TargetTalk

First I should mention that I intend to shoot NRA bullseye.

I am looking to purchase my first .22LR target pistol. When I hold a gun, the more upright grip angle of a 1911 (45 ACP) feels "right" to me. Plus I will have to shoot the 1911 so I am thinking it only makes sense to get a .22 with the same grip rake. But all the nice Euro target guns have a lot of rake to them. I am sure it is for a good reason but I don't know what that reason is. I assume it helps with locking the wrist??

So please help me from making a mistake I can't afford. I'd love to be able to buy and try a few different guns but right now I simply can't. Would I be short changing myself by going with the Ruger 22/45 over the normal Mark II? Would I be better advised to save and get the Benelli MP 95?

I'm thinking the list is something like Ruger/Buckmark, Trailside/Beretta 87, S&W M41/Benelli mp95/ or older used model??? Any suggestions would be appreciated. I don't want to buy an orphan that would be impossible to repair so I am leaving out guns like the TOZ. I do like the High Standard M106/107 but cracked frames and costly magazines are a concern. I need something cheap and easy to maintain for a beginning shooter. Still I'd rather buy something "good enough" for the long run.


Thanks in advance,
Russ

I think the Ruger 22/45 is a nightmare of a gun. All of the safety/disconnect features, in my opinion, do not make it a good gun for Bullseye use. Not to mention how difficult it is to re-assemble.

Given how much you like the 1911 .45 and it's grip angle, I think the best you could do is build yourself a dedicated .22 gun using a Marvel conversion on a 1911 frame. Then you've got the same frame and ergonomics, and the Marvel is equal to the accuracy of any of the Euro-guns.

Second choice would have been the Sig Trailside. It uses a very similar frame as the 208 and has the same grip angle as the 1911. They used to be popular and prevalent. But, now that Sig sold the Hammerli line to Walther, their future availability in the US seems to be in question. You can find them used online here and there, and they are super simple, reliable and very easy to modify. I earned Master with mine. Now I shoot an SP-20 because I like the rakish grip angle.

Good luck,
-Kevin