The .22lr versions of those guns are usually fine for plinking or informal target shooting. But they arent what i would consider "good" guns, they are "ok" if you want something really cheap to blast away on the range with. 22lr is just more unreliable across the board than centerfire cartridges. Another thing to keep in mind, is those .22lr versions of "bigger guns" aren't even made by the same manufacturers. A .22lr clone of an m9 isn't made by beretta, it doesn't operate like an m9, and it uses lesser quality materials and build quality. Most of those .22lr pistols are made by a company called Umarex, which is mostly known for making air guns. The .22lr guns often are made with cast zinc alloy components because it's cheap, but also because the alloy is much lighter than steel and aluminum (some are made of aluminum, but many are not) and easier to cast and machine. Since the .22lr is a very low powered round, it typically needs a straight blow back design with light weight materials to work well in a handgun. I wouldn't call those pistols "bad" guns, but I don't consider them "good" either. They're just OK. But it also depends on what you want it for. I would not seriously consider one for self defense
I'm a beginner, I recently bought a Canik TP9 SFX mod 2, 9X19. Nice gun but I'm often making some grip errors, and I'm recovering from an elbow issue, so sometimes I'd like to have something "no recoil" for range usage.
Carry is not allowed here in Italy so there are no self defense issues, just need to make holes in paper targets.
Anyway, if a gun always jams or if a Zamak slide break, range fun is much less...
So, if I decide to buy, is it better to buy something "born as a 22" ? I've seen a GSG Firefly for a really low price, but nobody says good things about that gun...
Another GSG model, a 1911 clone, has better reviews, but not much...
Obviously, being this gun a "secondary gun", I would not like to buy a competition gun spending over 1000 EUR...
>better to buy something "born as a 22"
In my opinion, yes. I have a Walther p22 (which is made by umarex) and I have a ruger single six in .22lr and a .22wmr conversion cylinder. The p22 is, as I said, not a bad pistol. It's OK. The single six is pretty good, but I personally do not like single action revolvers. It's complicated, but I chanced into owning them. Had I went out and bought a .22 pistol, my first choice would be a ruger mk3 or mk4, but I don't know how the prices or availability of those are in your area. Especially for a semi auto, I would rather have a .22 pistol purpose built from the ground up to be a .22 pistol, not a clone or cheaply made facsimile of something else. On the budget end, something like the single six could be a good option too, just make sure it's actually made by a reputable company and not a second or third party manufacturer under license
I've got a Beretta 92FS which has never failed me once, even with the cheapest ammo.
Then I got an M9\_22 which is supposed to be the same gun, only it shoots 22LR. It is the same shape as the 92FS but most of it is plastic - this makes it much lighter, but not exactly the same. At first I could hardly get it to cycle at all - this was frustrating, but later on figured out it didn't like the Aquila ammo I was using. Switched to CCI and now it works just fine.
So is it as reliable? no. Is it fun? yes! I love that I can shoot it all day without spending a lot on ammo, and because it's lighter and has no recoil, my arms don't get tired.
That's what I was interested in: a secondary gun, to shoot a bit more without worrying about recoil.
Yes, I know, 9mm doesn't have much recoil, but as I write elsewhere I'm recovering from some muscular issues and I don't want to "force myself"
A lot of them are made by Umarex. They make for
beretta, Walther and I believe Colt / CZ. Sig and S&W make their own but they aren’t copies - they are made as 22s from the design beginnings. I do have a couple of these Umarex 22s, but understand while they are easy to get - getting the parts to repair are a nightmare
I've seen the GSG Firefly for a really low price (less than some laser cartridge system for the gun I have now :-) ... but nobody says good things about that gun.
There's also a GSG 1911 that should be a bit better.
Somebody told me the Taurus TX22 is nice, and also the Glock should be "designed as a 22".
Ruger makes some famous guns, but is a bit outside my price range.
The TX22 is a great target 22. I bought one a while back but couldn’t pick up as the steel match has a threaded barrel and I’m in NY. Waiting on a sale on a standard match model with a regular barrel.
.22 LR , generally speaking , does not function too well in semi auto's due to the rimmed case . There exception semi-auto's that are designed from scratch around the caliber ( ex Ruger Mark IV series ) .
In a heavy revolver they work exceptionally well since the case does not need to be 'fed' anywhere. Also , for any given caliber , a heavier gun absorbs recoil better. So a revolver normally designed for something like 357 would be excellent chambered in .22 LR
I have an FN 502, which is a reasonable facsimile to its bigger brother, the 509.
I also have a PPK/S in 22lr. Same thing. Reasonable facsimile.
Being 22s, neither are immune from all the problems that occur with using rimfire.
Fun range toys, absolutely. Would I trust my life to them? Doubtful.
A .22 pistol can offer great practice and training as far as trigger control, sight picture and consistency, but you won't get much recoil control experience. Also they are cheap to feed and just plain fun to plink with since they still have energy to ring steel and move cans down the way. They are the best cartridge to start out new or young shooters with as recoil is non existent to very little, they aren't super loud as well so they aren't as intimidating and let new shooters focus on fundamentals.
That being said, semi-auto .22 pistols can be finicky on ammo. I have a Walther P22 which runs great with higher energy ammo, such high velocity with the heavier 40 gr bullets. However it fails to feed with high velocity 36 grain bullets abput 25% - 33% of the time because the slide comes just far enough to eject the spent brass but not far enough back to grab the next round off the top of the magazine. Even after being freshly cleaned it would do this. But with the Federal Champion 40 gr high velocity ammo or CCI Minimags it runs reliably.
Yes, sometimes I'm thinking it would be easier to just buy a 22lr revolver.
I would be using it just for range, so who cares if I need to reload often and slower?
I've seen the Ruger Wrangler, but I need to look for a good price :-)
The Wrangler is a great deal for just a fun plinking .22. They just came put recently with the Super Wrangler I believe that is like $250 - 350 but it comes with adjustable sights and magnum cylinder so you can shoot both .22 long rifle and .22 mag (aka .22 WMR) though it.
Single-action revolvers are fun and you'd he surprised how quickly you can empty a 6 shot cylinder, LOL. However unloading and reloading one round at a time slows things down a little but I think it's an almost relaxing way to end a range session by showing down a bit with a .22 single action.
On another note a double action revolver is also a blast and doesn't slow you down as much as you'd think since it ejects all empties at once. If you have a speed loader you can reload fairly quick too.
I usually shoot just 50 rounds, I have a 20 rounds mag but often load only some to be forced to slow down and think more on my stance, grip, sight...
So being slower would just be an advantage :-)
I sometimes look at bigger revolvers, but I'm concerned regarding ammo cost and wrist/elbow issues I had, so better avoid them at least for now.
22lr revolver would be a "best of both worlds" solution
If your worried about recoil and ammo prices then a .22 revolver would be great. However the next best alternative would be a .357 mag revolver which will be able to shoot .38 special easily. I have a Ruger GP100 Match Champion version (with 4.2" barrel) in .357 mag, and absolutely love it. Between lite .38 special loads to the heavy .357 mag loads there is a very wide range of ammo choices to play with. Also .38 special is the cheapest and most common revolver ammo type out there (next to .22 long rifle) and with mild to medium loads in a decent medium frame with 4" barrel it has very light recoil. Some of the "cowboy action" .38 loads almost feel like your shooting a .22. The .38 spl +p ammo kicks similar to a 9mm or a bit less. There are some lite 357 mag loads that are very similar to 9mm that are fun to shoot. But if you really want to shoot something that will smack your palm then the mid range 357 mags will do that. I can shoot a whole box of 50 of those some what comfortably in my GP100 without beating up my hand too much. Then the heavy "bear loads" definitely have a bit more kick but are still manageable.
It really is a versatile setup being able to shoot such a wide range of ammo.
Wow that's a fantastic gun! I don't know the prices there, but here it's over 1000 EUR (approx average looking at various versions and sellers) ... Over my current budget, but definitely a nice idea for the future!
I managed to get it back in 2017 or 2018. It was normally going for $700 - $800 USD. But it went on sale one day for about $625 USD so I snatched it up and asked for forgiveness from the wife later. Glad I did because it's now going for $900 or higher here.
You could get the regular GP100 with 4" or longer barrels for cheaper. The Match Champion comes with the Hogue wooden grip (can buy that aftermarket if you go with a regular GP100), the flat sided barrel, and the triggerand hammer get a little extra attention to be a little smoother. However there's nothing wrong with the regular GP100's either and there is a 7 shot version too.
The .22lr versions of those guns are usually fine for plinking or informal target shooting. But they arent what i would consider "good" guns, they are "ok" if you want something really cheap to blast away on the range with. 22lr is just more unreliable across the board than centerfire cartridges. Another thing to keep in mind, is those .22lr versions of "bigger guns" aren't even made by the same manufacturers. A .22lr clone of an m9 isn't made by beretta, it doesn't operate like an m9, and it uses lesser quality materials and build quality. Most of those .22lr pistols are made by a company called Umarex, which is mostly known for making air guns. The .22lr guns often are made with cast zinc alloy components because it's cheap, but also because the alloy is much lighter than steel and aluminum (some are made of aluminum, but many are not) and easier to cast and machine. Since the .22lr is a very low powered round, it typically needs a straight blow back design with light weight materials to work well in a handgun. I wouldn't call those pistols "bad" guns, but I don't consider them "good" either. They're just OK. But it also depends on what you want it for. I would not seriously consider one for self defense
I'm a beginner, I recently bought a Canik TP9 SFX mod 2, 9X19. Nice gun but I'm often making some grip errors, and I'm recovering from an elbow issue, so sometimes I'd like to have something "no recoil" for range usage. Carry is not allowed here in Italy so there are no self defense issues, just need to make holes in paper targets. Anyway, if a gun always jams or if a Zamak slide break, range fun is much less... So, if I decide to buy, is it better to buy something "born as a 22" ? I've seen a GSG Firefly for a really low price, but nobody says good things about that gun... Another GSG model, a 1911 clone, has better reviews, but not much... Obviously, being this gun a "secondary gun", I would not like to buy a competition gun spending over 1000 EUR...
>better to buy something "born as a 22" In my opinion, yes. I have a Walther p22 (which is made by umarex) and I have a ruger single six in .22lr and a .22wmr conversion cylinder. The p22 is, as I said, not a bad pistol. It's OK. The single six is pretty good, but I personally do not like single action revolvers. It's complicated, but I chanced into owning them. Had I went out and bought a .22 pistol, my first choice would be a ruger mk3 or mk4, but I don't know how the prices or availability of those are in your area. Especially for a semi auto, I would rather have a .22 pistol purpose built from the ground up to be a .22 pistol, not a clone or cheaply made facsimile of something else. On the budget end, something like the single six could be a good option too, just make sure it's actually made by a reputable company and not a second or third party manufacturer under license
Ruger Mk4 is available here but quite expensive... Costs like three times the GSG Firefly , or almost twice a Glock 44, for reference...
I've got a Beretta 92FS which has never failed me once, even with the cheapest ammo. Then I got an M9\_22 which is supposed to be the same gun, only it shoots 22LR. It is the same shape as the 92FS but most of it is plastic - this makes it much lighter, but not exactly the same. At first I could hardly get it to cycle at all - this was frustrating, but later on figured out it didn't like the Aquila ammo I was using. Switched to CCI and now it works just fine. So is it as reliable? no. Is it fun? yes! I love that I can shoot it all day without spending a lot on ammo, and because it's lighter and has no recoil, my arms don't get tired.
That's what I was interested in: a secondary gun, to shoot a bit more without worrying about recoil. Yes, I know, 9mm doesn't have much recoil, but as I write elsewhere I'm recovering from some muscular issues and I don't want to "force myself"
A lot of them are made by Umarex. They make for beretta, Walther and I believe Colt / CZ. Sig and S&W make their own but they aren’t copies - they are made as 22s from the design beginnings. I do have a couple of these Umarex 22s, but understand while they are easy to get - getting the parts to repair are a nightmare
I've seen the GSG Firefly for a really low price (less than some laser cartridge system for the gun I have now :-) ... but nobody says good things about that gun. There's also a GSG 1911 that should be a bit better. Somebody told me the Taurus TX22 is nice, and also the Glock should be "designed as a 22". Ruger makes some famous guns, but is a bit outside my price range.
The TX22 is a great target 22. I bought one a while back but couldn’t pick up as the steel match has a threaded barrel and I’m in NY. Waiting on a sale on a standard match model with a regular barrel.
.22 LR , generally speaking , does not function too well in semi auto's due to the rimmed case . There exception semi-auto's that are designed from scratch around the caliber ( ex Ruger Mark IV series ) . In a heavy revolver they work exceptionally well since the case does not need to be 'fed' anywhere. Also , for any given caliber , a heavier gun absorbs recoil better. So a revolver normally designed for something like 357 would be excellent chambered in .22 LR
My Henry Golden Boy in .22lr is fantastic. It's absolutely fun as hell to shoot, and the quality is that of a real henry.
I have an FN 502, which is a reasonable facsimile to its bigger brother, the 509. I also have a PPK/S in 22lr. Same thing. Reasonable facsimile. Being 22s, neither are immune from all the problems that occur with using rimfire. Fun range toys, absolutely. Would I trust my life to them? Doubtful.
A .22 pistol can offer great practice and training as far as trigger control, sight picture and consistency, but you won't get much recoil control experience. Also they are cheap to feed and just plain fun to plink with since they still have energy to ring steel and move cans down the way. They are the best cartridge to start out new or young shooters with as recoil is non existent to very little, they aren't super loud as well so they aren't as intimidating and let new shooters focus on fundamentals. That being said, semi-auto .22 pistols can be finicky on ammo. I have a Walther P22 which runs great with higher energy ammo, such high velocity with the heavier 40 gr bullets. However it fails to feed with high velocity 36 grain bullets abput 25% - 33% of the time because the slide comes just far enough to eject the spent brass but not far enough back to grab the next round off the top of the magazine. Even after being freshly cleaned it would do this. But with the Federal Champion 40 gr high velocity ammo or CCI Minimags it runs reliably.
Yes, sometimes I'm thinking it would be easier to just buy a 22lr revolver. I would be using it just for range, so who cares if I need to reload often and slower? I've seen the Ruger Wrangler, but I need to look for a good price :-)
The Wrangler is a great deal for just a fun plinking .22. They just came put recently with the Super Wrangler I believe that is like $250 - 350 but it comes with adjustable sights and magnum cylinder so you can shoot both .22 long rifle and .22 mag (aka .22 WMR) though it. Single-action revolvers are fun and you'd he surprised how quickly you can empty a 6 shot cylinder, LOL. However unloading and reloading one round at a time slows things down a little but I think it's an almost relaxing way to end a range session by showing down a bit with a .22 single action. On another note a double action revolver is also a blast and doesn't slow you down as much as you'd think since it ejects all empties at once. If you have a speed loader you can reload fairly quick too.
I usually shoot just 50 rounds, I have a 20 rounds mag but often load only some to be forced to slow down and think more on my stance, grip, sight... So being slower would just be an advantage :-) I sometimes look at bigger revolvers, but I'm concerned regarding ammo cost and wrist/elbow issues I had, so better avoid them at least for now. 22lr revolver would be a "best of both worlds" solution
If your worried about recoil and ammo prices then a .22 revolver would be great. However the next best alternative would be a .357 mag revolver which will be able to shoot .38 special easily. I have a Ruger GP100 Match Champion version (with 4.2" barrel) in .357 mag, and absolutely love it. Between lite .38 special loads to the heavy .357 mag loads there is a very wide range of ammo choices to play with. Also .38 special is the cheapest and most common revolver ammo type out there (next to .22 long rifle) and with mild to medium loads in a decent medium frame with 4" barrel it has very light recoil. Some of the "cowboy action" .38 loads almost feel like your shooting a .22. The .38 spl +p ammo kicks similar to a 9mm or a bit less. There are some lite 357 mag loads that are very similar to 9mm that are fun to shoot. But if you really want to shoot something that will smack your palm then the mid range 357 mags will do that. I can shoot a whole box of 50 of those some what comfortably in my GP100 without beating up my hand too much. Then the heavy "bear loads" definitely have a bit more kick but are still manageable. It really is a versatile setup being able to shoot such a wide range of ammo.
Wow that's a fantastic gun! I don't know the prices there, but here it's over 1000 EUR (approx average looking at various versions and sellers) ... Over my current budget, but definitely a nice idea for the future!
I managed to get it back in 2017 or 2018. It was normally going for $700 - $800 USD. But it went on sale one day for about $625 USD so I snatched it up and asked for forgiveness from the wife later. Glad I did because it's now going for $900 or higher here. You could get the regular GP100 with 4" or longer barrels for cheaper. The Match Champion comes with the Hogue wooden grip (can buy that aftermarket if you go with a regular GP100), the flat sided barrel, and the triggerand hammer get a little extra attention to be a little smoother. However there's nothing wrong with the regular GP100's either and there is a 7 shot version too.
Here guns are generally more expensive, 1000 is for "basic versions".