22 Archives – TopGunReview

While the multitude of .22 pistol options available on the market today flood magazines and online advertising with copycat style and look to their higher caliber counterparts, few pistols have a distinct enough look to compare with the Browning Buckmark. A distinct enough look makes the gun (or series of guns) instantly recognizable – as most Browning guns are – but few have the meat to back up the look of a distinct pistol with the features that truly make a plinking pistol a great one.

Ripping open the box and getting our paws on the grips of the Buckmark, we can’t help but feel that the synthetic grips (standard) were injection molded to our hands. Lightweight, balanced, full-fitted, tactile purchase and overall comfort are all things that come to mind when handling the Buckmark. In cold weather it does not get so cold that it is uncomfortable to hold and shoot – one of the great blessings of a synthetic grip. In hot weather the grip contours also prevent slippage if you are prone to sweaty palms.

When it comes to shooting the Buckmark, you will first notice the lovely trigger action that the pistol has – an unfortunate rarity in .22 pistols – and the transitional ease that you will have when switching from controlled, patient shooting to the giggle-inducing rapid-fire that empties a magazine all too quickly. Almost no creep and just the tiniest bit of overtravel makes this one of the best out-of-the-box triggers that we’ve ever had the chance to shoot. A crisp break with every shot and a tactile “click” when the sear resets will spoil you quickly.

Easily shooting 1” groups at 25 feet, ammo is not a huge concern unless you are planning on using the Buckmark for serious competition. Lead of slightly higher quality will make your overall experience a little neater, nicer and tighter, but for plinking anything will work. We recommend using the Federal bulk pack (cheap and on the dirty side) and CCI blazer (almost as cheap and a little less dirty). CCI “standard” through this gun is like premium gas in your high-end car.

So far the Buckmark seems like the perfect gun. So perfect in fact that you’d think we had stock in the company. But, we must point out the closeted skeleton of the Buckmark. Disassembly and cleaning.

The whole process of takedown and cleaning of the Buckmark Standard, while not involving an inordinate amount of parts, is still akin to self-dental surgery. Once the screws and lock-washers are out and placed somewhere safe, the mainspring carefully removed and set aside, the plastic buffer mounted in the slide removed and placed with the safety of the screws, the slide removed and, if necessary, the barrel removed, then you can finally start cleaning.

The blowback design of where the slide meets the frame is best described as “flat metal surface against flat metal surface”. This means that both flat metal surfaces are going to have hot gunk smashed in between them again and again, every time the gun fires. The problem? Hot gunk gets everywhere and gets hard. You will need some serious solvent and good cleaning technique to get this baby spic and span. A good set of plastic or metal pics is a good investment for this pistol. There are lots of nooks and crannies to get gooped up. Oh, and be sure to clean all the parts you took off as well. Don’t drop them on the floor where the cat can swat them under the heating unit. Then you can try to put it all back together.

The same design that makes the Buckmark a good shooter and a bad cleaner is also responsible for the one other tiny flaw we found in this slugthrower, and that is a question of reliability. You see, because of the inherent dirtiness of .22 ammo, the aforementioned goop will get all over the action in the pistol. The extractor and ejector can have some issues when you have “forgotten” to clean this pistol a few hundred rounds ago. Misfeeds, stovepipes, non-ejections and erectile dysfunction can all occur due to unsanitary habits with the Buckmark. So, make sure you keep the gun clean if you want to be a happy shooter.

That all being said, let’s get back to the good stuff, why don’t we? Durability! Can this pistol take a pounding? Yes and no.

This gun is a Browning. Aside from being exceptionally well built, it is not a “cheap” gun and replacement parts can be just shy of a mortgage payment if you really want to put things to the grinding wheel. Our advice? While it probably can take a fall or two (hopefully not loaded though), why take the chance. Like with any pistol, a delicate touch dictates the difference between years of good service and months of good service.

As far as accessories go, you’ve got way more than you could ever fit on a dozen guns. A few simple internet searches will show you things that can make your gun completely unrecognizable to you.

The big, final and most important question – Is it a fun gun for plinking? Yes! Especially for the money you will spend, the unmodified Browning Buckmark is definitely a fun, reliable and versatile .22 pistol that is great for beginners, gun nuts, young shooters, early competition shooters or old crabby men. You ladies–yeah, there are pink grips for it too. Trust us, you’ll love this gun.

Ranked #1 of 7 in our Best 22 Pistol Comparison

When someone says ‘polymer handgun’ the first thing that pops into the minds of many shooters is Gaston Glock’s Safe Action pistol. Developed by a firearms newbie (old Gaston made curtain rods and knives in his garage workshop long before he designed a pistol), the Glock 17 was revolutionary for its time. Built around the Austrian Army’s criteria for a new replacement for worn out Steyr pistols, the Glock had only 33 parts, a polymer frame and held an amazing 17-rounds in each polymer magazine. Today, in their fourth generation of evolution, the full sized Glock handgun comes in versions chambered for 9x19mm (Model 17), .45ACP (Model 21), .40S&W (Model 22), .357SIG (Model 31), and the unique .45GAP (Model 37). The 10mm auto caliber Model 20 hasn’t made the jump over to the 4th Generation as of yet, and with the decline in popularity of that round, may never.

Ergonomics and Recoil

Gaston Glock designed the canted grip of the gun to about 110-degrees, which is about the same as a Ruger MkII rimfire pistol or a 1900s era Luger P08. This is a little sharper than most other pistol manufacturers and takes a little getting used to by those who are familiar with a ‘straighter’ grip such as that found on the 100-degree Colt 1911. Early 1980s and ‘90s Glocks have very rough, blocky grips whereas the new Gen 4 designs have a new system of finger grooves in the front, stippling on the grip sides and come with three detachable modular backstraps to semi-customize to the shooter’s hand. The 17/22/31 model is also a winner in the overall thinness category, which earns points in the concealed carry community. Recoil on various models is acceptable but the beefy Model 21, with its double stack of .45ACP rounds, is notoriously hard on the hands of small statured shooters.

The new models have a reversible and enlarged magazine catch that comes standard in right-handed operation, but can be swapped over for southpaws. The slide release, however, is right side only. Striker-fired, there is no hammer or decock to get in the way which streamlines training while eliminating potential appendages for clothing to snag on.

Trigger and Accuracy

The Glock trigger has a ‘trigger within a trigger’ pivoting system that helps eliminate the possibility of the pistol firing unintentionally due to inertia or impact. Trigger pull with this design is right at 5.5-pounds, which is firmly in the realm of a single-action gun, however the trigger travels just a hair under a half-inch which kind of creeps to some extent when compared to other pistols in the class.

Accuracy of the pistol is rather impressive, with a long and workable (6.5-inch) sight radius across a smooth plain of monolithic slide top. Polygonal, right-hand rifling with a 1: 9.84-inch length of twist (in 9mm) contributes to the pistol ‘doing its part’.

Reloading and Disassembly

Glock magazines have a polymer shell enclosing a metal liner, which can be seen around the feed lips. These mags on the Gen 4 guns are some of the strongest in the industry and have an extremely stout spring. We here at TGR are no ‘girly men’ (did we mention the Glock comes from Austria?) but still could not load the final rounds in test G17/22/21 mags without the aid of the enclosed mag loader that ships with the pistol. However, once left loaded for a couple weeks the mags became ‘broke in.’

Field stripping a full sized Glock is not a problem with a cleared weapon. Simply remove the magazine, check the chamber for brass and ammo, work the trigger and push the slide back slide back slightly, and then depress the take down buttons to release and ease off.

Reliability and Durability

The Glock is one of the most durable pistols ever made. For decades, there have been legions of field testers that have abused the pistol with everything from cement mix, potting soil, and vanilla pudding, encased it in ice, Jell-O, and other oddball media, buried it, thrown it from airplanes and dropped thousands of rounds through it. There are early model 9mm Glocks with more than 300,000 rounds through them that are still ticking.

While Glock’s standard warranty is just one year, most report and find that if you do have issue even decades later, the factory is there to assist gratis –so long as it’s not full of pudding when you send it to them. With millions of these pistols out there and the company holding armorer classes every day, odds are there is someone close to you that can affect any repair.

Final Verdict

The Glock is something of the people’s champion. Through its Blue Label program and liberal deals made to agencies of all size, Glock has long cornered the law enforcement market. This has led to the gun being wide spread in all levels of society. However, the design, while revamped every few years, seems a little dated when compared to the newer HK and S&W products that offer better ergonomics. Still, at a price point in the $400 range and its near universal acceptance, it’s hard to beat.

Ranked #3 of 10 in our Best Polymer Handgun Comparison

Browning Buckmark Review

Glock 17, 22 & 21 Review