Ruger 22/45 Lite 

Longer ago than I care to admit, I thought the 4-inch Ruger Mark II bull-barreled Target model pretty much embodied everything I wanted in a .22 “trail gun,” a kind of inclusive category of .22 pistols you’d use for plinking, target shooting or small-game hunting. With its 38-ounce weight, it seemed to settle down on target for me better than the skinny-barreled versions. And that hefty barrel with those serious, fully adjustable sights looked, well, cool.

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So when I got my first look at the new 22/45 Lite, I was impressed. It has—as the name implies—a 1911-ish grip configuration that, after years of banging around with a .45 Auto, now suits me better than the old angled grips of the Standard Model that served as the template for all the Mark “this and thats” that followed.

When picked it up I did a double-take. The reasoning behind the term “Lite” became immediately apparent. With its 4.4-inch gold-anodized aluminum barrel sleeve and polymer frame, the pistol weighs 22.8 ounces. My first thought was heretical in this age of “light and lighter.”  This thing doesn’t weigh enough.