Hi
I bought a m&p 22 compact pistol and when picking it up I dry fired it 2-3 times. Now I read that rim fire pistol should not be dry fired. Is my pistol damaged now? if so, what exactly is damaged? how can I check? what should I be looking at? I should add that I am a novice. Thank you.

Welcome to the forum. No its not damaged. Don't do it anymore.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

It seems I post this message at least once every couple of weeks, but -- folks, when you get a new gun READ THE MANUAL first thing. It will save you endless amounts of grief.

You should not dry fire your M&P22. It may, and eventually WILL, cause damage, but it's unlikely you hurt it in just a couple of pulls.

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Pisgah

thank you. what bullet brands would be most suitable for m&p 22 compact? i see that many 22lr bullets are copper plated. will that leave copper residue in the pistol? so i would need copper cleaner then to clean out the copper?
Also what brand cleaning kit would you recommend?

So far I've had luck with Hoppes #9, Ballistol and Rem oil. When it is all clean I run a patch soaked in Strike Hold through the bore.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

I don't know if this issue is limited to my M&P 22c (purchased 3-4 years ago) or if there was an ongoing problem, but the barrel in mine leads up badly if I use cheap ammo that isn't copper washed. I now only use CCI Mini Mags or Remington Golden Bullets, which will still lead the bore eventually but it takes a lot longer than with plain lead bullets.

As for dry-firing a .22 pistol, it's like running a car engine past the red line. Once or twice won't ruin it, but don't make a habit of it.

My 22c has run various Federal and Cci ammo with not one issue. But as my Buckmark is more finicky and "prefers" Mini mags, that's about all i buy now and use for either of my .22 handguns.

For a general suggestion until you see what "your" .22 works best on (as that round can vary with success in each gun); I would say grab a box or two of different ammo and go from there. But normally it seems the Mini mags tend to work well regardless.

My gun likes everything from the cheapest bulk I can find (Winchester 555) to match ammo.

will copper plated bullets lead to copper fouling in the barrel? how then do you clean that copper?
what cleaning kit and cleaning solvents and lubricants are you using?
do you clean the gun from muzzle to the breech?
anyone got any video on how to clean this gun please?

.22 pistols are fairly easy to clean. You need to buy a .22 pistol cleaning kit that contains a cleaning rod, .22 brushes and jags, powder solvent, oil and cleaning patches. Usually they contain cleaning instructions as well. Always insert the cleaning rod from the chamber end (obviously you need to field-strip the pistol first). Wet the brush with solvent and scrub the barrel a few times, then let it soak while you clean all the fouling and gunk from the slide and frame using an old discarded toothbrush and the solvent. Wipe everything dry with shop towels. Switch from a brush to a cleaning jag and push cleaning patches through the barrel until they come out clean. Finish by lightly oiling the contact points of the slide, barrel and frame and then reassemble. Do NOT get a large amount of oil inside the barrel itself. Just wet a patch with oil, push it through then follow up with a dry patch to remove all excess. Also do not oil the magazines or the firing pin channel in the slide. Wipe them with a dry rag only.

BTW, it goes without saying to always make sure to do this with an empty firearm and with adequate ventilation. Never mess with a gun until you're sure it's unloaded. The solvents can be nasty as well so protect your eyes and avoid prolonged skin contact.

I would avoid Remington Thunderbolts, as they leaded my .22 compact barrel up so badly that I was driving out lead strands with a .17 jag.

i only see people cleaning m&p 22 compact from muzzle end not from chamber end?
will copper plated bullets lead to copper fouling in the barrel?
what brush to clean? bronze or nylon? will brass rods work fine? will brass rod mar the barrel if it hits it by mistaje?

Cleaning from the breech end prevents any damage to the muzzle crown. That is important for accuracy. I have a .243 bronze brush that I use to clean the chamber. That's what seems to get trashed first in my M&P22. If I don't clean it every 50 rounds or so the cases start getting sticky in the chamber.
Copper plated will obviously cause some fouling in the barrel, but it helps prevent excessive lead fouling. The lead fouling starts earlier and is more pronounced.
I don't think much of nylon brushes. The bronze are fine, and they're much softer than the barrel. Brass rods also are softer than the barrel, but be careful anyway.

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Fight socialism. Never stop.

I use a PatchWorm on mine.
Simple pull-through does the job. No muss, fuss, or wear.

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-jwk-
US Army '72-'95