For "something that goes bang when I pull the trigger" it's hard to argue against the Ruger 10-22 or the Marlin 60. They've been around over 50 years and are still going strong.
There are plenty of old school classic, semiauto 22s out there but most of them are probably going to cost a lot more and might not be as reliable as a new 60 or 10-22. I've owned both and mine worked like they're supposed to. I've still got the 10-22 and it was made in the seventies.
