Today's range fun - a .22lr comparison shoot
I thought it might be fun to take most of my small .22 collection to the range to compare with the Ruger SR22 I just bought. Any excuse... right? So I packed the pistols that are all kind of similar, leaving the larger ones or dedicated target guns home. This is the group; The new (used) Ruger SR22, Beretta 70s, Bersa T22, Daewoo DP52, Walther PP and a FEG SMC22. The Ruger is the odd ball of the group having the polymer frame. These are all pretty good guns, with OK accuracy and reliability. I shot about 200 rounds without one glitch. That's good for a bunch of .22s.
First the Ruger. This is truly a nice pistol. The grip is small, more child size, but everything works well. The sights are easy to pick up, the single action trigger is good, (DA is quite long) and it was accurate. The really nice thing about this gun is the large tab on the magazine that makes loading very easy. Push down and load away. Great engineering. It fired cheap ammo as well as the Mini-Mag I mostly shot.
I give the Ruger a A
The classic Beretta 70s is a jewel. It is so well made you want to just fondle it, forget shooting. The mags hold 8 rounds and are hard to find. The grip is very comfortable. It has flaws however. The tiny sights are very hard to see and this model tends to shoot high for some reason. Even with the adjustable sights as tight as I can get them the POI is about 4" high using a target hold. This is still a model well worth having in a collection.
I give it a B.
The Bersa is an OK gun. I've never been impressed with Bersa quality but the BT22 has some nice features. It's modern so it has a mag disconnect, pretty good sights, easy takedown, a slide release, (as does the Ruger) and a safety/decocker. It needs HV ammo or it may fail. Not my favorite trigger of the group but it's a gun that many people may enjoy and like... mainly because they're available at a reasonable price... kinda.
I give it a B
The rare but outstanding Daewoo DP52. I wish Lionheart Industries were making these again too. The Daewoo is a very close copy/clone of the Walther PP. Hard to tell them apart when shooting except that the Daewoo has good sights. The mags are perhaps the hardest to load of the group though similar to the Walther. This is an all steel gun and feels just solid as a rock. I've run every brand of crap ammo I own through this and it eats them all. I love this gun. Not as pretty as the Walther but I'd say it's quality matches or surpasses the Walther. If you ever see one - grab it.
It's a A+
Walther PP. The epitome of small, quality firearms. These are collector items these days and I don't shoot it much. Other than small sights, which are dot-on-post like the Kahrs, this gun has no flaws. It feels good, it is accurate, (maybe the best of this group), and has a really nice SA trigger. Really nice. If you find one in good shape - buy it.
A+ tie with the Daewoo.
The FEG is also a PP copy, but rather than made by experienced and serious Korean gunsmiths as in the case of the Daewoo , the FEG was made by serious and experienced tractor builders. It is typical commie quality, that is, nothing slick, glorious, beautiful or elegant. Just parts that work, whether smooth or rough, filed or finished. It wasn't made for a beauty contest. It works though and has a decent trigger but useless, tiny sights.
A C+ for utilitarianism (rhymes with communism).
There they are... the classics, a Beretta and a handful of Walther relatives Versus the new, modern Ruger. All were fun. The modern Ruger, with it's plastic and aluminum feels space aged and competent. The all metal crowd offers old-time panache. I love them all.
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