Your opinion is needed...S&W 22A, yay or gay?

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Your opinion is needed...S&W 22A, yay or gay?

Posted: 1/30/2007 4:28:41 PM EDT

Yes, I did a search under handguns and nothing came up.

Does anybody have any feedback on the S&W 22A, specifically the 5" model?

How is it for a .22lr plinker? Reliability? Ammo likes and dislikes? Overall quality? I'm considering getting one through a TSRA sponsorship. Any opinions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Posted: 1/31/2007 5:58:41 AM EDT

[#1]

Gay? Hell yeah!

I have no idea about the S&W, but I can put in an unsolicited and shameless plug for a Ruger MkII.

And that's not a typo. Should be MkII, not MkIII.

Posted: 1/31/2007 6:34:20 AM EDT

[#2]

The last-generation S&W .22s I have had have been excellent pistols. They are not Model 41s, of course, but they are accurate and not as ammo-fickle as some .22 semi-autos. I am a .22 junkie and own most of the popular .22 pistols -- my "fancy" 22S (below -- cropped from a larger pic, thus the bad resolution) is one of my favorites and I expect very good things out of my camo 22A (FoNRA gun from last year) with matching camo red-dot once I have time to sight it in and give it a try (no pics yet, sorry).

If you have a chance to get one at a fair price, I would recommend you do so.

Posted: 1/31/2007 8:18:33 AM EDT

[#3]

I have a 22A and love it. Shoots very well and never had ammo problems with it. edit- gotta stick to the rules -OdT

Posted: 1/31/2007 3:02:32 PM EDT

[#4]

Actually, if I get one, it will be through the current TSRA sponsorship program.

Posted: 1/31/2007 11:58:00 PM EDT

[#5]

I have one of the earlier 4" models. I have shot it a lot with my kids and it is a fun plinker. It is uncomplicated and easy to clean but mine works well with minimal cleaning.

Posted: 2/2/2007 9:16:30 AM EDT

[#6]

i've put mine through hell, and it keeps coming back for more.

as i mentioned in another thread, i've seen a lot of people over at RFC bash this gun, but i've put an estimated 6,000 rounds through mine and have had no real issues.

the one problem that you'll have to look out for is the screws walking out during extended firing. i just put some locktite on the screws holding on the rail and the one that holds the barrel into the frame... good as new! keep in mind that this didn't start happening until i had 2-3,000 rounds through mine already.

ETA: buffers will need replaced every few thousand rounds. there should be two or three replacements included with the gun.

ammo... mine doesn't like bulk CCI or bulk remington. i've used more federal champions than anything else.

there are definitely superior .22 pistols out there, but if you want to pick one up for less than $200 new, the 22a is not a bad choice.

Posted: 2/3/2007 12:50:01 AM EDT

[#7]

6,000 rounds? That is virtually a new gun still. Mine has about 70,000 rounds through it by now and I'll add another brick of Federal today.

Posted: 2/3/2007 2:12:43 AM EDT

[#8]

Got one, like it.

Posted: 2/3/2007 7:11:42 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
6,000 rounds? That is virtually a new gun still. Mine has about 70,000 rounds through it by now and I'll add another brick of Federal today.

70,000??? Wow.

What parts have you had to fix and/or replace with that kind of mileage? And which model 22A do you have?

Posted: 2/4/2007 1:12:06 AM EDT

[#10]

I have one of the first ones, a 4" 22A.
At around 35,000 rounds the firing pin broke, it broke twice since then.

Around 55,000 the hook at the end of the sight rib broke, S&W sent me also that under warranty and I put it on. I noticed that they changed the design of the hook.

At a little over 60,000 the frame broke right above the trigger, S&W sent a UPS label and built a new frame with my serial number and returned it within three weeks.

At that time they also changed the recoil spring and the main spring, too. The main spring had become about a quarter of an inch shorter.

I still use the original magazines and changed the plastic recoil buffer three times, the original one lasted most of the pistols life, the new ones are going faster.

***Edited to add, the sight rib came loose several times and I finally used blue Loctite for that and the barrel stud to stop it from walking out.

All I use to clean this gun is WD40 - just because so many internet jockeys bash it. About once a year I detail strip it and clean it thoroughly.

Yesterday one of the mags had a feeding issue that seems to be gone after cleaning the mag, I will find out next time at the range.

Posted: 2/10/2007 7:34:36 AM EDT

[#11]

Gay, no

Yay, YES.

I love my S&W.

Posted: 2/10/2007 3:36:45 PM EDT

[#12]

I've ordered one through the Texas State Rifle Association. It's a sponsorship program they're running right now where you receive an engraved firearm for a certain $$$ donation.

I wanted to give to the TSRA, and since I get a gun in return, I couldn't pass it up! Thanks for the info everyone. It looks like I'll be receiving a great plinker!

Posted: 2/11/2007 2:23:30 PM EDT

[#13]

It's not a model 41..... I think when you factor in the $$, it is better. I have won .22 matches with my original 5.5" gun, and I just picked up a 7" SS gun that seems to be even more accurate. I did the "buy a box of every .22lr I can find" dance with mine and decided that CCi Standard Velocity is what my gun likes... And then I bought a case of the same lot. If I do my part, it's unbeatable.

Posted: 2/11/2007 4:45:22 PM EDT

[#14]

I BOUGHT ONE YESTERDAY!!!! I shot 550 rounds through it today .. shot like a champ .. a few FTE's but i'll chalk that up to breaking in and cheap ammo..

Posted: 2/20/2007 4:23:51 PM EDT

[#15]

Purchased a new one this weekend. IT fail to chamber about the first 5 rounds of each clip. Had to nudge the receiver about a 1/16 of a inch and then it fired. I was using Federals. Picked up a few hundred CCI hoping that will do the trick, Or is it a break-in problem?
Will give it a try this weekend. Shop had 2 more that I was thinking about getting for my sons. They do shoot sweet, and grouped well..

Posted: 2/20/2007 4:51:27 PM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
Purchased a new one this weekend. IT fail to chamber about the first 5 rounds of each clip. Had to nudge the receiver about a 1/16 of a inch and then it fired. I was using Federals. Picked up a few hundred CCI hoping that will do the trick, Or is it a break-in problem?
Will give it a try this weekend. Shop had 2 more that I was thinking about getting for my sons. They do shoot sweet, and grouped well..

*magazine*

what do you mean when you say you had to nudge the "reciever"? are you referring to the slide?

first things first... did you break down, clean, and lubricate the weapon before shooting it? if not, that could be your problem. if you're having to push on the slide, this could be due to improper lubrication or stiff springs.

second(and a bit less likely), are all the screws tight? most importantly, is the screw that holds the barrell to the frame tight?

third, ammunition varies widely when it comes to .22lr handguns and rifles... so much to the point that what works well in my 22a might not work in yours. try a few different kinds of ammunition to see what works best in your gun.

i'd reccomend making sure the gun is cleaned and well oiled. then i'd reccomend using a little bit hotter ammunition to break it in i.e. CCI minimags. after a few hundred rounds, it should run just fine...

good luck!

Posted: 2/20/2007 5:19:35 PM EDT

[#17]

Thank you, Yes had to nudge the SLIDE. I did break it down the night before. All seemed well and there was a light coat of oil. We did manage to feed around 300 rounds. Toward the end it started to work a little better. But still would not fire a whole mag with out a nudge. I did pick up the CCI minimags. The Federals round where a few years old and boxed loose in one box.
On the plus side,it is easy to break down and clean. The Pistol came with 2 extra plastic recoil spacers. Hope that is not a sign they wear out easy.

Posted: 2/20/2007 5:31:06 PM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
The Pistol came with 2 extra plastic recoil spacers. Hope that is not a sign they wear out easy.

not at all. as i've mentioned before, in about 6,000 rounds, i've changed the buffer once.

it sounds like it just needs breaking in. the springs in mine were pretty stiff at first. 300 rounds is a good start... give it another couple hundred and i think you'll be good to go!

Posted: 2/21/2007 12:28:50 AM EDT

[#19]

If the slide does not fully close on a partially chambered round, my guess would be that it's the ammo. While my 22A does not do this, I had an Advantage Arms upper for a Glock30 that did it too frequently with one brand of ammo until I had an out of battery discharge with a neatly blown case.

The 22A cannot fire with the slide that far back but having more than 2% failures is very annoying. I use Federal bulk and have usually less than 2% failures, most failures that I experience are primer related.

As an afterthought, I want to add, that you should manually chamber one of the troublesome rounds and see how it fits compared to other ammo. Maybe your chamber is a little rough or slightly undersized.

Posted: 2/21/2007 7:00:38 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
If the slide does not fully close on a partially chambered round, my guess would be that it's the ammo. While my 22A does not do this, I had an Advantage Arms upper for a Glock30 that did it too frequently with one brand of ammo until I had an out of battery discharge with a neatly blown case.

The 22A cannot fire with the slide that far back but having more than 2% failures is very annoying. I use Federal bulk and have usually less than 2% failures, most failures that I experience are primer related.

As an afterthought, I want to add, that you should manually chamber one of the troublesome rounds and see how it fits compared to other ammo. Maybe your chamber is a little rough or slightly undersized.

Thanks for the tip. I did not save any of the troublesome rounds. But I will this weekend.
After closer inspection I thought I seen a rough spot in the chamber. After a good cleaning it was not there.
For some reason I really like the way it feels. The local gun shop still has 2 more discounted down to $299. Not sure if this is a super deal. But if this one works out I might get both of them for my sons. Might give my 1911 a break from them.

Posted: 2/21/2007 8:18:06 PM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:

The local gun shop still has 2 more discounted down to $299. Not sure if this is a super deal. But if this one works out I might get both of them for my sons.

i hate to say this, but down here, they usually run less than $200 new. i think they're $189 at academy and $199 at bass pro. i'd shop around a bit before spending $299 on one.

Posted: 2/21/2007 8:58:48 PM EDT

[#22]

Got one in 2002.

Jamm-o-matic

Sent to S&W

came back

Jamm-o-matic, the sequel

Sent to S&W

came back

BANG... BANG... JAM!

Sold it

Posted: 2/22/2007 6:05:30 AM EDT

[#23]

Hopefully mine won't be one of the jamm-o-matics.

I'm getting mine through a monetary sponsorship to the Texas State Rifle Association, so I won't be terribly upset if it doesn't run 100%.

I receive it at the end of March, and it comes with TSRA custom engraving from S&W. Woo hoo.

Posted: 2/23/2007 7:06:59 PM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:
Hopefully mine won't be one of the jamm-o-matics.

I'm getting mine through a monetary sponsorship to the Texas State Rifle Association, so I won't be terribly upset if it doesn't run 100%.

I receive it at the end of March, and it comes with TSRA custom engraving from S&W. Woo hoo.

Good luck on the sponsorship. Just remember ( to coin a phase) "Aim small miss small"

My 22A-1

Looked around, Ruger Mark III are going for $299. That was the only shop in rural Mississippi that had the S&W. Might have over paid and still looking. Still like the way it shoots. Sons did well. Both where surprise that they score on paper with it.
Will post again after range trip tomorrow..

Posted: 2/24/2007 2:27:14 PM EDT

[#25]

[

i'd reccomend making sure the gun is cleaned and well oiled. then i'd reccomend using a little bit hotter ammunition to break it in i.e. CCI minimags. after a few hundred rounds, it should run just fine...

good luck!

You was right on. Had maybe two failures in 400 rounds today. Thanks

Posted: 2/24/2007 3:15:03 PM EDT

[#26]

Yeah, they are fun. But much like a fat chick with a nice personality, you don't want your friends to see you with it.

Posted: 2/24/2007 3:48:21 PM EDT

[#27]

Quoted:
Yeah, they are fun. But much like a fat chick with a nice personality, you don't want your friends to see you with it.

IF my friends don't like the fat chick, I bring out her sister

Joking aside, balance was good. Trigger pull was perfect out of the box.HIVIZ® Front Sight worked well in low light. Was very cloudy today. Not to mention the cost of shooting.
Had started sons training with the 45 auto. This was a big mistake. After two weekends of shooting the S&W, I let them shoot the 45 again before leaving the range. There was a significant improvement.

Posted: 2/24/2007 3:51:19 PM EDT

[#28]

good shooters, mine likes the CCI Blazers the best.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Your opinion is needed...S&W 22A, yay or gay?

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