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22/45 target? reviews?

12K views 17 replies 12 participants last post by  Hightuned 
#1 ·
I'm seeing more and more .22lr back on the shelves and that's encouraged me to look at .22lr range guns. on paper the 5 1/2" barrel 22/45 looks good.
how does it shoot? accurate? do I want replaceable grips? (if I shot Glocks, I'd go with a Mk3, but I don't, never cared for the "luger" grip angle).
thanks.
 
#2 ·
Mo,
If you go with the 22/45, the replaceable grips will obviously help with customized hand/gun fit. My 22/45 is an earlier version which does not allow replacement of the grips, easily.
I much prefer my Ruger MK II. Customized the grips easily. The MK II is far and away, a tack driver. Both have the 5 1/2 bull barrel. Hours of fun at the range. Hours of detailed cleaning, at home.
 
#3 ·
I have three 22/45 Mark III pistols. You wont find a better built, accurate and reliable entry level 22 pistol... period. Simply put, the Ruger is the best. The only one that comes close in the low cost class is the Browning Buckmark. I have two of those, and while they shoot well, I have found they aren't quite as durable.

Held over a rest, the 22/45 will easily shoot 1" groups at 25 yards.
 
#5 ·
I've got a 22/45 with bull barrel and replaceable grips. The problem is that you can't find very many target type grips to put on it. Most of the target grips out there are for the Mark III (or previous versions with the angled grip.) That being said, I love my 22/45 with the stock grips. Added a VQ sear and trigger, added a Sam Lam hammer bushing to lose the mag disconnect and did the gravity slingshot mod, threw on the rail and put a TRS-25 red dot on it, and it's one fantastic range toy. It eats any ammo I feed it too. When rested, it does shoot the center out of my target at 25 yards.
 
#6 ·
I have had my 22/45 mk3 target for two years. I have fired over 3000 rounds from it. I made a few upgrades to make it perfect for me (Under another $150.00 in addition to the purchase price). One specifically was to enhance the takedown process. One was to improve the trigger. One to make it load like every other auto loading pistol out there. If I had known that I could've bought my pistol with replaceable grips you bet I would've paid the extra for them. Yes, there are target grips available, but why don't you go for a mk3 competition model special editions out there that come with grips already on them and a longer barrel to boot. Is it the best target pistol out there, maybe yes, maybe no. But it is affordable and a real accurate useable pistol. I love mine, it is accurate and in about 2500 rounds has not one misfire, or other hiccup save one split case with a remington thunderbolt LR.
 
#8 ·
with some mods, my 22/45 with 5 1/2'' bull barrel is the most accurate gun i've ever held.
it's ammo sensitive tho.
with wolf, resting my arms on a rain barrel, i can get 1'' groups at 25 yards, 2'' freehand.
for my skill level, that's amazing.
yeah, i can't replace grips, it's kinda ugly, but i love it.
 
#9 ·
I love my mk3 22/45 target model with replaceable grips! I personally like the grips & left it stock. First thing I did was get a Burris Fastfire 3 red dot for it. Then I got a Majestic Arms speed strip kit & hammer bushing replacement, which allows you to pull just the bolt out for cleaning & the bushing kit eliminates the mag release safety. The hammer & bushing takes up about 65% of the trigger pre travel & lightens the pull to what feels like 2lbs (don't really know, don't have a pull gauge). I shoot a 6" gong at 50yds rested with ease, can hit it free hand but not as consistent as rested on my range bag. I have hit my 11" gong at 100yds with it rested but not very consistently, but did ring it several times. It doesn't like real cheap lead nose bulk ammo but does good with the jacketed hollow points, CCI Stingers are a real hoot to shoot out of it! Bar none the most accurate & fun pistol I own! Gun Firearm Trigger Airsoft gun Airsoft
The GP-100 is also a great shooter LOL!
 
#11 ·
I took one for my competition gun (and cheap training).

Here is a target shot during the running of the gun (don't pay attention on the fact that all shots are down on the target, I screwed the wrong way the rear sight...)
Shot at 25m (27.3 yards), it was 3°C (37°F) and I was shaking after 2 hours in the cold (I know it's a poor excuse to say I'm not really good...)


Ammo used : Geco semi-auto

I'm just in the hurry of finnishing the running... tomorrow I think
 
#12 ·
thanks for the reviews and mod info.
I have a blink/flinch problem and so far the only cure is to go back to square one and do the fundamentals with a .22 (currently have a Heritage rough rider). the 22/45 looks like it's going to be fun and rewarding to shoot. glad to see .22lr back on the shelves at box stores and online ammo sources.
 
#13 ·
When you do get your 22/45, there are a couple mods that make the gun really enjoyable. Search for, and consider the "slingshot" mod, removal of the magazine disconnect, and some magazine bumper baseplate pads. Search for the magazine tune up, and tune all your magazines. The Majestic Arms 3.2 Speed Strip kit is worth having, because it eliminates the magazine disconnect, includes a new hammer and sear, which improves the trigger dramatically, and has the benefit of the Speed Strip. The McFadden Ultimate Clip Loader is amazing at loading your magazines with one swipe.
 
#14 ·
I have a MKII and the MkIII 22/45 5.5" Bull Barrel with non-replaceable grips. I like both and they shoot well.

The only thing I've done with the 22/45 is replace the hammer bushing(to eliminate the mag safety and enhance field stripping) and installed a Bushnell 125 red dot. After about a 1000 rounds, disassembly/Assembly is easier. ;)
 
#17 ·
I went to the range this morning and rented a mk2, stainless w/target sights. I was shooting Federal and Winchester ammo, had 3 duds. all 3 fired the second time around.
I like the sights. with some practice and sight adjustment I think a tight group is very possible. no blinks or flinches, just a lot of fun.
 
#18 ·
Love it, very accurate very fun to shoot. Regarding the grips I got the Houge wrap around rubber grip. It has a nice feel to it and fits my hand well even though i got smaller then average hands. The one thing I dont like is the stock trigger, but that a easy fix on a Ruger.

 
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