Smith & Wesson M&P22X Review: 600 Rounds With the New .22 LR

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Over the last several years, my Smith & Wesson M&P22 Compact has seen thousands of rounds and has been one of my favorite .22 LR pistols. However, the 10-round magazine capacity is less than ideal, and it doesn’t have an optics-ready slide, which I’m a sucker for.

So once I saw the M&P22X announced last year with its 20-round magazines and optics-ready slide, I knew it was only a matter of time before I had one in my collection.

It’s essentially a larger, more feature-packed version of the pistol I’ve loved for years.

I’ve only had it for about two months, but in that time, I’ve managed to put 600 various rounds through it and established a very good idea of who this pistol is meant for.

I don’t always include this section, but there was a nice little surprise or two waiting for me as I unboxed the M&P22X.

Aside from the gun, magazines, and boring stuff (paperwork and lock), you also get a threaded barrel adapter and a set of HIVIZ fiber-optic pipes to customize the front sight.

The full-size yet slim frame is what stands out first. The taller grip features semi-aggressive texturing all around and feels great in hand. When you pair it with the slight undercut of the trigger guard, you can really get a superior purchase on the pistol.

Although it doesn’t come with backstraps, I don’t think I would have added one regardless.

That brings me to the trigger. The flat-face trigger is light, clean, and consistent. It has a defined wall and a break that’s easy to predict, which makes it easy to stay on target. It’s not overly light, but it doesn’t feel heavy or gritty either.

As mentioned earlier, the slide comes optics-ready, which should really be a standard across the board at this point. I went with the Vortex Defender CCW, and it mounted quickly and directly with no plate required. I do wish the rear sight could remain installed with an optic, though.

However, if you choose to run it without an optic, the factory sights are easy to work with. The front sight stands out clearly, and the rear keeps things simple without getting in the way.

The threaded barrel adapter also plays a huge part in the core setup. I made sure to take advantage of it and ran a couple of hundred rounds through it with my Silencer Central BANISH 45.

Smith & Wesson includes a wrench with the threaded barrel adapter that makes it simple to install/remove.

Other noteworthy features include an accessory rail, ambidextrous thumb safety, and a reversible magazine catch, showing that S&W was thinking of even the smaller details.

Over the course of several trips to the range, I put 600 rounds through it, and probably will put a couple of hundred more by the time this article publishes! I’d also like to add that I have not given the gun a true “cleaning” yet, just a quick wipe down after a few hundred rounds.

So far, I’ve shot the following types of ammo with it:

• 38-grain Aguila HP
• 40-grain Aguila Hi-Velocity SP
• 40-grain CCI Clean-22 Subsonic LRN
• 40-grain CCI Standard Velocity LRN
• 40-grain Federal Champion AutoMatch LRN

My first dozen or so magazines had literally no malfunctions, which most of the time consisted of the CCI Standard Velocity LRNs.

It wasn’t until I got to the 38-grain Aguila HPs that I started to see a handful of malfunctions. After the 50-round box, I went back to the various others mentioned above, and it was back to running smoothly.

The only other issue with ammo I had was from the CCI Clean-22 Subsonic LRNs, which have a polymer coating on the bullet that was getting hung up entering the chamber. I’m not sure if polishing the feed ramp would help, but figured it was worth noting.

Accuracy across the ammo was consistent at practical distances. Inside of 10 yards, it’s easy to keep groups tight. Stretching it out to 25 yards, it still holds together well and out to 50 where the range stopped for me, I was ringing steel with ease.

The trigger helps maintain that consistency. Once you get a feel for the break, it’s easy to shoot at a steady pace, and between the low recoil and the 20-round capacity, you can focus on shooting instead of managing the gun.

It’s important to remember that once you start shooting it suppressed, you’ll get more blowback and debris coming back toward you. It’s not specific to this gun, just part of shooting suppressed rimfire, but it’s something I noticed right away.

You’ll definitely want to ensure you have proper eye protection on (as you always should).

Even with that, it runs consistently. It doesn’t feel overly sensitive once suppressed; it just requires a little more attention as you put rounds through it.

In the introduction, I mentioned I have a solid idea of who this pistol is good for. My answer? Everyone.

The M&P22X works well for teaching new shooters the fundamentals, is a cost-effective training pistol, and is just plain old fun to shoot suppressed! You can shoot this thing all day and not break the bank.

It’s not complicated, and it shoots well right out of the box, but it provides the ability to upgrade it with accessories to make it fill any role you may need it for.

If you’re in the market for a new pistol chambered in .22 LR, I highly recommend you give this one a try.