Target Pistol

I'm sort of new at guns as hobby; I was wondering what is meant by 'target pistol'. I was looking at the home page for Ruger, and they describe their mark II pistols as 'target' pistols. Does that mean that these are too weak for self defense? That is the purpose that I am interested in it for. If anyone has any experience with this it would be greatly appreciated.

- Tom

Target pistols like the Ruger Mark II use a .22 caliber bullet. That bullet is considered by most to be too small for self defense purposes. But, it is cheap to shoot.

Consider a minimum of 9mm JHP (jacketed hollow point) for self defense.

# I'm sort of new at guns as hobby; I was wondering what is meant by # 'target pistol'. I was looking at the home page for Ruger, and they # describe their mark II pistols as 'target' pistols. Does that mean # that these are too weak for self defense?

It's a term which sort of refutes the oft-blithered mantra that 'guns are made for killing.' In fact, quite a few of the guns sold privately today are made exclusively for target shooting. The Ruger Mark II is an example.

All firearms can kill people, if mishandled (or used criminally), just like cars. But the .22 Long Rifle cartridge is not really a reliable self defense or service cartridge, and so most of the .22 handguns you see will be 'target pistols,' ie, more appropriate for target shooting than for defense or service use (note that .22 Long Rifle is a popular and useful short-range varmint hunting chambering for rifles).

'Target pistols' might be characterized by the .22 caliber (though not always) and physical dimensions which make them awkward or inappropriate for self-defense or hunting. Often, specialized target guns will have heavy bull barrels, scope mounts and other accuracy-related enhancements.

Mitch All my handguns are target pistols

Target pistol just means the gun is more accurate than others and usuall has adjustable sights for different weights of bullets. It has nothing at all to do with power. Weak is .22

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#I'm sort of new at guns as hobby; I was wondering what is meant by #'target pistol'. I was looking at the home page for Ruger, and they #describe their mark II pistols as 'target' pistols. Does that mean #that these are too weak for self defense? That is the purpose that I

The Ruger MkII pistol is a .22LR weapon. The .22 is not renowned for its defensive capabilities.

'Target' firearms are quite frequently smallbore guns. However, the term is often applied to larger-caliber centerfire weapons when they have been accurized and come equipped with target sights.

If you want to protect yourself, don't use a .22 auto pistol. A Ruger .357/.38 revolver would be a good handgun choice; a handy 20 gauge shotgun might be better if you are not a practiced shooter; a Marlin 30-30 carbine is good at a greater distance.