Finally! A reliable .22!

[musicman]

Wifey got me an early birthday present, an M&P22 Compact!  This is the newer, smaller, in-house designed M&P22, not the full size made by Umarex a few years ago.  This is the suppressor ready model with the adapter included.  I don't have a can yet, but it's on the list!  

I'm already an M&P fan, and this fits in the family just perfectly.  It feels very much like my PC Shield, just a smidge bigger.  The trigger is nice and crisp, if a touch heavy... feels like about 6-7lbs.  You've got the normal takeup which is smooth and light, then it stacks, and then a clean and consistent break.  Sights are your average 3 dot configuration, fully adjustable rear.  The sights on mine were dead on out of the box.  A nice, small cluster right in the bullseye with my first magazine through the gun.

Yesterday our church had "Bullets and BBQ", a get together of about 30 people at one member's farm for shootin' and grillin'.  It was my first time shooting the M&P, and it was a trial by fire!  I didn't even have a chance to clean the gun first, having just gotten it.  I used it for all the new shooters.  We had about a dozen people who had never shot a gun before, and they all started with the little M&P.  Not a single hiccup in over 600 rounds of cheap American Eagle, Aguila, and Federal bulk pack ammo.  This is my third semi-auto .22, and the first to accomplish this feat of wonder!  I had an SR22 that I had for a few weeks that never made it through a single magazine without an ftf or fte (multiple cleanings, multiple ammo types) and an old first gen Walther P22 that was pretty good, but would usually choke 2-3 times in a range trip.  

This little Smith impresses the heck out of me.  Everything about it exudes high quality.  All the controls feel firm and accurate.  From the actuation of the ambi-safety, the release of the slide stop, the mag release, trigger, and even down to the heft and quality of the 2 included magazines, this is an incredibly well-done little pistol.  It doesn't feel like a .22... doesn't seem like a "starter gun", which is why it's such a great starter gun!  Everyone who shot it loved it, even the more experienced firearm enthusiasts who were there.  

I generally don't like safeties on my plastic guns, but for the role this gun plays for me, it's perfect.  When teaching a 9 year old who has never held a gun how to shoot, it's nice to keep that safety on until they're on target and ready to squeeze the trigger!

Anywho, I'm please as punch with it.  If any of you out there are in the market for a plinker (and I don't wanna hear the whining about 22 ammo... it's available now.  Not for two cents a round, but for 6 and 7.  Your excuse is invalid!) or are maybe a little unhappy with the function/reliability of your current 22, I highly recommend you check out the M&P 22 Compact!

My buddy Jonathan approves!

[nightrunner]

Good to hear!

I have really been looking at one of these and I'm not even a M&P guy.

[musicman]

I'm biased, of course, but it really is a great little gun.  It's kinda like when Sig came out with the Mosquito... except this one works!  I felt the Mosquito was more like a centerfire pistol in handling, quality, etc, and was very close to getting one... until I kept reading about so many folks having bad experiences with them.  :/

I never shot the Umarex full size M&P, but handled a few.  They never felt quite right... like a BB gun or something. Mebbe cuz Umarex makes like a bazillion BB guns?  :-D

Anywho, I say go ahead and gitchoo one.  I think you'll be very happy with it!

[Hozzie]

I also have this gun.  It's a nice little suppressor host and I as well have had no issues out of it.  I am not a "plastic" gun guy, but I do like the M&P line.  I have the full size 9mm, Shield 9mm, and this.  Happy with all of them.

If someone is looking for a more full size equivalent 22, the Sig/GSG 1911-22 is an excellent option.  I have one along with 4 or 5 other friends and not a single issue out of them for any of us.  The Mosquito sucked unless you were only shooting MiniMags, but the 1911-22 shoots anything I feed it.

[gl19gobang]

Nice gift. I have an SR-22 and it has been flawless. The 1st few mags of Winchester super x gave me some problems, but now that its broken in, it even shoots that good.

 

[DaveTN]

I didn’t know they were making them here; that’s great news.

I wish the full size was made here. Now I can’t decide between the Compact and the SW22 Victory. Too many S&W’s; too little money.

[tmauto769]

I had the umarex full size one, I will say that gun never had any issues and went bang every time I pulled the trigger, wish I would have kept it. I bought a victory when they first came out, had nothing but issues with it, got rid of it. My .22 can is about to get out of jail so I was in need of another .22 host, I almost bought the M&P and would have if it would have been a full size. Against my better judgement I went with a victory again, although this time with a threaded barrel. I have read that the victory is a hit or miss deal, hope I got a good one this time.