I would like to offer a brief review of this pistol for those who may be considering buying it.
My full size M&P9 is my "go to" gun. I'd love to shoot it multiple times a week, but that wouldn't fit my budget. A dedicated .22 that would give me close to the same feel of my M&P9 is ideal for me.
I was a little hesitant to buy this gun because it is made by Walther instead of Smith and Wesson. Also, I've heard that .22 pistols designed similar to their centerfire counter parts are usually picky with ammo. I can't stand any gun that is picky with ammo. I read that this thing doesn't seem to mind what you put in the mag, so I decided to give it a shot.
While handling the gun for the first time I was amazed at how closely Walther copied the look and texture of the M&P pistols. The grip feels much the same as the medium grip back strap on my M&P9. This gun is also much lighter, largely because of the aluminum slide. The sights unfortunately are not three dot. But, they are fully and easily adjustable.
After shooting 200 rounds through this thing within the past couple days I feel confident calling it reliable. I've shot CCI minimag hollow points, Remington Golden Bullet hollow points, Federal bulk hollow points, and Federal bulk lead solid points. It ate them up and asked for more. I have had nothing but 100% reliability so far.
This thing is also surprisingly accurate. Offhand at 10 yards .5-1" groups are not difficult. At 25 yards they stay around 2-3" if I do my part. I'm going to test it with more ammo to see if it will malfunction. Perhaps some subsonics are in order.
This is my M&P9 next to the M&P22.
Cons:
manual safety (it just gets in the way)
only comes with one magazine (seriously that's just wrong)
price ($369 sure isn't cheap for a .22)
rear sights are blacked out (I prefer 3 dot)
Pros:
reliable with a wide range of ammo
accurate
very similar to the M&P centerfire pistols
fits same holster made for M&P centerfire pistols
very easy to dis/reassemble
barrel is set up to take a suppressor
Overall I really like this gun. I just need some more magazines. I really hate having only one.
The trigger pull on this gun is also different from the centerfire M&P. It has a longer take up, which is a little gritty (due to the striker block no doubt). However, the trigger pull is definitely lighter, has a cleaner break and a more positive reset. Also, the mag release is not as "extended" as the centerfire version, but no less usable.
My full size M&P9 is my "go to" gun. I'd love to shoot it multiple times a week, but that wouldn't fit my budget. A dedicated .22 that would give me close to the same feel of my M&P9 is ideal for me.
I was a little hesitant to buy this gun because it is made by Walther instead of Smith and Wesson. Also, I've heard that .22 pistols designed similar to their centerfire counter parts are usually picky with ammo. I can't stand any gun that is picky with ammo. I read that this thing doesn't seem to mind what you put in the mag, so I decided to give it a shot.
While handling the gun for the first time I was amazed at how closely Walther copied the look and texture of the M&P pistols. The grip feels much the same as the medium grip back strap on my M&P9. This gun is also much lighter, largely because of the aluminum slide. The sights unfortunately are not three dot. But, they are fully and easily adjustable.
After shooting 200 rounds through this thing within the past couple days I feel confident calling it reliable. I've shot CCI minimag hollow points, Remington Golden Bullet hollow points, Federal bulk hollow points, and Federal bulk lead solid points. It ate them up and asked for more. I have had nothing but 100% reliability so far.
This thing is also surprisingly accurate. Offhand at 10 yards .5-1" groups are not difficult. At 25 yards they stay around 2-3" if I do my part. I'm going to test it with more ammo to see if it will malfunction. Perhaps some subsonics are in order.
This is my M&P9 next to the M&P22.
Cons:
manual safety (it just gets in the way)
only comes with one magazine (seriously that's just wrong)
price ($369 sure isn't cheap for a .22)
rear sights are blacked out (I prefer 3 dot)
Pros:
reliable with a wide range of ammo
accurate
very similar to the M&P centerfire pistols
fits same holster made for M&P centerfire pistols
very easy to dis/reassemble
barrel is set up to take a suppressor
Overall I really like this gun. I just need some more magazines. I really hate having only one.
The trigger pull on this gun is also different from the centerfire M&P. It has a longer take up, which is a little gritty (due to the striker block no doubt). However, the trigger pull is definitely lighter, has a cleaner break and a more positive reset. Also, the mag release is not as "extended" as the centerfire version, but no less usable.
Last edited: