New M&P 22 pistol will not cycle properly

[Jrock414]

Hi all. I'm new to the forum but not new to Smith & Wesson. I own a bodyguard .380 and a M&P .40. I just bought my new M&P 22 pistol last Friday. Upon getting it home I field stripped it and cleaned all up for its first trip to the range. At the range I was using American Eagle .22lr ammo. I had a few FTF and the slide didn't always lock back on an empty mag. At this point I'm thinking, ok these problems could possibly have to do with the ammo I was using and it being brand new and the recoil spring may need to be broken in. I put 120 rounds down range and packed up to go home. Immediately once I got home I field stripped it and cleaned it again. Once I put it back together I cycled the slide a few times as I do with all my pistols. Here is my issue. The slide may cycle anywhere from 5-20 times perfectly and then it will hang up almost at the back of its travel. I can hear a slight gritty/grinding noise as I'm pulling it back also. I have taken it apart numerous times trying to resolve the issue but with no luck. Has anyone had this same issue with there M&P 22? I'm getting very frustrated with it as I've had nothing but great encounters with Smith & Wesson products. Please help!

 

[Maddmax]

Just a thought. Check your recoil spring again. Then listen to see if you can hear it coming from that area. Recoil spring could be binding up ???

 

[Jrock414]

Thanks for the replies. Just checked out the recoil spring and buffer area. No issues that I can see. If I'm not mistaken, you can't put the spring in backwards. Sounds more like it is coming from the metal piece in the slide that pushes the hammer down when cycled or from the frame rails riding in the grooves of slide. Also the finish on the slide is quite worn where it rides on the frame rails in the back. This YouTube video is showing my same problem. Sorry for bad terminology.

S&W M&P 22.... Problems with new gun ..Slide getting stuck - YouTube

 

[Jrock414]

Bobermo, I just read through the whole thread you've been posting in and it seems we have a lot of the same problems. I don't see any solutions though. I agree, i think it is coming from the breech block/hammer as mine is quite worn. I have probably cycled mine about 2500 times trying to figure it out. I am taking it to the range Saturday to try to break it in some more, if it still persists I guess I will have to send it in.

 

[lockon]

Had the same issue. I disassembled it and re assembled it a few times, and could not figure out why it was binding. I got a return authorization from S&W. I though we'll give it another shot at the range. I field stripped it and wiped it completely clean. I was very careful in reassembly and went to the range and with federal bulk and cci minimags. No issues what so ever with the cci, 1 or 2 fte's with the bulk. The whole time I noticed that it stopped catching on whatever it was catching on. I kept manually cycling it and it never binded up again. I think it is highly sensitive to any movement in the plastic guide rod during reassembly. I bought a second M&P22 for my other son and though I have yet to shoot it It does not seem to bind during manual cycling, this again is after a complete feild strip to get rid of the grease that they pack into the gun.

 

[Jrock414]

Well that's good to hear. I have cleaned this gun head to toe including punching out the two pins in the frame and removing the entire assembly to clean it out and remove the massive safety levers. Hopefully mine works the same way and doesn't have to get shipped out. I will never use mine for self defense as I have a FS .40 to carry but it is just plain old annoying considering all the great reviews I've seen.

 

[Jrock414]

Mine looks almost like yours. The pit in the bottom of yours (closer to where it pivots) is identical to mine. I don't think that causes any of this, but I don't know why it is there to begin with. Your pitting on the top where it would contact the slide is a little worse than mine at the moment. Hoping a little use is all it will need to smooth out.

 

[Maddmax]

"Could" have been that run/batch made. ??? Mine has never had that "drag" or look like that. It's also hand the living daylights shot out of it.

 

[Jrock414]

It's possible. My serial number is low 30k. Figured all the bugs would be worked out by then.

 

[Eyelawdoc]

Here's a picture of my hammer. Notice how it appears rough and pitted. I suspect this is where it meets the breech block. My breech block groove is rough as well. My slide seems to manually cycle okay with fresh lubricant on the breech bottom, but starts to get rough again after some manual cycling, maybe 25-50 times.

OK you have found the source of your problem. Now, let's get to work and fix it!

Get some 400 wet/dry 3M silicon cabide closed coat sandpaper. Detail strip the gun, removing the hammer. Using the sandpaper laid out on a flat surface (such a a piece of window glass) grit side up and using some light oil as a lubricant, polish the rough surface on the hammer until it is smooth, shiny and bright as a mirror. You may want to also polish the breech block groove on the underside of the slide that makes contact with the hammer as it moves rearward. Put it back together using a light film of oil on the now polished mating surfaces and your excessive friction between the hammer and the the underside of the slide will be gone.

 

[Bolton]

You all are scaring me

I'm still waiting for mine to arrive at the dealer so I can not offer any real life experience with this. But there is a detailed 6 part review of the M & P 22 at: Smith & Wesson M&P22 Review: Part 1 - Introduction, Spedifications and Summary

Plenty of pics and explanations - Hope you see something that helps.

Also, If I experience similar problems, that can't be readily remedied, I will Call S&W ASAP. Not my job to trouble shoot their product. That's what we paid them for.

 

[KX_693]

Mine just started not locking back on the last round. I had only been using winchester m22 and remington hypervelocity rounds, and only had one mag. My gun performed perfectly for around 2000 rounds. I have cleaned the gun throughly and purchased more magazines, and also bought some CCI mini mags....Gun still does not lock back on last round. This is annoying since the gun worked so good for the first 2000 rounds and now this. And our indoor shoots just started so i hate to send my gun back and be without it for 2 months. I already also polished the hammer and the breech block, same results. SUCKS!!! I love this gun. It is a great trainning tool for my full size 9, and my pro.

 

[jayiw]

Man I had so many issues at the range tonight with my M&P 22. The first 500 between the last to range trips were great but tonight was horrible.

I am using Winchester M-22 which has always been good in my Ruger SR-22. As I mentioned, 500 rounds were great. Cleaned and lubed gun after the first 250, then the same after the second 250 (2 seperate range trips). Then went tonight and Fail to Feed, Fail to Fire, FTE, Stove Piping, etc. One bullet actually exploded because I think it did not chamber properly. I am not sure if I got a bad box of ammo (this was from a new box of 500). I'll inspect things when I take it down to clean tomorrow morning. I'll have to try 100 CCC mini-mags the next time I go to the range to see if maybe it is the new box of ammo and I'll try the same box of ammo on my Ruger SR-22. I guess if it's not the ammo off to S&W it'll go to get repaired.

Jay

 

[LTC]

I would try a light grease instead of oil. Old saying is "if it slides grease it, if it rotates oil it". As stated above a good polish won't hurt either.

I have not seen this problem with my M&P22 after 1000 plus rounds.

Good luck.

LTC

 

[Jrock414]

Get some 400 wet/dry 3M silicon cabide closed coat sandpaper. Detail strip the gun, removing the hammer. Using the sandpaper laid out on a flat surface (such a a piece of window glass) grit side up and using some light oil as a lubricant, polish the rough surface on the hammer until it is smooth, shiny and bright as a mirror. You may want to also polish the breech block groove on the underside of the slide that makes contact with the hammer as it moves rearward. Put it back together using a light film of oil on the now polished mating surfaces and your excessive friction between the hammer and the the underside of the slide will be gone.

I'm kind of hesitant to do this (not because I don't think I could) because if it doesn't fix the problem, I don't want S&W telling me they won't fix my gun once I send it to them for repairs because I have done my own "gun smithing"

 

[Tinn-Can]

I guess I got super lucky because I am getting both the slide lock up and barrel leading... It seems like it might be an issue with the guide rod and spring binding up... I took the magazine safety out so I really don't want to have to send it back to the factory...

 

[Jrock414]

So, I took it back to the range yesterday. The worst trip I've had with any of my guns. I can now make the slide hang up at the rear of it's travel by pulling it back and putting a small amount of pressure to one side. There is so much play in the slide to frame clearance that it wiggles back and forth. My M&P .40 does not do this. Failures were not spread out more than 3 shots. No failures to fire, but feeding was horrible with an occasional FTE. This is ridiculous and completely unacceptable. It is going back to S&W. They need to right this wrong.

 

[tony_l]

Just wanted to share a similar experience I had. Long story short bought the pistol (M&P22) this past Sunday. Made a couple of trips to range trying different ammo. Found CCI was the best for me, some failure to feed and fire with the bulk stuff. Last night I decided to move the mag release to the other side, I'm left handed. After completing reassembled and tested the release a few times, no issues. I then tested to be certain the empty mag would hold the slide open. I heard and felt some nasty grinding when I racked the slide. I disassembled and reassembled the pistol several time each with the same result. Getting frustrated I racked it about 20 times and then disassembled and looked for wear. It became obvious from the wear patterns on the top of the breech block that the block was rubbing on the hammer. After unsuccessfully spending several minutes trying to figure what changed I about gave up. I decided to try one last thing. With the slide off I inserted the magazine and squeezed the trigger using my thumb over the hammer to prevent it from releasing too hard. I then manually pushed the hammer back down and reassembled the pistol. After doing this the slide racked perfectly. I fired and racked several times after this with no issue. I assume somehow I hit the trigger and just the right time while racking and checking the magazine and somehow the hammer was hung in this odd spot. If you are experiencing the same issue I would suggest disassembling, insert the magazine and squeeze the trigger to release the hammer and look in there to make sure no debris is preventing the hammer from fully seating when racked.

 

[tony_l]

Are you referring to the sear or the hammer? I believe the sear is located within the gun body and not really accesible without disassembly.

I'm sorry, I'm still learning all the components, the hammer. I'll go back and edit that post. Thanks.

 

[accessbob]

Send it to S&W and get them to fix it. That's what I would do.