Five Best Pistols for Steel Challenge Rimfire

Five Best Pistols For Rimfire Steel Shooting

by Mr. Completely

GunUp Pro Staff Member

When this topic was brought up, my first thought was “Wow, I’ll bet I can tick off just about everyone with this!” Everyone has their own favorite rimfire pistols, and to suggest anything other than their own favorite might be “Fightin’ Words”! Please keep it in mind that just about any well known rimfire pistol can win steel matches, as who is using the gun is more important than the just the gun itself.

I should also point out that at the highest levels of competition, where mere hundredths of a second make a major difference, there are very few rimfire shooters using anything that is very close to original. Just about every one of them have different barrels, compensators, and other internal modifications. Triggers are lightened and smoothed, recoil and muzzle rise are minimized, cycle time is reduced, and overall weight is often reduced. Other modifications are also done to increase reliability, feeding, and ejecting. One thing for sure, you will seldom see top shooters having feeding, ejecting, or failure-to-fire problems.

For the sake of keeping this from getting too long and complicated, I am going to exclude rimfire revolvers and rimfire conversion kits for otherwise larger caliber semi-autos such as the 1911 series, Glocks, and others. I am also going to restrict it to current or recent production pistols that you can get parts for, since if you can’t get replacement parts, you can’t stay competitive. I am also going to assume that the guns listed will be very carefully tuned and set up by someone who knows their business.

OK, here we go!

1. Smith & Wesson Model 41
2. High Standard Supermatic Citation 107
3. Browning Buckmark
4. Ruger MK. II Series
5. Tie – S&W 22A and Beretta Neos

The Model 41 is a beautifully made pistol, although the fit and finish of the newer ones is not on a par with the ones built years ago. Even so, with a bit of fitting and polishing, the trigger is one of the best there is, rivaled only by the magnificent trigger in the High Standards. The Model 41 is also a steel frame and slide, so once it’s set up it’s not going to wear out in forty or fifty thousand rounds. Yes, the pro shooters really DO shoot this much in a single season! The barrel of the model 41 can be replaced with a compensated “Bully” barrel (last I heard no longer in production). If you are only going to shoot in the Iron Sight class, the standard barrel is just fine. Last I heard Todd Jarrett, Jessie and Billy Abbate, and a few others are running Bully-barreled Model 41’s, and breaking world records doing so. Be prepared to spend some serious money, though, as these are definitely not cheap!

The High Standard Military Grip angle Supermatic Citation is seldom seen in competition, but that’s not due to the quality, price, reliability, or accuracy of the gun. Most folks are surprised to find out that High Standard is even in business, as everyone thinks they folded years ago. High Standard started back up years ago, and is now in Texas, building High Standards as fast as they can, and selling everything they can build! The High Standard is also an all-steel gun, so once it is set up it should run reliably for you for a long time. The triggers on the High Standards are second to none, and they even have a trigger pull adjustment screw on the rear of the frame, allowing a variation of several pounds of pull from minimum to maximum pull. Both the Model 41 and the High Standard are easily field stripped without tools, should some quick cleaning or maintenance be needed at a match. Speaking of maintenance, it is a given that such things as extractors and springs will be replaced regularly, along with a thorough cleaning and inspection. The High Standard bull barrels are a bit on the heavy side, but very accurate. A good gunsmith should be able to lighten things up a bit, and also fit a compensator if you are planning to shoot in the Optics Sight class. The High Standards cost significantly less than the Model 41’s, but more than the others on the list.

The Browning Buckmarks are a lot of gun for the money. The trigger, fairly typical for a production gun, can be made quite nice without spending any money on parts. The aluminum frame keeps the weight down, and they have a nice feel. There are several options for light weight and/or fluted barrels. The Buckmarks do require an Allen wrench to get the barrel off, but it’s not a big deal.

The Rugers, particularly the ones built prior to the MK. III’s, can be very good, but it takes spending some money to get them there. That is partially offset by the large number of reasonably priced Rugers available used. The barrels are a permanent part of the receiver, so barrel swaps are out of the question, but there are some very nice “Uppers” consisting of a barrel and receiver assembly, that greatly reduce the weight. One example would be the ones from Tactical Solutions. Another area that needs attention is the trigger. Although not cheap, I recommend the Volquartsen trigger kit. It makes a big difference. I would also recommend the Volquartsen extractor while you are at it. The Ruger’s are also quirky to dis-assemble and re-assemble. Once you figure it out it’s not a big deal, but until you get it figured out it’s practically impossible to re-assemble! You have to do certain steps in a certain order, and it goes together easily. Change the sequence or forget a step, guaranteed frustration!

Tied for fifth are the Smith & Wesson Model 22A and the Beretta Neos. Both are good guns, and neither requires a lot of work to make them shoot quite will. Neither one is particularly expensive, and they are both fun to shoot. If you have small hands you will probably prefer the Neos over the 22A as the grip is smaller and has a bit more slant. To me, the 22A grip feels a bit bulky and boxy, more like a double-stack centerfire gun. It’s not bad, it just feels bulkier. The trigger in either the Neos or the 22A can definitely use some work, but again, they can be made quite reasonable without spending any money on parts. Both have tool-free removable barrels. As far as I know, there are no aftermarket barrels for either the 22A or the Neos. Some models of the Neos have trigger stop adjustments.

So which one do I recommend? I have been competing with High Standards for years, but I also own at least one of everything else on the list. You can have a lot of fun with anything on the list, and reliability and general condition is far more important than the particular make and model. If you are looking to buy something for steel shooting, try shooting all of them if you can. One of them will speak to you. That’s the one for you……..