ISSC M22 IN LEAD AND AIR

Okay, the ISSC 22LR pistols don’t have the greatest record, or at least owners say they’re inconsistent in functionality. Some run like a top, others hiccup on every brand of ammo except one and it’s up to the owner to find the one it likes. This can actually be said of many 22LR semi-auto pistols, regardless of brand. The 22LR bullet is a tricky little round to get right but in my experience almost every 22 pistol can be factory tuned to perfection: so if it comes from a company with good customer service then (as annoying as it is) it may simply be a matter of sending it home for a damned good feed-ramp polishing and deburring. I’ve had a few like this, and after some factory fixin’ it’s surprising how much fun it is to have a truly reliable 22 pistol. And if their customer service is poor, don’t despair, strip the gun down, get out the #0000 wire wool and gently polish everything the bullet comes in contact with during battery: often that’ll do it. This is exemplified by the fact that a $1000+ custom 22 pistol (i.e. a Volquartsen Scorpion, perhaps the apex of 22’s) will run like a Swiss watch out of the box. With most modern 22’s, the potential is there with patience and care. 

Back to ISSC. Last year they released the Gen2 in attempt to address some of the issues manifested by the Gen1. Essentially a Glock 19 in size and profile, the ISSC offers shooters a cheaper range alternative for practice and familiarity. And now it gets even cheaper with ISSC offering their own budget trainer in the form of a mirror-image CO2 bb pistol complete with blowback action. (Side note to ISSC: you should have kept the safety functional on the BB version as this is an important step in muscle memory acquisition for those NOT owning the G19.) The upside of a bb replica is you can maintain practice over the winter months in your basement or backyard and acquire such second nature familiarity with your primary pistol - whether that’s the G19 or the ISSC 22LR - that when you reach for it in a crisis it’ll feel like an extension of your own hand. Familiarity is critical with any firearm. I knew a couple who lived in a cabin in Alaska for 15 years. Their only source of mail and supplies came via Cessna once a month from the nearest town which was over 100 miles away. The husband habitually carried a 6” 357MAG and over the years developed such proficiency and ease with that weapon so when the day arrived that he was charged by a male grizzly bear he was able to place all 6 shots on it’s forehead and hump throughout the 5 second charge. If that aint a cool head I don’t know what is. Surprisingly, the bear stopped on the sixth shot and walked off into the forest, no doubt succumbing later to lead poisoning. Admittedly that’s a very steady head under stress but again, familiarity is everything if you wish to place rounds on target when needed. Buy all the firepower you want but if you’re unable to hit where it counts then you could be felled by an aggressive dog, an assailant with a knife or a single CCI 22LR Standard velocity bullet from someone who DOES know what they’re doing. 

The ISSC pistols fit into your G19 holsters and feel virtually identical in the hand. Conversion kits are fine but price wise there’s not a huge difference and “do I leave the kit in, or, do I return my G19 to it’s 9mm setup” is always the question. To my knowledge there’s no bb kit for a G19 as of yet. So if you’re like me and prefer to keep your primary as a dedicated firearm, then the ISSC duo offers an excellent pair of training choices for range, backyard and man cave plinking. Here in the NE those winter months tend to drag a bit so with a nice little bb home-shooting gallery you can afford to think of it these pistols as valuable familiarization. Hey, we all need excuses to add new items to our collection!  ED