Friday, August 15, 2014

Tin cans beware!

I see Smith has a new miniature-size plinker-grade .22 pistol out, and this one's not a 1:1 scale model of a centerfire like the existing M&P22. Well, Umarex and Ruger are laughing all the way to the bank with their P-22 and SR-22 designs, and when it's raining soup, a company would be a fool to not stick a bowl out the window. (cf. S&W Governor.)

I've heard good things about the larger M&P22, and liked the ones I've tried. I'm dragging my heels on buying one as a replacement for my 22/45 simply because the latter gun may not be a perfect "understudy" for my carry gun anymore, but it's just been such a little trouper. I have put an ungodly crap-ton of ammo through my MkIII 22/45 for several years straight, and that with a cleaning regimen that would probably have ToddG accusing me of gun abuse; I'm talking chipping big chunks of carbon out of the receiver with a dental pick a couple times a year when the bolt starts getting sluggish no matter how much more lube I glop on it.

If the light-metal slide full-size understudy M&P22 will put up with that, I'll buy two.

Although I didn't get my Ruger from Bud's, this right here is the one I got. I see that they still list a new retail price of ~$250, which I think is pretty near the best deal in Christendom in a new self-loading pistol. It's a soulless little Sten gun compared to a Woodsman, Smith 41, or a High Standard, but it seems to thrive on abuse and neglect.
.

12 comments:

TinCan Assassin said...

You rang?

Montana said...

1. No pretty pistol will every be better than a Ruger Mk series.

2. Where the heck is ToddG?

Hermit said...

S&W advertisers are obviously not slaves to grammar.

Joel said...

So are you the one who's using up all the damn .22? You must be zipping between Wal-marts nationwide like Superman, slurping it up by the truckload. Sure wish you'd stop that.

Paul said...

they are out of stock...My sad panda face.

I've got a 422 and a 622 and they both work good. Now if the supply of 22 would loosen up to the point I could go shooting again.

I feel I am about out of 22.

mikee said...

I note the linked marketing material for the S&W compact pistol offers free ammo with every gun purchase. Because where can the owner of a new gun buy ammo otherwise?

Not exactly the utopia Tam once envisioned of preloaded handguns sold in blister packs at the Walmart checkout, but hey, the future always differs a bit from what one wanted.

Anonymous said...

I'm a little confused by this new M&P .22 Compact. Am I correct in assuming this one is made my Smith and Wesson proper, and not Umarex/Walther like the previous M&P .22? And is the Umarex made M&P .22 now discontinued?

If I was in the market for .22 plinker, I'd climb over a pile of free zinc slide P-22's to buy a Ruger Mark III or a Browning Buckmark. This new M&P compact .22 is a neat gun though, make a good companion piece to my M&P 15-22 rifle.

Rob

Jennifer said...

Everyone should have a couple of those 22/45s around. But that Smith is sure tempting. Ah well, the spirit is willing but the wallet is weak.

Don M said...

My sad face!

The only walthers that seem to be available for sale in CA is .22s and the P-1 a very old design in 9mm.

Sherm said...

I've a MkII 22/45 and my wife has the fullsize M&P22. Much as I like the Ruger I have to admit that the Smith may be a bit more fun to shoot. It certainly is a lot lighter and the magazine holds two more rounds.

I don't get to shoot it much, however, and then only when I ask very nicely.

Matt G said...

Failing to make it full-size was teh dum.

Making it both in a full-sized and a compact would be fun, though.

Motor-T said...

I love my 22/45 and my 22/45 Lite (even if they did misspell light)