Has S&W improved the 22A yet?

[duck911]

Hi guys,

I bumped into a S&W 22A at a local shop here NIB for $219. I like the price and I like the feel of the gun, and I happen to be in the market for a decent plinker/hunter/target 22 pistol.

I was looking at this gun a few years ago and I remember reading about cracked frames. I also have read more recently that S&W seems to have fixed that problem. Any truth to that?

I know that this gun comes with the following downfalls:

1) recoil buffer and spring that periodically need to be replaced (cheap and easy to do)
2) finish may not be the toughest finish in existance

And on the upside:

1) accurate
2) cost effective
3) the best customer service on the planet

Any idea if the 22A has been improved? Is $219 a fair price for one these days?

thanks,

--Duck911

 

[Shipwreck]

Go ask at:

www.rimfirecentral.com

 

[duck911]

thanks, shipwreck.

Actually, after I posted here I spent about an hour reading 22A posts there.

The overall feedback in the posts was, great value for the money. And, I found it locally elsewhere for $20 cheaper, so for under $200 sounds like a must have

--Duck911

 

[camsdaddy]

I have one for years and absolutely no problems. I have shot countless rounds and never a burb. This gun rides in my truck and is shot whenever an oportunity arrises. It is cleaned when I think about it which is rare. It has been reliable, more accurate than I am and I am very satisfied.

 

[Ghost Tracker]

It is what it is. For less than $175 LNIB I would consider one. Anymore than that & I'm, personally, saving up for a Ruger or Buckmark.

 

[Shipwreck]

I ended up buying a Browning Buckmark for $248 earlier this year - I found the grip on the 22A to be a bit fat and uncomfortable.

 

[Headless]

I owned a 22A, but was unimpressed. It had problems digesting some kinds of ammo, the grip was plastic and uncomfortable. The sight rail was too wide to fit any of the inexpensive red dot scopes i could find locally. The recoil buffer tended to get smooshed/warped/deformed very quickly (only a couple thousand rounds before it was difficult to get back in the gun it warped so much). I got a browning buckmark slab sided standard model, 5.5" barrel BNIB for $186 and never looked back. Superior trigger, nicer feeling, solid (not plastic) grip, non serial-numbered barrel, better reliability than my 22A had, and the recoil buffer has not deformed or needed replacing yet - over 10k rounds so far.

 

[wally]

Love my M22A, its the 7.5" fluted bull barrel model and is about $100 cheaper than the Ruger equiv. Mine had to go back when the "nub" at the back of the frame broke causing very high misfire rate, S&W paid shipping both ways, service was fast, and its been problem free since. I shoot it alot becasue its one of the few iron sighted guns I can use effectively with my old eyes.

Mine shoots all the cheap ammo well, but does have a quirk where some HP rounds hang on the mag catch cutout and cause an empty chamber on the second shot of a 10 round loading or the third of a 10+1, no issues with later rounds and it doesn't do it all the time but often enough to annoy so I usually just shoot the Federal Champion or CCI Blazer RN.

--wally.

 

[duck911]

thanks for the feedback, guys!

 

[tnieto2004]

I love my 22A and new shooters seem to like it as well.. I have a BSA red dot on it .. I have had no problems with it after probably 3,000 rounds .. I am wondering how many rounds it will hold up .. I shoot the heck out of it .. Cheap ammo and lots of fun

(PHONE PICTURE!)

 

[greener]

Any idea if the 22A has been improved? Is $219 a fair price for one these days?

I've only had mine about 18 months. I'm not sure if it is "improved" or the same as the older models. Nice, solid, good-shooting pistol. A bit picky with ammo, but it will hold it's own with Rugers and Buck Marks.

I have had no problems with it after probably 3,000 rounds .. I am wondering how many rounds it will hold up .

This barrel has about 1k rounds. The 5.5" barrel has about 14k rounds. The only problem was with the firing pin assembly at 9k rounds. Shoots well enough that my (Dad, guns are bad) daughter was turning the 1" Shoot'n'See stickers green at 10 yards a couple weeks ago. I haven't noticed anything to indicate that it will not be a good shooter for years to come.

 

[greener]

I owned a 22A, but was unimpressed. It had problems digesting some kinds of ammo, the grip was plastic and uncomfortable. The sight rail was too wide to fit any of the inexpensive red dot scopes i could find locally. The recoil buffer tended to get smooshed/warped/deformed very quickly (only a couple thousand rounds before it was difficult to get back in the gun it warped so much). I got a browning buckmark slab sided standard model, 5.5" barrel BNIB for $186 and never looked back. Superior trigger, nicer feeling, solid (not plastic) grip, non serial-numbered barrel, better reliability than my 22A had, and the recoil buffer has not deformed or needed replacing yet - over 10k rounds so far.

I think the 22A was built for SV ammo based on the way mine shoots. It doesn't like Thunderbolts, Xpert22 and Golden Bullets. But then my MKIII's have problems with Xpert22 and RGB's. The recoil buffer doesn't seem to be a big deal. They are $0.60/each. I replace them every thousand or so rounds when the spirit moves me. I probably replace them too often.

The barrel on the 22A is not serial-numbered. Technically, the barrel on the Ruger is not serial-numbered, but it takes a bit more work to separate it from the receiver.

I have a Buck Mark Standard. Seems to be the most insensitive to ammo. It does have a nice feel and shoots well. My grips are plastic.

The 22A, Rugers and Buck Marks are "can't go wrong" pistols. Each has it strong points. I like shooting the all.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I have a 22A that was built from a model SKU:107437. It's a special run made for Acusport which has a 7" Fluted Bull Barrel and has a green Fiber Optic front sight. Too bad I had to go out and buy a second .22 pistol because my son likes it so much I never get to shoot it. Since I already had a 22A I bought a Ruger Mark II. Both are very good pistols and I like to shoot both equally well. (although I never get to shoot the 22A anymore!! LOL)

 

[tnieto2004]

ArchAngel,

Where did you get that barrel? If you don't mind me asking..

 

[evan price]

Mine is fine... but at the end of a complicated set of horse trades I wind that I got $20 cash out of pocket in it so as long as it doesn't melt into a puddle I get my money's worth...
A little heavy & chunky for my taste. Accurate, though. I have a HongyKongy knockoff of a C-More holographic sight on it and so far it is raining death upon soda cans at the 30' berm without hesitation.

 

[crankshop1000]

I love mine. It is easily the most fun to shoot for the money of all my pistols. The top rail is standard Weaver and all the cheap red dots will fit.Mine has a Bushnell red dot on the 7"bbl.The bushings are $1.60 each and last about 1000 rds depending on the rounds used.Great little groundhog killer.

 

[BSlacker]

This one had the frame break at about 50k. I returned it and S&W replaced the frame and the 7.5" barrel. I asked if they had fixed the frame problem and the person in service related they had. I keep a good recoil spring/buffer in it and it is reliable. The large scope was put on after the frame break so I don't think that had anything to do with the break.



I have a Ruger MkI and don't shoot it much anymore. With the switch barrel so easy its like one gun for plinking and one for target at half price.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

ArchAngel,

Where did you get that barrel? If you don't mind me asking..

tnieto2004,
Like I said in my original post, this pistol is part of a special run produced for Acusport. After I bought the pistol I wanted to research it. I looked everywhere to find information on it because the product # was different than any I could find, even it the newest SCSW. I wrote S&W and asked them about it and they told me they don't list Special Run gun in their catalog and they usually aren't listed in other books either.

When I called Acusport they informed me they ordered that Special Run with a 7" Fluted Bull Barrel and the available Fiber Optic front sight. I was also told to take good care of the barrel because it's not available from S&W because they were produced only for the Special Run. If you check the S&W site they do have 5.5" Bull barrels available without Fluting but none in 7" They also have the Hi-Viz sight available but only on their standard 5.5" and 5.5" Bull barrel. I was lucky to find this pistol. I bought it used but I doubt it was fired much before I bought it.