Opinions and suggestions, please!

Hi, everyone! The last year has been hectic for me, to say the least. I am now starting the wheels turning to begin regular competition again--and hoping for Camp Perry next year!



Thus, my dilemma...



Centerfire and .45 are taken care of well, by my Masaki pistols.



I also have a nice minty Smith 52-1 that shoots bugholes with the Hornady 148 gr HBWC and 3.2 of HP38 and a slide mounted Ultra-Dot.



My problem is the .22. I was shooting my last one like a house on fire. It was a Hammerli 280, which I affectionately dubbed "my Swiss pistol". I shot my highest scores EVER with that gun, and it brought me to the cusp of the Master Class. Then, disaster struck! At the Indoor Regionals, I had an out of battery firing, and the frame shattered. I ended up selling that frame, at a reasonable price. It quite literally broke my heart.



Now, I need suggestions for my match .22. I believe that I have options...



a. I've been kicking the idea around of a Smith and Wesson Model 41. I like steel--plus, it's American made!

b. Purchase of a Hammerli SP20, or even another 280. Problem? Carbon fiber frame!

c. I have a Browning Buckmark. It shows promise, and I've been looking at Nill Grips, and a Tactical Solutions barrel. Any word on those? How accurate can they be?



Any and all advice will be welcome. Thanks!

22 conversion. Get one at least for practice on the wad lower. You might like it so much to gt a dedicated frame.

If you go the conversion unit, check out Marvel Precision. They are saying that they have a new all steel conversion. I would go that route rather than the aluminum one.

Hammerli Exsee, available at larrys guns or champions choice. about 1000.00 mine came with a .33'' test target.
Nearly the same design as a 208s.

I also would suggest a conversion from Marvel Precision http://marvelprecision.com/ as a good choice. You can just swap out the slides between 22 and 45 and this allows you to use the same grip and trigger for both so there is less transition between them. They are very accurate and a new lock back version is also available. They are also quite a bit cheaper than the other choices mentioned. One thing to do if you go this route is to put a full length guide rod in your 1911 to make the swap easy. A good two piece one is less than $40 from Midway and others and they are usually a drop in part that does not need fitting. Just call Marvel and talk to them, and you can even order the configuration you want directly.

I forgot to mention...I already have a Unit 1 that I have fired extensively. I do like it--but I'm leaning more toward a dedicated .22.

Back to the original question...does anyone have experience with the Tactical Solutions .22 Buckmark barrels?

I have an older model 41 that has done very well for me. I have both barrels, heavy and long, but had the long barrel cut down to about 6" and crowned, and I prefer it. I also have a dedicated .22 with a Marvel conversion mounted on a Springfield miltech frame that I use now. Groups just over half-inch at 50 yds. If you've never shot a Model 41 I suggest you borrow one from a friend and give it a workout to see if it fits you and your expectations. Good luck.

Sandy Latimer

Tac Sol is very good, but maybe not more accurate than a Buckmark target barrel. It will be lighter though.

I currently shoot a High Standard Citation and am very happy with that, but plan to switch to a Marvel conversion. I want my shot process to be the same for .22, CF and .45 so I want the trigger and grip to be as close to the same as possible. Since 2/3 of a match is with the .45, learning all of the nuances of a different .22 grip and trigger might not be beneficial to you.

In my humble opinion the Marvel Precision 22 conversion is the only way to go if you are going to be serious about this sport. Get a dedicated lower built and never look back.

I have the steel rib version and honestly if I was blind folded and picked up each gun I could not tell the difference without pulling the trigger. They are purposely built the same, grips, triggers, grip safety, checkered front strap and mainspring housing.

Just jump in and get it over with, build the lower!

I have 2 M41 and a Marvel.

Marvel - I am having trouble with the magazines but many don't and shoot great scores with them so I think it can be solved.

I have new barrels on both M41's, Clark and Buly. I much prefer these barrels for balance and the lack of a sight bridge. Both shoot very well and I go back and forth on which I prefer. This does drive up the investment as the Clark barrel is around $300 I believe.