The “Fun Gun”

Today would seem to be the ideal day to write about .22 caliber pistols, because that's about all I'm gonna be able to shoot for the next few weeks, after the hand surgery yesterday.  Although I am right-handed and they cut into the LEFT one, I've always shot handguns with a "2-hand" hold, so I'll need to avoid "recoil" right now.....of which 22's have none to speak of.

The 22 is a caliber my little grand daughters can shoot .  They are fun to "plink" with, will provide small game in any survival situation, and even with the rising cost of ammo, they remain relatively inexpensive to shoot.  You can shoot a 22 all day long without putting a dent in your wallet, or in your shoulder.  (By contrast, I have a 458 Winchester Model 70 African that'll set you back about $6.00 every time You squeeze the trigger, and it'll also set you back on your butt if you're not careful!)

Shooting a 22 pistol is just as pleasant as a 22 rifle, and the most fun 22 pistols I can think of, are the Ruger Mark I's, II's, and III's.  Bill Ruger, coming home after World War II, was so impressed with the design and balance of the old German Luger, he patterned his new company's first pistol along those same lines in 1949.  At first glance, they resemble the old Luger, although the "internals are very different (and of course, "Der Luger" was a 9mm.).

The Mark I was a success right out of the gate.  The only "quirk" it had, (if you want to call it a "quirk"), is that the bolt didn't stay open after the last shot, telling the shooter the magazine was empty.

"Mr Bill" remedied that with the Mark II.  They built and sold Mark II's by the millions.  I have/"had" a beautiful Mark II with custom grips before I met Donna, and after the first time I took her out & let her shoot it.......it "magically" became HER gun, and I had to go out and buy another one for ME!  And she could burn through a full magazine faster than I could reload another one!  Today she loads her own and just has a ball with it.

Ruger later made a Mark III that has a little indictor bar that tells you if there's a round in the chamber.  Other than that, the gun has not changed in design since its original inception back in '49. except for the 22/45 option, in which the grips are frame-casted like the 45 automatic, and NOT slanted back like the Luger.  I really don't care for that version, but many do.

A brand new Mark III today runs just over $400.00, although a good USED one can still be had in the 200-300 range, (and in most cases, a used Ruger is usually better than a brand new "anything else."  Ruger handguns are really built to last.

So if you aren't really all that versed about pistols, and are just looking for a nice little fun gun to plink with, you can't go wrong with one of the Ruger Mark series guns  Although the I's & II's are becoming "collectable these days", they are still making the III today, and you can find one in just about any gun shop you walk into.

It's a "lot of bang for the buck" as they say (no pun intended).

And 22's........well, yes they are...........they're just fun to shoot!            

The stainless steel Mark II that  I had to find after Donna "staked claim" to my other one!

                                                   An earlier-era Mark I

When I wrote the story about the Winchester "Oregon Trail", I forgot to mention THIS one, which is ALSO an "unfired" gun.  It's a Ruger Mark II, NRA, "Bill Ruger Commemorative."  Came with two magazines, and the one INSIDE the gun's handle ALSO still has the instruction sticker on it!  (Has Bill Ruger's signature engraved over the chamber).

While most of my handguns are "big boomers" (357 Magnum and UP), it's always fun to step out of the "Dirty Harry" world every now and then, grab a 22 (either auto-pistol or revolver), and just go out there and enjoy yourself without getting' beat up by recoil and muzzle blast.

Most wives/girlfriends will readily join in there with you as well, when they know they aren't going to get "kicked", and in all the years I've been shootin', I've not yet heard of a 22 kicking ANYBODY!

They're just a lot of fun!