I'm in the market for a do-it-all .22LR handgun. If you could only have one, what would it be?

I currently have a Beretta 21a, which is cool in its own way, but I'm looking for something that I can shoot all day and enjoy it. The 21a is too small to shoot for long, the trigger is pretty heavy, and the sights suck. Whatever I get, I think I want to put a red dot on it. I'm currently leaning toward a Ruger Mark IV 22/45 that just has a red dot and no iron sights. I'm also open to revolvers, but they're expensive and somewhat annoying to reload when compared to autoloaders.



Edit:
Here's what I ended up getting: It's an abomination. I owned a standard Mark IV in the past and never liked how it felt in the hand. This 22/45 feels AWESOME in comparison.
Ruger Mark IV Tactical
Trijicon MRO in an ADM low mount
Inforce Wild2
VZ grips

Ruger MKIV if I could only have one.  Great suppressor hosts and can be outfitted pretty much any way you like.

TX22. The Rugers, with their 10 round capacity are boring to me. I gave a Buckmark away for the same reason.

My daughter has a Ruger single six, I can't imagine how much fun that'd be with a red dot.
I also have S&W double action K-22 plus a few semi's.

Hard call to make but I'd have to go K-22 as that DA trigger is great training to manage any pistol's trigger.

Another vote for a MKIV.  I couldn’t stop at one though.

I'd keep my TX22 but my FN502 is close behind.

My S&W .22 Combat Masterpiece.









Honorable mention to my Ruger MKII Target

22/45 mark II bull barrel

22/45 Lite with a Volquartsen trigger kit in it.  I've got no issues with the older models, once you've torn it down a couple of times it's not that bad, but the MKIV is faster and easier to clean.  It's not my favorite .22 (I prefer more classic designs, same with most handguns) and I don't care for all of the weird colors but the Ruger does most everything I want or need a .22 pistol to do while feeling 1911ish and being light enough to toss in the top pocket of my backpack.  The Tactical model are cools too, especially the short barreled Silencer Shop models.  Obviously the LCP, SR22, Beretta, etc would all make better choices if you were planning to concealed carry a .22LR for some reason.

I think it would be a Ruger MK gun. 10rd mags don't bother me horribly. Would be nice if Ruger made one with high caps.

This, more reliable than any other 22 I've had or seen.

Do it all means compromise. The gun with a great trigger and sights will be bigger heavier and less packable for carry. Smaller guns appropriate for carry may be harder to shoot well. I love revolvers but they can’t be suppressed .

For me ( you can’t have just one 22 pistol in my view) my do it all is an S&W victory with threaded barrel

Fits in the same niche as a ruger Mark IV

Pros:
Near bullseye competition accurate
Very reliable
Sturdy build
Red dot mount included ( not my thing but wave of the future it seems)
Threaded for can
Was much less expensive than similar equipped rugers when I bought mine
Great trigger
Needs no after market tinkering to run
Excellent adjustable metallic fiber optic sights
Magazines readily available and economical

Cons:
Heavy ( about as much as a full size steel 1911)
Not easy to holster and carry ( very limited holster options)
Personal opinions - ugly as sin, and I hate stainless ( only option for finish)

I currently own 5 22 pistols and each has a niche it fits in a bit better.

We need some brilliant individual to make a MKIII or IV lower that takes whatever the best high cap is Sig 322 TX22 whatever.

Interesting idea!

To me high capacity is not an advantage and in some cases a disadvantage- allow me to explain

Building fundamentals with a 22 ( or any gun really) is about proper grip sight alignment/picture and trigger press.

In long strings of fire, near the end we all have a tendency to get sloppy and execute fundamentals in a less than optimal manner.

Slowing down the volume of fire and shooting shorter strings between reloads, it is easier to maintain the quality of your effort.

Our brain has a habit of remembering best the last thing we did, so our subconscious brain will want to encode the sloppy fatigued shots at the end of a long string, so I keep my practice strings to ten rounds or less for this reason.

Another thing I tell especially new shooters trying to build fundamentals is 4 practice sessions of 50 rounds each is going to build more skill than one 200 round session for the same reasons

Having said all that, there are situations where high capacity may be useful, and having the option is always better than not having it

Same here. I love my TX22 Compact and hi-cap mags, especially with a suppressor.

That and I've seen more mag related issues with staggered rimmed cartridges than with single stack.  As much as I hate on KeltTec, I still kinda want one of their PMR30s and I almost bought a P17 when PSA had them on sale a week or so ago.  

Browning Buckmark.

Nothing to stop you from loading any amount of rounds you want. Can't put 20 rounds in a 10 round mag though.

if i could only have one it would be a glock 44 my mk4 doesnt get shot nearly as often now that i have it.

as a training platform it is invaluable, mine has been reliable and accurate (not as accurate as my mk4 with a red dot)

my glock 44 blows the mk4 out of the water reliability wise, fits in glock holsters and has the option for larger than 10 round mags.

I do like the Glock 44, but the polymer slide and rear sight dovetail really make me doubt how much abuse it can take.

I ended up ordering a new Ruger Mark IV 22/45 Tactical (Model 40149) for $482 shipped. Eventually I'll throw a light and red dot on it.

If you are a Bullseye shooter the S&W Model 41 is hard to beat.  Older models sell for the same price as a new one and they are better finished.




The High Standard Victor (shown below a recent production Model 41) is even better as a Bullseye pistol with a better trigger than the S&W 41, and while they were more expensive back in the day, they are a few hundred less than a vintage Model 41.






The Ruger Mk I, and Mk II in their 5 1/2” Target or 6 7/8” Target forms, and in particular the Mk II Government Model Target are also very capable Bullseye guns that can be had for 1/2 to 1/3 rd the money as a S&W 41. The Mk I lacks an automatic bolt hold open but it’s not a big deal if you can count. The MK II has everything you need and nothing you don’t (no magazine safety or loaded chamber indicator as on the Mk III).




A Ruger Mk II in the 5 1/2” target format also makes a great all round .22LR pistol.



My favorite general purpose .22 LR casual target shooting and plinking pistol is the CZ Kadet.  It’s very reliable, and very accurate for the type.



The Ruger Single Six is a great choice for a single action revolver and it’s still the best made option available.  They are also very useful in the .22 LR /  .22 Mag convertible model.



The S&W Model 17 (top) and it’s S&W K-22 Outdoorsman (bottom) predecessor are superb double action revolvers and are superb target guns in 3T form with target trigger, hammer and grip.

That's a really tough question IMO (for me anyway). I have a few of them (not all of them shown in the pic below) but they all have their pros and cons and I personally haven't found one all around, do it all best gun. It really comes down to what's most important to you and how to you plan to use it most often? Suppressor ready? Optics ready? Weight, accuracy, quality, etc.? If is mostly for target shooting, competitions, plinking, training, woods carry gun, etc.? Even "do it all" guns tend to be used for 1 purpose more then the rest.

The 41 is a VERY nice gun with a great factory trigger but it would not be my "1 and only" if for no other reason then its too heavy and not easy suppress.

The Buckmark is a good overall gun and is available in a lot of different configurations. Not as much aftermarket support as the Ruger but doesn't need as much as the Rugers either IMO. Love that it has a metal frame and you can replace the barrel without having to do a 4473. Hate that it requires tools to disassemble for cleaning. Maybe I've been lucky but its the only 22 pistol I've ever bough that wasn't 100% reliable straight out of the box. They need to be broke in with HV ammo (300-500rds) before then settle down and run right (at least this one did).

The Ruger MKIV 22/45 would probably be in my top 2. Lot of factory options, great suppressor host, easy takedown, great aftermarket support. Downsides are I really wish there was a factory metal frame option and 10rd capacity sucks. Also, its a Ruger so we're not talking about an heirloom quality gun here but in fairness most 22 caliber pistols aren't.

The P322 is the other gun that would be in my top 2. Great capacity, milled slide for optics, great training gun, comes suppressor ready. Downside is all the plastic and MIM, not super accurate and no real options (factory or aftermarket) to make it so. Still a cool gun though.

The TX-22 is very similar to the P322. Grips are different (and that's a personal preference thing) but my biggest issue is that the full size model isn't OR (unless you get the ugly IMO target model) or you have to get the compact model. Comparing the TX-22 and the P322 side by side, I feel like the Sig is higher quality gun (and has higher capacity) but its also ~$100 more expensive. Neither one is going to blow anybody away with their accuracy but both of mine have been 100% reliable.

I'm not holding my breath on this ever happening but if Ruger was to make a metal framed MKIV 22/45 with higher capacity mags, that would probably be my one and done choice.

I like my Buck Mark. Though it does have some drawbacks. As others have said, aftermarket support is not as great as the Ruger series. Trigger on mine was very nice from the factory.

I went with the "Lite" model (aluminum sleeve barrel) since I was purchasing it for my wife to shoot, and didn't want a big heavy bull barrel out front. The "Lite" model is 7oz lighter than the slab-sides steel version, and almost 10oz lighter than a full steel bull-barrel model.

Set mine up with a red-dot and some co-witness irons. Wife prefers the red dot, but uses the irons too.

In the end, it comes down to you and what you like. I personally like my Sig Trailside a little better, but due to the age of it and the lack of parts availability (since Larry's closed) would not make it my top pick "if I could only have one".

Keltec CP-33. Seriously.

My TX22s are more reliable than my Rugers.

This. Holy shit, this thing is fun to shoot.
Loading 50rd mags is an unholy pain in the ass, though.

Good choice OP.
I have a MK, a MKII target, a MK III and MKIII 22/45 light. All good shooters, never had any issues.
I'm looking at a MK4 22/45 tactical now. Just not sure if I need another.

If I keep it clean and use the speed loader, then this.
It's great with my AAC Element II, and should be even better with my Rugged Mustang when it's out of jail.
Attached File

Mine becomes unreliable quickly when suppressed. Using CCI SV ammo mostly, but all ammo. I have the Volquartsen trigger in it, which is a really nice trigger pull. Not sure if it's the trigger, but after maybe 40 rounds, I get light strikes, and ammo won't fire at all until I clean the gun thoroughly. I also have the blast shield In it too, which came with the trigger kit. Supposed to keep fouling out of the trigger linkage. Maybe it's fouling the bolt face/chamber shoulder faster?

Here is what I ended up getting:

I don’t have a .22. Whether the kids want a pistol or rifle will determine which I get.

I’d probably go with a Ruger Mk IV, maybe the 22/45 lite.

If it’s a rifle, then it’s a Savage Rascal if they want a color, otherwise a 10/22.

For those with a suppressed TX22 competition , are your 1100+ fps rounds staying subsonic with its 5.2" barrel?

I like the grip angle of a 1911.

Attached File

I guess if I could only have one.
It would be my Ruger Mark IV Hunter with 4.5 threaded barrel.
Complete with Volquartsen trigger system.

@manowar669 Sounds like the firing pin is bad, I would replace it with Volquartsen.

What is the blast shield you mentioned?   I installed a VQ kit in my MKIV and don't recall a blast shield.

It's a Tandemkross part. They offered a package deal a while ago for the VQ accurizing kit and their blast shield. The blast shield replaced and deletes the magazine disconnect.

I'll inspect the firing pin.

Shot a used Ruger Mk1 5.5" bull barrel in 1981.  Bought my own 2 weeks later.  Never needed another one (.22 handgun) after that.  As one of my brothers said, "I never knew a pistol could shoot like a rifle till I saw you shooting little stuff with that Ruger".  Not long after that he also went out and bought a Ruger Mk1.

I have no idea who accurate/reliable the modern Rugers are compared to the 40 year old Mk1s but I'd try one if I didn't still have my old Mk1.

This works for me.

Ruger.

Love my Walther PPQ 5" very fun to shoot all day.

20 magazines. change the game.

Buckmark lite with 5.5" barrel.

Is that a factory configuration? I've never seen it before. Looks great.

I like the bucket to hold mags. I agree having a pile of mags is a game changer. I'm still mad at Ruger for not making the MK IV 22/45 use the older 22/45 mags because I have a bunch already.

I emailed TK they said the blast shield will not work with VQ hammer.  Didn't think TK sold VQ.

Strange, it works in mine.  It's red, and it's in there.  Perhaps it's just a magazine disconnect delete part, and not a blast shield. I can't remember, but I think I bought the set from a 3rd party, it's been several years.

It'd a mystery

Attached File


By far my favorite pistol to shoot.


They make a version now specifically for suppressors, has something like a 2" barrel. Would really love to have that one.

I made some changes:

Nice but its still too long!

My 22/45 Lite w/VQ trigger kit