S&W M&P Compact .22

[Areoflyer09]

For what it’s worth. Umarex is Walther’s parent company. They are really big into BB, pellet & airsoft guns produced under their name. They also do/have done the manufacturing of 22s for other companies (Walther, Colt, S&W, H&K, Beretta and probably others). Some of their products like the P22 have had less than stellar quality, but at the same time the PPQ-22 & the MP full size 22 seem to be running without major* issues that I’ve seen.

Given what you’ve stated you want and why, the MP Compact may just be the safer choice.

*in this case I define major issues as being problems with the gun itself and not things like picky on ammo.

 

[doddg]

Have my IN lifetime CCL’s, If I am away from home I always am carrying something heavier (One of my 9’s or 40s or 45S. But the one I always have in my left front pocket if I am dressed is....

My lil 5 shot North American Arms 22LR. I can palm it and you would never know it’s there... have carried the same one every day for over 25 years... It looks the same now as when it was new... accept for a little wear on the hammer... It’s been wet, shared the pocket with lots of things... and still looks and operates perfectly

In the past... I used it to put down a 700 lb stear... 2 or 3 car struck wounded whittailes. 2 arrow struck whitetails were down but still not out. Couple of car struck large dogs... All dropped immediately with a single 22LR HP Snapper from my lil 22LR NAA to the head.

while I do carry larger guns in addition... I believe that in most self defense shootings... the perp is within 6 ft...

I gotta tell ya... I beleave and have confidence that 2-3 22LR HP in a bad guys chest or head... will end the danger. And I am also confident that inside 10 yards I could make those hits quickly and accurately with my NAA revolver.

With the exception of a new Spring about 20 years ago... I have shot ? Many rounds through it without a hick-up...

1. Great feedback! And, you don't have the magnum like I do: it is a hand-full and I'm lucky to hit a 5 gallon bucket from 10 feet away, therefore, the quintessential "gut-gun."
2. I have actually put that in my sock (elastic knee high) before.
3. As a small-gun type of guy, I fully believe what you point is.
4. I have watched vids demonstrating the difference between the 22LR and the 25 ACP: going through cans and 2 liters or even gallons.
5. Surprisingly similar results if using comparable ammo, and not comparing results from rifles to pistols to make a point about how bad a particular caliber is.
6. I say all that, and to my surprise, of all the calibers (don't have the .40) my favorite gun to shoot is the .45 Smith Shield (well, at least for a .45 is is small, nearly exactly the same as my Shield 9mm (.45 a hair longer).
7. I have not shot many through mine: not fun, but just checking to see where it lands, ha! (or if it lands) Actually, the non-magnum would be better for control, I'm sure.

 

[doddg]

For what it’s worth. Umarex is Walther’s parent company. They are really big into BB, pellet & airsoft guns produced under their name. They also do/have done the manufacturing of 22s for other companies (Walther, Colt, S&W, H&K, Beretta and probably others). Some of their products like the P22 have had less than stellar quality, but at the same time the PPQ-22 & the MP full size 22 seem to be running without major* issues that I’ve seen.

Given what you’ve stated you want and why, the MP Compact may just be the safer choice.

*in this case I define major issues as being problems with the gun itself and not things like picky on ammo.

1. My thoughts exactly!
2. But, I was looking forward to the Beretta M-P 22 and was disappointed that Beretta hadn't made it, and was shocked that Smith didn't make their own M/P 22, and yet they made the Compact????? I don't get it.
3. "picky" I expect a gun that isn't picky about ammo, which is why I dismissed some .22s that some loved b/c others had some issues with certain ammo.
4. I don't want to buy the most expensive .22 ammo that is made (22ish+ cents/round); I want the 10 cents or under.
5. "Safe," yes. I have already bought a "newish" gun (Sig Sauer 1911-22) that had upgrades (all C&W Assessories: junk, not fit), and I had to spend $100 to have the guide rod cut out and other things made right (it's all wonderful now), and a Taurus Slim I bought had to be sent back to Taurus, and I never did get it back, Chris at Marksman Shooting Sports simply refunded my money.
6. So, safe is good. I won't buy a used gun that I couldn't send back to get work done on, and it seems like all the major players stand behind their guns.
7. I have almost bought a Taurus revolver before but not, b/c of things I've read (how can you screw up a revolver?)

 

[mcapo]

while I do carry larger guns in addition... I believe that in most self defense shootings... the perp is within 6 ft...

I gotta tell ya... I beleave and have confidence that 2-3 22LR HP in a bad guys chest or head... will end the danger. And I am also confident that inside 10 yards I could make those hits quickly and accurately with my NAA revolver.

I don't think the question is can a 22lr put down an assailant but what is the likelihood that it will.

22lr can, in theory and with proper shot placement, stop a threat but 380/9mm/44mag/50BMG etc. is much more likely to stop the threat. Risk analysis/threat response is an individual choice.

 

[Areoflyer09]

22s just sorta have the tendency to be picky about ammo, unfortunate but it’s kinda they way they are. There can be lots of variability in 22 ammo. Sometimes certain ammos won’t feed or ejextvas reliably as others, sometime it’s accuracy related.

The wife’s Victory won’t reliably eject Remington Golden Bullets, but does just fine with simalrly priced Federal bulk ammo, similar stories with my 422, Golden Boy, American Rimfire and a Savage MKII. The SR22 I had would eat and spit out everything, but it didn’t shoot as accurately as any of the previously mentioned with their preferred ammo.

Finding a 22 that will feed, eject and maintain accuracy across different brands of ammo is a rare thing. I’m sure they exist, but it will most likely be on an individual basis and not across an entire model line.

 

[doddg]

22s just sorta have the tendency to be picky about ammo, unfortunate but it’s kinda they way they are. There can be lots of variability in 22 ammo. Sometimes certain ammos won’t feed or ejextvas reliably as others, sometime it’s accuracy related.

The wife’s Victory won’t reliably eject Remington Golden Bullets, but does just fine with simalrly priced Federal bulk ammo, similar stories with my 422, Golden Boy, American Rimfire and a Savage MKII. The SR22 I had would eat and spit out everything, but it didn’t shoot as accurately as any of the previously mentioned with their preferred ammo.

Finding a 22 that will feed, eject and maintain accuracy across different brands of ammo is a rare thing. I’m sure they exist, but it will most likely be on an individual basis and not across an entire model line.

1. Sounds like alot of experience there!
2. I saw a 442 for sale (here or Armslist) for around $500 and wondered if that was a bargain or priced correctly.
3. I have read where the pickiness of the .22 is why the .25 center-fire was created for all the same reasons you have listed.
4. Your point about the "individual basis" rings true based on all my readings, which is quite frustrating for a novice like me who simply wants to know "the" best gun for the money, since I'm not going to buy the $1500 really good ones.
5. This is why I find it interesting that after shooting many guns, the price of the Smiths and the quality of them does seem to be the Toyota Corolla tier, or if you like, the Camry or Accord or Civic level.
6. I know I must be a joke to many b/c of my ignorance about guns, now I'm going to offend over car references as well that are inaccurate.
7. When it comes to accuracy, my sight is poor enough that I'd never know the difference!
8. When at the range the other day, there were a couple of times in different calibers where I would hit the small (3-4 inch) center of the bulls-eye and feel like quite the man, but my next shot would be 5-6 inches away.

 

[Areoflyer09]

Honestly, I got into this maybe 6 months before you did again. Most of what I know I picked up from playing around or from reading forums. The Victory and the 422 taught me about feeding & ejection issues. The Ruger American & Savage showed me the accuracy differences. The Henry is sorta the oddball. It will feed and eject most of what it’s fed, it will even keep most things grouped well enough for my needs but it does not like to set off the primer on the Remington bulk ammo. Come to think of it, most of mine just don’t like the Remington ammo.

I don’t know anything about the 442s. I’m guessing it’s a SW 442, but I’m not much into revolvers. My only revolver is a 6” Taurus Tracked in 22 Magnum.

The only 22LR I have that cost more than $399 is the Ruger American and that is only because it’s a special edition from Talo with a stainless barrel and walnut stock. You don’t need to spend 1K plus to have a good 22, odds are they are actually more picky as they are built to much tighter tolerances. Buy what you like and if you find an ammo that it eats without issue, keep buying that brand.

Asking questions makes for fun topics!

 

[HoughMade]

Has anyone mentioned that an M&P 22 can put 11 rounds to the face and, after all, we're not in Kabul, so why carry larger?

Anyhoo, I have a full-sized M&P 22- fun plinker. I dispatched a possum with it from about 12 inches, too (Stangers).

 

[doddg]

It is done.

Bought it: S/W M/P Compact 22: $300 + tax at Rural King.
I was hoping to shoot it this evening but circumstance did not allow.
Hoping to shoot it tomorrow after work but I think the wife wants to see the Winston Churchill movie: "Darkest Hour."

I'm going to take some of my .22s and even buy some 22 magnum ammo to shoot through my Ruger Single-Action before I sell it since I have both cylinders with it.
I will rent their 22s that they have in the shop while I'm there, or at least some of them.

 

[doddg]

Shot it this evening at Point Blank in Greenwood where I also rented other 22s (in my range thread).
I liked it. Shot just as well as the Mark 4, better than the Ruger SR, and better than my Sig Sauer 1911-22.
The magazine is strange, must be that "new" kind.
The slide won't release and go forward unless loaded, or magazine out. I had to pull back the slide and release it to go forward.
I know my Sig doesn't do that.
When I went to look at vids: normal.

I shot comparing groups at 7 yrds and aat 5 yrds. shooting 20 rounds from each (Compact, Mark 4 and Sig Sauer 1911-22), then repeated everything.
Same results from both yardages.
The Compact was just as good as the Mark, with the Sig a little behind.

In a different thread I made the comment that the Mark 4 beat the Compact by 1 round (out of 40), but actually in looking at my notes my new Compact beat the Mark 4 by 2 rounds

 

[doddg]

I don't have much experience with cleaning guns, so I was amazed at how simple the take-down was on the Compact.
I have found it to be more arduous (for my inexperience) on other guns I've tried.

 

[doddg]

I was researching .22 pistols this evening in my pursuit of the "ultimate" one.
I realize it is all "twidle-le-de and twidle-dee-dum" but I'm having fun.
I started reading about the venerable Smith Compact 22 and got thrilled about my purchase at Rural King for $300 all over again,
reading article after article and seeing vids that tell me what I wanted to hear: it is the best (for the money).
Here is something I didn't know:
"When developing the M&P 22 Compact, S&W made function and reliability paramount. The result of its efforts, as claimed by Smith & Wesson, is a gun with a mean round-between-failure count of 500 rounds. This number is not arbitrary, and I can’t go into the proprietary information that was given to us."
I got this from:
Smith & Wesson M&P 22 Compact Review - Guns & Ammo

And he went on to say:
"I set out to call Smith & Wesson’s bluff — 500 rounds or bust. During the first 110 rounds of initial testing, all was good. With only two magazines on hand, I got to work.
Not only did I shoot the brands of ammo that I used for accuracy testing, I even pulled out some fairly old hollowpoints from Winchester and some equally old stuff from Remington. My guess is that this ammo was roughly eight years old; I found it in an old box in the basement.



I shot high-velocity and subsonic mixed in the same magazines, sometimes staggered, shooting one-handed, strong and support side, sometimes limp-wristing it a bit.
I shot in rapid succession and slowly.
Strong rains rolled through, and from beneath a metal shelter, I continued to load magazines and set bullets free into my Grizzly steel target from 20 yards.
The M&P 22 Compact kept chugging and chugging, showing no signs of giving in.
I had set my mind on the magic “500,” and that’s where I had planned to stop as long as the gun didn’t quit first.


The 500-round mark came.
The gun was hot.
The gun was dirty.
The gun was even wet.
The gun was without a malfunction.
I grew bored of loading the mags but refused to be beaten.
I pushed on, loading another magazine, then another. It wasn’t until after round number 530 that I experienced my first malfunction, a failure to extract."

Sounds like the perfect gun to me: not finicky about ammo!

 

[Doug B]

The compact 22 is a lot of fun. I've easily got 2000 rounds thru one. No problems. Eats all kinds of ammo. Six magazines. I'm smiling the whole time I'm shooting it.

 

[doddg]

The compact 22 is a lot of fun. I've easily got 2000 rounds thru one. No problems. Eats all kinds of ammo. Six magazines. I'm smiling the whole time I'm shooting it.

1. I am so happy after my research that decided on the Compact S/W.

 

[Ryno22]

1. I am so happy after my research that decided on the Compact S/W.

I responded to you and this thread about 4 weeks ago. I had just purchased the M&P 22 Compact at RK. I have put 2k rounds down range and here's what I can tell you about this gun:
1.) It is really fun to shoot. For a gun at this price point, the trigger is amazingly smooth.
2.) The white dot sights are sufficient for indoor shooting.
3.) The only accessory I've purchased is an additional magazine. Cabela's will price match select online retailers (in my case Midway USA). I ended up paying around $8.00 after by Cabela Bucks.
4.) First 1k rounds we're CCI Mini Mags. Zero issues and really clean for 22lr. Next 500 we're Federal from Walmart. Zero issues but really dirty. Next 500 we're Remington Thunderbolts. Surprisingly pretty decent. 7 rounds we're a little week but still fired. The 500 rounds I shot last night were CCI Blazer. I really wanted to love this brand but they were unimpressive. I think it was because I thought they would fire like HV, which they don't. I also had 2 FTF in the first mag I used. After that, they were fine. I also thought they were relatively clean.
5.) It is really easy to clean. I have had to use more Q-tips on this one vs. my Shield 9 because if my fat fingers.
6.) Guys at the range have asked me why I didn't get a threaded barrel. It's a $300 gun and a ton of ammo is less than a cup of joe at Starbucks! I have no plans of modifying or accessorizing past adding more magazines.

I have really enjoyed owning this gun. It's accurate right out of the box and won't break the bank with ammo cost.

Be sure to try as much different ammo as you can, to see what works for your particular gun. Everyone I know that owns this gun has a different take on what ammo works the best. We can only all agree in the Mini Mags.

 

[T-DOGG]

I'm just over 500 rounds through mine. Only ammo it wouldn't cycle for me was Geco. It is a perfect first handgun for my 8yr old daughter. The size is ideal for her and she shot it very well. Federal Gold Target ammo wouldn't cycle reliably while she was shooting, but I think with her practicing more on getting a better firmer grip on the gun that ammo will cycle fine. It's living up to my expectations very well so far. I have the version that includes the thread adapter and plan on suppressing it eventually.

 

[doddg]

A follow up.
I don't know the proper terminlogy, so forbear.
On one of my threads somewhere commenting about the S/W M/P Compact 22 there was a mention the end of the barrel unscrewing (a "protector nut?" going over the end of the barrel threads where I guess a suppressor can be screwed on, making it a threaded barrel?
It is around 1/2 inch or bigger and has "indentions" on it where you can use a "wrench" of sorts (provided I think) to do the tightening/loosening of it.
I read (or was told here don't remember), that you had to be careful b/c it could work lose and fall off shooting it.
When I was at the range with gmcttr last evening I happened to remember that and it was indeed loose and I had to hand-tighten it.
gmcttr suggested the use of something that would set the tightness (my term not his), and that heat would loosen it back up when/if needed.
I don't like the idea of marking up the "nut" by using the tool to tighten it up, nor do I like the idea of using some type of "lock-tight" to cement it on for fear if I ever sell it a person might want to take the "nut" off to put a suppressor on it.
Lesson learned: every range time check the end of barrel.

 

[gmcttr]

So others know, I suggested a drop of Flexbar Rocksett which I have on hand. Unlike Locktite, it is extremely heat resistant but parts can be easily separated with normal hand tools.

It's frequently used on muzzle brakes.

The first thing I would try is to clean the threads, lightly oil and snug it up with the supplied tool. If that doesn't hold the thread protector on than the Rocksett would do the job and not be a problem for any future owners.

 

[doddg]

So others know, I suggested a drop of Flexbar Rocksett which I have on hand. Unlike Locktite, it is extremely heat resistant but parts can be easily separated with normal hand tools.

It's frequently used on muzzle brakes.

The first thing I would try is to clean the threads, lightly oil and snug it up with the supplied tool. If that doesn't hold the thread protector on than the Rocksett would do the job and not be a problem for any future owners.

1. Thanks! I couldn't remember.

 

[justacog]

6.) Guys at the range have asked me why I didn't get a threaded barrel. It's a $300 gun and a ton of ammo is less than a cup of joe at Starbucks! I have no plans of modifying or accessorizing past adding more magazines.
~~~

My understanding is all versions of the M&P 22c have a threaded barrel, and they are either sold with a thread protector cap or with the suppressor thread adapter nut pre-installed. So if you don't have the version with the thread adapter, you can just buy the kit from S&W:
Product: Suppressor Adaptor Kit

Unless you already have a suppressor though, I think that you have to take the thread adapter nut off before you can remove the slide of the gun for cleaning. As such, I just leave the original thread protector cap on mine.