622 -- The Good & The Bad of this Model

Professor MPM · Jul 28, 2008

I'll post my question first, and then give a little background . . . What's the good and the bad of the model 622 (and 422) that was produced for about 10 years? What I would love to find is an in-depth review of this pistol.

I bought a new 622 in 1989 (pictured here) . . .

After shooting it quite a bit for a year or so, I got busy with college, then moving from one town to the next, then getting married, etc. Essentially I cleaned the pistol really well about 1992 and put it up for about 15 years. I did have the original box as well until our house flooded one year, ruining the S&W box and a lot of other things too.

Now that I'm back living in the country and can shoot whenever I wish, I've owned and shot and studied mostly Ruger and Browning .22 pistols. Lately, though, the S&W 622 has been calling to me again. It's tugging at my heart somehow.

To some of you who know S&W pistols far better than I, can you outline the good and the bad, advantages and disadvantages of the 622/422 line? Many thanks.

Professor MPM · Jul 28, 2008

I'll post my question first, and then give a little background . . . What's the good and the bad of the model 622 (and 422) that was produced for about 10 years? What I would love to find is an in-depth review of this pistol.

I bought a new 622 in 1989 (pictured here) . . .

After shooting it quite a bit for a year or so, I got busy with college, then moving from one town to the next, then getting married, etc. Essentially I cleaned the pistol really well about 1992 and put it up for about 15 years. I did have the original box as well until our house flooded one year, ruining the S&W box and a lot of other things too.

Now that I'm back living in the country and can shoot whenever I wish, I've owned and shot and studied mostly Ruger and Browning .22 pistols. Lately, though, the S&W 622 has been calling to me again. It's tugging at my heart somehow.

To some of you who know S&W pistols far better than I, can you outline the good and the bad, advantages and disadvantages of the 622/422 line? Many thanks.

Butler · Jul 28, 2008

Hi Professor MPM, Welcome aboard! Those are great little pistols, I have a 622 with fixed sights which I bought new in 1991. I have shot probably in excess of 2000 rounds and can not remember a single malfunction. I carry it on long backpacking trips and have killed many showshoe's and blue grouse. It taught the basics of shooting to both of my kids. They are great guns.

cxm · Jul 28, 2008

We like the x22 guns quite a lot... we have a number of them we use in teaching beginning shooters... they are easy to use, fairly light and give starting shooters early success that is essential to enjoying shooting.

I think you will enjoy it a lot...

FWIW

Chuck

guy sajer · Jul 28, 2008

Good reliable "trail/plinker" pistols .

Keep an eye on the grip screws . They work loose .

Enjoy

Old Griz · Jul 29, 2008

I've got the stainless steel version, the 2206, and I love it. I had a Ruger Mk. II, but it didn't compare with the 2206. It's extremely accurate, and I love the magazine release. What a great idea that was. Ugly, well yes, but the way it shoots, who cares? I wish they still made the 12 round magazines. Everyone who shoots it loves it, too. They all want to know where they can get one. Too bad Smith dropped them.

Karl in NY · Jul 29, 2008

I wish they still made the 12 round magazines.

They do.

Frizzman · Jul 29, 2008

I have a 422 that a friend gave me years ago. It is my favorite .22 auto. It is very reliable for a .22 auto and is accurate and easy to shoot well. The one I have has a 4" barrel and is nice and light to carry. I like the Rugers too but the all steel ones are heavy and I don't really want polymer. They are much easier to strip for cleaning than the Ruger is. They were nice pistols and I wish S&W hadn't stopped making them. I just need to get another magazine!

KAZ · Jul 30, 2008

Congrats on your mint 622! I have the 422 & the 2214 version of this fine pistol. They have become even more popular because the stock barrel nut can be replaced by an adapter made by HotRod9mm that turns these in to an excellent suppressor host without the need to send the barrel out for threading. Regards

Professor MPM · Jul 30, 2008

Thanks, gentlemen, for the comments. I have recently begun to use this 622 again to teach my 11-year-old son the basics of shooting and safety. I've used this pistol and a Ruger Single Six revolver. He likes both pistols, but the 622 is quickly becoming his favorite.

As many of you know from owning different brands of the same caliber, it's hard not to be constantly comparing and contrasting. For example, my Browning .22 auto is more consistently accurate than the 622, but the Browning is super-finicky about the ammo it will cycle -- picky to the point of being very frustrating at times. The 622, on the other hand, is a bit less accurate, but it will cycle any and all ammo flawlessly. Truly I can say that it's hard to recall any jams or malfunctions with the 622 with Federal, Remington, CCI, or other sundry brands.

A big advantage is this: the 622 is also easier to take down and reassemble for cleaning than either my Browning or Ruger autos.

Everyone who shoots a 622 comments on how radically different the grip angle is from the more tilted, more diagonal angles of Browning and Ruger .22 autos. This is true, and you definitely have to get used to the unique grip angle.

In 1989 when I was ready to buy a .22 auto, I wanted a Ruger Mark II. I would have never known about the S&W 622 except that all the gun stores around Muscle Shoals, Alabama, where I was living at the time were sold out of Rugers and were having trouble getting more back in stock (this was long before GunBroker and Auction Arms). A local policeman who was a lifelong fan of S&W pistols told me that the 622 was a good gun and well worth the money. I took a chance on it, and I'm glad I did.

gmchenry · Jul 30, 2008

Mine looks just like yours and I bought it about the same time. I needed something inexpensive to travel with me to the range so I could inexpensively extend my range sessions after getting in the practice with my 686.

The pistol was absolutely reliable with every type of ammo I tried. The 6" barrel also allowed for some good velocity.

Then my house got broken into and the 622 was stolen along with my Winchester 1200 pump. Dallas PD calls me about a year later and says they recovered my 622 (would have preferred to get the shotgun back). The guy that had it was involved in a high-speed chase and the gun had some minor dings in it.

The biggest problem was that I couldn't get through a magazine without having a failure to fire. I sent it back to S&W in Houlton and they said they adjusted the disconnector. Didn't fix it. I replaced the springs and firing pin. Didn't fix it. It now sits in the safe. I may have to try and find a replacement, but the new Walther SP22 looks pretty nice.

ab4ka · Aug 17, 2008

I've got a gorgeous 422 that I picked up in a trade and it is an awesome shooter. I saw the little short stainless version (I don't remember what the model number is) at a gunshow yesterday and I'd loved to have brought it home with me

622 -- The Good & The Bad of this Model

Professor MPM

Professor MPM

Butler

US Veteran

cxm

Member

guy sajer

Member

Old Griz

Member

Karl in NY

Member

Frizzman

US Veteran

KAZ

Member

Professor MPM

gmchenry

Member

ab4ka

Member

Similar threads

Latest posts