9 of the Best .22 Handguns (Plinking, Training, More)

Growing up my favorite gun was my dad’s Remington Speedmaster in .22 LR. I plinked and hunted with that little rimfire all over the place. It was accurate, reliable and, most importantly, affordable; dad didn’t mind keeping me supplied with those inexpensive cartridges. 

As soon as I was able, legally and financially, I went looking for a .22 pistol. I ended up with a stainless Colt 22. This little striker-fired .22 LR was light, easy to shoot and fun as a night at the fair. I have no idea how rounds have gone through that gun because that was back when a 550-round box of .22s ran about $10. 

This inexpensiveness is one of the biggest selling points of rimfires; they are much cheaper to shoot, whether hunting, training or just enjoying a fun afternoon plinking. They are also great guns for introducing beginners to the world of shooting. 

Everyone needs a .22. In fact, most of us need multiple .22 handguns and rifles for a variety of purposes, such as target, training and pure unadulterated fun. Here are the best .22 handguns for the three most popular activities, in our humble opinion. 

Best .22 Handguns—Plinking & Fun

The main reason shooters like rimfires is fun. There are few activities more enjoyable than taking .22 pistols out to plink cans, clays and spinners. It also teaches basic shooting skills, such as trigger control, sight alignment, grip, stance and breath control. Of course, some guns are just more fun than others, making them the best .22 handguns for plinking. 

Browning 1911-22

The 1911 was one of the first semi-auto pistols ever introduced, and is still popular today. So, having a plinker that handles like a defense handgun makes a lot of sense even though it is scaled down to 85% of the original. In fact, this one would be listed in the training guns, except for the fact it is just a fun little shooter. 

Browning makes the 1911-22 available in a variety of models, from full size to compact, as well as with and without rails. Shooters can even choose among finishes and grips, as well as to add three-dot sights and a threaded barrel. This isn’t a conversion gun; Browning designed it from the ground up to have the feel of John Moses Browning’s original pistol, just a little smaller.  

KelTec P17

The KelTec P17 in’ts the prettiest of pistols, but it provides a whole lot of features for the price. It is also extremely accurate, especially since at 6.7 inches, it is just barely longer than a dollar bill. 

Features include a threaded barrel for attaching a suppressor, accessory rail, and an ambidextrous safety and magazine release. Even better, the P17 comes with three, 16-round magazines for a whole lot of rounds down range. 

Ruger Wrangler

At some point in their lives, everyone wants to be a cowboy. Most don’t becomes one, but that doesn’t mean folks can’t plink like a cowboy with the Ruger Wrangler. 

This single-action .22 LR six shooter comes in black, silver or burnt bronze Cerakote in barrel lengths between 3.75 inches and 7.5 inches. Ruger even offers it with a Birdshead grip or in a Single-Six pattern grip. Folks can even load six, as the Wrangler comes with a transfer-bar mechanism and a loading gate interlock for safety. 

Best.22 Handguns— Target

In general, the venerable .22 is pretty accurate for its purposes. However, some .22s are built with various features designed to accuracy. Some of the best .22 target handguns include adjustable target sights, bull barrels, ergonomic grips and light triggers. Longer barrels are also popular. 

Browning Buck Mark

Few companies offer a variety close to what Browning provides with the Buck Mark. There are hunting and target models in a multitude of barrel lengths, along with colors, grip choices and even barrel styles. There are fluted, bull and squared barrels available, many with threads on the end. Some even come with rails on top for attaching optics.

Shooters love the Browning Buck Mark for its accuracy and reliability, as well as its ergonomics. The Buck Mark just feels right in the hand. There are few guns with the legacy of the Browning Buck Mark, which make it one of the best .22 handguns available. 

Ruger Mark IV

Ruger makes some great .22s, and the public knows. In fact, the Ruger 10/22 typically leads semi-auto rifle sales, according to Gun Genius. The Ruger Mark IV usually sits in the top 10 of semi-auto pistols; it is the only rimfire that consistently stays in the top 10 sales. There are many reasons for this. 

Ruger Makes the Mark IV in several variations, including hunter, competition, tactical and target. All of them, however, come with a cold-hammer forged barrel for accuracy. Other features include internal cylindrical bolt construction, drilled and tapped receivers for mounting rails, ergonomic bolt stop, ambidextrous safety and one-button takedown for quick and easy field-stripping. The fit and feel are also fantastic for beginners and experienced alike. 

Smith & Wesson SW22 Victory

The SW22 Victory might have the fewest variations, but those that are available are accurate and well made. Smith & Wesson used a single-action, enclosed hammer-fired, blowback semi-automatic design in this rimfire, along with a match-grade, interchangeable barrel. 

Other features include fiber-optic front sight, adjustable fiber-optic rear sight, adjustable trigger stop and a rail for optics. S&W even makes two Performance Shop versions with carbon-fiber barrels for those who really want something that shines. 

Best .22 Handguns— Training

Those interested in keeping self-defense skills sharp have to train. Unfortunately, ammo prices have made training expensive. This had led to quite a few companies introducing .22 pistols with the look and feel of self-defense handguns. This, of course, doesn’t mean they can’t be used for plinking, or even hunting, but they really fill the need for less-expensive drill training. 

SIG SAUER P322

SIG claims the P322 is the highest capacity, most advanced .22 pistol in its class. Whether true or not, the P322 has all the features of a tactical trainer to match a carry gun. It even comes optics ready, fitting the ROMEOZero red-dot optic without the use of an adapter plate. 

Other features include fiber-optic sights, ambidextrous controls, reversible magazine release and a threaded barrel. It also comes with interchangeable trigger shoes (flat and curved) and two, 20-round magazines (10-round models are available). With the features and quality of SIG, the P322 easily jumps the line between training, hunting and plinking.

Taurus TX22

Some might consider Taurus to be a less-expensive brand. Might be true. The company, however, makes some pretty nice firearms, including the TX22. Available with and without a manual safety, the TX22 comes fully loaded with features. These include white dot sights, rear adjustable, rail for mounting lights and lasers, ergonomic grip and a threaded barrel. 

Shooters can even choose compact model, optic models and compliance models in a couple of different colors. Taurus even makes a few competition models, two with compensators. Standard models come with two, 16-round magazines, while the compact comes with 13-round magazines. There is, however, that comes optics ready, extended threaded barrel and 22-round magazines. 

Walther Arms PPQ 

Walther Arms will forever be linked to James Bond, but it makes quite a few other firearms, including the PPQ. This .22 LR semi-auto pistol features Walther’s well-known ergonomics. The comfort of Walther pistols in the hand are beyond pale; might be why 007 has stuck with the brand. 

In addition to ergonomics, the PPQ comes in three versions—4 inch, 4-inch Tac and 5-inch fiber optic. All feature ambidextrous slide stop and reversible magazine release, along with the reliability of Walther.