Choosing the Best 22LR Pistol for You [A Quick Guide]

Look, you want a .22LR pistol. It sounds simple enough. You want something for cheap range days, maybe to teach a new shooter, or just to plink cans without burning through your savings on 9mm ammo.

Then you start research, and suddenly you’re in a rabbit hole of jammed rounds and arguments about “stopping power”.

The reality is that .22 ammo is dirty, inconsistent, and prone to duds. That means occasional mild malfunctions are somewhat inevitable. So let’s discuss what pistols are considered to be the best in the .22LR world and, importantly, for which tasks and applications.

Ruger Mark IV

Let’s start with the one .22LR pistol everyone seems to agree on. If you have the budget and you want a handgun that will probably outlast you, you’re looking at the Ruger Mark IV, specifically, the 22/45 Lite model. The gun actually mimics the grip angle of a 1911, making it a fantastic trainer if you’re used to that platform.

The pistol is the “gold standard” for reliability and accuracy. The older versions of this gun were a nightmare to clean, but Ruger fixed that with a one-button takedown system – you press a button, the barrel tips up, and you can scrub out all that rimfire gunk.

For a 22 handgun, it is expensive, sure, but the aftermarket support is insane. You can swap triggers (Volquartsen kits are fantastic), bolts, and grips until it runs like a custom race gun.

RUGER Mark IV 22/45 Lite 22LR Pistol

$561.99

Price accurate at time of writing

Taurus TX22

But maybe you don’t want to drop $500+ on a target pistol. You want something that feels like a modern duty weapon and doesn’t care what cheap ammo you feed it. That brings us to the Taurus TX22.

This thing rules. It holds 16 rounds, which is huge compared to the standard 10-round mags most .22 pistols are using. But more importantly, owners rave about reliability, saying it eats everything from premium CCI Mini-Mags to the bulk bucket ammo without choking.

Also, it feels like a modern striker-fired pistol (like Glock or S&W M&P), so it’s great for building muscle memory if you’re planning on transitioning to a 9mm later on. For the price, it’s arguably the best bang for your buck out there right now.

If you plan to run a suppressor, the TX22 Competition model is the best host due to its fixed barrel design.

TAURUS 2TX22 .22LR Pistol

$346.99

Price accurate at time of writing

Glock 44, SIG P322, FN 502

Now, if you’re a Glock guy, you’ve probably looked at the Glock 44. Some people say it’s a perfect trainer for their G19. It fits the same holsters and has the same controls. If you carry a G19, this allows you to run drills for a fraction of the cost. Others are disappointed because it only holds 10 rounds (as opposed to 15+ rounds of the G19), and it can be picky about ammo. Also, it doesn’t come with a threaded barrel.

The SIG Sauer P322 boasts 20 rounds in a flush-fit magazine. It also comes optics-ready right out of the box and includes a threaded barrel adapter. It’s light, fast, and feature-rich. However, some owners deal with occasional light strikes. Also, the P322 can be picky about the ammo.

SIG SAUER P322 22LR Pistol

$399.99

Price accurate at time of writing

The FN 502 looks sexy and feels premium (it’s a hammer-fired 22LR pistol after all), just like an FN 509 Tactical. It’s a great suppressor host, but you might run into the occasional jam. The mounting system for red dots is excellent (better than the plastic plates on some competitors).

FN 502 MRD 22 LR Pistol

$459.00

Price accurate at time of writing

KelTec P17

KelTec does weird stuff, and the P17 is weirdly good. It’s dirt cheap (often under $200), featherlight (14 oz fully loaded) and holds 16 rounds. Owners are often shocked at how reliable it is despite looking like a staple gun. It’s not pretty, but it punches above its weight class. Plus, it’s suppressor ready.

KEL-TEC P17 Compact 22 LR Pistol

$188.99

Price accurate at time of writing

Ruger SR22

Somewhere in the middle sits the Ruger SR22. This is a solid, reliable hammer-fired pistol, not particularly picky about ammo. It’s compact and runs well, but it has a quirk that drives some people crazy: the safety operates backward compared to most American guns (up is fire, down is safe). If you can get past that, it’s a dependable plinker.

RUGER SR22 22LR Pistol

$489.99

Price accurate at time of writing

Beretta Bobcat

Let’s be real: .22LR isn’t the first choice for self-defense. But if you need deep concealment, the Beretta Bobcat is a unique solution.

It’s a tiny pocket pistol with a tip-up barrel. You don’t have to rack the slide to load it, which is amazing for people with weak hand strength. The catch? It lacks an extractor. If a casing gets stuck, you have to pry it out manually, so you better keep it clean and feed it high-velocity ammo.

BERETTA 20X Bobcat 22LR Pistol

$499.00

Price accurate at time of writing

Choosing the Best 22LR Pistol for You [A Quick Guide]