I have had these two pistols for sometime and have recently began to play with them more because of ammunition prices and the cost of gasoline making traveling to competitive shoots a bit more expensive than I care for.
The more time I spend with them the more impressed I have become.
Top pistol is a six inch barrel Model 422.
When I came into possession of this handgun it had fixed sights and nylon grip panels, a standard field pistol.
It struck me as extremely reliable but the sights were not well regulated with groups centering six to seven inches below the point of aim at twenty five meters.
I have since replaced the rear sight with an LPA adjustable rear sight assembly and then began shaving the front sight blade to achieve point of aim-point of impact regulation at twenty five meters.
Grouping improved and reliability was not affected.
This pistol's favorite load is Winchester Dynapoints with Winchester Super X solids a close second.
I have also slightly rounded the front of the triggerguard and added a set of 422 target type wooden grips.
This pistol has the advantage of using commonly available Smith and Wesson Model 41 Target pistol 10 and 12 shot magazines too.
This makes obtaining spare magazines a non-issue.
This pistol is flat deadly on small game at regular pistol hunting ranges and the light weight and flat profile puts it in my holster much more often than my Model 41 or my K-22 revolver.
I may yet mill the front sight off and dovetail the slide for a 2214 front sight or something else, haven't made that commitment yet but I do have an extra 2214 front sight stashed.
Lower pistol is the pocket version of the 422 and is known as a Model 2214 'Sportsman'.
It has a 3 3/4" barrel length fixed sights inset in dovetails, a rounded triggerguard and an eight shot magazine.
This pistol was pretty much about perfect as received, actually it was impressive.
Reliability is just as good as the 422 and the sights were well regulated from the get go.
Groups are larger at twenty five meters than those of the Model 422 but this didn't come as a suprise.
The pistol is still accurate to kill small game to this range using body shots.
Head shots are a sometimes yes, most times no proposition so I generally aim for the ribcage to score.
This gun was really designed as a personal protection piece and is very reminicent of the old S&W Model 61 'Escort', albeit a bit larger and a whole lot more reliable.
This pistol comes with an eight shot magazine that is nothing more than a cut down Model 41 magazine not as easy to find and a bit more money but, as a bonus, it can use standard Model 41 magazines.
This pistols favorite cartridge is the Federal Classic .22 LR hollowpoint.
This is the only .22 I own that favors this cartridge and it is a catch as catch can proposition to find them in my area.
I have to have the shop I do gunsmithing for special order them because nobody else in the area sells this cartridge.
Thankfully, the owner is willing to buy a case at a time on his regular truck order and we split them.
They are not huge sellers in the area though and I usually end up buying most of the case, I have been shooting the gun that much.
I have found myself packing this gun around the property more than any other.
It is quite effective on the skunks, raccoons and other vermin critters that come looking for a free chicken/egg dinner and vandalism party.
The only improvement I have made to the gun is to fit up a set of those wooden target grips made for the 422/622 target pistols, the gun came with and was always offered with nylon grip panels.
I don't know why Smith and Wesson never offered these panels with this model and can only speculate that they discontinued the wholeline because of lagging sales and costs were becoming higher than the profits realized.
Too bad really, because I have found these pistols to be slimmer, lighter, and more reliable, though they were not less expensive when offered, than the Model 22A line that replaced them.
These pistols can be found for very reasonable prices on the used gun market and if you are in the market for a decent .22 hangun, I recommend you take a hard look at one.
You might just like them too.
The more time I spend with them the more impressed I have become.
Top pistol is a six inch barrel Model 422.
When I came into possession of this handgun it had fixed sights and nylon grip panels, a standard field pistol.
It struck me as extremely reliable but the sights were not well regulated with groups centering six to seven inches below the point of aim at twenty five meters.
I have since replaced the rear sight with an LPA adjustable rear sight assembly and then began shaving the front sight blade to achieve point of aim-point of impact regulation at twenty five meters.
Grouping improved and reliability was not affected.
This pistol's favorite load is Winchester Dynapoints with Winchester Super X solids a close second.
I have also slightly rounded the front of the triggerguard and added a set of 422 target type wooden grips.
This pistol has the advantage of using commonly available Smith and Wesson Model 41 Target pistol 10 and 12 shot magazines too.
This makes obtaining spare magazines a non-issue.
This pistol is flat deadly on small game at regular pistol hunting ranges and the light weight and flat profile puts it in my holster much more often than my Model 41 or my K-22 revolver.
I may yet mill the front sight off and dovetail the slide for a 2214 front sight or something else, haven't made that commitment yet but I do have an extra 2214 front sight stashed.
Lower pistol is the pocket version of the 422 and is known as a Model 2214 'Sportsman'.
It has a 3 3/4" barrel length fixed sights inset in dovetails, a rounded triggerguard and an eight shot magazine.
This pistol was pretty much about perfect as received, actually it was impressive.
Reliability is just as good as the 422 and the sights were well regulated from the get go.
Groups are larger at twenty five meters than those of the Model 422 but this didn't come as a suprise.
The pistol is still accurate to kill small game to this range using body shots.
Head shots are a sometimes yes, most times no proposition so I generally aim for the ribcage to score.
This gun was really designed as a personal protection piece and is very reminicent of the old S&W Model 61 'Escort', albeit a bit larger and a whole lot more reliable.
This pistol comes with an eight shot magazine that is nothing more than a cut down Model 41 magazine not as easy to find and a bit more money but, as a bonus, it can use standard Model 41 magazines.
This pistols favorite cartridge is the Federal Classic .22 LR hollowpoint.
This is the only .22 I own that favors this cartridge and it is a catch as catch can proposition to find them in my area.
I have to have the shop I do gunsmithing for special order them because nobody else in the area sells this cartridge.
Thankfully, the owner is willing to buy a case at a time on his regular truck order and we split them.
They are not huge sellers in the area though and I usually end up buying most of the case, I have been shooting the gun that much.
I have found myself packing this gun around the property more than any other.
It is quite effective on the skunks, raccoons and other vermin critters that come looking for a free chicken/egg dinner and vandalism party.
The only improvement I have made to the gun is to fit up a set of those wooden target grips made for the 422/622 target pistols, the gun came with and was always offered with nylon grip panels.
I don't know why Smith and Wesson never offered these panels with this model and can only speculate that they discontinued the wholeline because of lagging sales and costs were becoming higher than the profits realized.
Too bad really, because I have found these pistols to be slimmer, lighter, and more reliable, though they were not less expensive when offered, than the Model 22A line that replaced them.
These pistols can be found for very reasonable prices on the used gun market and if you are in the market for a decent .22 hangun, I recommend you take a hard look at one.
You might just like them too.
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