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ChrisS

M&P .22 compact vs Ruger Mark III opinions?

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Hello all- this is my first post here. I finally received my ID card and permit from the Freehold PD and am looking to purchase a rifle and handgun, both .22LR

 

I have previous experience with firearms but my wife does not. I figure a set of .22's are the easiest way to introduce my wife to shooting. For the rifle, I'm 95% set on picking up a Henry (either the frontier or small game carbine). That 5% uncertainty exists due to a lot of friends recommending the M&P 15-22. As far as the hand guns, I'm not sure at all. I've read the reviews, wore out YouTube, talked to anyone willing to listen and yet can't come to a definitive choice. I am a big fan of the Ruger Mark III (actually the Mark I or II if I can find one in very good condition) but looking at the 15-22 made me also look at the 22 compact. Ideally, I'd love to just get a S&W 34-1 and call it a day, but cannot swing the cost of one.

 

Any and all opinions would be more than appreciated, and I thank you in advance.

 

Wild card: my wife is a southpaw. I don't know how this would play into my options, but figured I'd disclose it should it matter.

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Welcome to the forum.

 

As far as pistols go, you're comparing apples to oranges. The compact Smith is more of a tactical pistol where as the Ruger is a target gun. If you plan on just shooting paper at 7 yards then the M&P should be just fine. If you expect to do more precision shooting out to 25 yards and beyond then a MKIII with a bull barrel is the hands down winner. You may want to check out the MKIII 22/45. It has a 5" bull barrel and a polymer lower with 1911 ergonomics. Be sure to get the model with replaceable grips though.

 

For your rifle, the Henry is a nice choice, I've been thinking about getting one myself. I personally dig the Mare's Leg. The M&P is also a great gun. I have one and it's a ton of fun to shoot. Plus there are endless ways to customize it (if you're into that).

 

They're all pretty good options. Good luck with you decision.

 

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Welcome! Henry Frontier or Golden Boy. Skip the carbine.  Skip the 15-22 for now.  For a pistol get a Ruger MKiii, just a better gun.  See what happens in NJ's future.  Something about a lever that always gets people going.  Semi autos not so much.  Easier to upgrade Ruger MKiii and 10/22. Everybody sells something for them for a reason!

 

Learn to use iron sights.  Find out what is your wife's dominant eye, you maybe surprised.  I know a lot of southpaws that shoot right handed because of this.

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Thanks for the replies! I'm thinking the frontier is going to be my final choice. Lever action is a favorite of mine. Funny you mention the mares leg- it's considered a handgun here in NJ. Maybe that's my choice? Argh- another decision. I'm pretty sure I'm taking the compact 22 out of the running. I like the simplicity of the levers. So- Henry Frontier and

A: Ruger Mk III

B: Henry Mare's Leg

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I am not a big fan of Henry's.  I envision them as sheet metal, but others love them.   In my opinion, if you want a lever action, see if you can find an older Marlin 39A.  I would consider a Ruger 10/22 Take Down model for versatility as well as the Henry, though. 

 

As was pointed out, the Ruger and the S&W handguns are for different purposes.  And, both have a place in a firearm battery.   Since you mentioned that you and your wife would be shooting, I would probably go with the S&W M&P 22 Compact (or the full-size one).  I like the Compact because it is US made at S&W.  The full size is outsourced.   I am suggesting the M&P 22 Compact because it is a fun plinker and it is better for smaller hands (usually a woman's and maybe a child or grandchild's  hands, niece, etc. are also in the mix), and it is lighter, considerably lighter than a Ruger Mark, which might be a significant consideration with a lot of shooting.  And, still with a 22, recoil will be marginal.  If you and your wife have larger hands, you might want to consider the full-size S&W M&P 22 which is also a really great gun.  The Ruger Mark III can get really heavy with the bull barrel, etc..  But, the Ruger Marks work exceptionally and have awesome accuracy, especially the longer barrelled ones.  I actually prefer a used Mark II Target over the Mark III Target if you can find an older, used one.  If you do want an all-steel Mark III, check out the Hunter model.  I like this model that is a TALO exclusive:  TALO exlusive 5.5"  Hunter Model 10125. The 6-and-some-change barrelled  one is even more  heavy than the 4 or 5" model.   As a side note, I do not like the v-notch rear sight of the Hunter model and would swap it out with the regular notched site (at an additional cost from Ruger).

 

But, let me suggest a great compromise... a Ruger Mark III 22/45 Lite.  It is lighter, check.  It has a slightly longer barrel and with its fixed barrel than the S&W, a lot of accuracy, check (like the standard Mark the slide doesn't move), and because of that it can easily mount a scope on top, or a laser if you want one.  You can install any 1911 grips on it with minimal modification, and the grip angle is similar to the M&P and/or a 1911.  This can serve as both a tactical shooter as well as a relatively speaking tack driver.  I don't know if I would get the newer blue model, though.  I like this model if you can find one... Ruger 22/45 Lite. And, here is a review:

 

Ruger 22/45 Lite - The Truth About Guns

 

Here is another one from NutnFancy:

 

Ruger 22/45 Lite: Excellent But Unoriginal

 

Here is a review of the S&W:  Smith & Wesson M&P22 Compact - The Truth About Guns

 

I think you should get both  the M&P and a Target Ruger Mark.  You can get more than 1 permit.

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Between the pistols, I would get the S&W M&P Compact.

 

However I wouldn't get a .22LR, because quality ammo (ie CCI Minimags) is hard to come by. Go with a 9mm instead. Trust me, I hardly shoot my .22LR and wish I put the cash toward a higher caliber pistol like a 9mm, 45ACP, 10mm, etc.

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Between the pistols, I would get the S&W M&P Compact.

 

However I wouldn't get a .22LR, because quality ammo (ie CCI Minimags) is hard to come by. Go with a 9mm instead. Trust me, I hardly shoot my .22LR and wish I put the cash toward a higher caliber pistol like a 9mm, 45ACP, 10mm, etc.

You're just not looking hard enough. I've bought thousands of rounds of CCI (standard and mini-mags) in the past year.

 

 

Also, to the OP, you may want to look at the Ruger SR22. It comes with 2 sets of grips for big and small hands. The smaller grip is great for women and kids.

 

A friend has one and can consistently put up softball size groups at 25 yards off hand.

 

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Thank you everyone for all your insight. I tried finding a shop with an M&P 22 compact but was told they can't be sold in NJ due to their threaded barrel. I did however manage to hold a Mark III standard and was very impressed. The 22/45 didn't feel as natural to aim.

 

In regards to ammo, I've been preemptively purchasing .22LR here and there. I've got a few boxes of mini mags and some CCI LRNs as well as a box of Federal champions and one of the 1000 ct M-22 boxes from Dicks, so I'm fairly comfortable with sticking with the .22 for starters (I can always buy more guns later on, right?) Actually, I was going to put an ad up to try and sell the M-22 ammo and focus on purchasing more CCI.

 

So it looks like the Ruger is a lock along with the Henry Frontier. I'm guessing the smart move is to buy the Ruger first since my permit is only good for 90 days. I found one online for $290 with free shipping. Even with the FFL & NICS fees it looks like a <$350 acquisition. I wonder if I could keep the price somewhere in that ballpark and purchase locally.

 

Thank you all for your time and suggestions. This is a great community and I look forward to getting more familiar with you all.

 

Kindest,

Chris

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Check gungenie.com for quotes from local FFLs. There are dealers that help sponsor this board that would be glad to quote you also. Reach out to them also.  Last I knew threaded barrels on pistols were not a deal killer either. Look for a new FFL, I hate those that give bad info.

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Whoever said that S&W M&P 22 Compacts couldn't be sold in NJ is full of Frog Lube. It's well worth finding one.

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I have made numerous posts at-length on this forum about my S&W M&P 22 Compact... as I have stated before, I was lucky to get one the week before they "hit the market" and therefore was one of the first to experience how awesome this "little" gun is... and as I have also stated before, the whole "Compact" deal is not to be taken as if the gun is some CCW-sized pocket pistol.  The M&P 22 was made by Walther-Umarex and imported into the USA for S&W as their .22LR-caliber M&P.  When Smith and Wesson & Walther-Umarex dissolved their partnership in its entirety last year, S&W decided to make a .22LR in-house (to be able to continue selling .22LR M&P really, because the "full-size" would no longer be made and once the existing world's stock goes, it's gone)... they therefore needed to change it up some to be substantially-different-enough to be a separate, new and different gun - so they made it exactly 87.5% scale-sized of the 'full-size' M&P ... thus we have the M&P 22 "Compact".

 

 

And I absolutely love mine!  It has been a literal and figurative blast for me... plenty of fun, perfect trainer for both general shooting and the fact I carry a M&P Shield every day, it's both lightweight and slim in the hand to be great-feeling and great shooting and it tucks extremely nicely in the waistband for carrying around the property or getting the mail, letting the dog out, carrying at home when you're wearing relaxed-type clothing and not strapping on your belt and CCW-rig.

 

 

Highly, highly recommended.  I am not a Ruger guy but i know and respect their products and certainly their history with top-selling .22LR pistols (and rifles of course).  I am a big Smith and Wesson fan and absolutely love the M&P 22 Compact and can't imagine anyone not enjoying theirs.

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I was in the same spot a couple years ago. I hadn't fired anything in over 20 years and my wife had only taken a few shots with a .22 rifle way back in the 80's. I decided to let her ease in slowly by signing us up for an NRA First Steps Pistol course at Heritage Guild, this had the added benefit of allowing her to try out a few different guns during the range portion of the course.

In our case, the range time included use a S&W 22A (similar to the MK III) and a SR22, along with a LCR, 686+, M&P9, Glock 19 and Kimber Custom II. Much to my surprise, and hers, we both liked the 1911 more than anything else.

We each got 2 permits and planed to each get a .22 (cheap to shoot) and a 1911. She ended up with a SR22 and a Para Expert. I had planned to go with a MK III, 22/45 or Buckmark but somehow ended up with a 9mm instead, availability of .22 ammo had a lot to do with it. I also went with a Springfield Loaded Stainless.

Her SR22 is a lot of fun and, as expected is much cheaper to use than .45acp. I've had no trouble getting .22 ammo at reasonable prices so I'm planning to pick up a .22 for my self next.

What I'm getting at is, in my experience, a course might help her become more comfortable and would allow her to try a few different firearms. She just might surprise you by deciding what she likes on her own and it might not be a .22.

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Of course, I can only go by my experience at the one location, but yes, they brought out 7 guns and everyone got the chance to try any or all. Ammo was supplied as well, including for those who had brought their own firearms with them. You should probably call and confirm that this is the case with any other range, if you decide to do this. Might even want to check that this hasn't changed at HG if you decide to go there. I am very certain that the course did more to get my wife started than I could have done on my own.

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I finally pulled the trigger on a Ruger MK III. thank you all for your input and advice. A friend of mine took me to the range and I got to shoot both guns, and the Ruger felt a lot better in my hand. I'll be picking it up this Saturday. The only problem (if it can be called a problem) that I encountered is that I also tried a 92FS and now have to start squirreling away for one. Again, thanks.

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Save up for the replacement trigger and magazine release replacement.  See Volquartzen for trigger and Tandemkross for other parts.  Will turn that pistol into a tack driver.

I've got both pages bookmarked. Thanks!

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