Another 22 - SR22, Bersa Thunder 22, Walther PPK/s 22

[Corona]

Looking to add a 22 to my range bag. Already have a Ruger 22/45 which I love, but looking for another fun gun. I'm looking at these three:

Ruger SR22: gets very good reviews. Seems reliable with almost any ammo.

Bersa Thunder 22 and, for that matter, the Walther PPK/s 22, have a coolness factor that can't be beat. The Bersa gets overall good review, maybe a little ammo picky, but pretty reliable. The Walther PPK probably has the highest cool factor and would make me feel like James Bond (albeit the older version). Pretty good reviews, probably ammo picky in the HV end.

I'm in no real hurry, but I'm very interested in your thoughts.

Many thanks.

 

[Model12Win]

Bersa makes some of the best, highest quality handguns for the money currently on the market. Their CC Thunder 380 is one of the best CCW option fielded.

But their .22. It will serve you will for many lifetimes.

 

[Rogervzv]

I love the SR22P and liked mine so much I bought a second one. These are really good guns. Ruger got this one exactly right.

My $.015.

Shown here with the CT laser.

 

[jmhyer]

Love my SR22. Extremely reliable with any ammo I try. I got mine fairly soon after they were released. If I were buying today, I'd get the one with the longer barrel.

 

[PSP]

I have all three, the Bersa, Ruger and Walther.

The Bersa is the poorest in quality and can be more problematic than the other two. When it works well it has some good features and is accurate enough.

The Ruger has been very reliable. It has good sights and all the features of the Bersa. I like it a lot. Paid less for the Ruger than the Bersa and that factors into my thinking.

The Walther is classic and a fine pistol in every way. I like it but find I take other guns to the range for some reason.

My personal favorite small frame .22 is a hard to find Daewoo DP52. Best little .22 ever made IMHO. Keep your eyes open for one.

I really enjoy a nice plinker. All are pure fun. Any of the three will be enjoyable.

 

[Rogervzv]

Another comment on the SR22P: I have used about every conceivable type of .22LR ammo in it and it handles all perfectly. This gun is not ammo picky.

 

[Blindstitch]

Vote for the SR22p here. The only ammo I have found that it doesn't like is cci stingers. Smashes them banana shaped most of the time.

The safety/ decock feature is one I really like.

And if you have a different hand size from other people who you may take to the range the multi size grips work great. I keep it configured for my wife and just deal with the small grip.

 

[mk70ss]

Beretta Cheetah .22 is one of the best fun guns ever. More expensive than many, but you get what you pay for.

 

[Olympus]

Another huge fan of the SR22. I sold my tricked out 22/45 Lite and bought the SR22. My main reason was for my suppressor. The 22/45 was too long and muzzle-heavy with the suppressor. The SR22 is perfect balance and the thing just fits my hand like a glove. The dang thing will just eat any ammo I run through it, dirty or clean. For the money, it's awesome. Now target pistol accurate, it's not but it's an awesome suppressor host.

 

[Corona]

Thanks to all. I must admit, the SR22 is probably my leading candidate, but I do like the classic styling of the Bersa and particularly the Walther. Again, I'm not ina hurry, probably 5-6 months from making a decision, but I appreciate your thoughts and evaluations of the three.

 

[blchandl2]

I have a 22/45 and a SR22. Both are very reliable and the only ammo issue has been with truncated cone ammo in the 22/45. I loaned my SR22 to a friend, he bought one the next day after running over a brick (CCI Blazer bulk pack) through mine in one day.

That said, I can safely recommend the SR22, but...............

I really like the Beretta and hope to add one to my hoard some day. Money is standing in the way at the moment.

 

[smee78]

I would vote for the SR22, my personal pick of the bunch. These are great sellers and fit a large selection of hands and the action is easy to operate for personal who have a hard time working semi auto actions.

 

[TfflHndn]

For plinking and general shooting the SR22 has been very reliable and as accurate as it needs to be for me. Not as accurate as the Mk III, but I don't expect it to be. Not picky on ammo either. It's a great value.

 

[weblance]

I have all three, my SR22 is the least reliable of the three. It short strokes sometimes, and has never been terrible accurate. The double action trigger is terrible. It hits a wall right before the break, causing me to jerk it off target. Its developing a dimple in the slide stop notch, even though there is a steel reinforcing pin to prevent that from happening. Its an ok pistol, and the ability to easily suppress it is a plus.

My Walther/Umarex PPK/S is a fun pistol, with a ridiculously heavy, and unusable double action pull. I dont even use DA in it anymore. Pull the hammer back for the first shot, and its a great shooter. Its perfectly reliable, and in the 700 or so rounds I have through it, has never failed. The sights are tiny, there is no external slide stop lever, the safety is a decocker. Good little pistol. Easily suppressed as it has a threaded barrel.

The Bersa Thunder is my favorite of the three. It has a smooth, predictable DA pull. When people comment that small pistols cant have smooth light DA pulls because small parts don't have the geometry for good action, the Bersa Thunder proves this wrong. Its roughly the same size as the PPK/S and has a DA trigger that is worlds better. It has been 100% reliable, and the sights are better than the PPK/S. I also like that the Bersa has a steel slide and aluminum frame, the PPK/S is Zamac/zamac, the SR22 is aluminum and polymer. The Bersa isn't easily suppressed as it has a pressed in barrel that isn't easily replaced, or removed for threading.

 

[DaleA]

Tfflhndn-I'd agree with your statement Ruger Mark Whatever if you want more accuracy and Ruger SR22 for more fun, or if you want to add a suppressor.

But I'd like to throw another candidate on the 'fun' side. The 85% 1911 sized Browning .22LR.
http://www.browning.com/products/firearms/pistols/1911-22.html
I thought this idea was silly until I recently shot one. It was very, very fun and the thing just seemed incredibly easy to shoot and hit what you were aiming at. The drawback, IMhO, is the price--$500 here in the Twin Cities.

Good luck.

 

[ttarp]

I've only had limited experience with the SR22, seemed like a nice and competent pistol, but didn't get me overly excited, just personal preference there.

The BT22 I own is pretty picky about ammo, any HV ammo cycles fine, but standard velocity will short cycle the first 5 rounds of the magazine. If I only load 5 rounds of standard velocity it feeds and functions fine. I bought a spare magazine to experiment with the spring pressure but haven't gotten around to it yet.

Don't know anything about the Walther, but I've only read positive.

Not on your list, but since someone else brought it up, the Browning 1911-22 is a fantastic little .22, albeit relatively expensive.

 

[Corona]

So I had some shopping to do at Academy, and decided to check out, errrrr fondle, a couple of these. Can't mess with the triggers as they're locked, but they did have a Ruger SR 22 and the Walther PPK/s 22. Both priced at $349.

Was surprised at how light the SR 22 was. Seemed nicely made. Polymer frame and aluminum slide. Very comfortable to hold but altogether not much to be all that excited. Unless reliability floats your boat. As it does mine.

The Walther was matte black, presumable not steel but surprisingly weighty given its size. Very smooth slide and very easy takedown. I will say it also has a really high cool factor. It's really a gorgeous pistol and I felt like James Bond just holding it.

Really looking forward to examining a Bersa but don't think anyone actually carries them around here.

Nevertheless, the hunt is on. Thanks, everyone for your thoughts.

 

[Metric]

Not on your list, but since someone else brought it up, the Browning 1911-22 is a fantastic little .22, albeit relatively expensive.

I would rate the one I had somewhat less than "fantastic." Dead reliable, if and only if the ammo box said "mini mag." Mag safety was irritating. Enough plastic parts to get on my nerves, considering the price. Inherent accuracy is reasonable, but the 80% sights, grip, and trigger geometry never gave me the feeling that extracting that accuracy was a design priority.

For me, it was purely a "fun" type of thing, i.e. not expected to do any useful work for me.

 

[john in jax]

I own a Bersa .22 and would sell it in a heartbeat. It only works well with CCI Mini Mags, chokes on every other ammo.

I have only heard good things about the SR22, my brother-in-law liked his 1st SR22 so much he bought a second. The SR22 will be my next 22 purchase.

 

[Metric]

The Walther was matte black, presumable not steel but surprisingly weighty given its size. Very smooth slide and very easy takedown. I will say it also has a really high cool factor. It's really a gorgeous pistol and I felt like James Bond just holding it.

Looking up the metallurgy of the thing and googling the term "Umarex" might make you feel a little less like Bond. A PPK/S actually made by the Walther factory (of steel) will cost roughly double the price, but some day you can pass it to your son with pride, after tens of thousands of rounds of your own use.

Not sure if it's in the cards, but if so...