Letโs get this out of the way right now: the Smith & Wesson M&P .22 Magnum isnโt just another half-baked rimfire pistol hoping to win your affection with a flashy name and a cheap price tag. No, this thing actually worksโand in the world of .22 Mag self-loading pistols, thatโs kind of a big deal.
Because letโs face it, rimfire semi-autos have a bit of a reputation. You never quite know if youโre going to get a smooth shooting day at the range or a hands-on lesson in malfunction clearance drills. Between dirty powder, soft case rims, and bullet seating straight out of the 19th century, rimfire cartridgesโespecially the long-suffering .22 LRโhave given many of us fits. But the .22 Magnum? Thatโs a different animal entirely. Jacketed bullets crimped properly in place, beefier case construction, and a little more punch to boot. And this M&P runs it like a champ.
Letโs Talk About the Cartridge First
If youโve ever experienced a .22 LR dud or stovepipe (and letโs be honest, you have), youโll understand the appeal of the .22 Magnumโs tighter tolerances and overall beefier design. Itโs still rimfire, so perfection isnโt guaranteedโbut in my testing, this M&P .22 Magnum went through 1,600 rounds with zero malfunctions. Thatโs right, zero. No stove pipes, no failures to fire, no weak extraction, no tantrums from the magazine. Just bang, cycle, repeat.
And this wasnโt cherry-picked match ammo either. We threw three brands of .22 Mag at itโ30, 40, and 45 grain loadsโand it chugged through them like a hungry squirrel on Red Bull. The 40-grain stuff remains my favorite (Iโm old-school like that), but I have to admit the lighter and heavier rounds ran just as well.
That Weird, Wonderful Tempo Barrel System
So how exactly does Smith & Wesson make this gun run so well when most .22 Mag autos choke on their own ambitions? Enter the โTempoโ barrel system. Itโs a clever little piece of engineering, borrowed from S&Wโs 5.7×28 pistol, that uses a two-piece barrelโbasically a barrel inside a sleeveโand some trick gas-delaying wizardry. Gas is bled off near the muzzle, keeping the barrel locked until the bullet exits. Add in a subtle rotating barrel (not quite Beretta PX4-level, but enough to torque the spent case loose), and youโve got a remarkably clean, consistent cycling system.
Translation: the thing runs smooth, doesnโt eat itself alive, and doesnโt turn your hands black from excess fouling. Thatโs a win-win-win in rimfire territory.
Ergonomics, Build, and โOh Hey, Itโs Got a Hammer!โ
Unlike the striker-fired parade of polymer pistols flooding the market, the M&P .22 Magnum is hammer-fired. Thatโs not just a fun throwbackโit’s actually part of what helps deliver a crisp, clean 4-pound trigger pull. Thereโs a modern trigger safety, ambidextrous controls, and a slide lock that doesnโt require Hulk hands to operate. The frame is polymer, but the slide is black-coated stainless steel, so corrosion can take a hike.
Thereโs an accessory rail up front if you want to mount a light (because why wouldnโt you?), and the grip texture is classic M&Pโgrippy enough to hang onto in the rain but not so aggressive it sands your skin off. For a 22-ounce gun with a 4.35-inch barrel and overall length of 8.4 inches, the balance is solid. No nose-diving, no top-heavy feel, just a comfortable-to-shoot rimfire that doesnโt feel like a toy.
30-Round Magazinesโฆ Yes, Thirty
S&W includes two 30-round magazines with the pistol, which is either the best idea ever or a very sneaky way to make you burn through ammo like youโre printing money in your basement. Fortunately, the mags are easy to load. I stuck with 25 rounds just because my ammo boxes were packed in 50s, but theyโll easily take the full thirty if you feel like getting ambitious.
Just be warned: once you start letting those rounds fly, youโre going to go through them quick. You might tell yourself youโre just โfunction testing,โ but youโll end up blowing through half a brick of ammo before you even realize it.
Ammo Compatibility: Not All Rounds Are Created Equal
Now hereโs the part where I give you the responsible disclaimer: not all .22 Magnum ammo feeds equally in semi-autos. Some off-brand loads (looking at you, Fiocchi) have thinner brass, and occasionally youโll get a dented case that decides not to eject. I had two short cycles during the first magazineโprobably just break-in hiccupsโand one or two jams from wonky ammo. But when I stuck to CCI MaxiMag and Federal Punch, the gun ran like a Swiss watch.
Takeaway? Stick to reputable ammo and youโll be in good shape. Experiment with the cheap stuff if you want, but keep your expectations in check and your cleaning kit nearby.
Range Time: A Plinker With Purpose
Let me just say it: this pistol is fun. Whether youโre shredding tin cans, tapping range debris at 40 yards, or doing your best John Wick impression on steel plates, the M&P .22 Magnum is a blast. Recoil is minimal, muzzle rise is nearly non-existent, and the sights (fiber optic front, notch rear) are easy to pick up quickly.
I mounted the pistol in my trusty MTM Caseguard K-Zone plastic rest for a little bench shooting, and the groups were more than respectable. With CCI 40-grain ammo, I managed 2-inch groups. Federal Punch turned in a tight 1.8-inch cluster, which is great for a rimfire semi-auto. Would I hunt squirrels with this gun? Absolutely. Would I carry it for self-defense? That depends.
Final Thoughts: Is It Worth It?
Letโs be real: .22 Magnum isnโt cheap anymore. Youโre going to pay close to what youโd spend on 9mm, and with those 30-round mags, youโll burn through a box faster than you can say โplinkerโs paradise.โ But what youโre getting here is a reliable, accurate, ridiculously fun pistol that could easily double as a small-game hunter or a backup piece for folks who want something low-recoil and still decently effective.
For new shooters, this pistol is gold. For experienced shooters, itโs a refreshing break from the serious, heavy-hitting stuff. And for folks like me who grew up with jam-o-matic .22s, itโs a bit of sweet redemption.
So yeahโthe S&W M&P .22 Magnum might just be the rimfire pistol you didnโt know you needed. And if you do pick one up, donโt blame me when youโre down to your last box of ammo and grinning like a kid at a carnival.
