Smith & Wesson 22A question

[dj454]

Does anyone here have any experience with the S&W 22A. I have been looking at one at my favorite gun shop. It has the heavy barrel and the target grips. It fits my hands perfectly. I need another 22 auto my wife has a Ruger Mark 3 hunter I have been shooting in a rimfire match and now I have her wanting to go. I love the Ruger but it is about a hundred dollars more than the S&W and I would like to try another gun. Any help would be appreciated.

[MikeBjerum]

The S&W 22a is a great gun, but if you like the Ruger Mark III don't buy the 22a.

I started with a 22s-1 5 1/2" and a red dot for bullseye.  Midway through the second year I had plateued and even slipped back a little.  Picked up a Ruger Mark III Competition Target loved the feel and dropped just under $400 (they were less then).  Scores jumped the first night and continued to climb.  If you read another thread you would have read of my side trip from work last week to trade the 22 a-1 for a "used" Ruger Mark III Competition Target that I am going to change grips on and use as a game and hunting gun.

Another benefit to looking at another Mark III is that as you buy extra mags you will not have a lot of different ones.  I now have two .22 handguns and 13 mags that will work in either one.  Remember that if you find a deal on a Mark I or Mark II that every generation of the Mark takes a different mag.

[bjtraz]

I have a 22a w/over 1500 rounds through it. It doesn't have the bull barrel, and only recently added the target grips. Not sure about the grips yet, actually I like them, but am not comfortable with them. It digests everything that I give it, had a couple of stove pipes, but traced that to cleanliness, I had put a bunch of rounds through it that day. Have no regrets, but paid only 190.00 a year ago.

Brian