I'm buying my first handgun, and am planning on picking up one of these soon. My brother just bought one and really likes it. I know a number of people who speak highly of the M&P line. Any comments/tips on this particular gun and caliber?
S&W M&P 22
- Thread starter Hokiefyd
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JHZR2
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Have you fired it? Dont buy it just because of a review or because someone else likes it. See if you can borrow/rent one.
9mm is by far cheapest. I assume you dont reload.
9mm is by far cheapest. I assume you dont reload.
9mm is cheapest to shoot or to buy? Around here, 9mm is about $1/round, while 525 round boxes of 22LR are less than 20 bucks. Same line, too, Winchester. 22 is far cheaper to shoot, at least around here.
I haven't shot it, but I did hold one at a gun shop today. Feels very good in the hand. My other top choice was a Ruger 22/45 (similar to MKIII), but I didn't like it as much.
I haven't shot it, but I did hold one at a gun shop today. Feels very good in the hand. My other top choice was a Ruger 22/45 (similar to MKIII), but I didn't like it as much.
Not really personal/home defense (have a Mossberg 12 ga with pistol grip for that). This is for getting familiar with handguns, general recreational shooting, plinking, etc.
I'd say it's a good choice for that.
The M&P .22 shares the same frame as the other M&P's so you'll be able to transfer that familiarity to another in the line.
Other than that I can't offer much other than my friend likes his M&P .40. My .22 is the S&W 22A.
The M&P .22 shares the same frame as the other M&P's so you'll be able to transfer that familiarity to another in the line.
Other than that I can't offer much other than my friend likes his M&P .40. My .22 is the S&W 22A.
Like everything else, google is your friend.
Myself, I'm a Ruger man, so I'd go with one of the Mk series. But that's just me--the M&P is likely a good choice. Since this is your first pistol, it's probably a safe bet. Start off with 22, and when you get some proficency, you can go to a large caliber. If you want to. If you wanted to go to something larger eventually, you'll likely wind up keeping a good 22 no matter what--it is potentially a lifetime investment. Since the ammunition is low cost and all.
If this is just for fun, I don't see a downside.
Myself, I'm a Ruger man, so I'd go with one of the Mk series. But that's just me--the M&P is likely a good choice. Since this is your first pistol, it's probably a safe bet. Start off with 22, and when you get some proficency, you can go to a large caliber. If you want to. If you wanted to go to something larger eventually, you'll likely wind up keeping a good 22 no matter what--it is potentially a lifetime investment. Since the ammunition is low cost and all.
If this is just for fun, I don't see a downside.
I should add, finding a 22LR firearm is likely something you'll use for years to come. Nothing comes close to 22LR in cost, although it usually pays to not buy the cheapest 22LR.
A couple of notes, since you sound new to this:
-22LR is a rimfire, and the cases are not reusable. The centerfire ones are reusable (usually), and reloading your own ammunition is a great way to control costs--but it's doubtful that you could approach the cost of 22lr, even with reloading.
-Remington 22lr is usually lousy; I'd avoid. Very few people have been happy with it. At least going off what the internet opinion is. Yet Remington still sells lots of it, so...?
-I like CCI Mini-Mags, they work great in pistols. You shouldn't need anything exotic like Eley, or "have to" use standard velocity, or the like. My Ruger likes Federal Automatch, which used to be available at a good price at Walmart. A hundred rounds of Mini-Mags is usually $6-7, give or take. Fed Automatch was like $14 or so for 325 rounds.
-22LR is notoriously dirty. So far my Ruger's don't mind the dirt. Some pistols are notorious for jamming up after x rounds. Not saying you should not clean after a range session, but it's nice when you don't have to clean *during* a range session. I doubt that the M&P would be picky, but I've never read up on it. Some of the other 22lr's certainly can be.
-rimfirecentral.com is a good resource. There are probably other good sites too out there.
-buy ammo as you see it. Who knows when it'll be in stock again.
-Despite being "just a 22" you still need ear protection. Regular old earplugs will work fine, or whatever you might use. Don't need much, but a 22 pistol is still louder than any 22 rifle that you may have used in the past. If you shoot at an indoor range, or in particular around others, get good protection--as others may be using large(r) caliber firearms, which most likely will be much louder. Eye protection should be worn too, although like others I usually just wear my regular prescription glasses.
-Does the M&P have a rail on it? I doubt you'd ever scope it, but a red dot can be fun. I'm looking forward to setting up a red dot on one of my 22's some day. Iron sight shooting is fun; it takes practice. Red dot's can make it easier, and make shooting faster, which is fun itself. You might not want a red dot today but you might want to try out some day. Also, it can't hurt the resale value either.
-take a look at magazine cost. Not saying you want a hundred mags or anything; but it can be nice to reload a bunch ahead of time. But if the mags are $50 apiece that might be intolerable, even for just a spare magazine. [Magazines don't last forever. Some do, some don't. Nothing lasts forever, so having a spare in anticipation isn't a bad thing--nothing like ruining a day at the range when you find a mag that won't run. And often they just need a good cleaning, so it's not necessarily a wear thing.]
-Figure out where you plan to shoot. A membership to a range might be good. A number of the regulars love to let others try out their "toys".
-Do you plan to shoot indoors? There are some lead exposure issues you should be aware of that you wouldn't run into with outdoor shooting. If you shoot indoors, make sure they have a good air filtration system, that they don't use brooms on the floor, etc. [Most primers used in ammunition contain lead, which gets into the air, and will also settle onto the floor. An indoor range should use a shovel to scoop up brass, so as to not kick up lead dust.]
-22's are often unplated bullets, but even on the copper washed ones practice good lead safety: wash your hands after handling ammunition and/or guns and after shooting, in cold water. You can't absorb lead through your skin, but through transference it can still get into your blood stream.
A couple of notes, since you sound new to this:
-22LR is a rimfire, and the cases are not reusable. The centerfire ones are reusable (usually), and reloading your own ammunition is a great way to control costs--but it's doubtful that you could approach the cost of 22lr, even with reloading.
-Remington 22lr is usually lousy; I'd avoid. Very few people have been happy with it. At least going off what the internet opinion is. Yet Remington still sells lots of it, so...?
-I like CCI Mini-Mags, they work great in pistols. You shouldn't need anything exotic like Eley, or "have to" use standard velocity, or the like. My Ruger likes Federal Automatch, which used to be available at a good price at Walmart. A hundred rounds of Mini-Mags is usually $6-7, give or take. Fed Automatch was like $14 or so for 325 rounds.
-22LR is notoriously dirty. So far my Ruger's don't mind the dirt. Some pistols are notorious for jamming up after x rounds. Not saying you should not clean after a range session, but it's nice when you don't have to clean *during* a range session. I doubt that the M&P would be picky, but I've never read up on it. Some of the other 22lr's certainly can be.
-rimfirecentral.com is a good resource. There are probably other good sites too out there.
-buy ammo as you see it. Who knows when it'll be in stock again.
-Despite being "just a 22" you still need ear protection. Regular old earplugs will work fine, or whatever you might use. Don't need much, but a 22 pistol is still louder than any 22 rifle that you may have used in the past. If you shoot at an indoor range, or in particular around others, get good protection--as others may be using large(r) caliber firearms, which most likely will be much louder. Eye protection should be worn too, although like others I usually just wear my regular prescription glasses.
-Does the M&P have a rail on it? I doubt you'd ever scope it, but a red dot can be fun. I'm looking forward to setting up a red dot on one of my 22's some day. Iron sight shooting is fun; it takes practice. Red dot's can make it easier, and make shooting faster, which is fun itself. You might not want a red dot today but you might want to try out some day. Also, it can't hurt the resale value either.
-take a look at magazine cost. Not saying you want a hundred mags or anything; but it can be nice to reload a bunch ahead of time. But if the mags are $50 apiece that might be intolerable, even for just a spare magazine. [Magazines don't last forever. Some do, some don't. Nothing lasts forever, so having a spare in anticipation isn't a bad thing--nothing like ruining a day at the range when you find a mag that won't run. And often they just need a good cleaning, so it's not necessarily a wear thing.]
-Figure out where you plan to shoot. A membership to a range might be good. A number of the regulars love to let others try out their "toys".
-Do you plan to shoot indoors? There are some lead exposure issues you should be aware of that you wouldn't run into with outdoor shooting. If you shoot indoors, make sure they have a good air filtration system, that they don't use brooms on the floor, etc. [Most primers used in ammunition contain lead, which gets into the air, and will also settle onto the floor. An indoor range should use a shovel to scoop up brass, so as to not kick up lead dust.]
-22's are often unplated bullets, but even on the copper washed ones practice good lead safety: wash your hands after handling ammunition and/or guns and after shooting, in cold water. You can't absorb lead through your skin, but through transference it can still get into your blood stream.
Around here, 9mm is no-existent. $1 a round wouldn't buy anything.
That's why I went .40 I've been able to pick up target ammo in the past three weeks for less than 40 cents each. Seen probably three thousand of rounds.
But ZERO in 9mm.
That's why I went .40 I've been able to pick up target ammo in the past three weeks for less than 40 cents each. Seen probably three thousand of rounds.
But ZERO in 9mm.
Thanks guys. Everything I read about this pistol is positive. Everyone I've talked to say it's a great starter pistol for someone like me.
Around here, and right now, you can get everything BUT 22 rounds. I can buy 9s all day long. I can buy 12 ga all day long. And the 22s aren't marked up...they're simply always out of stock. My dad actually bought two boxes (325 ea) of Federal 22 hollow points to send to my brother at Walmart. He went out to the Jeep, thought about it, and went back into get the last box, but it was already gone. I was at Gander Mountain today at lunch to look for ammo (and to look at the gun), and they already sold out of their 22 for the day. They get a truck every Wednesday night and it's stocked Thursday morning. The counter folks say it sells out in about 15 minutes. It's like gas after a hurricane.
Around here, and right now, you can get everything BUT 22 rounds. I can buy 9s all day long. I can buy 12 ga all day long. And the 22s aren't marked up...they're simply always out of stock. My dad actually bought two boxes (325 ea) of Federal 22 hollow points to send to my brother at Walmart. He went out to the Jeep, thought about it, and went back into get the last box, but it was already gone. I was at Gander Mountain today at lunch to look for ammo (and to look at the gun), and they already sold out of their 22 for the day. They get a truck every Wednesday night and it's stocked Thursday morning. The counter folks say it sells out in about 15 minutes. It's like gas after a hurricane.
JHZR2
Staff member
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
9mm is cheapest to shoot or to buy? Around here, 9mm is about $1/round, while 525 round boxes of 22LR are less than 20 bucks. Same line, too, Winchester. 22 is far cheaper to shoot, at least around here.
I missed that you were buying a .22
9mm is cheapest to shoot or to buy? Around here, 9mm is about $1/round, while 525 round boxes of 22LR are less than 20 bucks. Same line, too, Winchester. 22 is far cheaper to shoot, at least around here.
I missed that you were buying a .22
Originally Posted By: supton
Myself, I'm a Ruger man, so I'd go with one of the Mk series.
You know, my other front-runner is a Ruger 22/45 Lite. In fact, after doing some more research, it may offer more bang-for-the-buck. It comes with two magazines whereas the M&P comes with one. The M&P's mags are also apparently very expensive and hard to find, and you can buy mags for the Ruger all day long for $10.
I think the 22/45 Lite is based on the MKIII. Or maybe it's the same gun with the only change being the anodized upper. I also think I like the Ruger slightly better in that the action slides within the upper, rather than the upper being the sliding action itself, as it is on the M&P and some others.
There is a gun show in town this weekend, and I will go and further investigate my options.
Myself, I'm a Ruger man, so I'd go with one of the Mk series.
You know, my other front-runner is a Ruger 22/45 Lite. In fact, after doing some more research, it may offer more bang-for-the-buck. It comes with two magazines whereas the M&P comes with one. The M&P's mags are also apparently very expensive and hard to find, and you can buy mags for the Ruger all day long for $10.
I think the 22/45 Lite is based on the MKIII. Or maybe it's the same gun with the only change being the anodized upper. I also think I like the Ruger slightly better in that the action slides within the upper, rather than the upper being the sliding action itself, as it is on the M&P and some others.
There is a gun show in town this weekend, and I will go and further investigate my options.
$10? Dang, I bought the wrong Ruger--my MkII's seem to run $25 or so. Meh, I only really need two, since they only hold 10 rounds and are quick to reload.
[Side note: on my MkII it has a button on the side of the magazine. You slide the button down with your thumb, and then drop rounds into the magazine. I find that it hurts like heck on the thumb. So when I go to the range I bring a pen with me. I put the pen onto the button, and slide the button down the mag using that. Pen is flush on the magazine, and just gives my thumb a larger surface.]
I know I held a 22/45 once, not sure what one, but I found I didn't like the mag release: I hit it accidentally a few times in the shop. I prefer the heel release on mine. YMMV, and since it's a Ruger, odds are you can find a different button to replace it with. Heck, fatter grips might fix the problem too.
Do go to the gun shows, great way to see lots. However, in the past I've run into two issues: first, they are mobbed, and it can be hard to get help--and usually you need to ask permission before picking up a firearm. I hate to impose on them, since 99.9% of the time I just want to feel the gun and see if I like it or not--I'm not likely to buy on the spot. Worse, they are usually zip-tied so that the action can't be worked, or the trigger can't be pulled, which means you can't really test the gun out. Bummer.
But do go, and at the least, if you see some name brand bulk ammo, buy a brick or two. Or 10. Most shoot 22's heavily, and it's not unheard of to go through a brick (a brick is a box of 500 rounds) in a session, especially if shooting with friends.
Oh: I'd keep an eye out for older 22 rifles. Can't go wrong with a bolt 22 that you bought for peanuts. Again, cheap shooting fun. I like my 10/22 carbine, its 25 round mag is fun; but I still enjoy shooting my ancient pre-WWII 7 shot bolt that I bought for $30.
[Side note: on my MkII it has a button on the side of the magazine. You slide the button down with your thumb, and then drop rounds into the magazine. I find that it hurts like heck on the thumb. So when I go to the range I bring a pen with me. I put the pen onto the button, and slide the button down the mag using that. Pen is flush on the magazine, and just gives my thumb a larger surface.]
I know I held a 22/45 once, not sure what one, but I found I didn't like the mag release: I hit it accidentally a few times in the shop. I prefer the heel release on mine. YMMV, and since it's a Ruger, odds are you can find a different button to replace it with. Heck, fatter grips might fix the problem too.
Do go to the gun shows, great way to see lots. However, in the past I've run into two issues: first, they are mobbed, and it can be hard to get help--and usually you need to ask permission before picking up a firearm. I hate to impose on them, since 99.9% of the time I just want to feel the gun and see if I like it or not--I'm not likely to buy on the spot. Worse, they are usually zip-tied so that the action can't be worked, or the trigger can't be pulled, which means you can't really test the gun out. Bummer.
But do go, and at the least, if you see some name brand bulk ammo, buy a brick or two. Or 10. Most shoot 22's heavily, and it's not unheard of to go through a brick (a brick is a box of 500 rounds) in a session, especially if shooting with friends.
Oh: I'd keep an eye out for older 22 rifles. Can't go wrong with a bolt 22 that you bought for peanuts. Again, cheap shooting fun. I like my 10/22 carbine, its 25 round mag is fun; but I still enjoy shooting my ancient pre-WWII 7 shot bolt that I bought for $30.
I will buy every box of 22 that they'll let me, or that I can find. My suspicion is that the line is already forming tonight for tomorrow's opening, and any 22 they have will be gone in the first 3 minutes. We plan to get there an hour early, which still may be an hour too late.
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Around here, 9mm is about $1/round ...
Must be from the ammo shortage craze. I bought 50 round boxes of 9mm for $12 a box only a couple months ago. Stores must be price gouging ammo like crazy.
Around here, 9mm is about $1/round ...
Must be from the ammo shortage craze. I bought 50 round boxes of 9mm for $12 a box only a couple months ago. Stores must be price gouging ammo like crazy.
9mm at a buck per round sounds like premium self defense ammunition. Which tends to run a buck per round for handguns, regardless of caliber, it seems. Ranger fodder is what, 20c/round, give or take, more if it's not 9mm?
Anyhow... Make it to the show?
Anyhow... Make it to the show?
Yes, I went to the show, and I bought a Ruger 22/45 LITE. I'll update in another thread at some point this week (busy week).
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