Overview
Smith & Wesson releases new guns almost weekly, so it can be difficult to keep up. I remember the launch of the 22X pistol on social media, showing a few images of the pistol in a dark environment along with the FPC 22 – a 16.25-inch rifle that shares magazines with the 22X. But that was it. There are almost no videos or written reviews online, and recent reports are that production was slowed temporarily, making the guns hard to find.
The 22X is the answer to SIG Sauer’s P322, which pushed the competition to increase capacity in .22 handguns, as well as make them more like higher-caliber offerings. Glock entered the arena in 2020 with the G44, but the 10-round capacity left a lot to be desired. (Truth be told though, that gun kept me pulling the trigger at the range through Covid and probably made me a better shooter.)
After being a leader in the .22 LR category for decades, one could argue that S&W has fallen behind recently. The M&P22 Compact left a lot to be desired, and the next release was a 22 Magnum that left many scratching their heads. With a flat-backed grip, it doesn’t resemble any of the full-size M&Ps but seems to be the precursor to the 22X. Further baffling, the July release of the 22X and FPC carbine was a blip on the radar.
Features
The 22X has a 20-round capacity, which is in line with the P322. Magazines are standard .22 fare with a ledge to push the spring down for loading. While this helps to ensure that the rounds feed correctly, S&W chose a plastic piece that's somewhat sharp. Like many other guns in its class, after loading several mags, your thumb starts to feel it. It comes with two magazines out the gate.
The internal hammer functions like the Equalizer pistol and like the P322. While it is not a copy, it does have quite a few similarities, including a threaded barrel adapter. The gun shoots like a striker-fired gun, as far as manual of arms, and its plain looks are subjective.
The slide is anodized aluminum and resembles the same fantastic finish on the M&P lineup, which holds up extremely well over time. The 22X does not feature any grip inserts. It has more of a 1911 grip angle with the familiar texture found on the polymer series. That is, it is grippy but doesn’t tear up your hands.
The ambidextrous safety does not get in the way but is nearly impossible to actuate one-handed. My guess is that this is meant to be a standalone .22 for target shooting, hunting, and fun – not defense.
The gun features an excellent flat-faced trigger on par with the M&P 2.0 series – maybe not quite as refined as the Performance Center, but it is good. A standard Picatinny rail allows for normal light and laser attachments.
Sights & Optics
The fiber optic front sight with blacked-out rear catches my eye well and includes several other colors for the Hi-Viz front. It is easily swapped if you prefer yellow or red to the green. You lose the rear sight when an optic is installed, but it’s actually not one piece. I don’t love that the cover plate comes off, and then you have to unscrew the rear right from under the slide. This allows it to be “drifted” (using an oval hole) right or left and fixed in place with Loctite.
The optic mount is for the RMSc family but also fits the Holosun K. I found both fit well, but older 407/507 K sights do not come with the correct screws. I confirmed with the good people at Smith & Wesson that the 6x32 screws are the correct ones.
I ended up buying the Vortex Defender CCW, which comes with nearly every screw imaginable and correctly notes the screws for the M&P 2.0. The gun uses a small, thin, metal plate that sort of dovetails (like the Glock COA) into the rear section to cover the inner screws and keep them from bulging. Then the normal principles apply for installation using a torque wrench.
Suppressor Ready
Finally, the gun is suppressor ready. The fixed barrel has a non-threaded, crowned adapter installed. This can be swapped via the included wrench to a threaded barrel adapter. One or the other must be installed to shoot the gun, since this stabilizes the actual barrel.
Again, this seems an odd choice, as there aren’t many good reasons not to have a one-piece threaded barrel with a thread protector. In shooting, this is another piece to worry about working its way off. You can’t permanently affix it, either, since the fixed barrel prevents the slide from coming off for disassembly.
Overall, there’s a lot to like here. Instead of committing to optics and barrel attachments, I think the choice was made to make this gun appease as many people as possible. I’d love to see a dedicated optic mount that keeps the rear sights and a threaded barrel for a more no-nonsense feel. Two 20-round mags, suppressor and optic ready, with a rail and a good trigger, however, is a winner in the end.
Specs
- Height: 5.75 inches
- Overall Length: 7.25 inches
- Weight: 16.32 ounces
- Width: 1.13 inches
- Barrel Length: 4.1 inches
- Action: Internal hammer-fired with external ambidextrous safety
- Sights: Blackout rear with fiber-optic front; optic ready for the RMSc and K footprints
- Material: Aluminum slide, polymer frame
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Capacity: 20+1; two magazines included
Range Review
All oddities aside, this thing is an absolute pleasure at the range. I set out with several types of ammo: Federal Premium 36-grain box ammo, CCI Mini Mag 40-grain, RWS target rifle 40-grain, and 710 FPS CCI Quiet. Like many .22 pistols, the 22X can be picky with ammo, and most of the time, super-subsonic ammo will not cycle.
I found that around 1,000 fps is needed to eject the round, so the CCI Quiet was extra silent without cycling the action. That may be a feature for some. Otherwise, I did not experience a malfunction.
The gun is light as a feather and has almost no felt recoil. At times, I was pushing it a bit more than necessary due to the weight. Accuracy was some of the best I’ve experienced, likely due to the green dot.
I burned through about 200 rounds of various ammo, shooting from 5 to 25 yards. At 25 yards, I put together a 4-inch group with cheap ammo. While that may not be particularly good for most, I was standing and shooting quickly in low light with zero time behind this gun. I think that is excellent for small critters and a good time at the range.
At 10 yards, I was splitting the bullseye once I had the gun zeroed. The gun is super quiet with the JK 105 I had, but after some quicker shooting, different baffles were coming unscrewed slightly. The main barrel adapter also worked itself loose, but I caught both early enough. For a day in the field squirrel hunting or as a grab-and-go for pests, the 22X is an optimal setup.
Pros & Cons
The M&P 22X is a perfect kit gun for hunting and pest control. It’s accurate and has been reliable with most loads. While it’s rather unassuming, the whole package looks and feels great, is easy to pack, and super low recoiling.
It has a few quirks, like the thread adapter working loose and the rear sight needing to be removed for adding an optic. But for the money, it’s hard to beat the options here.
