Glock 44 vs. S&W M&P22: Which .22 Trainer Should You Buy in 2026?

Glock 44 vs. Smith & Wesson's M&P22 Compact and new M&P 22X: specs, triggers, optics, suppressors and which .22 trainer fits your carry gun.

TL;DR for Skimmers

• The real question is your carry gun. A .22 trainer earns its keep by copying the pistol you actually carry. Glock owners should start with the Glock 44; M&P owners should start with Smith & Wesson.
• Glock 44: The closest thing to a rimfire Glock 19. Same footprint, same Safe Action trigger, no manual safety, and it fits many G19 holsters. Downsides: 10-round magazines and no factory optic cut.
• S&W M&P 22X (new for 2025): The better-equipped gun. 20-round magazines, an optics-ready slide that takes RMSc-footprint dots directly, and a threaded barrel adapter. Downsides: a manual safety and hammer-fired trigger that don't match a striker-fired M&P 2.0.
• S&W M&P22 Compact: The smaller, older S&W. Still sold new, but the 22X now does nearly everything it does with twice the capacity. Buy it only if you want the smallest gun or find it well under the 22X's price.
• Our pick: Glock 44 if you carry a Glock. S&W M&P 22X for everyone else, especially if you want a red dot or suppressor on your trainer.
  

Glock 44 vs. M&P 22X vs. M&P22 Compact: Specs Side by Side

Specs from Glock, Smith & Wesson launch coverage and retailer listings; street prices from one major online retailer each, checked October 21, 2026. Prices move often, so treat them as a snapshot.

Training Transfer: Which One Copies Your Carry Gun?

This is the category that should decide most purchases. A rimfire trainer saves you money on every round, but the reps only pay off if they build habits that carry over to the gun on your belt.

The Glock 44 is a near one-to-one match for a Glock 19. Its overall length, height and width sit within fractions of an inch of the G19, it uses the same Safe Action trigger system, and like every Glock it has no manual safety. Many G19 holsters accept it, so you can practice draws from the rig you actually carry. Our Glock 44 review covers that fit in more detail.

Both Smith & Wesson guns are less faithful copies of their centerfire siblings. They share the M&P look, grip texture and control layout, but they are single-action pistols with an internal hammer and a thumb safety. Most people carrying an M&P9 M2.0 or Shield Plus run a striker-fired gun with no manual safety, so the trainer adds a safety sweep your carry gun doesn't need. If your M&P has a thumb safety, that mismatch disappears and the S&W becomes the better match.

Trigger and Controls

The triggers feel very different. The Glock 44's roughly 5.8 lb Safe Action pull mirrors a stock Glock, takeup, wall and all. That is exactly what you want when you are training for a stock Glock.

The M&P 22X has the lightest trigger of the three. Lucky Gunner measured about 3.5 lb after a short takeup, which makes it easier to shoot small groups but hides some of the trigger-control mistakes a heavier pull would expose. The older M&P22 Compact went the other way: Shooting Illustrated measured just under 7 lb on its single-action trigger.

On controls, the 22X adds an ambidextrous safety, an ambidextrous slide stop and a reversible magazine release. Reviewers were split on the safety itself. Lucky Gunner found it low-profile and less comfortable than the Compact's wider lever, and Guns.com called it hard to operate one-handed.

Capacity and Magazines

This is the clearest win for the M&P 22X. It ships with two 20-round magazines, twice what the Glock 44 and M&P22 Compact hold. The 22X's magazines also fit Smith & Wesson's M&P FPC 22LR carbine, which is handy if you want a matching rifle.

For drills, 10 rounds is less of a drawback than it sounds. Reload practice is part of training, and shorter strings force more of it. For plinking and new shooters, though, refilling 10-round magazines gets old fast.

Optics and Suppressors

If you want a red dot on your trainer, the M&P 22X is the only one of the three built for it. Its slide is cut for RMSc-footprint optics. Guns.com reports it also takes Holosun K-footprint dots, which includes our top carry pick, the Holosun 507K. The catch, noted by every review we read: you have to remove the rear sight to mount the optic. The Glock 44 has no factory optic cut, and neither does the M&P22 Compact.

For suppressors, the 22X includes a 1/2x28 thread adapter. That is the common rimfire thread pitch, so most .22 cans fit without extra parts. Guns.com did report the adapter working loose during suppressed shooting, so check it often. The Compact's barrel is threaded 3/8x24, which needs an adapter for most suppressors. The Glock 44 isn't threaded as standard, but Glock sells a threaded barrel and threaded versions of the pistol are on the market.

Reliability and Ammo

All three are rimfire semi-autos, so ammunition matters more than brand. Every one of them runs best on quality standard- or high-velocity 40-grain loads such as CCI Standard Velocity.

• Glock 44: Early guns had a reputation for ammo sensitivity with cheap bulk loads. Once broken in on quality ammo, long-term owners report it runs reliably.
• M&P 22X: Lucky Gunner put 1,000 rounds through it with a single failure to fire, though fouling caused keyholing after about 600 rounds until the barrel was cleaned. Gunmade reported a handful of malfunctions with one high-velocity solid-point load and clean running otherwise. Guns.com found that subsonic ammo below roughly 1,000 fps often won't cycle it.
• M&P22 Compact: Shooting Illustrated's test gun had two or three failures to load in more than 500 rounds of budget bulk ammo, with no failures to fire or eject.

None of these results show a problem gun. They show three rimfire pistols that want decent ammo and a cleaning now and then.

Accuracy

All three are accurate enough for training, and the shooter will be the limiting factor long before the gun. Lucky Gunner's 22X averaged 2.2-inch five-shot groups at 25 yards from a rest, tightening to 1.6 inches with match ammo. Shooting Illustrated's Compact averaged 2.2 to 2.5 inches at 15 yards from a bench. Owners typically report 2- to 3-inch groups from the Glock 44 at 10 yards offhand with decent ammo. Those tests used different distances and methods, so don't read them as a ranking. The 22X's longer sight radius and lighter trigger do make it the easiest of the three to shoot small groups with.

Price

As of October 2026, all three sit within about $40 of each other online: roughly $360 for the Glock 44, $380 for the M&P22 Compact and $400 for the M&P 22X, against a $499 MSRP for the 22X. That gap is small enough that features should decide, not price. The 22X's extra capacity, optics cut and thread adapter make it the most gun for the money. The Glock 44 earns its slightly lower price by being the better Glock trainer.

Who Should Buy Which

Buy the Glock 44 if:

• You carry a Glock 19, 45, 17 or another Glock and want the most faithful rimfire copy available.
• You want to practice draws from your existing G19 holster.
• You prefer no manual safety, so your trainer matches your carry gun's manual of arms.
• Red dots and suppressors aren't a priority.

Buy the S&W M&P 22X if:

• You carry an M&P, especially one with a thumb safety, or don't carry yet.
• You want a red dot on your trainer without adapter plates.
• You plan to shoot suppressed, or want 20-round magazines for plinking and new shooters.
• You own or plan to buy the M&P FPC 22LR carbine and want shared magazines.

Buy the S&W M&P22 Compact if:

• You want the smallest of the three, for smaller hands or as a kit gun.
• You find one clearly cheaper than the 22X.
• You don't need an optic, and 10-round magazines are fine.

Skip all three if: you want a rimfire for self-defense. A .22 LR trainer is a range tool. Your carry gun should be a centerfire pistol.

FAQ

Is the Glock 44 or the M&P22 better for a beginner? For a brand-new shooter with no carry gun yet, the M&P 22X is the easier gun to live with. It has a lighter trigger, 20-round magazines and an easy path to a red dot. If the beginner will eventually carry a Glock, start them on the Glock 44 instead so the habits transfer.

Does the Glock 44 fit Glock 19 holsters? Many G19 holsters accept the Glock 44, because its length, height and width are within fractions of an inch of the G19's. Fit varies by holster maker, so confirm with yours before relying on it.

Can you put a red dot on the Glock 44? Not out of the box. The Glock 44 has no factory optic cut. The M&P 22X is the one to buy if you want a dot, since its slide takes RMSc-footprint optics directly once you remove the rear sight.

Is the M&P22 Compact discontinued? It is still sold new at major retailers as of October 2026, though some listings are going out of stock. Smith & Wesson's newer M&P 22X covers the same role with more capacity and an optics-ready slide.

Can I suppress these pistols? Yes, with differences. The M&P 22X includes a 1/2x28 thread adapter, the most common rimfire pitch. The M&P22 Compact is threaded 3/8x24, so most cans need an adapter. The Glock 44 needs a threaded barrel, which Glock sells.

Is a .22 LR pistol good for self-defense? No. All three are excellent training and plinking guns, but .22 LR is not a serious defensive cartridge. Train with a .22, carry a centerfire pistol.

The Bottom Line

There is no single winner here, because the best .22 trainer is the one that copies the gun you carry. If that gun is a Glock, buy the Glock 44. Nothing else matches a G19's size, trigger and manual of arms as closely, and that matters more than capacity or a red dot cut.

For everyone else, the S&W M&P 22X is the better pistol on paper and at the range. It doubles the Glock's capacity, takes a red dot without plates, ships ready for a suppressor and costs only about $40 more. The M&P22 Compact still works, but in 2026 it makes sense mainly if you want the smallest gun or find a real discount.

Whichever you choose, feed it decent ammo, keep it clean, and put the money you save on 9mm into more trigger time.

Where to Buy

• Glock 44: SCHEELS
• S&W M&P 22X: Guns.com
• S&W M&P22 Compact: Guns.com
• .22 LR ammunition: SCHEELS rimfire ammo
• Pistol red dots for the 22X: Primary Arms pistol red dots
• More .22 pistols: Guns.com .22 LR handguns