Chris in TN
WKR
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2025
- Messages
- 1,808
I grew up shooting S&W target revolvers (k-22s) and Ruger MKIIs. There were others along the way, of course, but I stuck with a MKII, despite its drawbacks. I'll freely concede the superior ergos of the MKIVs now. I'd also be quite happy with a browning buckmark if that's what I had, based on the ones I've shot before.
With aging eyes I almost gave up pistol shooting completely outside of test firing, occasional function testing of my CCWs, and the thinnest basic proficiency drills. But I've kept it up somewhat just to start training my kids, and after my eye surgery a month ago I'm back in a position to see pistol sights well enough to actually enjoy shooting again and I just got my MKII Ruger back from being threaded and the front sight set back to clear the threads. I'm still in the giddy child 'haha gun go PfttPfttPftt' stage of getting to know it again, with a DAM up front.
I also have a S&W M&P 22Compact. I bought it as a training analog to the various M&P variants I and my wife carry as CCWs and that my kids will learn on as time goes on. I enjoy it, too, but the trigger is typical 'polymer pistol' level whereas the MKII is more akin to a 1911 and precision shooting is much easier with the latter.
(I carried a 1911 for many years, still own a couple, no longer CCW them outside of very rare occasions, for reasons outside the scope of this thread).
Ammo: Both of the aforementioned semi-auto .22lrs have been 100% on feeding/extraction with everything I've put in them from CCI Quiet up to Winchester Power-Max 42grHP, which is what I'd keep in them for defensive use, if I had some reason to say '22lr' and 'defensive' in the same breath. I'm sure the suppressor is making my MKII dirtier than normal and I'm sure it'll need cleaning at some point but I've only had it back ~10 days and it hasn't gunked up to the point of failure yet. During the rimfire scarcity and neckbearding days a decade ago I stockpiled whatever I could find when I could find it and now find myself with all sorts of lower-grade .22lr but thus far all of it goes boom and has always cycled both of these guns, though I haven't retested any of the cheaper stuff in the MKII now that it's threaded. I do know that the cheaper .22lr stuff can be absolutely terrible in terms of velocity variation and I'm pretty sure Remington Thunderbolts use wet grass clippings for powder and I expect they'll dirty the guns up PDQ when I start shooting them up again. Right now I'm working through a bulk box of Eley Action and a bulk box of Federal Automatch. The thunderbolts will likely be shot last.
The glaring exception to reliability has been the M&P22C - every several shots, the slide lock will engage before the magazine is empty. Lubing that area helps greatly but it's still a problem and an annoying one. I haven't tried to fix it, yet, but need to. This isn't a feeding or extraction malfunction, which is good, but it's still an issue, just one that has never risen to the top of my list of things to fix.
I'd love to get a red dot of some sort for the MKII. I'd prefer something that would go into the rear sight dovetail but am not opposed to getting the top d/t'ed for a mount plate. I'd freely take (budget) suggestions for that if anyone has them.
As for usage, I am almost completely a plinker now. I do still perform some basic drills from time to time but on a much lower scale than in years past.
With aging eyes I almost gave up pistol shooting completely outside of test firing, occasional function testing of my CCWs, and the thinnest basic proficiency drills. But I've kept it up somewhat just to start training my kids, and after my eye surgery a month ago I'm back in a position to see pistol sights well enough to actually enjoy shooting again and I just got my MKII Ruger back from being threaded and the front sight set back to clear the threads. I'm still in the giddy child 'haha gun go PfttPfttPftt' stage of getting to know it again, with a DAM up front.
I also have a S&W M&P 22Compact. I bought it as a training analog to the various M&P variants I and my wife carry as CCWs and that my kids will learn on as time goes on. I enjoy it, too, but the trigger is typical 'polymer pistol' level whereas the MKII is more akin to a 1911 and precision shooting is much easier with the latter.
(I carried a 1911 for many years, still own a couple, no longer CCW them outside of very rare occasions, for reasons outside the scope of this thread).
Ammo: Both of the aforementioned semi-auto .22lrs have been 100% on feeding/extraction with everything I've put in them from CCI Quiet up to Winchester Power-Max 42grHP, which is what I'd keep in them for defensive use, if I had some reason to say '22lr' and 'defensive' in the same breath. I'm sure the suppressor is making my MKII dirtier than normal and I'm sure it'll need cleaning at some point but I've only had it back ~10 days and it hasn't gunked up to the point of failure yet. During the rimfire scarcity and neckbearding days a decade ago I stockpiled whatever I could find when I could find it and now find myself with all sorts of lower-grade .22lr but thus far all of it goes boom and has always cycled both of these guns, though I haven't retested any of the cheaper stuff in the MKII now that it's threaded. I do know that the cheaper .22lr stuff can be absolutely terrible in terms of velocity variation and I'm pretty sure Remington Thunderbolts use wet grass clippings for powder and I expect they'll dirty the guns up PDQ when I start shooting them up again. Right now I'm working through a bulk box of Eley Action and a bulk box of Federal Automatch. The thunderbolts will likely be shot last.
The glaring exception to reliability has been the M&P22C - every several shots, the slide lock will engage before the magazine is empty. Lubing that area helps greatly but it's still a problem and an annoying one. I haven't tried to fix it, yet, but need to. This isn't a feeding or extraction malfunction, which is good, but it's still an issue, just one that has never risen to the top of my list of things to fix.
I'd love to get a red dot of some sort for the MKII. I'd prefer something that would go into the rear sight dovetail but am not opposed to getting the top d/t'ed for a mount plate. I'd freely take (budget) suggestions for that if anyone has them.
As for usage, I am almost completely a plinker now. I do still perform some basic drills from time to time but on a much lower scale than in years past.
