Photo credit: Mr. Madness/YouTube
The .22 LR pistol is one of the most useful handguns you can own. Ammunition is relatively inexpensive, recoil is almost nonexistent, and the best rimfire pistols are accurate enough to expose every mistake in your trigger press. They work for new shooters, small-game hunters, competition, and anyone who simply wants to spend an afternoon shooting without burning through a pile of expensive centerfire ammo.
The category is also far more varied than people sometimes realize. Some .22 pistols are dedicated target guns with exceptional triggers. Others mimic centerfire service pistols closely enough to make excellent trainers. A few are compact enough for field carry or suppressor use. These 20 stand out because they do more than simply run cheap ammunition.
Ruger Mark IV Competition
The Mark IV Competition takes one of the most proven rimfire pistol designs in America and gives it the weight and balance serious target shooters want. The slab-sided barrel adds enough mass to keep the muzzle exceptionally steady, while the steel construction makes recoil almost disappear.
The biggest improvement over older Ruger rimfires is the takedown system. One-button disassembly makes cleaning dramatically easier than it was on previous generations. Add the excellent aftermarket and broad parts support, and the Mark IV Competition becomes one of the safest recommendations for someone who wants a .22 they can keep improving for years.
Browning Buck Mark Plus UDX
The Buck Mark Plus UDX combines one of Browning’s best rimfire actions with a grip that feels much more refined than most basic plinking pistols. The trigger is crisp, the barrel is accurate, and the balance makes deliberate shooting extremely comfortable.
The UDX grip contours are a big part of the appeal. They give the pistol a more substantial target-gun feel without making it excessively large. Shooters who want excellent accuracy without moving into specialized Olympic-style pistols will find the Buck Mark very difficult to criticize.
Smith & Wesson Model 41
The Model 41 is one of the classic American target pistols, and its reputation was earned over decades of serious competition use. The trigger is exceptionally clean, the sights are excellent, and the pistol is built around precision rather than convenience.
It costs far more than an ordinary .22, but the difference is obvious once you start shooting for groups. The Model 41 rewards careful trigger control and makes accurate slow-fire shooting almost effortless. It remains one of the benchmarks against which other premium rimfire pistols are judged.
Volquartsen Black Mamba
The Black Mamba takes the familiar Ruger-style rimfire layout and pushes it deep into premium territory. Volquartsen combines a lightweight upper with excellent internal components and one of the best triggers available in a production .22 pistol.
The result is a gun that feels incredibly quick without becoming twitchy. It works equally well for steel competition, range shooting, and anyone who simply wants a rimfire pistol built with very few compromises. It is expensive, but the performance is obvious.
Taurus TX22 Competition
The TX22 Competition is one of the best examples of how far modern rimfire pistols have come. It offers generous capacity, an excellent trigger, and an optics-ready competition-style upper without demanding premium money.
It is also extremely easy to shoot quickly. Recoil is essentially nonexistent, the grip feels familiar to anyone who shoots modern centerfire pistols, and the gun transitions naturally between targets. For someone wanting a .22 that behaves like a modern defensive pistol rather than a traditional target gun, it is hard to beat.
FN 502 Tactical
The FN 502 Tactical is built around training value as much as pure rimfire fun. Its controls and general layout feel much closer to a modern service pistol than traditional .22 designs.
It also comes suppressor-ready and optics-ready in many configurations, which makes it an unusually flexible platform. Shooters who want to practice red-dot presentation, reloads, and manipulations without burning through 9mm will find the 502 extremely useful.
SIG Sauer P322
The P322 offers high capacity, modern controls, and a grip that feels more like a centerfire carry pistol than a dedicated rimfire target gun. That makes it particularly attractive as a trainer.
The trigger is easy to manage, and the pistol can be configured with optics and suppressor equipment. It gives newer shooters a low-recoil learning platform while still being interesting enough for experienced shooters to enjoy.
Walther PPQ .22
The PPQ .22 is one of the better rimfire pistols for shooters who want centerfire-style ergonomics. The grip is comfortable, the controls are intuitive, and the overall shape feels familiar if you already use Walther service pistols.
It is light, easy to handle, and pleasant for long range sessions. Accuracy is good enough for practical training, and the pistol’s natural pointability makes it especially friendly for beginners.
Beretta 87 Target
The Beretta 87 Target is far less common than most rimfire pistols, but it offers a shooting experience that feels distinctly premium. Its metal frame gives it more substance than polymer trainers, while the extended barrel and sight setup make it very easy to shoot accurately.
The single-action trigger is particularly pleasant. It is one of those pistols that feels like a refined European target gun rather than a basic plinker, and that alone makes it worth seeking out.
CZ Kadet
The Kadet system has always been appealing because it brings .22 LR training to the familiar CZ platform. Complete Kadet pistols and conversion setups allow shooters to practice with essentially the same grip angle and controls used on centerfire CZs.
The steel construction gives the gun excellent balance, and the fixed-barrel design can be remarkably accurate. For shooters already invested in CZ pistols, it is one of the most natural rimfire trainers available.
Glock 44
The Glock 44 is not the fanciest .22 pistol, but it makes a lot of sense for people who already shoot Glocks. The controls, grip shape, and general handling closely mimic the centerfire guns.
That gives it real training value. You can work on presentation, trigger control, and manipulations with far less recoil and ammunition cost. It also remains light and easy enough for newer shooters to handle comfortably.
Ruger SR22
The SR22 is one of the more versatile compact rimfire pistols because it combines small dimensions with a traditional hammer-fired action and interchangeable grip sleeves.
It works well for new shooters, field carry, and casual plinking. The controls are easy to understand, recoil is nonexistent, and the pistol is compact without becoming difficult to shoot. It is not a dedicated target gun, but it is one of the more practical all-around .22s.
Browning 1911-22
The 1911-22 shrinks the familiar 1911 layout into a rimfire package that feels substantially more serious than many lightweight .22 pistols.
The controls are familiar, the trigger is easy to manage, and the metal construction gives it a pleasing amount of heft. For shooters who want to practice 1911-style handling without burning through .45 ACP, it is an excellent option.
Hammerli X-Esse
The X-Esse is a serious European target pistol that often gets overlooked by shooters focused only on Ruger and Browning. Its ergonomics, trigger, and barrel quality are all aimed at precision shooting.
It has a distinctly purpose-built feel. The gun is happiest on a target range rather than in a holster, but that is exactly where it excels. Shooters interested in formal rimfire competition should give it much more attention.
Pardini SP
The Pardini SP is one of the most refined dedicated .22 target pistols available. Its grip, trigger, and balance are all designed around minimizing shooter error and maximizing consistency.
It is far more specialized than the average rimfire pistol, but the accuracy and trigger quality are exceptional. For serious competition use, it belongs in an entirely different category than ordinary plinkers.
Smith & Wesson Victory
The Victory offers a heavy, stable platform at a much more accessible price than premium target guns. Its steel frame and barrel make the pistol extremely steady, and the factory trigger is quite good.
The design is also modular enough to support aftermarket barrels, grips, and optics setups. That makes it a strong choice for shooters who want a rimfire they can gradually turn into a more specialized target pistol.
Ruger Mark IV 22/45 Lite
The 22/45 Lite trades the weight of the Competition model for a much lighter upper and a grip angle inspired by the 1911.
That makes it especially useful for field carry and suppressor setups. The controls are familiar, the aftermarket is enormous, and the pistol remains accurate enough for serious plinking or small-game use. It is one of the most versatile Mark IV configurations.
KelTec CP33
The CP33 is one of the strangest rimfire pistols on the market, but there is real capability behind the odd appearance. Its 33-round magazines give it enormous capacity, and the long sight radius helps with accuracy.
It is also highly configurable with optics and other accessories. Magazine loading requires attention, but once set up properly, the pistol is incredibly entertaining. For shooters who want something completely different from a traditional .22, the CP33 delivers.
High Standard Supermatic Citation
The Supermatic Citation is one of the great classic American rimfire target pistols. Older examples have excellent triggers, natural balance, and the kind of accuracy that still holds up beautifully today.
High Standard no longer dominates the rimfire world the way it once did, which makes these pistols easy to overlook. A well-preserved Citation remains a superb shooter and offers a level of old-school craftsmanship that many newer pistols struggle to match.
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