A Pair of M&P's

Recently I was fortunate enough to shoot two M&P's side by side.  One was a standard 4 inch barreled M&P9 in 9mm and the other was a newer M&P22 in .22 Long Rifle. 

M&P9 in 9mm

M&P22 in .22 Long Rifle

Let's take a quick look at the specifications side by side:

Spec.	M&P9	M&P22
Caliber	9mm	.22LR
Capacity	17+1	12+1
Action	Striker Fired Double Action	Internal Hammer Fired Single Action
Trigger Pull	8.4 lbs.	4.37 lbs.
Barrel Length	4.24 inches	4.1 inches
Front Sight	White Dot Drift Adjustable	Black Drift Adjustable
Rear Sight	Steel Low-Profile Carry	Click Adjustable
Overall Length	7.63 inches	7.6 inches
Weight	24 oz.	24 oz.
Height	5.5 inches	5 inches
Width	1.2 inches	1.2 inches

The major differences between the two is their respective actions.  The M&P9 is a striker fired double action pistol with a corresponding trigger pull of 8.4 pounds.  The M&P22 is fired via an internal hammer in single action mode which lessens the trigger pull to 4.37 pounds.  The other significant differences involve the sights and manual safeties.  The .22LR version has fully adjustable sights and, since it is a single action pistol, it has a manual safety at the rear of the frame. 

External Safety Lever on the M&P22 at the rear of the Frame

The 9mm has fixed sights that can be drifted for lateral correction and it does not have a manual safety.

Fixed, white dot sights on the M&P 9mm

The 9mm pistol had no surprises for me.  It was completely reliable and shot very well.  The 8 + pound trigger pull is a little heavier than I would prefer and the pull is a little inconsistent however neither of these factors seems to hurt my ability to shoot the pistol to point of aim.

The above target was shot with 25 rounds of Magtech 115 grain FMJ ammunition at 21 feet.

This target was produced with 25 rounds of the same ammunition fired at 50 feet.

The M&P line of pistols have been slowly gaining a following with some police departments and independent operators.  It is easy to see why; they provide reliability and accuracy and, in today's market which is crowded with two and three thousand dollar 1911's, the $569.00 MSRP of the basic M&P seems like a bargain.

While the 9mm M&P provided no surprises the .22 LR version certainly did show me things I did not expect.

Chief among them was the smooth and excellent trigger pull of 4.37 pounds.  

I was also surprised at the reliability and accuracy of this pistol.  I wasn't expecting this having been disappointed with the SIG Mosquito, the Walther P22 and the Ruger SR22.

I shot CCI Mini-Mags and Federal Gold Medal ammunition through the pistol and the M&P22 digested everything without a hitch while producing accuracy that exceeded my expectations.

The target above sucked up 50 rounds at 30 feet while the one below was shot with 40 rounds at 50 feet.

The M&P22 was so much fun to shoot I did not want to put it down.  The adjustable sight is a great addition to the pistol.  Many .22 handguns are a little finicky and you generally find that your specimen prints brilliantly tight groups with one load as opposed to others.  The adjustable sights allow you to really zero the pistol in once you find the ammo that prints the tightest groupings.  

Whether you are looking for a recreational handgun or a tool to eradicate small four legged pests the M&P22 fits the bill by giving you complete reliability and near competition accuracy.  Couple all of that with an MRSP of $419.00 and this pistol is a bonafide bargain.