Most reliable .22 pistol?

[Outpost75]

Of current production the Rugers and Browning Buckmarks have the best potential, but I would not trade my 1942 High Standard Model B and 1940 Colt Woodsman Sport Model for a train load of them. Weakest point in all of the .22 autoloaders is magazines. Learn how to tweak and get the tools to adjust mags.

My Dad's Woodsman saw WW2 ETO service as a successful evader from France over the Pyrenees into Spain, and the High Standard Model B I inherited from a cousin saw WW2, Vietnam and Cold War service as well as real African and Alaska bush pilot survival ruck use. My advice is to find and obtain a very good “shooter-grade” Colt Woodsman or fine pre-war High Standard. A "full race Ruger" is much more bulky and less handy than "Target and Trapper" pistols of the 1930s and 40s, designed for the very backpack survival situations we talk about around the camp fire and plan for.

I have thoroughly tested my ca. 1942 Colt Sport 4-1/2" barrel hand-held on sandbags, indoors at 25 yards using the original iron sights, then compared results against similar samples fired with some borrowed modern and older .22 revolvers and auto pistols which were deemed by their owners as "good shooters."

Both Rugers were fired using a 4X Leupold pistol scope to do a better job of testing the pistols, rather than my ability see the sights! The High Standard Victor is a proven match gun used by a Master competitive shooter, intended as a benchmark. I shot it as well hand-held at 25 yards off handbags with my 59 year-old eyes as the gun will do at 50 yards with the same ammo off the Ransom rest. So, that is the measure of truth and reality!

The High Standard Model B is 1942 production with 6-3/4" barrel which was a retired bush pilot's actual Alaska survival gun. I shot some old ammo from the survival seat pack that used to ride in his DeHavilland Beaver float plane and some new stuff.

The Beretta 70S is the ca. 1968 "Jaguar" model which used to be imported into the US. This is the lightest 6" barrel .22 autoloader I have ever seen, weighing only 20 oz. These also came in 2-barrel sets with 3.5" and 6" barrels. They are difficult to shoot accurately, but are quality guns if you can find one.

Colt Officer's Model Match was made in 1959 and is a target grade revolver, a 6-shooter. In it I fired TWO cylinder loads, totaling 12 shots per group.

Walther P.22 was a current model, illustrates my disappointment with most current offerings of compact .22 pistols, being barely accurate enough for combat training on silhouette targets. As a kid I could shoot my Whamo slingshot more precisely than this!

Gun Bbl.Length Sights
Ammo Avg. ES(Ins.) 5x10@25yds*

1942 Colt Woodsman 4-1/2" irons
CCI Std. (USA) 1.5"
CCI Blazer (USA) 2.0"
Eley Std (UK) 1.25"

1942 High Standard Model B, 6/3/4" irons
"Sterile Package Brown Box" FMJ Ball M24 2.0"
Canuck (1965) HP 2.2"
CCI Blazer (USA) 1.85"
Eley Standard (UK) 1.5"

HS Victor 5-1/2" irons
Eley Std. (UK) 1.0"
Eley Sport (Mexico) 1.3"

HS Sentinel R107 revolver 4" irons
CCI Std. (USA) 2.6"*
Eley Std. (UK) 2.3"*
Eley Sport (Mexico) 2.3"*
CCI Blaser (USA) 2.3"*
Winchester Super-X (USA) 2.7*

HS Sentinel R103 revolver 6" irons
Eley Sport (Mexico) 2"*
CCI Blaser (USA) 2.2"*
Winchester Super-X (USA) 2.5"*

Ruger MkI 6-7/8" 4X Leupold
CCI Std. (USA) 1.5"
CCI Blazer (USA) 2"
Eley Sport (Mexico) 1.1"

Ruger Mk.III 5-1/2" 4X Leupold
Eley Std. (UK) 1.25"
Eley Sport (Mexico) 1.25"

Walther P22 3.5" irons
CCI Std. (USA) 4"
CCI Blazer (USA) 5"+

Beretta 70S 6" irons
Eley Std. (UK) 2"

Colt OM revolver 6" irons
Eley Std. (UK) 2" **
Eley Sport (Mexico) 2"**
CCI Blaser (USA) 2"**

Ive seen nothing in new offerings of current .22 handguns which would make me replace my WW2-era Colts or High Standards. If you search diligently you can still find a “shooter grade” Colt Woodsman, Huntsman or Challenger for around $600-700. A High Standard Model A, B, GB, D, H-B, or H-D in similar VG to Exc. condition will sell for $100-200 less than a similar Colt. The High Standard Model B uses the same magazines as a pre-war Colt Woodsman. It is similarly trim, light and accurate. High Standards in serviceable condition are quite common on GunBroker and are worth looking for to have shipped to your FFL dealer, if you are serious about finding a .22 pistol for your survival ruck.

Every vintage Colt or High Standard .22 auto pistol I've shot, if not abused, shoots just like these. A used High Standard costs $100 less than a new Ruger. A good used Colt also costs $100 less than buying the Ruger and having it ""tricked out" by a gunsmith. The classic trapper's .22 autos are sure handy in the ruck and worth EVERY penny!

Surprisingly, an inexpensive .22 revolver may shoot as well as an expensive one. If you can find one of the H&R Sportsman, High Standard Double-Nine or Sentinel 9-shot .22 revolvers, tight and in good mechanical condition, and cheap (less than $200) don't pass it up. You may be pleasantly surprised. Test fire it by cutting the corner out of a Kraft paper grocery bag, poke the muzzle out and fire a cylinder load through it double-action. Inspect the bag to see if any lead fragments cut holes when exiting the sides of the bag. If not, it's a keeper. Clean it well, and shoot GREASED or WAXED, UNPLATED ammo in it. Avoid plated, dry-lubed bullets in revolvers, because they lead up the forcing cone and cylinder throats, destroying accuracy.

Ordinary CCI Standard Velocity, the CCI High Velocity Small Game Bullet (SGB), CCI Subsonic Hollow-Point and Eley Sport are the best bang for the buck. Some batches of CCI Blazer shoot OK, but you need to test. The CCI Subsonic HP is the only standard velocity round I have found which expands reliably in my 4-1/2" Woodsman. Of the high velocity rounds the Winchester Power Point was best. Getting expansion from .22 revolvers is problematic because the cylinder gap reduces velocity and any cylinder misalignment causes asymmetrical scrubbing which accentuates initial yaw as the bullet leaves the muzzle.

In water-jug tests I have found that the same bullets which expand well from the 4-1/2" Woodsman do not from revolvers. In revolvers you are better off with solids. High velocity is OK if you can find a batch of unplated stuff that is accurate. I use the Hanned SGB die to clip the noses off to make flat points, which are more effective.

About 25 years ago I went through a succession of S&W .22 Kit Guns and K-22 revolvers. I didn't find any that would average consistently less than 2" at 25 yards hand held off handbags. A few were better than that on the Ransom Rest, but Dad's Woodsman put them all to shame when fired off sandbags.

So practice with your .22 handgun frequently from a field position, using the sights you've got. Use a Para cord lanyard to steady it unless you can get Mr. Wabbit to stay STILL while you settle the gun in your Ransom rest, yeah, right? 8-)

[vaspence]

Normal fodder for my rimfire pistols is CCI of some ilk (SV, Mini Mags, Stingers, etc). In my experience good ammunition goes a long way towards keeping a semiauto pistol reliable. Times being what they are you sort of have to buy it (any brand of .22) when you see it, so we do.

In normal times new semi auto break in for me is to shoot 50 - 100 mini mags through the pistol. If there aren’t any issues I’ll move to SV and if all is well we’ll stay with SV. We just did this with my kids new Walther Colt 1911-22 this week and after 100 mini mags it also ate most of the non CCI ammunition that was high velocity with few issues. I went straight to non CCI after the mini mags as these kids go through a surprising amount of .22 with anything magazine fed.

Of all of our .22s the Glock 44 we have goes with us on most range trips and is our garbage disposal for almost any miscellaneous .22 ammo. It is by far enjoyed by everyone and is shot more than any other firearm we own. I also replaced the front sight with a Dawson fiber.

[farscott]

Of current production the Rugers and Browning Buckmarks have the best potential, but I would not trade my 1942 High Standard Model B and 1940 Colt Woodsman Sport Model for a train load of them. Weakest point in all of the .22 autoloaders is magazines. Learn how to tweak and get the tools to adjust mags.

I happen to agree IF one has enough magazines and does not need optics. My preference is for more magazines rather than fewer. There is no good way to mount optics on these classic designs. The weak point of the classic designs is no parts have been made in decades with the last compatible magazines being the Colt Cadet units.

My biggest issue with these pistols is magazines; they are pricey when they can be found. I have been modifying Beretta Neos magazines to provide spares. Spare parts are also starting to become an issue. One can buy five magazines for the Ruger for the cost of one magazine for the classic designs. If a single magazine is sufficient and iron sights fit the bill, careful shopping for the classics will result in a great pistol. But the OP needs more than one, and the lack of parts support is an issue.

[Jim Watson]

I sure wish I had bought some of those Cadet magazines for my Woodsman. I would shoot it more if I had more than two.

Getting enough clips for my High Standard to shoot Steel Challenge (5) was expensive.

I don't know who makes magazines for Nelson but they are good quality even though plastic. Too bad they don't work in my Ace.

[BobM]

Does anyone have any experience with the S&W 41? I have a Ruger MkII and a couple 22/45 that have been excellent but I’ve long wanted a 41.

[spyderco monkey]

Having just received my .22 Victory back from S&W for the second time to fix problems with it, I once again have been thinking, what are the most reliable moderately priced .22 semi auto pistol on the market currently? By reliable I mean a pistol that will not jam, Fail to feed, or fail to extract, if it is properly maintained and cleaned (ie cleaned and oiled after every range session)?

Ever since I shot my old Ruger Mark II into the ground (shot it so much the barrel wore out and the frame cracked), I've not found a pistol I could rely on to shoot without quite a few jams. I have had great luck with non .22 pistols, but with .22s I have an inordinate number of unreliable ones. Once the prices get reasonable again, I'd like a decently reliable pistol for the range and just to have at steel challenge type matches (as a hack, not trying to actually be extremely competitive).

I found my Advantage Arms Glock .22 Conversion slide to be very reliable; far more reliable then a 10/22. Maybe 3-4 jams or failures to fire in a 525rd Federal Bulk pack box.

It worked well with pretty much any ammo as well, even the absolute shittiest Armscor .22 that was really filthy.

It was also quite easy to clean.

[BillSWPA]

I will add to those above discouraging guns that are not current production, unless they still have current factory support. I have a High Standard Sharpshooter with feed reliability issues which are beyond my ability to diagnose, and am not sure where I could send it for repair with confidence. Obtaining parts such as recoil springs is also an issue.


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[Doc_Glock]

No experience with the Ruger Mark series.

My Glock 44 has been by far the least drama of any .22 I have tried including revolvers. 11 failures to fire in about 5500 rounds and a huge variety of ammunition. Half those were when I didn’t clean or lube it just to see when it would fail.

The G44 is also always a hit with other shooters when I take it to group activities. Everyone loves shooting it.

[OlongJohnson]

My wife likes her Buck Mark, but I am not a huge fan. The best things about the Buck Mark are the easily swappable (both mechanically and not the serialized firearm) barrels, easy takedown, and the aftermarket support. But the Buck Marks are essentially lower-cost versions of (in development order) the Colt Woodsman, Browning Challenger, Browning Challenger II, and Browning Challenger III. After shooting the Belgian Brownings, the Buck Mark is a tough pill to swallow.

I will admit to wishing I could get hold of a Buck Mark receiver and start my deburring and detailing before it was grit blasted and anodized. Seems like having the "rail" surfaces not grit blasted and coated with a material that's used to make sandpaper would be a good thing. And similarly, a roughed-in slide before it was finish machined. Would indeed be nice to have them machined to closer fits with smoother finishes. Something like a "custom shop" version of the gun with everything detailed and fitted properly.

[farscott]

I sure wish I had bought some of those Cadet magazines for my Woodsman. I would shoot it more if I had more than two.

Getting enough clips for my High Standard to shoot Steel Challenge (5) was expensive.

I don't know who makes magazines for Nelson but they are good quality even though plastic. Too bad they don't work in my Ace.

Bereta Neos magazines can be modified to function in the Woodsman. Depending if the pistol is 2nd Generation or not makes a difference. For the 2nd Generation, the follower button needs to be lowered so it fits in the magazine well, and a magazine catch notch needs to be cut. For the other guns, the follower button needs to be lowered and the rear portion of the plastic magazine base sanded to allow the magazine catch to lock into place.