Talk me out of a mp 22!

saskboy

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I'm looking to buy my first handgun and can't get the mp 22 out of my head. I know its not the buckmark or mk3 but it just is so damn fun looking. I'm an accuracy freak when it comes to rifles but how bad could it be compared to the ruger or browning? Any people loving or hating on the mp 22?
 
If you have centerfire M&P pistols, a M&P22 is practically mandatory.

If not, I'd stick with a Ruger MkII myself. The Ruger .22s are built like tanks and mags can be found with a bit of looking...Mec-Gar makes good clones mags as well. Rugers are accurate and have good triggers.

I don't know how durable the M&P22 is...the slide is very light and the recoil spring is crazy thin, and the takedown lever/catch thingy feels a little flimsy too. [This is _not_ to say that they _are_ flimsy...only that they seem so compared to the Ruger]. Then there is the mag situation...to say they are rare as hens' teeth is hardly an exaggeration. I snagged a couple when IRunGuns had extra to sell...I wish I'd bought a bunch more because there's no telling when there will be an adequate supply. The sights on the M&P22 are different from the CF pistols...I can't imagine why, since one of the best reasons to own one is to have a good facsimile of your duty gun to practice with. If you carry an M&P9 or 40 without manual safeties, the .22 won't fit in your holster unless you pop the ambi safety levers off [not difficult to do].

So there ya go...some drawbacks to the M&P22. I think that the gun is still well worth having, but maybe not as my only .22 pistol.
 
It's not available in pink.

Aside from that if you like it so much get it. The Ruger and Browning are fixed barrel so they're almost guaranteed to be a bit more accurate, but probably not as much fun since you seem to really dig the MP.

Looking forward to your MP range report in a few weeks. ( BTW IRUNGUNS has them with 2 mags at a very good price )
 
The Ruger and Browning are fixed barrel so they're almost guaranteed to be a bit more accurate, but probably not as much fun since you seem to really dig the MP.
Uh, the MP 22 is a fixed barrel design too...

Since this is your first pistol I guess you have to decide what will be your main use for the pistol. Bullseye shooting? Or trainer for the big centerfire calibers? I myself bought one because I am addicted to rimfire pistols and I thought why not get it to see if I like the M&P ergos, controls, etc. All of the aforementioned designs are good plinkers but there are purpose built target pistols if you are looking for hardcore accuracy.
 
Hard to beat the M&P.22, I have thousands of rounds down range. It shoots well and looks cool. 1200fps ammo and it will run great, anything at 1000fps forget about it. Good luck
 
Like some others have said - if you are planning on getting a M&P Centrefire - definately get one. My first two pistols GSG1911 and the M&P 22. They are both great, lots of fun to shoot and I think I have the M&P22 dialed in pretty good. If only the shooter was capable of making the bullseye :) If you got with the M&P 22 try and get extra mags at time of purchase, that is the one major downside!! There was a post this past weekend with a link to a supplier out west that had some - I ordered two.
Good luck.
 
I got tired of fighting with my Buckmark and got rid of it.

I like my M&P 22 except it only came with one mag and I've been unable to find any more.

The M&P shoots a little high even though I cranked the rear sight a low as it will go ( I've heard of others having the same problem). Mine was not sighted in at all from the factory, it shot very high right. I was surprised to see a S&W made in Germany but everything except the sights and dumb safety seem very well made.

As long as I can figure out the sights and mag issue, it's a keeper. Accuracy is good although with it being so light weight compared to my centerfire CZ Shadow, I do find it magnifies any little error in grip...which is what I like for an IPSC practise gun. I find it recoils more then I expected, that's fine. It's easy to take apart and clean although like others have mentioned, the take down seems cheesy.

I've had a few fail to extracts in the 500 rounds I've put through it so far. Most in the first 200 rounds so I'm hoping as it breaks in it will be better, it feels rather tight.

When I pulled it out of the box it was just swimming in oil!! I unwrapped it in bed (I was tired after a long trip) and it oiled my bedspread. It took me 3 paper towels to clean it up to the point I'd want to handle it.
 
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Love it. M&P centerfire shooter here, but more than a few of my shooting pals who are not M&P centerfire owners really like them, too.

Mags will become available again, you can backorder them from Brownells. If you look around, you will find some Canadian retailers selling the pistol with two mags, or with an extra mag available with the pistol purchase.

Elevation adjustment with all 22 firearms has to factor in the type of ammunition since there is such a great variety available. Straight-blowback semiauto pistols (like all of those described here) are probably most prone to POI shift due to ammo.

For longevity and straight-up accuracy on a budget, you probably won't beat the Ruger. If you're a tinkerer, you might enjoy a GSG 1911-22 most, since it uses many of the same parts as centerfire 1911s. You can make those triggers to feel amazing! But honestly the M&P22 trigger is no slouch, either. It is an internal hammer single-action-only fire control system. The trigger on my M&P22 is MUCH better than that of my M&P9, which honestly is the biggest limitation for using the M&P22 as a trainer for the centerfire pistols.
 
Well i have both the GSG and the M&P 22,........currently i am only shooting my GSG. My M&P is still at SW in the good ol' US of A. Been there for 6 months plus now, no ETA, no news, nothing as it is being repaired under warranty. Or at least i hope so, will be very upset if i get a bill for any kind of repair performed.
On the other hand i had parts delivered from the dealer within 1 week for my GSG and was back shooting.
Hmmm wonder which i would buy again?
Not knocking the great shooting of the M&P but dollar for dollar they both shoot just as accurately and the 1911 platform has been around forever so parts are VERY plentiful.

just my .02
 
Ordered one from irunguns today after seeing this thread. I've been looking for a .22 as a first pistol and had come down to a choice between the GSG and the S&W. The extra mag was what sealed the deal. I wanted the M&P but didn't want to deal with only one mag, two will tide me over for now.
 
I went and took a look at the mp 22 and the buckmark today................... I am still no closer to a decision lol. The buck mark trigger was nicer but still doesnt have the wow factor the mp has. I also liked the fiber optic sight on the buckmark and seemed like you could quickly aim on target accuratly with it. For all of you with the mp, what kind of groups are you getting?
 
I'm looking to buy my first handgun and can't get the mp 22 out of my head. I know its not the buckmark or mk3 but it just is so damn fun looking. I'm an accuracy freak when it comes to rifles but how bad could it be compared to the ruger or browning? Any people loving or hating on the mp 22?

If you're looking for an accurate pistol, then look at the S&W Model 41 or 22a-1.
 
I have the sig 1911-22 and the M&P .22, I don't know which I'd recommend if you were going with just one. The sig feels way more substantial in the hand and to me has nicer factory sights. The M&P trigger is about as good as I think you could from a striker fired pistol.

I had them both at the range today and the sig is still slightly less picky about ammo, but the M&P fed federal and remington bulk without issue.

As I think and type, I'd have to agree with the previous posters; if you are going to shoot an M&P in 9, 40 or 45, then get an M&P in .22; if not, I'd probably go with a sig/ gsg. Eats about anything and mags are easy to come by.

My .02
 
The M&P trigger is about as good as I think you could from a striker fired pistol.

The M&P22 is hammer-fired. Internal, single action only. That's why the M&P22 trigger is so much better than the centerfire versions.

Saskboy, you can fit aftermarket M&P sights on your M&P22. I put a front fiber on mine to match my M&P9 sights, and it works like a charm. I've never shot mine for pure accuracy, but it is definitely more accurate than my M&P9 is (not really a fair comparison, but there it is).

Another consideration is that it is relatively hard to find decent holsters for the Ruger and the Browning. The M&P22 and GSG/Sig 1911-22s generally fit the same holsters as their full-size brethren.
 
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