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Decent 22 pistol?

mercracing

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  • Feb 9, 2013
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    Green Bay, WI
    I’m looking for a decent 22 pistol that will cycle subsonics well with a suppressor. So the barrels gotta be threaded and the ability to mount a cheap red dot would be nice.

    I have a Beretta Neos that I like but the barrels not threaded.
     
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    If I was buying one, I would seriously look at the the PPQ-22
     
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    I would look at the Ruger Mark iv 22/45 Lite or tactical. Both of them are available with threaded barrels and have a top rail for mounting optics. Plus there's a ton of aftermarket support for upgrades.
     
    I use both the M&P22 & M&P22 Compact suppressed with Vortex; rear sight dovetail mounting adapter from
    Evolution Gun Works. Just swap the different rear sight dovetail mount to cross deck. Not picky with ammo, however after ~ 750 rounds the gun needs to be cleaned of the .22 fouling up the mechanism. Easy to shoot a brick of .22 at a time.

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    I really like my M&P 22. The internals are made by Walther and then Smith sticks a M&P around it. The 12 round mags are solid and reliable.
     
    My Ruger 22/45 lite shoots suppressed standard velocity ammo without any malfunctions and sounds like a staple gun. I highly recommend it as a 22lr pistol for a suppressor.
    Phil G
     
    I have a 22/45 lite with a GM-22. It runs well with subsonic ammo.
     
    I have been using a Ruger 22/45 lite for about 3 years now and have mostly only shot sub sonic ammo from it.
    It's been very reliable and surprising accurate to shoot given its lite wieght.
     
    Ruger 22/45 lite. I own 3 ruger Mark series pistols for over 15 years and they are the standard. They work with a wide range of ammo. I purchased a S&W victory a few years back and it has had it share of issues and is picky with the ammo especially when surpressed.
     
    M&P22 suppressed subs all day long. One of my favorites to shoot. And you can modify the mags to accept 2 more rounds pretty easily.
     
    My vote is for the M&P 22 compact. I run it with a Sparrow can. Cycles anything I feed through it, suppressed or otherwise.
     
    We have a handful of 22lr in various brands, the threaded ones are rugers.
    You can get some good deals on slightly used mark 3's if you don't mind
    The takedown and reassembly hassle, they run best on standard velocity "sub".
    1050 to 1070fps runs them fine and is quiet with a sparrow can.
     
    We have a handful of 22lr in various brands, the threaded ones are rugers.
    You can get some good deals on slightly used mark 3's if you don't mind
    The takedown and reassembly hassle, they run best on standard velocity "sub".
    1050 to 1070fps runs them fine and is quiet with a sparrow can.


    Do you carry the Volquartsen Scorpion in 6" Battlefiled?
     
    Not a vendor, sory for any implication of that.
    There are some cool distributor exclusive rugers out there.
    Some people buy mark 3's and get frustrated with the cleaning / assembly of them.
    They opt for mark 4's or change brands.

    That leaves some nice guns at a decent price in the shops used section.
    Keep an eye out for those.
     
    Browning Buckmark or Ruger 22/45 Mark IV are proven choices with good aftermarket support.
     
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    Not a vendor, sory for any implication of that.
    There are some cool distributor exclusive rugers out there.
    Some people buy mark 3's and get frustrated with the cleaning / assembly of them.
    They opt for mark 4's or change brands.

    That leaves some nice guns at a decent price in the shops used section.
    Keep an eye out for those.


    Ok, thanks. Could you give me an example of what you are talking about? I really like tge Volquartsen but if there is something better I would like to know.
     
    If you're budget allows for Volquartsen I would not want to talk you out of that.
    That would be my top choice.

    Here is a couple of my rugers, just something different than "stock" offerings.

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    I think the best would be a Smith and Wesson model 41. That's a nice pistol. You can get threaded barrels for 'em too. Not sure about a red dot, I guess you could put one on it. It's not a cheap pistol though, it's hand made.

    I got a PPK/S, it's not what your looking for, but it was cheap and it's fairly accurate for what it is and it's a lot of fun suppressed. Sub ammo is too slow, I tend to use "bolt gun" ammo made by Geco or standard velocity. They're faster but still subsonic. 1cc water really makes a difference in suppression and eliminates FRP in the Liberty Regulator I use. PPK/S also makes you feel like James Bond.

    But a Ruger or if you wanna spend more for a better one, Volquartsen, etc., are probably the way to go based on what you say you want.
     
    Ruger 22/45 Lite is my favorite 22 pistol I run a Spector II on it with a Primary Arms red dot and love it! It will cycle anything you put in it. Pre threaded and has a rail to mount a red dot.
     
    I've been fortunate enough to put together a decent collection of rimfire pistols. The S&W 41's are incredibly nice and as accurate as advertised. The Ruger MK II and MK III's are nice and the 22/45 Lite option is just that, light weight and easy to mount a red dot on. The Browning Buckmark Contour Lite is one of my favorites, and is also easy to mount a red dot on. My favorites though, and the ones that get shot the most are the S&W 422's and 622's. Lightweight and accurate, they are a joy to shoot...but no easy way to mount a red dot short of drilling the frame...
     
    S&W Model 41 boring gun to shoot because every shot goes in the same hole as the first.......
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    I would look at the Ruger Mark iv 22/45 Lite or tactical. Both of them are available with threaded barrels and have a top rail for mounting optics. Plus there's a ton of aftermarket support for upgrades.

    ^ this is the route I went after owning Mk ivs for decades. With an AAC Element on the end it runs Eley game loads very nicely.
     
    I use both the M&P22 & M&P22 Compact suppressed with Vortex; rear sight dovetail mounting adapter from
    Evolution Gun Works. Just swap the different rear sight dovetail mount to cross deck. Not picky with ammo, however after ~ 750 rounds the gun needs to be cleaned of the .22 fouling up the mechanism. Easy to shoot a brick of .22 at a time.

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    Hey buddy
    You have a PM
    I would appreciate your input
     
    If your budget allows, I highly recommend the Volquartsen Scorpion too! I was looking for an upgrade from my trusted S&W 22A several months ago. My criteria were: accurate, rail for red dot, threaded barrel, reliable and a good trigger. All of that led me to the Scorpion. My second choice was the S&W 41.

    I am extremely happy with my decision. The pistol works perfectly and it possesses accuracy far above my level. Did I mention the amazing trigger on it?

    The takedown process can be daunting but just watch a youtube video on how to do it right and you have no troubles. This is my favorite pistol now. I even had to purchase a MKIII magazine speed loader to keep up with the fun.
     

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    I'm a Buckmark fan but I find myself using my GSG 1911-22 suppressed the most for plinking fun.
     
    Love 22 pistols and have quite a few from old high standards to modern integrally suppressed. In my opinion a model 41 is as good as it gets but can be finicky with Ammo choice. Volquartsen is is great but not as good as a 41 but will shoot just about anything. An old Hamden made high standard with the right Ammo is also fantastic. My favorites are the Victor and the HD military. Buck marks are always a solid choice
     
    Those old high standards are great 1943 hd model still shoots perfect.
     
    Depending on how much money you have to spend, a Volquartsen LLV-4 upper with a Ruger MKIV base pistol. I bought the cheapest MKIV I could find (ended up being a 22/45 Tactical) and added a Tandemkross Victory trigger along with Halo ring on the bolt. The 22/245 Tactical comes threaded, so the VQ upper isn't necessary, but I went for it and it's a bit of an improvement.

    Ruger and VQ uppers both cycle subsonics through my Checkmate suppressor pretty well, depending on the ammo. CCI subsonic works, Fiocchi subsonic doesn't.
     
    I prefer the “tactical” version over the “lite” speaking of the Ruger. Handle a few different models to see which ergonomics you prefer. As mentioned above, look for a lightly used one and swap the trigger. They are super accurate with rds.
     
    I've had a 622, 22/45, Buckmark, and now the Victory. The Victory is an absolute joy to shoot and always the first out of the bag when I get to the range.
     
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    Smith 41 is what I'd like to have and you can get 'em threaded. That'd be the best you could get in more ways than one. They still hand make those in limited numbers and they're tack drivers. They're already over $1000 (about like a Volquartsen really) but I've seen 'em in velvet lined oak cases with the pistol and a separate threaded upper and a can. Really cool. One day maybe... I'd bet the custom shop could make a threaded one, worth a call. It'll be more than $1000 but buy once, cry once really applies here,, and you'd have a no-shit competition grade .22 you could suppress. Yeah, I want one. Here's a bunch, apparently you can get 'em with rails on top now:

    https://www.google.com/search?q=sup...rfXeAhVEFzQIHUHSAkwQ_AUIDygC&biw=1280&bih=569

    But I have a PPK/S I bought the day I picked up my .22 can. Didn't have a pistol. Wasn't able to find the Beretta I wanted, figured I'd get it later, got the PPK/S and never went back for the Beretta. It's a fairly accurate little .22! No real complaints for what it is. And it's fun and you feel like James Bond. Sorta. I could have gotten the more modern looking one but this one was smaller and more fun.

    The Ruger Mk2 is the old standby. I understand the Mk2's are better for suppressing than the others. I've had it explained to me before but it's been so long ago I forget. I don't own one so can't say from experience. But if I were to go that route, I'd get a Volquartsen, etc., pistol or lower, and maybe a Paclite upper. The Kidd integral 10/22 I built is so completely different from a Ruger it's not even a comparison.

    Others swear by Buckmarks and such, and they likely are better than Rugers, but a custom Ruger with no Ruger parts is totally different story.

    Dedicated 1911 .22's are also REALLY nice for suppressor hosts. They come in all flavors, but good ones can be had for $600 I think. That's another I wouldn't mind having and I'm not a 1911 guy, don't even have one. Now the Glock .22 conversions I wouldn't be too excited about (despite owning nothing but Glocks). Go figure.

    For true suppression, integral rifles is where it's at. I got a 10/22 integrally suppressed and it's in a league of it's own. A CZ455 would be AMAZING. Integral pistols aren't much better, and in some cases less quiet than thread on cans. Liberty is who I use for .22 cans, their monocore design tends to work amazingly well in more than a few areas, especially the Regulator. All that said, I still think Elite Iron makes the best looking and a great performing integral Mk2.
     
    I'm a Buckmark fan but I find myself using my GSG 1911-22 suppressed the most for plinking fun.

    Mine is nothing but trouble suppressed. I think the weight of the can causes too much drag on the barrel bushing. It slows it down and won’t allow it to function properly. I added the TK accurizing kit and that made it even worse.

    Have you done anything to make yours run well? Mine is a very early model.

    I’ve been thinking of getting another threaded pistol. Victory, 22/45 and Buckmark are all in contention since they have the 1911ish grip angles.
     
    I have a Model 41 with three different barrels. It's a great pistol but not an easy way to attach a suppressor.
    The S&W Victory has digested everything I fed thru it and begs for more (suppressed or not). There is a factory option on threaded barrel; mine is the 4" version. I installed the Volquartsen chainlink fluted barrel on mine but the factory barrel short well enough. It came with good sights and an optional pic rail for optic mounting. Mine has a Trijicon RMR on it.
    Bottom line is I could buy four Victorys for what I have in the one M41 setup.
     
    Mine is nothing but trouble suppressed. I think the weight of the can causes too much drag on the barrel bushing. It slows it down and won’t allow it to function properly. I added the TK accurizing kit and that made it even worse.

    Have you done anything to make yours run well? Mine is a very early model.

    I’ve been thinking of getting another threaded pistol. Victory, 22/45 and Buckmark are all in contention since they have the 1911ish grip angles.
    Had the barrel threaded on a BM micro bull. No issues but Shot mostly standard velocity. Shoot the GSG the most suppressed.
     
    The sleeved, tensioned barrels (like a 22/45 LITE) do not change POI with or without the suppressor in the 2 examples I have.
    I have a 12" plate at 175 yards I can hit 100% (w/ solid full rest) with my 22/45 LITE with a Burris ff3 , light trigger and Sparrow suppressor.

    It's probably my single favorite handgun.
    Squirrells don't have a chance 75 yards or closer.
     
    Love 22 pistols and have quite a few from old high standards to modern integrally suppressed. In my opinion a model 41 is as good as it gets but can be finicky with Ammo choice. Volquartsen is is great but not as good as a 41 but will shoot just about anything. An old Hamden made high standard with the right Ammo is also fantastic. My favorites are the Victor and the HD military. Buck marks are always a solid choice
    Yep I know where. 3 of them are for bout 500.00 each
     
    M&P 22 is hard to beat if you want to shoot sub Sonics suppressed. I have had Brownings and Rugers, they were good too, but none I had came threaded from the factory.
     
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    The Smith and Wesson Victory is very good value for money at under $300 Mine has never had an issue and it comes apart for cleaning in seconds. They come with supressor friendly barrels too.
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