also a PCC. My PCC time was only three seconds faster (78 vs 75) than my CO time, suggesting something.

[johnson]

What do you shoot with now? I have a CZ 75B SA with a Kadet conversion and it's been flawless with good ammo. It of course does not have an easy way to mount a factory red dot like the newer pistols but I wouldn't sell/trade it for anything.

I wish Ruger would release a 22/45 LITE without flutes.

[peterb]

A .22 with a red dot sight is probably the easiest way to start having fun shooting Steel Challenge. The dot takes some of the anxiety out of the long shots.

I’ve got a Ruger MkII with a Burris sight which is great fun to shoot. The all-steel guns can be heavy for smaller folks. If you buy an older Ruger without a rail you can add one, or there are adapters that use the rear sight dovetail.

For smaller hands and/or something more like a service pistol I’m looking at the M&P22 Compact. The Walther does not have a good reputation for reliability.

[BehindBlueI's]

Guy had a 22/45 Lite with a dot, like LL linked above, that looked good.

A range-buddy of mine has one I've shot several times, with and without an optic. I don't have much frame of reference for magazine fed .22 pistols, but I like shooting it enough I've kicked around getting one.

[Dismas316]

What do you shoot with now? I have a CZ 75B SA with a Kadet conversion and it's been flawless with good ammo. It of course does not have an easy way to mount a factory red dot like the newer pistols but I wouldn't sell/trade it for anything.

I wish Ruger would release a 22/45 LITE without flutes.

I mainly shoot glocks but have some sigs, M&P, and 1911. Used to have a PPQ but sounds like the Walther isn’t a good option. No CZ’s (yet)

[ArgentFix]

I really like my Ruger MK IV Target but it still stovepipes occasionally with 1200 rounds on it. It shoots well and feels excellent. I also have a Walther P22 which is smaller and feels cheaper but it's been freakishly reliable. After breaking it in with ~500 "CCI AR Tactical something" and whatever else I had laying around, it's had exactly zero stoppages in the last 2400 Mini Mag 40gr (with cleaning/lubing of course). I'd recommend against the long-barreled P22 because the "slide extension" is annoying. Cleaning and caring for both has been easy.

[awp_101]

I mainly shoot glocks but have some sigs, M&P, and 1911.

If you want to use what you carry, I've had good luck with the Advantage Arms Glock and 1911 conversions. I built a dedicated .22 G19 not long before I got out of Glocks all together and currently have a 1911 kit that is more fun than I can describe.

For non-conversions, I'm a fan of the Buckmark and the MkIV 22/45 Lite. I recently gifted the youngest my old 5.5" Target Buckmark so I could "justify" buying the 22/45. No experience with the M&P .22 but it's on my list of things to try out.

The 2 biggest things to remember with any .22 are:

1. the better the ammo, the better the results
2. every rimfire is a law unto itself so item 1 doesn't always work out the way you expect