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The Best 22 Handgun I've Ever Owned Or Shot

3K views 22 replies 12 participants last post by  jstgsn 
#1 · (Edited)


Fiber optic adjustable sites and the empty shells fall out like butter.And I must say it's very accurate as well.I had it on 60 day layaway but that only lasted one day.The trigger is way lighter than my 22 Taurus Magnum. H&R's and High Standard 22's are lot's of fun but the craftsmanship and quality of a Ruger is no comparison.I know there's more expensive 22's on the market but this is as high as I go for a 22 trailgun.
 
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#10 ·
These folks like it. But say the trigger is horrible. Was your good out of box?
http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2012/07/robert-farago/gun-review-ruger-sp101-22-revolver/
It wasn't heavy enough that when you pulled the trigger it would make you go off the target.It really didn't seem to be noticeable to me.It felt smooth and very easy to shoot.I heard of some Rugers having shell extraction problems,that's what I was concerned about when I shot it for the first time to be honest.
Like I said it's best 22 I've ever shot.
 
#11 ·
That's a nice looking little SP! You'll get many years of service out if it.
I like the wood grip inserts. Mine (1994-era) has the regular greenish plastic inserts but I put a Hogue Monogrip on it anyway.

Give the trigger a bit of break-in and it will probably smooth out so that it feels lighter.
You can also Wolff spring kit the revolver too if the trigger is a bit heavy.
Between myself, a couple friends, and my mom we've bought 6 new Ruger DAs in the last couple years...a mix of GPs and SPs. All of them have very good triggers except for one that is not heavy but it is a bit rough.
I've got a tendency to not believe much on TTAG blog pages...either they get a lot of duds to review or there is something else wrong over there.


How's it group?
 
#12 ·
Nice pistol! It sure is purty! Trigger pull on any DA .22LR revolver is going to be a little on the heavy side, compared to centerfire cartridges. The reason is that the rim of the .22LR cartridge has to be crushed hard enough for the priming compound to be ignited. That takes more force than simply having the firing pin strike a primer in a centerfire cartridge. That's going to require a heavier hammer spring, which equals a heavier trigger pull.
 
#13 ·
Actually Carver, the rim of a .22LR case is thinner than the typical primer cup and will ignite fairly easy. Now a .22mag...that stuff is tougher but still doable with a "normal" hammer spring. The springs are identical between the rimfire and centerfire SPs and the trigger pulls should be comparable unless there are burrs in the action or a bum spring on the rimfire.

The SP has enough mass in it's hammer that igniting rimfire cartridges isn't a problem...unlike a friend's 317 Airlight which has problems even with the stock hammer spring (dunno the DA pull weight on it) or my old Taurus 94 (which DID have a 15lb DA billy-goat trigger).
The trigger on my .22LR SP has been worked over (before I bought it) and has a very clean 3.25lb SA pull and about 12lb DA...perfectly acceptable for a trail gun in my book and it's dead-nuts reliable on ignition even with the spring work.
 
#15 · (Edited)
Actually Carver, the rim of a .22LR case is thinner than the typical primer cup and will ignite fairly easy. Now a .22mag...that stuff is tougher but still doable with a "normal" hammer spring. The springs are identical between the rimfire and centerfire SPs and the trigger pulls should be comparable unless there are burrs in the action or a bum spring on the rimfire.

The SP has enough mass in it's hammer that igniting rimfire cartridges isn't a problem...unlike a friend's 317 Airlight which has problems even with the stock hammer spring (dunno the DA pull weight on it) or my old Taurus 94 (which DID have a 15lb DA billy-goat trigger).
The trigger on my .22LR SP has been worked over (before I bought it) and has a very clean 3.25lb SA pull and about 12lb DA...perfectly acceptable for a trail gun in my book and it's dead-nuts reliable on ignition even with the spring work.
I must have grown up on another planet than you!:D Where I come form .22 revolvers have heavy triggers, for the reason I stated above. Run a web search on the SP 101, and look for comments on trigger pull. Run a web search on any DA .22 revolver. A lot of women, and older folks, simply can not pull the trigger on a DA .22 revolver. They just don't have the strength.

"You may recall my initial kvetch about the Ruger SP101 .22LR: the trigger was heavier than Proust and stacked more than my local Wal-Mart." http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/20...preview-ruger-sp101-22lr-trigger-smooths-out/
 
#16 ·
I'm just taking exception to the blanket statement of "any DA .22lr having a tough trigger because they need to". They don't all, nor do they need one if it's designed right.

I own an SP101 in .22lr and I have checked out the new model with the big fiber optic sights in a couple of local stores. Almost bought one for mom to match up with the GP100 she appropriated out of my safe but she chose a Buckmark instead (her choice...she wanted an autoloader).

The rimfire SP uses the same springs inside as the centerfire SP. The entire fire control group is the same except for the firing pin, which is offset instead of centered.
The only differing part in the FCG is the cylinder hand (mine is a six-shot like the .32/.327 models, the new rimfires are 8-shot, and the .38s are 5-shot...each require a different hand). Unless the cylinder is binding or tough to turn, this should have no bearing on DA trigger pull going between the different round count models.
Those same springs are used in the GP and SRH too.

I've still got the factory springs for my SP in the gun. The only work that was done on it was a polish job. The DA measures 12lb, which is about the same as on my .38 SP101. But with a gun as heavy as the 4" rimfire SP it is actually easier to manage the trigger on my .22.

I do agree that the Taurus and Smith small frame rimfires do have heavy triggers. I don't know what they use for springs inside but yes both the Taurus 94 (have owned two of em) and the Smith 317 (owned by a friend) are heavier than their centerfire counterparts. These two designs have a lighter hammer than the SP. Maybe the lower rotating mass requires a heavier spring to give consistent ignition?

I can't speak for the old 22/32 kit gun, the K22, or the Colt Diamondback since I have no experience with em. The old H&R and IJ double actions are usually big enough framed guns that you can get a good handle on their tough triggers.

And as I mentioned above, I take pretty much everything I've seen on TTAG blog pages with a grain of salt because there have been many cases that have contradicted my experiences with the same models.
Sure, Mr. Farago writes with overly "fluffy" language in his SP review (and the follow up that describes the initial break-in that darn near any new firearm will need, and his other blog pages) but that does seem to be used to cover up his lack of technical expertise. He should stick to ramrodding the rag instead of writing for it.
There...I haven't vented about TTAG for a while. I'm good for another year or so again. :D
 
#19 ·

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#21 ·
I like that Woodsman Carver!
Was that you that posted the "mounted" rat hunt a while back? Your steeds being lawnmowers?
Yep, that was us ********, me and my brother! What a blast!
 
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