Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Halo on September 11, 2006, 11:11:09 PM
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Bear with me, honest, this is the last new gun thread I'll post (crossing fingers behind back) -- what are your favorite .22 rifle and .22 handgun plinkers, and why?
As I mentioned in other posts, after giving my son most the family heritage legacy guns, I felt ... well ... undergunned with only a .38 Colt Agent lightweight snub nose revolver and a Browning .22 Buck Master pistol.
After researching lots of guns, and getting reacquainted with the Colt and Browning, I traded the Colt for a 4-inch Ruger Security-Six .357/.38 and decided to keep the Buck Mark because it looks and feels so good and fires so sweet although it might have a prostate problem (incomplete ejection about once every 50 rounds).
Among the .22s I handed down were a Ruger 10/22, a Marlin tubular feed bolt-action, a stunning Browning semiauto with downward ejection, and a Ruger Single-Six. These are all great guns, but I want something a little different now.
I actually bought another Marlin, this one a 981T with synthetic stock, but I still find the barrel a bit too long and now wish I had another wooden stock.
I was looking for a .22 revolver I'd like as much as my .357/.38 Ruger Security-Six, but so far might have to settle for another Ruger Single-Six, this time with a 4 5/8-inch barrel instead of the 6, unless I can find something better. I looked at a Taurus revolver but found it depressingly crude in spite of reports of recent improvements.
As for rifles, I'd like to find a bolt action with tubular or stock feed, shorter barrel than the Marlin, lighter and narrower than the Ruger 10/22. Saw a gorgeous Browning lever action today but want to stay under $300 if possible.
Probably my ideal .22 handgun would be a Ruger Single-Six 4 5/8 barrel if it were double action. Not that I intend to fire double action, but I like that capability if necessary, and I like the easier DA loading and ejection.
So what do you think? For plain easy cheap shooting fun, what .22 rifle and what .22 handgun bring make you grin outright?
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I have a Ruger MKII with the 6-7/8" slab bull barell and love it. Basically it shoots as good as I do.
http://www.ruger.com/Firearms/FAProdView?model=10112&return=Y
I almost bought a .22 bullpup, the Walther G-22. Looks like fun.
http://www.waltheramerica.com/firearms/g22.cfm
I also like lever-action and bolt-action riles to slow down the pace a bit, like the Marlin and Savage offerings.
http://www.marlinfirearms.com/Firearms/22Rifle/Golden39A.aspx
http://www.savagearms.com/markiibv.htm
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My Dad had a S&W K-22 revolver... Shoots and handles beautifully, probably because it's based on the larger .38 frame. It's the revolver I learned to shoot with. My best shot with that gun was nailing a running jackrabbit at 25 yards :)
Dunno about the rifle... If you ditched a 10-22 and want something SMALLER, you're looking for a gun a midget might find too small... You could consider a 10-22 with a small custom stock, or one of the little magazine fed ruger .22s. Never shot one of the rugers, but they look cheap so... :)
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my favorite rifle .22 plinker is the marlin model 60
in pistol the colt woodsman
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I have a K22 masterpiece and it it aptly named.... great gun.... I also like the older High standard semi autos.
For rifles... I like the winchester 1890 pump "gallery gun" octogon barrel that I gave to my son and the remington bolt action clip fed of the 50's that the model number of which escapes me.... 150 something or other.
lazs
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I have 2 pistols in .22 that I like to shoot. One is a Ruger Mk2 with a 6" semi tapered barrel. The other is a Dan Wesson with an 8" heavy vent barrel shroud.
The rifle is easy. I have an old (25+years now) Marlin semi auto that I have used on countless rabbit hunts and a few coyote hunts. That thing has fired more rounds than I can think. Going through a brick of .22's was not unusual for a couple days shooting. The sights are kinda rude and crude but it shoots very well for me.
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Ruger Mk.2 with the regular barrel, and the Marlin model 60.
I like them because they are perfect plinking guns - light, reasonably accurate, semi-automatic, reasonably inexpensive and with good magazine capacity.
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marlin 22's shoot all out of proportion to their cost... They are probly the best deal in a 22 rifle there ever was.
I don't like the ruger 22 pistol much... smurfy and hard to clean and not even that foolproof with a really bad grip angle. The High Standard is a far better firearm.
The Dan wesson is on a par with the K22 masterpiece which is saying a lot..
My K22 was made in 1947-49 sometime.
lazs
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Cz makes a great bolt gun for a good price. Ruger makes the best plinking .22 pistols. Suhl made the best bench rest gun on the planet. The ruger 10/22 is the best project gun ever. Mavel makes a great 1911 .22 slide and shoots under a inch at 25. Rossi makes a great pump gun thats cheap. S&W model 41 is the best auto .22 on the market. Any .22 is good in my book but the auto marlins are junk.
I have a speedmaster remington that i love. Think i have 10 .22's in the safe i would love to have some more. At $7.90 for 500 rounds you cant go wrong..
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ruger is crap for 22's to me... they allways jam because most people can't get em apart or back together to clean em... they are not as accurate as say a woodsman or High standard or many others and have a lousy grip angle and feel and look cheap... the 10/22 is worthless and frustrating out of the box.
the smith 41's that I have seen would not shoot with a High standard victor say.
I have a conversion to 22 for a CZ 75 clone (witness) that shoots very well when if works. still working on that one.
I had a remington single shot that was a tack driver but most older marlins shoot really well. The rossi is simply a copy of the 1890 Winchester and not as accurate.
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nuff said (http://gatlingguns.com/indexframeset.html) :aok
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Gonna get dinged on this one, but here is my .22 pistol selection:
Need a Glock frame though:
Advantage Arms .22LR Conversion kit (http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=129763) (on MidwayUSA)
I have been using this due to Ammo Prices lately. Not perfect to practice with, but it does help with trigger management, sight alignment, and target transition. No help for shot recovery or flip control.
Man -o- Man am I showing my Glock colors lately.
:rolleyes:
Terror
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I've put about 5000 rounds through a high-standard and say it matches the Ruger Mk2. Both in quality and quirks. I've had just as many jams on both when using lead rounds, significantly less when using jacketed.
I only have a few hundred through a MkII, but still think it's an excellent gun. I just can't bring myself to pay the $350-$500 they want for one these days.
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LOL terror... you are shooting 22's out of the glock because you can't afford the factory rounds for the glock? In the other thread you were making fun of me for shooting lead slugs out of my Kimber. I can shoot 50 .45's out of the kimber for what you pay for 100-150 22's
I can shoot 44 mags for about the same price. You buy the conversion for the glock and it now costs more than a Kimber and the only way you can afford to shoot it is to shoot 22's out of it?
Not a glowing ad for glocks.
lazs
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Originally posted by lazs2
LOL terror... you are shooting 22's out of the glock because you can't afford the factory rounds for the glock? In the other thread you were making fun of me for shooting lead slugs out of my Kimber. I can shoot 50 .45's out of the kimber for what you pay for 100-150 22's
I can shoot 44 mags for about the same price. You buy the conversion for the glock and it now costs more than a Kimber and the only way you can afford to shoot it is to shoot 22's out of it?
Not a glowing ad for glocks.
lazs
No, has nothing to do with Glocks. I don't reload. I know many folks that do reload for their Glocks though. It's not recommended by Glock, but many folks do it. (most firearm manufacturers recommend factory loads because of liabilities) I don't have the room or time to reload, so I take other measures to reduce the cost of my shooting.
A Kimber runs a minimum $800+ (usually $1000+). A Glock runs $450 to $500 (Max of $650 if you want the "long slide" variants). Add the conversion kit for $250. Totals at ~$750 for a gun than now can run two calibers through with a simple change of the slide. Sounds better than that $1000 Kimber.
Terror
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Are you talking .22 or .22 magnum Halo?
The best .22 rifle I fired was a russian one not sure of the name.
It had a very comfortable grip and a very good sight.
I have a .22 Magnum Marlin, but the sight is so bad that it's useless without a scope. With a x4 scope it's quite ok and very good for sniping geese and such.
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why not just buy a .22 plinker? they are inexpensive enough. while some folks claim that shooting .22 through their favored sidearms help with aim and muscle memory I find it to be just the opposite.
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Originally posted by Angus
Are you talking .22 or .22 magnum Halo?
The best .22 rifle I fired was a russian one not sure of the name.
It had a very comfortable grip and a very good sight.
I have a .22 Magnum Marlin, but the sight is so bad that it's useless without a scope. With a x4 scope it's quite ok and very good for sniping geese and such.
wow I have had my marlin 60 since the mid '70s and with the iron sights I can neuter a gnat at 50 paces. was it dropped or something?
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Hi Laz,
What, you mean you need to clean a Ruger .22? Now you tell me. :D
I've never had any problems with my regular old early 70s make Ruger Mark 2 and that despite the fact that I generally treat it far worse than any of my other guns. I've had two jams caused by casings that got caught by the slide returning as they were ejecting, both cleared by pulling the slide back slightly and tipping them out, but aside from that no problems at all and I must have put a Bazillion rounds through it by now.
It may be you purchased a Lemon. My Mk 2 certainly gets my "long-suffering and proved faithful" award.
BTW - I do find the Bull Barrell models of the Ruger to be too heavy though, and not worth extra money to me. It may just be that I'm not a good enough shot for it to matter.
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Originally posted by storch
wow I have had my marlin 60 since the mid '70s and with the iron sights I can neuter a gnat at 50 paces. was it dropped or something?
Bad sight setup, that's all. Wide enough for error, - but the gun works perfectly well when I have the scope set up nicely.
100 Yards is enough for something about 2-3 inches in diameter with 100% accuracy.
200yards is still enough for a goose. Once had a good shot at 160 or so, hit the goose through the heart.
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Originally posted by storch
why not just buy a .22 plinker? they are inexpensive enough. while some folks claim that shooting .22 through their favored sidearms help with aim and muscle memory I find it to be just the opposite.
I think if you shoot both it can help and hurt if you do not have the basics down. Its nice to shoot .22 out of the 1911 and with the marvel kit is more accurate than any $2000 and under 1911. I like it because in our goup we have .22 steel matches all the time.
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BTW laz
I shot 50,000 rounds in little over a year with a new ruger 22/45. Your thoughts on the ruger are so off its almost crazy. I shot federal cheap red box $7.90 a brick and out of a brick their were around 3 ftf because of no power just primer. The ruger would eat it up for around 500 rounds then it needed a good cleaning. One day at the ranch i shot 2000 rounds and had 15 ftf 10 were because of the ammo. Also the ruger is more accurate than anybody on this forum will ever be. It takes some time the first time you field strip it but you learn and its not that bad at all.
If their is one thing i understand about shooting i would say that most .22 pistols are great guns. I have been looking at a sig trail side for a long time but its $ and really dont need another .22
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Originally posted by Angus
Bad sight setup, that's all. Wide enough for error, - but the gun works perfectly well when I have the scope set up nicely.
100 Yards is enough for something about 2-3 inches in diameter with 100% accuracy.
200yards is still enough for a goose. Once had a good shot at 160 or so, hit the goose through the heart.
bad sight set up? how? what model rifle? I'm considering the marlin .17 and info like this may not be found in magazine articles.
:D
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Marlin 782
Could that be correct?
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marlin model 782 is a bolt action magazine fed .22 magnum alright but I've never shot one. do you find the rear sight to be the problem or just the entire sight set up?
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Are you talking .22 or .22 magnum Halo?
I'm thinking mostly .22 LR but left it open in case anyone wanted to mention a .22 Magnum.
Since I don't hunt, and use heavier caliber for home defense, I don't seem to need a .22 Magnum. If I ever get one it probably will be as part of the Ruger .22/.22 Magnum convertible.
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Originally posted by storch
marlin model 782 is a bolt action magazine fed .22 magnum alright but I've never shot one. do you find the rear sight to be the problem or just the entire sight set up?
The setup I guess. It's too "wide". On a range a whole bird can be hiding behind the thickness of the front.
But the rifle shoots well, - once it's set up nicely with the scope. Took me about 50 test shots though ;)
Oh, and Halo, .22 magnum is much more fun than .22.
You can also get them lever operated.
However, I recall trying an automatic .22. That was fun allright, but the hitting power is not much.
Also tried automatic .22 with with a silencer. That is the perfect thing for sniping down ptarmigans. (grouse)
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I understand now!!!
sir you must be an excellent shot. are shotguns allowed in iceland?
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I'm a so-so shot, and out of training now IMHO.
Shotguns are allowed that is one barrel, 2 barrels, pump and auto with 4 shots. Rifles too all the way to 30 cal or so. Then the odd .22 single-shot handgun for putting out smaller animals (although you can drop a bull with them if you know how).
Handguns and automatic rifles are forbidden.
(The only thing allowed, or maybe not more is the auto .22 rifle (tube loaded) and .22 mag lever action)
In the country there are about 6 people for the gun and about 25 people per license. So, the average license holder has 4.
(I have 3, but always wanted a couple more).
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Google to ruger.com and look for model 1159 (sorry, I tried to link the page but my luck there is erratic at best) -- that's the new Ruger 10/22 Autoloading Rimfire Rifle, .22LR.
Bought one today, fired a couple hundred rounds through it, and it is truly sweet. It's the size that fits me best, shoots great, looks gorgeous, and I guess that's what favorite guns are all about.
Suggested retail price only $275, got it for $220, life is good. Where else can you have so much fun for years at the least cost than with a good .22 plinker?
My model has a totally smooth and comfortable beech stock and the jazzy open sights. I was thinking about a nicer walnut stock, but that comes with three things I don't want: stock checkering, more traditional sights, and sling rings -- and for about $60 more.
As I mentioned, I gave my Browning Semi-Automatic to my son along with a Ruger 10/22 carbine. I really liked both guns, although I thought the earlier 10/22 carbine was too chunky, too fat in the stock.
The Browning Semi-Auto, a classic since WWI, is about the most perfect plinker imaginable, flawless. But somehow I wanted a little more ooomph to it.
Enter the new Ruger 10/22 Rifle. It has a wonderfully new proportioned stock, excellent fiber optic front and rear sights with contrasting colors (red on front framed by green in back), and at 38.5 inches and five pounds suits me just fine.
I prefer the loading ease of a tubular like the Browning Semi-Auto or Marlin 60DL, but the Ruger's rotary 10-round magazine has its advantages, e.g., bought a couple extras so easy to have 30 rounds in case I'm attacked by a herd of Monty Python super rabbits.
In Virginia, can even buy 25- or 50-round magazines for the Ruger if you want (no, they're not rotary inside the stock). But 10 rounds already fly through the Ruger too quickly for frugality, so I'll stick with the rotaries.
What first caught my eye was the Compact version (Model 1168) at only 34 inches long and four pounds. It is not advertised as a youth gun, but maybe it should be. The stock was just too short for me -- no fun shooting all hunched up.
Reminds me of the early M-16s that felt like some weird metal toy gun compared to the comfortable M-1 carbine.
I wish the Ruger 10/22 Rifle had bolt-open after the last shot, and I wish its bolt lock were more intuitive instead of being back to lock bolt open and up to close bolt. This reminds me of the Sig pistol challenges trying to figure out some of its mechanism.
Also, the manual should include all specifications. Don't know why some manufacturers don't put those in when all owners want to have the max info available about their guns, including the basics like length and weight, all the stuff that is on the inside pages of the internet site.
The Ruger 22 is one of the world's most adaptable guns with all sorts of options offered through after market sources. I'll leave mine mostly as it is, although I did buy two Ruger transparent 10-round magazines. Cool to see how the shells look in the rotary cylinder.
Oh, and another thing: manufacturers should admit any serious extra requirement up front in all ads, even in the fine print, instead of surprising purchasers in the manual after they bought the gun. For example, this manual includes the 10/22 Carbine, 10/22 Rifle, and 10/17 Rifle.
The 10/22 includes the 10/22 Magnum. On page 14 is a warning not to use "some types of .22 Magnum cartridges that have blunt-nose or sharp-shoulder bullets which can interfere with smooth and reliable feeding ...."
On page 15 is a warning not to use Stinger ammo that "can stick in the tighter chambers of target rifles, including the Ruger 10/22 Target Rifle (I don't know what this is, but it apparently is not the regular 10/22 Rifle I bought)...."
On page 18 is a warning for the Magnum rifle that on page 26 is extended to the 10/17 as well: "Never fire more than 50 shots without scrupulously cleaning the chamber....An excess of dirt, powder residue, or oil in the chamber will cause malfunctions and may result in potentially dangerous cartridge case ruptures and release of hot gasses and case fragments when firing."
I don't know about you, but I'm not buying any gun whose chamber has to be scrupulously cleaned every 50 rounds.
Presumably potential buyers of 10/22 Magnum or 10/17 are somehow informed of this serious requirement BEFORE purchase.
This is a lot of information, but I think it's the kind of stuff all gun owners need to be aware of.
Still haven't found a plinking handgun I like better than my Browning Buck Mark. The store owner explained to me today that .22 double-action revolvers are particularly difficult to manufacture because of something about the delicacy of the way the .22 rimfire mechanism works.
Thanks again for the excellent inputs about your favorite .22 plinkers. Keep the thread going from time to time as you develop more thoughts about plinkers to share. .22 plinkers is one of those rare fun activities available to most everyone at reasonable cost and effort.
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Good purchase! A 10/22 is one of the best auto's on the market. What like is that you can always build on the gun and make it shoot better for less $. I have a red dot on one and its a great steel gun and shooting rabbits around the yard. When you look at mags buy the best. I bought some cheap mags and it would jam sometimes. The more $ mags you will never have a problem at all.. Green mountain makes a barrel for around $100 and it makes would of difference from stock.
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Well ... hmmmm ... after raving about the new Ruger 10/22 rifle, I'm getting disenchanted. Beautiful gun. Shoots fine.
However ... I hate the bolt lock complexity. I don't remember that on the older 10/22 Ruger carbine I had. The lever is a royal pain. In front of trigger guard, thin edge tough on fingers, unnecessarily tricky action: push back to lock open, but push up to close.
Nice manuever when you get the gist of it, but not remotely intuitive.
And the magazine requires a strong thumb pry to get it to drop out after you press the button. I don't remember that being so difficult either in the older 10/22 carbine.
The rotary magazines are okay, but I'd just as soon have a simpler easier tube, like the Marlin Model 60. Bought an Adco "Super Thumb Speed Loader" for the rotary magazine and it broke trying to load the first shell. Duh!
And I much prefer having the bolt lock open after the last shot, the way my Browning Buck Mark pistol does, the way the Marlin Model 60 does, and not the way the 10/22 does not.
Storch and Seagoon, I'm looking for a Marlin Model 60 tomorrow.
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I only have a Brno, its nice though.
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Halo,
You're right, the bolt not locking back after the last shot is definately a design flaw. I also agree that the goofy rocker mechanism for the bolt lock/release is kind of dumb, but believe me you get used to it. I don't even know how it's SUPPOSED to work, but it never takes more than a second to get it to do what I WANT it to do so although slightly annoying, it's something that I simply quit worrying about. If the bolt is back, pull the bolt back a bit then wiggle the switch while releasing the bolt. If you want the bolt locked back, pull it back and wiggle the switch while letting the bolt come forward. No big deal :)
Your problems with magazine release however is not normal and you should have the gun checked out and possibly repaired or adjusted. Using the magazine release should result in the magazine simply dropping out freely. The only magazine I ever have to pull out of the gun is a large non-standard 30rd "hot lips" magazine, and even then it's just a little tug and it pops right out. Both of my original 10 rd rotary magazines drop right out, so something is wrong with the fit/finish of your gun or magazines.
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There's an inexpensive and easy to fit after market bolt catch available for the 10/22 that takes the hassle out of the factory catch. It wont lock the bolt back after the last shot but it removes the need to fumble with the catch while pulling back on the bolt to release it. I put one on my 10/22 and it works well.
You can also get an extended magazine release catch if your having problems with the factory catch. I prefer the flush mounted factory catch cause it secures the mag in the rifle better. I've lost a few magazines from different rifles in the past when the mag catches have been bumped while I've been spotlighting pests at night from an atv.
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the one I bought yesterday?
http://www.taurususa.com/products/product-details.cfm?id=385&category=Revolver
serious, pick it up sunday :aok
first handgun :D
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After reading about all the fun that can be had with a 10/22, I decided to add one to my rifle collection. It's a stainless steel carbine model. I'll change out a few internal parts to improve the trigger and function. I'll scope it and may, later on, add a new stock and barrel. I'm really looking forward to a "project" rifle to tinker around with.
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Browning Buckmark,
Shoots real nice and a lot cheaper to shoot than my 44's
Phaser
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Makarov,
If you want to make changes to your rifle, the Ruger is one of the easiest to modify and there are tons of accessories up to and including barrels for the darn things.
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Eagl and Excel1, thanks for the Ruger modification tips. Excellent ideas and I may do both the auto bolt release and extended magazine release if I keep the 10/22 RR.
Today I bought a Marlin Model 60 with the tubular feed and bolt lock open after last shot. I really like these features.
Put a hundred rounds through it at the indoor range and it shoots great. Just a very nice rifle, and for less than $200.
So, after the whole thread and after picking up lots of possibilities and doing a bunch more research, my .22 plinkers of choice are a Marlin Model 60 semi-auto rifle and a Browning Buck Mark pistol.
Thanks again to all threadees, and happy shooting!
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Yea I like the buckmark too. Only gripe is that you can't decock the thing without pulling the trigger. That's always bothered me.
If there's a single gun I'm concerned about shooting myself with, it's that buckmark. There is no easy way to tell if there is a round in the chamber or if it is cocked just by looking at or holding it.
I'm neither a child or a raw amature with guns but it still bothers me. I am a bit paranoid about gun safety, but unlike other guns with exposed hammers, decock levers, and big red pins that stick up when the gun is cocked or there is a round in the chamber, the buckmark simply does not add ANYTHING to the safety equation. When you first load it, you can't put a round in the chamber to make the gun "ready to go" without cocking it too. So if you want to carry it in a holster with a round in the chamber, you have to explicitly use the safety. The trigger is too light for safe holster carry with a round in the chamber. Having to carry out a specific act to prevent a gun from blowing a hole in your foot just from putting it in in a holster goes against basic safety principles. The gun should be reasonably safe without any user action at all.
That doesn't make it inherently "unsafe" since if used properly it will function as advertised every time, but it does mean that it's easier for even an experienced shooter to make a dumb mistake. The scenario that worries me is firing 9 rounds, having something distract me, and holstering the gun with the safety off and a round in the chamber. That's "safe" to do with every other gun I have and that's even standard procedure with a revolver since many (most?) don't even have a safety, but it'll result in a leg or foot wound (at best) with the buckmark because you can't decock it and it's single-action only.
I don't even own a holster for my buckmark because of this. It's a terrible gun for the field IMHO, so I carry it in a gun case.
I like the buckmark for target shooting because it's really accurate, but I really prefer a nice .22 revolver for teaching someone how to shoot and for carrying a .22 in the field while varminting. That's why I'm big on the K-22. It's almost as accurate as my buckmark and unlike the buckmark, I can holster it without worrying about setting the safety or shooting a hole in my foot.
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Chuck Norris doesnt need a pistol or rifle, he can shoot walnuts out his arse.
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Good points, eagl. I'm super cautious too with firearms. I agree with your concerns. The only time I use a gun is shooting at an indoor range or plinking at a farm. I never carry a gun with a round in the chamber, and never have a gun loaded in the home.
Single action semiautos like the Buck Mark also make me the most uneasy. Its safety is logical and functional, but not foolproof. Since I'd rather shoot light pull semi-autos than anything else, I load their magazines with the action closed so a round is not chambered until I pull back the slide.
The decocking issue is not only less safe, but eventually damaging for rimfires. Seems like all guns would allow safe and easy decocking, like airbags in a car (how's that for a kinda stretched analogy?).
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Much as I like the Marlin 60, the Ruger 10/22 Rifle is so sleek I couldn't stand to part with it without trying the Volquartsen Auto Bolt Release and Extended Magazine Release recommended by quite a few Ruger users.
These modifications fix the only two gripes I had about the 10/22 and restore it to a pleasure to fire rather than an ordeal. They make all the difference in the world. Amazing Ruger doesn't offer these modifications on its entire 10/22 line.
Only $28.35 and fast shipping from Rimfire Sports and Custom.
However, I must admit to having a much tougher time installing these parts than most of the quotable customers claim. Took me about four hours of learning how to mess with gun innards. I don't remember the last time I ever had to drift pins out of anything.
My main mistake was in missing the bottom connection on the Auto Bolt Release. If you ever do these mods, be forewarned. Doesn't help either that some of the pictures are not the way the pieces are put into the rifle.
So, flunked my initial apprentice gunsmithing big time, but finally seems to work. Will find out for sure at the firing range this week.
Nice thing about mechanical tinkering is that with enough patience and trial and error, eventually everything seems to get put back the way it came out. Just work in a well lit area with nobody around so none of the wandering little pieces get away.
I gotta say, though, everything considered, the Marlin 60 is my favorite .22 rifle. Does everything pleasantly and easily right out of the box. There are many other good choices too, but the Marlin 60 and Ruger 10/22 seem to be the top sellers.
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One more vote for the Marlin Model 60.
Hits the apple every time at 100 yds.
All 18 rounds in the 'smooth' of a paper plate on rapid fire at the same distance.
Fired tens of thousands of rounds through it. Clean with Q-tips dipped in solvent and keep a drop of oil and she's good as the day she was new.
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Originally posted by Pongo
I only have a Brno, its nice though.
Excellent choice, often overlooked. Worth every penny IMO.
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I'm interested in a Taurus model 94 (blue 4" bbl) kit gun. Have read mixed reviews about the fit and operation. The S&W 317 is light weight, but I read mixed reviews on their quality as well. Another thing I would like is a revolver flap holster in black ballistic nylon. Unfortunately, those aren't popular anymore and hard to find.
Regards,
Malta
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Any pump action 22 rifle is a lot of fun.
Used to have marlin semi auto with a tube magazine that shot great, don't remember any malfunctions. And I'd let it get so dirty that by the time I cleaned it I'd be digging clods of carbon out with a screwdriver.
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another option is the CZ/witness line of centerfires or any 1911 centerfire with the 22 conversion.
On my .45 witness I have the 22 conversion for it... takes about 10 seconds to switch back and forth from 45acp to 22 rimfire... both slides have their own sights.
This is a great idea for someone who is on a budget or likes one type of gun.
lazs
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I constructed a Glock .22 cal plinker several years ago by getting another frame for a Glock 17 and installing a Ceiner .22 slide kit. I had to have the original Glock slide sent (to Glock) to get another frame, but otherwise they were very accomodating. In hind site, I would go with the advantage arms 22 conversion kit since it has a trigger pin safety stop (like a standard glock) and holds the slide open after the last round. Also, the Ceiner kit needs Remington 40Gr 'gold' 22LR ammo to function reliably. Although, I don't think its unusual for a conversion kit to be picky about ammo. I am still looking for a flap holster for the Glock but haven't had much luck, with the UM84 being the closest I have found.
Regards,
Malta
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I'm interested in a Taurus model 94 (blue 4" bbl) kit gun.
I thought I would like that revolver, but was unimpressed by stiff action and general crude feel when I looked at one.
Later I rented one and it was awful. Sprayed particles on some shots. Too stiff to even shoot double action.
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I don't know an awful lot about guns, but I do have a Marlin lever-action, tube-feed .22 rifle I love because it's heavy as sh*%, which makes it a steady platform. I also have a Marlin .30-30. I call 'em Mutt n Jeff. No handguns, though.
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(mumble mumble mumble) ... blankety-blank Ruger 10/22 Rifle with Volquartsen Auto Bolt Release flunked its firing range test ... shoot two rounds, jam ... bolt force feed next round ... shoot two rounds, jam ... repeat a couple times, then bolt locks open and impossible to release ... take it home ... fiddle fiddle fiddle and finally release bolt ...
e-mail Volquartsen for help ...
wouldn't it be too weird if the "new" 10/22 Rifle has some design change over the old Carbine that causes the awful auto bolt struggle ... since the Carbine I bought some 20 years ago always worked fine ...
at least the Volquartsen Extended Magazine works okay ...
all those testimonials to the great Volquartsen Auto Bolt Release and I'm the only person in the world who can't get it to work right ... duh ...
but I'm not giving up yet!
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Think of this as a journey, not a destination. Kind of like bad sex. But seriously, making this change may make the ruger 'ammo picky'.
Regards,
Malta
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Success at last! Fired a hundred rounds at the range today with the Volquartsen Auto Bolt Release and Extended Magazine Release. Great products -- they add the finishing touches that make the Ruger 10/22 Rifle the great gun it should have been from the beginning without its irritating tricky bolt release.
Finally figured out the last straw that was screwing me up. Not being a gunsmith or particularly skilled with my hands, I followed the Ruger Instruction Manual too literally with its exploded view of the trigger guard.
I dutifully kept reassembling one tip of the bolt release spring above a pin as the manual showed when it should have been below the pin.
The devil is in the details, huh? I empathize with the tech writers and editors who did a fine job on the manual, except for one little dashed line that was misleading.
It was a good learning experience for me. The aggravation was worth the much better performing .22 rifle I have now.
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And after that Happy Ending post, went to the firing range three weeks later and the Ruger 10/22 Rifle failed to feed after nearly every shot. Had to snap the bolt to feed the next shot. New invention: fancy semiauto single shot rifle.
It did this with four different magazines, all Ruger. Ejected fine. Just wouldn't feed. One magazine had such a weak spring I returned it and got a refund. That left the original magazine and two extras.
The ammo is always CCI Mini-Mag which has a flawless reputation with the 10/22 from every source I've seen. Tried a couple other brands just to be sure, but all were equally frustrated.
So after more pondering, back home to take the bolt assembly out and scour behind that. Little bit of grit, not much. Back to the range. After an initial hiccup, the original magazine fed the next nine shots.
The two additional Ruger transparent 10-shot mags did better than before, but could never achieve more than a couple shots without failing to feed. Unfortunately, after around 45 shots total (three 10-round loads, three 5-round loads), it was back to overall failure to feed. All the time, all three remaining magazines.
Remember my extract from the 10/22 manual?
"On page 18 is a warning for the Magnum rifle that on page 26 is extended to the 10/17 as well: "Never fire more than 50 shots without scrupulously cleaning the chamber....An excess of dirt, powder residue, or oil in the chamber will cause malfunctions and may result in potentially dangerous cartridge case ruptures and release of hot gasses and case fragments when firing."
"I don't know about you, but I'm not buying any gun whose chamber has to be scrupulously cleaned every 50 rounds.
"Presumably potential buyers of 10/22 Magnum or 10/17 are somehow informed of this serious requirement BEFORE purchase."
I'm thinking maybe the new 10/22 Long Rifle is finicky enough to warrant the same excessive cleaning demands of the .17 and .22 Magnum versions.
In my experience, the Ruger new 10/22 Rifle is like a spoiled brat. Precious, but demands way too much attention. It looks gorgeous on a gun rack, but that isn't what I bought it for.
This morning I came to my senses and traded the 10/22 Rifle at a local gun show on a new Ruger Single-Six revolver with two cylinders -- .22 (every type of .22 shell) and .22 WMR. More fun, less aggravation.
So now my favorite .22 plinkers are Marlin 60 semiauto rifle, Browning Buck Mark .22LR pistol, and Ruger Single-Six .22/.22 Magnum.
Here's wishing you a great holiday season with the plinkers you have, and hoping Santa brings you any that are still on your wish list.
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Why in the world didn't you get a marlin instead ?
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Got the Ruger 10/22 for my 16th BD (26 years ago). Prolly put 3k rounds thru it without fail. Accurate enough under 50 yards with open sights and just plain fun to shoot (course shooting anything is just plain fun for me). Its a minor ***** to tear down but other than that no probs.
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I started with the Marlin then many years later got the Ruger. I still fire the Marlin at least 5 times as much as the Ruger. Even filthy dirty the marlin works. When it finally gets gunked up to slow down all I have to do is squirt a bit of oil in the slide area and it goes another 100 rounds. It's also lighter and easier to handle.
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Marlin .22 will hit apples at 100 yards every time with open sights.
Stock barrel, stock everything and use remington thunderbolts.
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(quote) Why in the world didn't you get a marlin instead ? (unquote)
I did buy the Marlin 60 way back earlier in this thread. I had a Martin bolt action earlier, but generally I underestimated Marlin compared to Browning and Ruger.
Actually, I also traded my Marlin 981-T bolt action .22 along with the Ruger 10/22 Rifle on the Ruger Single-Six which, ironically, was a gun I've mentioned so often I suppose it was inevitable that I finally would buy one (again, after giving my original Ruger-Six .22 to my son -- this is the convertible, so as some of you have recommended, I finally have a .22 WMR as well).
The Marlin 60 is wonderful and has become my favorite no fuss no bother all around reliable fun plinker rifle, certainly the most gun for the money I've found.
I liked the Ruger 10/22 Carbine I had many years ago, but the New 10/22 Ruger Rifle surprised me with its awful bolt release and magazine release and then the feeding problems.
Actually, for design perfection, it's still tough to beat the Browning Semi-
Auto 22, but for the price you can buy two Marlin 60s.
Believe it or not, I think I've bought my last gun ... at least this year.
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When I bought my 10/22 rifle it wasn't my first choice. I wanted a Marlin 7000, but I couldn't find one as they're as rare as hen's teeth here. Out of the box, the bull barrelled 7000 has the reputation of being at least as reliable but more accurate than a stock 10/22.
My 10/22 shoots tight enough and its reliability is ok. Jams with high velocity ammo are rare but I get a few failures to feed using subs with a suppressor, but that’s only because the subs lack the grunt too reliably cycle the bolt.
If I had one gripe with the 10/22 it would be its wandering point of impact, a 1.5" to 2" shift in elevation at 50 yards is pretty normal for my 10/22. It's like a scope that won’t hold zero. I'm pretty sure it's a barrel/bedding problem which is often easy to fix by floating the barrel. But I don’t know how that would work out on the 10/22. Leaving that 20" barrel clear of the woodwork may make things worse by possibly allowing the barrel/ receiver to pivot and rock in the stock on that one take down screw.
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Excell,
You could cut the stock chanel to free float all but the last inch of the stock and barrel. Have it in a slight contact would still stabilize the barrel. If you do modify the stock try sealing the wood so warping is no longer an issue. As the wood swells and warps due to changes of humidity it can change the point of impact for rounds.
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It didn't occur to me to leave the barrel lightly bedded at the forend tip of the stock. It's a good idea and well worth trying. I 'll use marine varnish to seal the barrel channel which should keep the moisture out.
Thanks Mav