Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Browning Buckmark

Local Bass Pro has a Browning Buckmark at a pretty good price. I have had Rugers and High Standard semi autos but never the Browning. The model I am looking at is this one. https://www.cdnnsports.com/browning-buckmark-field-target-micro-22lr.html

I haven’t found much on here about the Buckmark so just wondering what everyone’s experiences are with them

They are nice pistols, a proven design, and that seems to be a good price. I had a Buckmark for years, but when the Ruger Mark IV came out I bought one, compared the two, and sold the Browning.

Shortcomings of the Buckmark, IMO:

Not easy to take down for cleaning.
Relatively hard to rack the slide, especially when not cocked (better finger purchase on the newer version)
Firing pin and recoil spring assembly tricky to service or replace. Has a very small c clip that can come off and get lost.
Parts from Browning seem to always be backordered, at least that's been my experience. (See above)

On each of those points, the Ruger comes out ahead. OTOH, it took some $$ in aftermarket sights, trigger, etc, to get the Ruger where I wanted it. You pay your money, and ...

I hope this helps.

Paul

Had a Ruger Mark II and a Buck Mark. Buck Mark fit my hand better and was more accurate for me. Haven’t missed the Ruger at all. It was a stainless 5.5” bull barrel, seemed bulky and nose heavy. I bought another buck mark (new) a couple years ago - both of mine are slab-side standards, really like how they balance. Older one has a better trigger - I think the new one may have a mag disconnect safety, if I remember correctly. I’ve been keeping my eyes open for an older stainless-slide “micro” with the 4” slab side barrel

You can pick up older used buck marks in great shape for $250 on gun broker. Like I said, I think the older ones may have had a better trigger.

Pacecars: I say buy it - give it a try and I am sure you will enjoy it.
I have several Browning BuckMark heavy barrel pistols and use a few of them to Hunt Ground Squirrels and small game with.
Love'em!
Triggers are good, accuracy is fine and from time to time I find these BuckMarks on the used market at what I consider bargain prices.
I also have a big bunch or Ruger heavy barrel MK-I, MK-II, MK-III and MK-IV pistols that I use for the same activities.
I consider them both (BuckMarks and the MK's) wonderful guns for my uses.
I do not own one of the exact BuckMarks you linked to but it sure looks cool.
Best of luck to you if you decide to try one.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Love some UDX.....

I've had a plain-jane Buckmark over 25 years, and it's never given me any grief. I bought a Micro Field Target in July, in anticipation of the suppressor getting paroled. A Vortex Viper red dot rounds out the package nicely. No regrets!

I like the factory Buckmark trigger better than the 22/45s I've shot. Aftermarket triggers change things, of course, but out of the box, I much prefer the Buckmark.

I'll take a Buckmark over a Mark II any day. Haven't shot any of the newer versions of the Ruger enough to make a decision.My Browning has been dead nuts reliable with everything I have fed it except some Aguila. I think it was the lube on those that caused problems. The Ruger may have been a tad more accurate but I can't really say for the simple fact that I haven't shot the Buckmark from a bench. As they come from the factory I do like the Browning trigger better than any of the Rugers I have shot.

A word about Aguila, I've seen it hang up in single stack .22 magazines including a Buckmark and S&W Victory, neither of which had problems with other ammo. Aguila is good ammo, works fine in other guns, but there must be some small dimensional issue that causes it to hang up in those narrow pistol magazines. I don't think it's the lube.

Paul

That is a good price. You'll enjoy it. I found a 1987 model still in the box locally a few months back with a browning basketweave holster with the tag still on it. 225 otd. There is a little plastic buffer that needs to be replaced ever so often on the buckmarks but thats about it. Throw you a couple on your next midway order to stash just in case.

Wife's former husband bought her one that was virtually unused because she didn't have enough hand strength to operate the slide. A nice enough handgun for a guy, but if a woman is going to be using it, that slide has a real heavy spring for a .22. I sold off ours because of it.

put on one of the Tandemkross slide racker dealiebobs (like on mine) and tell her it is a COCK ring. She'll have NO trouble then.....

That was my experience as well, especially if it was uncocked. I don't have especially weak hands and fingers, and I had difficulty racking the slide if it was uncocked.

Having to add a "cock ring" is a solution to a problem that shouldn't be there in the first place, IMO, but then I'm old school and I just can't relate to modern handguns with extra crap hanging all over them.

Paul

I bought a Buckmark back around 1990 or a little before. It's been as good a firearm as I've owned. As I recall it cost $170. I guess it's the original design, has a flat sided 5.5" barrel and a good trigger. It's been been shot a lot with no problems. Two people that shot it bought one almost immediately afterwards. In 2014 I bought a 4" barrel for it from Browning, $78 delivered and like it even better.

Paul, you could be correct. The problem was them not moving up fast enough in the magazine. I never gave it much thought, just moved on to other ammo for that pistol.

Bought it. Now to decide on a scope or red dot