Took me two months to get to the range but I finally shot my M&P 22 and 15-22.

My wife and I put about 200 rounds through the M&P 22 using CCI Mini-Mags with zero FTF or FTE.

We did experience two things that I wanted to get some of your expert feedback on.

On one occasion my wife inserted the magazine and the slide released. I could not duplicate this on multiple tries. I'm suspecting she had her finger on the slide release and bumped it.

Both of us experienced the slide not staying open when the magazine was empty. I don't think she limp wristed it and I can strongly say that I didn't. We both shoot my Glock 21 without issue. Just picked up the .22's for cheaper fun. This ended up with the gun getting 4 or 5 dry fires but nothing seemed to happen. Went through several magazines after the dry fires.

I would welcome any ideas or feedback.

Thanks in advance.

The slide releasing when inserting a magazine with force is common and not a defect. As for the slide not locking open on an empty magazine, this could be due to a weak mag spring or that the rounds you're using didn't provide enough blowback to allow the slide-stop to catch.

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M&P40c/15-22/SD9VE/Mossy500

You'll find many references on this forum regarding failure of the slide staying open on last round. No confirmed solution that I know of yet. Your Mini Mags should have ample energy to provide adequate blowback.

I think it could be from riding the slide lock when shooting. I got my mp22 and shot 300 rounds through and experienced it not locking back a hand full of times. The slide lock is very sensitive and if you even rest you thumb on it lightly it wont catch on the last shot. At the range I would focus on keeping my thumb away from the slide lock and it would lock back every time. When I was plinking around and doing rapid fire not really focusing on grip the slide would not catch. At first I thought it was mechanical or ammo problem.

I was looking at my grip and experimenting at home and having that big safety selector naturally points my strong hand thumb to the slide lock.

As soon as I can get more 22 to shoot I want to see if this is the case. I hope its just an operator error. On weak ammo I can usually tell if a shot was weaker than normal because it sounds and feels different.

Thank you all very much for your replies. I want to go on record and say this is why I used the term "behavior" versus "defect" I see lots of people screaming defect when a majority of the time the issue is with the nut behind the gun.

The slide release reply makes perfect sense. She just had finished shooting the Glock and the magazine does not slide as easy as it does with the M&P. She does slap the magazine in on the Glock. I bet she did this on the M&P the first time as well. The magazine on the M&P just floats in with no effort compared to the G21.. And it never happened to me.

I also bet you are on to something with the grip and bumping/riding on the slide release. Again, it was the first time shooting the M&P. The Glock, which we've shot since 1995, with the double stacked .45 is much wider that the M&P. I bet we were both choking up on the grip being so used to the G21.

Guess we will just have suffer and be forced to go to the range some more and work on the grip and magazine insertion techniques.

New question, should I be concerned about the 4-5 dry fires? These are my first .22's and everything I read has me terrified of dry fires and pin damage.

Thank you again for all of your comments.

If your pistol fires live ammo now without issue, you really have no need to worry about the dry-firing that you already did.

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M&P40c/15-22/SD9VE/Mossy500

I use the M&P .22 as a loaner in the OK Carry Classes, for the many people who bring a gun that does not work reliably, or who do not own a semi-auto ( a quirk in the OK laws allows you to carry any gun you want if you qualify with any semi-auto). Many people borrow a semi-auto they have never shot and don't know if or how it works.

In watching many people shoot the M&P .22, I have seen first hand that the operator can induce malfunctions by loose or improper grip. In class last Sat, 6 people shot it with absolutely no problem. However, two could not keep their fingers off the slide and/or slide catch, and the gun kept short stroking and failing to lock open. One held the gun so loosely that it flipped up past 45 degrees--a .22!!

After considerable coaching and multiple tries, all managed to get enough rounds downrange to meet the OK requirements.

I try to get everyone who does not know how to shoot a pistol to take the NRA First Steps pistol class first, and all who do have no trouble with the OK carry class. Why some people take an OK carry class without knowing how to shoot a pistol? Well, that's the subject for a different thread.

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NRA/ OK CHL Instructor

Wanted to post back and thank everyone for their feedback.

Tonight I left the Glock at home and took the wife and the M&P 22 to the range.

Paid attention to my grip and walked my wife through inserting the magazine, ie: no slamming, and her grip as well.

100% flawless performance. What a blast to shoot.

Awesome good to hear! The gun is great to warm up on and practice the basics of trigger pull and sight picture on a budget! I can't wait to take the mp22 out again and shoot. I finally picked up one box of cci mini mags. Kind of reluctant to shoot it since it is all I got right now but ammo seems to be showing up a little more at our local gun shop.

Glad to hear that is was operator induced and not an actual malfunction. Also good to hear that you were able to help your wife correct anything that may has caused the behavior. keep safe and happy shooting!

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M&P Shield 9mm|M&P15-22|M&P22

A few dry fires shouldn't hurt. The problem with dry firing a .22 is the firing pin beats on the face of the breech. This is bad for the pin and the breech if it is done excessively.

I'm sure the M&P22's at a gun dealer get dry fired dozens of times a day.

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Kirk / Spock 2016

It does say in the manual not to dry fire it. I use a drywall anchor to dry fire it on when storing the gun.

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NRA R.S.O. & Life Member