The Austrian ISSC M22 self-loading pistol is a fun gun that resembles the world’s most popular police pistol, the Glock. The pistol is affordable at little more than the price of a .22 conversion unit for the Glock pistol and has good features including a Lothar Walther barrel. While it looks like the double action only Glock, the ISSC-Austria M22 is a single-action pistol.
The M22 is a straight blowback similar to the Ruger Standard Model or Browning Buckmark. The magazine holds 10 rounds of .22 Long Rifle ammunition. The pistol looks and feels like the Glock with a slightly less severe grip angle. The grips are nicely pebbled and provide good abrasion and adhesion when firing.
The sights are also similar to the Glock’s white outline rear notch sight. The rear sight is adjustable for windage. The pistol features an ambidextrous decocker/manual safety. When the pistol is cocked, the safety is used to decock the hammer. The hammer safely falls as the safety has rotated to block the firing pin. When the safety is rotated to fire, the hammer must be cocked to begin firing.
As the pistol fires, the slide recoils and cocks the hammer. The safety cannot be applied with the hammer cocked; it always decocks the hammer. There is also a firing pin block or drop safety, and a lever that is inset in the trigger will not allow the trigger to move if the lever isn’t pressed. The pistol will not fire unless the magazine is seated.
An additional safety feature is incorporated into the trigger. A screw is turned that properly aligns in either the fire or safe mode. The safe mode locks the trigger. The pistol is long on safety features, and none of them are obtrusive or limit shooting. The trigger action breaks at 5.7 pounds according to the Lyman digital trigger pull gauge.
Cocking grooves are plentiful with five forward and four in the traditional rear position. The ejection port is spacious. The pistol features a loaded chamber indicator that provides both visual and tactile notification. The fixed barrel is manufactured by Lothar Walther and appears to be well fitted and finished.
A note of caution is in order here. The recoil spring fits only one way, so be certain to keep it properly positioned or there may be malfunctions. The pistol features a Weaver mount for a combat light. This should make for good practice sessions with the light mounted.
Disassembly isn’t terribly different from many small caliber pistols. While the pistol uses Glock-type takedown levers, the ISSC pistol features a fixed barrel, so the takedown is different. The levers are pressed down with the safety applied, and the slide is pulled to the rear and off the top of the barrel.
It is simple enough and does not require much effort. The pistol needs lubrication to properly function, so be certain to lube the piece well before firing. The pistol, like most quality .22s, should be cleaned every 300 rounds. As for reliability, I have found the ISSC M22 to be similar in that regard to the SIG Mosquito.
With loads it likes, it is very reliable, but otherwise not. ISSC recommends a 200-round break in with the specified loads. Recommended loads are but two, the CCI Blazer and CCI Mini Mag. Both are quality, high-velocity loads that will give good service. As it turned out, my rather large ammo larder was empty of either load.
ISSC M22
| Caliber | .22LR |
| Capacity | 10 + 1 |
| Barrel | 4 inches |
| Weight | 21.5 ounces |
I used the fast CCI Velocitor and the Winchester Super X hollowpoint. Each proved reliable while firing 100 cartridges of each load. There were no failures to feed, chamber, fire, or eject.
This is a fun gun! If I had had a stack of magazines, I would have loaded them and simply blazed away at steel plates to my heart’s content. The pistol is a great plinker, and a training gun well suited to indoctrinating young shooters into handgun shooting. While Glock shooters may find it a fine understudy, I am a certain those needing a good .22 caliber pistol will find the M22 useful as well.
I enjoyed firing the pistol in combat shooting drills and also in bullseye accuracy. The sights are well designed and make for good practical accuracy. They are not bullseye sights, they are Glock-type combat sights.
Firing from a solid bench rest over the sandbag, I fired several five-shot groups. At 15 yards, the pistol averaged two-inch groups. The pistol is well made and should be reliable with proper lubrication, regular cleaning, and attention to its load preferences.
What do you think of the ISSC M22 as a practice gun for a Glock? Do you use a .22LR for training? Share your answers in the comment section.
I had one of these, had the local Gun Shop order it for me. Brand new, it wouldn’t shoot anything. I contacted ISSC, they asked what the serial number was, then told me it was an older gun not covered by warranty. They said they would work on it, but would charge me for labor and parts. I printed the emails, took it back to the Gun Shop. He gave me a full refund and suggested I try a S&W M&P 22 pistol. I bought the S&W, it is a great gun that never jams. The Gun Shop, which is a high volume Gun Shop, made the distributor take the ISSC back. That experience, lack of warranty coverage for their own product, convinced me to never, ever, buy anything with ISSC printed on the side again
Where can I get a firing pin for my ISSC M22 pistol? Ive looked everywhere i could as well. Either out of stock or unattainable. Any suggestions
Where can I get a firing pin for my ISSC M22 pistol? Ive looked everywhere i could.
I think a better option is to make your own. You can now buy stripped or complete factory glock frames…I have seen complete frames as low as $125, add an Advantage Arms conversion and now you have as close to factory 22 lr Glock as you can get. Total=335 for a complete pistol. Added plus you can find AA mags for cheap…$13 for 10 rnd. Mine has been as reliable as my Ruger 22/45.
Go with a Glock 26 or their single stack 9mm.You’ll get more stopping power,and they are compact.
I have the opposite problem:large left hand.
I absolutely love this little weapon! I bought one years a go to use for my Concealed Carry classes.
Most females want to shoot semi autos but don’t have big enough hands to carry full size Glocks… This pistol is almost identical to the Glock 19. I saw one of these and immediately liked the extra “safeties” this weapon has. Most females love the light recoil of the .22 and it allows me to train them without the “flinch” i get from the 9mm. This also builds confidence on the shooters part to allow me to put them on the Glock 19 without too many changes! Then they see the recoil is not bad and they go from there! ATI does sell extra mags when they have them. I have bought several just to have loaded and ready.
Bob Eker…. This pistol needs “hot” ammo to cycle correctly… Check the owner’s manual mine suggested the CCI mini mags for this weapon! Mine functions flawlessly with those in the mag!
Bo Dias, This is what my manual says. Nothing about CCI MM. It claims it shoots all US standard .22lr ammo.
D-07-6: AMMUNITION WARNINGS
The M22 pistol is chambered only for the .22 caliber Long Rifle cartridge, standard or high velocity, manufactured to U.S industry standards. Do not attempt to load .22 Long, .22 Short, or any other type .22caliber cartridge into the magazine or into the chamber, even if the cartridge appears to load properly.
WE SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DAMAGE OR INJURY WHATSOEVER OCCURRING IN CONNECTION WITH, OR AS THE RESULT OF, THE USE IN M22 PISTOLS OF FAULTY. OR NONSTANDARD,OR ‘REMANUFACTURED’ OR HANDLOADED (RELOADED) OR OF CARTRIDGES OTHER THAN THOSE FOR WHICH THIS FIREARMS IS CHAMBERED.
I own an M22, and the only problem I have is trying to use American Eagle HV 38 grain. It fails to eject about 4 times per mag. Any other ammo work great. I just don’t shoot AE through it.
I had an ISSC .22 in the copy of the SCAR .308 battle rifle. Same exact feeding/extraction issues, class 3 malfunction every 2-3 shots. Looked cool but total garbage. This company does NOT make anything close to a functioning firearm.
Great, so now their is a company that shoots the smallest -weakest size cartridge, and it shoots out of a plastic gun that’s all the rage. I think people would start buying guns it it was made from hardened dog poo, if it became the new rage.Out of the 5 9mm pistols I own the Glock is my least favorite. And the only reason I own one is because I was helping out a friend that needed money! Go to the gym build up those weak muscles! Plastic for play, METAL FOR MEN.
Had one for awhile had no issue with mine.
Shot flawlessly. Only shot high quality and high velocity ammo through it. Doesn’t like federal auto match
I have only seen three and fired two, and owners wanted to sell cheap. 2″ grouping would be satisfactory for an old Daisy Red Ryder BB gun, but none of those could consistently fire even that, 4 inch commonAlways an excuse by manufacturer , hundreds of rounds needed, improper ammo, bad hold,, bulls..t.
With today’s tooling and selection of metals and polymers there should never be a gun of questionable performance
The build cost, wages and material, cost of a Glock is minimal over cost of far less expensive. Just as all rifles oday should all fire sub minute groups, but reliability and safety should never be compromized.
Plinking is fun, but the fun leaves quickly as you yell vile obscenities for failures to fire.
Bad ejection issues !!! Beware
Bad ejection issues !!
Even after factory repairs it fails to eject until barrel is hot !!! Wish I had known this before I bought one ….
I have had one for five years. Using cci mini mag 40 it never jams. All other 22 ammo is a problem.
I had one for a couple years. I called it my finicky-eater, jam-o-matic.
I sent it to the manufacturer for repair and they claimed after the initial break-in, it should fire flawlessly. That was after 600 rounds of CCI, Remington and Winchester copper clad 22LR.
It could never shoot through an entire 10 round magazine without it failing to feed or ejecting at least twice. It didn’t matter what ammunition I fed it. It was more frustration than fun.
Claims of it being Glock-like are true – except for Glock’s reliability.
My experience with the ISSC M22. I had one for about a year. In that year it had to be shipped to the importer 4 times. Regardless of what ammo was using it may have just been a lemon out of the box. It was constantly having feeling issues. In the beginning I was thinking give it some time to break it in. I had given it plenty of time to break in. Hopefully the extractor problems that came with the gun have been fixed. In my case, the fourth trip back to the importer allowed me to get something different.
I use a Tactical Solutions .22 LR Conversion upper slide on my Glock 17, it will also fit the Glock 19. It works perfect, and it is a great training/practice pistol. While I think the M22 looks good I think it falls a little short of the mark. It feels like a Glock, and looks similar from a distance, but it is not a striker fire pistol, and therefore the shooting dynamics will not be the same. And it being a single action pistol has even more intricacies for the novice shooter. I think the money is better spent on a good .22lr conversion kit, at least until they get back to the drawing board and come up with something a little more practical. Just some thoughts from a pistol instructor. I have not shot the pistol and I wouldn’t mind putting a few rounds through it, but I don’t think I will invest in one.
Current Blog? Where can you buy? Im.interested in.purchasing 2-3 more magazines. But I can find any available. Help would be greatly appreciated.
Steyr and ISSC produced the Steyr RFP which I own. My only complaint is that the safety lever on the slide will easily loosen. I have since used a screw tightener to reinstall it. Care must be taken to realize it has loosened too much before the VERY small spring and ball bearing are lost.
What is the cost,how” left hand friendly” is it,will it cycle standard velocity ammo,are the sights adjustable?