[jennhoward]

Hey, all. I tried to search before posting this with no success. I am trying to find an inexpensive ($400 or less) .22lr pistol to use for practicing at the range. My EDC is my P365. I was eyeing the S&W M&P Compact 22 for this purpose, but am open to suggestions.

My main purpose is training for less money spent on ammo and also we'll keep it for a backup EDC. I looked at a few pistols so far and just want something concealable, reliable, and useful for getting better with my P365.

We have a S&W M&P 2.0 Compact in 9mm already. I am torn between getting another similar pistol or going very different like a revolver or a 1911.

Thanks in advance.

 

[phlyers13]

Welcome from Pa. There is no substitute for the real thing. Rimfire pistols are good for working on basic marksmanship but you should train with what you carry.

 

[jennhoward]

Welcome from Pa. There is no substitute for the real thing. Rimfire pistols are good for working on basic marksmanship but you should train with what you carry.

Hey, I am in PA as well. I intend to train with my EDC as well, but I really need to work on building some confidence. I'm struggling with the P365 and I don't have the money for the current ammo price gauging and that's for if I can even find any. The 22lr ammo is at least more easily found and cheaper. Just looking for some good .22lr pistol reccomendations.

 

[Joshvette]

Why not use the $400 bucks for buying practice ammo instead of a new gun, makes more sense to me?

 

[ShooterGranny]

All 3 of us who shoot together regularly have M&P .22 compacts. They are really great guns for practice and new learning new skills. I don't buy the stuff about skills not transferring. I teach my 2 friends new things regularly and they are able to perform quite nicely with their larger caliber guns after they learn the "new stuff."

The one thing I have found, however, is that it is best to start a shooting session with the .22 and then switch to the larger caliber gun. My one friend started with her new Glock 19 today and did well. Then she switched to her .22 compact, and couldn't hit anything for a while. She was anticipating the recoil of the Glock and it messed her up. Next time she will start with the .22.

 

[jennhoward]

All 3 of us who shoot together regularly have M&P .22 compacts. They are really great guns for practice and new learning new skills. I don't buy the stuff about skills not transferring. I teach my 2 friends new things regularly and they are able to perform quite nicely with their larger caliber guns after they learn the "new stuff."

The one thing I have found, however, is that it is best to start a shooting session with the .22 and then switch to the larger caliber gun. My one friend started with her new Glock 19 today and did well. Then she switched to her .22 compact, and couldn't hit anything for a while. She was anticipating the recoil of the Glock and it messed her up. Next time she will start with the .22.

Yes! This is exactly what I've found to be true as well - start with the .22 and end with the 9mm. It seems to really help with building confidence and muscle memory, but it also saves a ton on ammo.

Thanks so much for actually answering the question with your personal experience.

 

[DIRTBOY]

the S&W might be your best choice. I bought a Beretta .22 to save money on ammo and practice. Yes, no recall on a full size firearm but the skills of lining up, trigger work, etc transfer over. I was going to buy the same S&W and still might. Until ammo prices fall, having a .22 is easier and still fun.

You could get a AirSoft 365 and practice at home. The slides even have blowback and a similar overall feel. Its the same body.

 

[phlyers13]

Why not use the $400 bucks for buying practice ammo instead of a new gun, makes more sense to me?

Yes this was my thought process too. While 9mm is hard to find an expensive right now, so is a new gun.

 

[427malibu]

Take a look at german sport guns 1911 22lr. Looks and feels just like a full size 1911 but shoots 22lr. I shot them from two of my friends and they are reliable and accurate. They are around 315 dollars. With the price of 9mm I picked one up and a couple 325 round boxes of 22. Its a blast to shoot and no recoil.

 

[CoralGator]

A nice combo...365 & S&W 22 Compact

I have both the P365 (with XL grip) and the S&W M&P 22 Compact.

I really like the S&W, especially now with the ammo shortage. I start off a range visit with the 22LR (~250), and then shoot one box (50) with the 365.

I think it is a really good combo for these strange days...

 

[bhrees]

while i like the P365 and own one, its not the easiest gun to train with, its small grip, super stiff recoil spring make it less friendly than a larger and more acurate weapon, i like the walther ppq m2 .22 as a training gun, same size as a M18 or similar. not much out there in micro .22.

 

[cladd]

Taurus TX 22 - bought one this year and very easy to shoot and extremely reliable. I used it to teach my 11 year old grandson how to shoot pistols.

 

[MYMOMSSON]

This kind of logic eludes me.

 

[SW357]

Taurus TX 22 - bought one this year and very easy to shoot and extremely reliable. I used it to teach my 11 year old grandson how to shoot pistols.

Just picked up a TX22 too. One of my favorite guns and I can shoot all day without burning a hole in my wallet.

 

[tencvol]

I also have an M&P 22 Compact that I use as a warm up for my P365. Use a Vetter holster on both and run the same drills. Stretches the amount of 9 mm I have left. The M&P is a good pistol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Sigarms228]

I think getting a 22 pistol is an excellent idea and IMO they are a lot of fun to shoot and many more rounds downrange for the dollar.

I have the M&P 22 Compact and it is a sweet gun but for about the same money or just a little more I far prefer my Browning Buckmark and so does my wife for marksmanship practice and general plinking. Ruger Mark IV series and Smith and Wesson Victory series are excellent too but the Browning Buckmark UFX frame fits my hand best.

I would also recommend getting a 9MM laser training cartridge to use with your P365 to use with dry fire practice as they make dry fire practice much more fun and productive including from a holster. Something like this is available at Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/CheapShot-Tactical-Training-Laser-Ring/dp/B077Q8RXB9

Here is an article by Todd Green abut using a 22 LR pistol for training and what it works best for.

pistol-training.com » .22 Training Pistols: Pros & Cons

Skills you can work on effectively with a .22 equivalent to your normal pistol:

marksmanship
strong- and weak-hand only shooting
draw stroke
reloads
transitions
judgmental shooting
shooting on the move… With SOM, the line between good .22 training and bad .22 training is definitely easy to cross. But like transition drills, SOM training can benefit from a .22 in terms of learning how to move your feet and position your body for a stable shooting platform on the move.

Skills you should not practice with a .22lr handgun:

recoil management
sight tracking
rapid multiple shots on a single target
failure drills

My Browning Buckmark

 

[meltimjas]

Hi from PA as well. I used to do something similar. I have a old 22 pistol ( revolver) that is so much fun to shoot. And yes, cheaper. I would start with that, then I would switch to 9 mm. I guess I look at it as practice is practice for basic skills AND fun. But there's a lot to be said for practicing with what you're going to carry. My Sig is what I carry and it feels, weighs, and carries differently than my 22. I want to be safe and competent with my gun, but I also want to have fun. So I practice with both. Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

[tommyhof]

Everyone should have a 22LR revolver and semi auto. I have a S&W 22 compact, it is a great little gun. I also have a few Ruger MKIII and a 22/45 which is my favorite 22, an LCRX22. With the revolver you can shoot primer only 22s

 

[challer61]

First, I would get a laser cartridge and MantisX 10 do a work on a bunch of dry fire training.

Because P365 is a striker fired, get a striker fired .22. The G44 is a great training gun with the same trigger as the rest of the striker Glocks

 

[Jimmy Hoffa]

I've been using a Smith & Wesson M&P 22 Compact for 2 years as a parallel training tool for my P365. The S&W is a well made gun that feeds all ammo.

I also have a Ruger Mark III bull barrel with virtually every modification available. The Ruger shoots so accurate and is so easy it's really not a good training tool. 2 lb crisp trigger. Fun but not much challenge.