S&W 22a-1 Reviews

[bananaman]

I have the round heavy barrel, with the oversize target grips. It is just so fun to shoot! It has not been fussy on ammo. Accurate right out of the box. I want to put a red dot on it, but hasn't happened yet. Again I think why mess with it and complicate things. Bob

 

[Dustt]

Welcome to my issues. Ive had mine back to smith 2 times with jamming and ftf issues with any and all ammo imaginable. I've ran approx 600 rounds and only the first 400 were problem free, after that it would jam like crazy. Each time I sent it back they say no issue found. Only if they'd load a full mag and try to fire off 10 shots. If they're lucky it'll throw 6 down the tube before it jams. I'm dumping mine off on a trade in for a ruger. Love smith, but this things just bad and no issues were resolved in sending it back so im tired of playing the game.

 

[Jdavis]

Sorry for you problems, Dustt. Before you send it back to S&W or trade it off, give it a thorough cleaning paying close attention to the feed ramp, chamber, and breech face. Magazines can also cause your problem as can ammo. I have seen guns at my club range literally plugged with lead after shooting Remington Thunderbolts. Try using different ammo, it could make a difference.

 

[AveragEd]

It's odd how the reported satisfaction with this model ranges from one extreme to the other - they either work nearly flawlessly or are very problematic. I wonder how much of that has to do with ammo being used and the fact that the magazine has to be pushed in hard or feeding concerns surface.

I have only used CCI MiniMags or two Federal loads, the GameShok hollow points and Fresh Fire cans of 325 rounds. All of those shells use copper-plated bullets and I get none of the 22LR lead fouling so often mentioned - in fact, the gun as a whole stays pretty clean and I shoot several hundred rounds between cleanings.

The only times mine has failed to do anything have been when I didn't fully seat the magazine until I became accustomed to doing that. Mine is a Talo edition and with the grip frame, magazine and the oversize grips all being flush with each other requires that I make an effort to push on the S&W logo on the magazine base until I hear or feel the magazine "click" into place.

I think they are super little guns and enjoy shooting mine a lot.

Ed

 

[Dan51]

New to me 22A-1

I received the pistol from my dealer today. After a close inspection, there are zero handling marks on the gun, as if factory new. Looks as though it's been shot very, very little.

I researched this gun extensively before buying it off Gunbroker. I saw the recall, pros and cons, cracked frames, etc. Not knowing the serial #at the time, I had to wait for it to be delivered. After receiving it, I saw it was included in the recall.

I called S&W right away to verify if it had to be sent back. Turns out it did not. A punch mark on the underside of the slide indicated it had the recall repair done. GOOD NEWS for me.

It came with the blue hard case, all paperwork, spent case, 3 extra buffers, lock, and 2 mags.

I installed an ATN Ultra Sight I had on my AR, a little large but not too heavy. Headed out to the farm this weekend to sight it in.

So far, I'm a happy camper.