I am thinking of purchasing an S&W 422 6" for target shooting - I do not know anything about these pistols and any feedback would be most welcome.
Thanks.

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Greg G

I picked one up on this forum a few years back, I enjoy shooting it, although I love the model 41's, and recently purchased the Victory.
I'm not really crazy about the sights on the 422, but I feel its a great little pistol. It's a bit light, quite a few people prefer the 622 as it is all steel.

They are a very good well built gun which is quite reliable. They also use the same mags as the M41 and M46 as well. What are they asking for this pistol and if you buy it Please remember to post pics of it on here for us all to see?

They make nice shooters. The adjustable sight version uses the standard revolver style rear which tends to fly off if the leaf screw if not snugged down regularly. They are also a favorite for suppressor use with the low bore axis. Good luck in your search/decision.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Small correction to a bit posted above, the 622 is not all stainless and no heavier-- that is the 2206. The 422 and 622 are both aluminum frame and very similar except the 422 is blue/black and 622 is stainless slide on a bright aluminum frame.

I have a 2206, quality pistol but all of this series are basically the "budget" S&W rimfire pistol of the day. If you keep expectations along those lines, you might really enjoy one. These guns share magazines with the Model 41 but are otherwise barely related and not comparable.

I personally find them somewhat homely as "looks" go and I find the bottom barrel to be odd. This odd layout is a catch-22 of sorts (snicker) because you end up with more barrel length in an otherwise shorter & more compact package (good!) but you end up giving up a bit of sight radius (less than ideal.)

I also find the chamber to be FAR less accessible with this layout, and that is something I just don't particularly care for.

With all that said, I still believe these are good guns and IMO, far better and higher quality than the 22A series and these new Victory pistols. My 2206 is a fine shooter but a little annoying because POI is an inch lower than my rear sight allows for, even screwed down fully.

Good, reliable, inexpensive .22 Pistol. I bought mine from the first batch they shipped back in 1987. I've shot it a lot, friends have shot it a lot and even with the marginal quality of .22 ammo over the last 5 years, I've had no stoppages.

A big factor in it's reliability is the magazines. As mentioned above it is the same one used in S&W's deluxe target pistol, the Model 41. This matters a lot with any semiautomatic, if the magazine is bad, the pistol won't be reliable.

The 422 series design is an evolution of the Model 61 Escort, a small pocket pistol S&W made in the 1970-1974 period. I've had a few of them and none have made it through a 50 round box of ammo without a stoppage. Others report better luck with theirs. The 422 is a big improvement over the 61.

If I was younger, I'd buy another one.

Rude Fat Dog: I notice you are in Great Britain. I imagine buying a handgun there isn't simple. Good luck to you, sir.