Massad Ayoob Reviews the Smith & Wesson M&P22 Compact

Smith & Wesson M&P22 Rimfire 2015 Allen Davis — Allen Davis, a five-gun IDPA Expert and division champion, demonstrates how easy it is to keep the Smith & Wesson M&P22 Compact on target while firing rapidly at the range. Living up to its name, this new rimfire semi-auto weighs almost 9 ounces less than its full-sized M&P22 predecessor.

Smith & Wesson M&P22 Rimfire 2015 left — The M&P22 Compact is very similar to its centerfire brethren in terms of design and operation. The trigger feels like a larger M&P’s, but the Compact comes with both an ambidextrous thumb safety as well as a magazine disconnect.

Smith & Wesson M&P22 Compact Rimfire 2015 target — Though the shooters experienced a bit of “4+1 syndrome” while testing the M&P22 Compact, it still produced tight groups at 25 yards, including this cluster with Winchester’s “M&P” load.

Smith & Wesson M&P22 Rimfire 2015 target Allen Davis — Davis was pleased with the M&P22 Compact’s accuracy. It was easy for him to score headshots with just one hand.

Smith & Wesson M&P22 Rimfire 2015 right — “For the shooter who relies on a larger M&P in a more serious caliber, the M&P22 Compact makes good sense for cheap practice.”

Smith & Wesson M&P22 Rimfire 2015 sights — While standard centerfire M&P pistols come with fixed sights, Smith & Wesson outfits the M&P22 Compact with a white-dot front sight and an adjustable, two-dot rear sight.

Smith & Wesson M&P22 Rimfire 2015 comparison — Here you can see the difference in size between the M&P22 Compact (top), which has a 3.56-inch barrel, and the standard M&P22 (bottom) with its 4.1-inch barrel.

Smith & Wesson M&P22 Rimfire 2015 screwdriver — Shooters can adjust the rear sight for elevation with a screwdriver.

Smith & Wesson M&P22 Rimfire 2015 wrench — Shooters can adjust the rear sight for windage with the provided Allen wrench.

Trigger time builds skill. Live fire requires ammo. Cheaper ammo allows for more skill-building practice. Ergo, the rationale of what the great gun writer Jan Stevenson called “understudy guns”: firearms that work the same as a large-caliber service handgun but are chambered for the .22 LR.

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One of the best of these is part of the Smith & Wesson Military & Police series, the semi-auto M&P22. The original model had a 4.1-inch barrel and a proportionally sized frame.

I tested one for a gun magazine and liked it so much that I bought the test sample to keep. Smith & Wesson recently introduced the M&P22 Compact, a smaller version. I recently hit the range to test the M&P22 Compact, compare its design against the full-sized M&P22 and figure what this new model might do for you.

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The M&P22 Compact features a 3.56-inch barrel that is threaded, because sound suppressors are enjoying a new renaissance, weighs 15.9 ounces with its aluminum slide (almost 9 ounces lighter than the full-sized M&P22) and has a shorter butt.

Unlike the larger version of the M&P22, the Compact’s slide stop lever is on the left side only. It does not have the interchangeable backstraps of the centerfire M&P series, and its grip frame is roughly comparable to the smallest of the larger-caliber models.

To read the entire story on the Smith & Wesson M&P22 Compact, please visit PersonalDefenseWorld.com.

This story was taken from the 2015 Complete Book of Rimfires. To subscribe, please visit PersonalDefenseWorld.com. For more information on the M&P22 Compact, please visit smith-wesson.com or call 800-331-0852.