.22 Pistols
A .22 LR pistol is the most versatile handgun you can own — cheap to shoot, easy to suppress, ideal for training new shooters, and genuinely fun at any skill level. Impact Guns stocks the full range of .22 pistol options, from the Ruger Mark IV and Browning Buck Mark for target and small game use, to the Taurus TX22 Competition for action shooting, to the Smith & Wesson Victory series for precision work. Whether you want a plinker, a trainer, or a suppressor host, there’s a .22 pistol built for exactly that purpose.
Read our full .22 Pistol Buying Guide ↓
.22 LR Pistol vs. .22 Magnum: Choosing Your Rimfire Caliber
.22 LR is the overwhelming choice for target shooting, training, and suppressor hosting — it’s the most widely available rimfire cartridge in the world and the most affordable to shoot in volume. .22 Magnum (.22 WMR) offers significantly more energy — roughly 2× the muzzle velocity of .22 LR — making it a credible defensive or small-game cartridge. The Rock Island XT22 Magnum and Kel-Tec CP33 cover the .22 WMR pistol market if that’s your target. For training, plinking, and suppressed shooting, .22 LR is the right answer for 95% of buyers.
Best .22 Pistols for Training: Improving Your Shooting with Rimfire
The best .22 pistols for training are those that mirror your carry or duty gun in grip angle, controls, and manual of arms. The Ruger Mark IV and Browning Buck Mark are dedicated .22 target pistols with excellent triggers that build fundamentals. For 9mm shooters, the S&W M&P 15-22 and similar pattern pistols let you train with the same grip as your primary. At 5–10 cents per round vs. 25–50 cents for 9mm, a .22 trainer pays for itself quickly in ammo savings while building trigger discipline, sight alignment, and follow-through.
Best .22 Pistols for Suppressor Use
.22 LR is the most popular suppressor caliber because subsonic loads are genuinely quiet — hearing-safe without ear protection in most conditions. The ideal suppressor host has a threaded barrel (typically 1/2×28 for .22), a reliable feeding mechanism with subsonic ammo, and enough mass to cycle consistently with low-pressure loads. Top hosts include the Ruger Mark IV Tactical, the Smith & Wesson Victory with threaded barrel, and the Taurus TX22. Since January 1, 2026, the NFA $200 tax stamp has been eliminated, making suppressor ownership dramatically more accessible.
Competition .22 Pistols: Rimfire Challenge and Action Shooting
Rimfire Challenge (RFRO), Steel Challenge, and similar action sports have exploded in popularity as a low-cost entry point into competitive shooting. The Taurus TX22 Competition is purpose-built for this with a 5″ barrel, optics-ready slide, and match-grade trigger. The Ruger Mark IV Competition and Volquartsen-built pistols represent the top end of rimfire competition hardware, with custom triggers and barrels that can run under 1″ groups at 25 yards. For a first competition .22, the TX22 Competition offers the best value; for serious competitors, Volquartsen is the benchmark.
Semi-Auto .22 Pistols vs. .22 Revolvers
Semi-automatic .22 pistols feed from box magazines (typically 10–15 rounds) and offer faster follow-up shots. They do require attention to ammo quality — .22 LR has higher variability than centerfire, and some semi-autos are picky about subsonic or bulk ammo. .22 revolvers, like those from Ruger and Smith & Wesson, eliminate feeding issues entirely — they fire whatever you put in the cylinder. For new shooters, revolvers are simpler. For high-volume shooting and competition, semi-autos win on capacity and reload speed.
.22 Pistol Ammunition & Related Pages
See our .22 LR ammo page for in-stock bulk and match-grade loads. For .22 Magnum pistols, see our .22 WMR ammo page. If you’re shopping for a first handgun and considering .22, also browse our 9mm pistols and women’s guns pages for additional options suited to new shooters.