2022 has been another strong year for new gun model releases. Long may this continue, and long may quality manufacturers be allowed to freely produce weapons of all types. Firearm enthusiasts set the bar when it comes to the success or otherwise of newly released weapons. This is clearly seen through sales volumes and associated reviews from suppliers as well as the purchasing public. In this review, we will take a look at the 10 best new guns of 2022. These will consist of handguns and rifles.
Due to the large number of released weapons this year, we are sure this list will create a lively debate! Please have (a little!) sympathy with us. Whittling down the choice of the very best guns new to the market in 2022 has been no easy task. Having said this, it was an extremely enjoyable task! See what you think, so, let’s start off with the…
1. FN 509 Compact MRD Semi-Auto Pistol with Vortex Venom Optic FDE – Best Semi-Auto Pistol Of 2022
We begin our reviews with a semi-automatic pistol and sight combo from a top-quality company. This is the FN 509 Compact MRD Semi-Automatic Pistol that comes with a Vortex Venom Optic.
Compact pistol – Full-size performance…
The FN 509 handgun is a compact pistol that provides full-size performance. FN is renowned for its quality manufacturing process, and in these terms, this handgun is yet another stand-out example.
To ensure owners receive a robust, hard-wearing, and highly accurate handgun, the FN testing procedures go far beyond any minimal industry-required specifications. In short, you are buying into a heavily tested pistol that will give you many years of service.
What about the specs? Weighing in at 26.6 ounces, the pistol has a 3.7-inch cold hammer-forged stainless steel barrel with a recessed crown. It includes a polished feed ramp and chamber, comes with an ambidextrous slide stop lever, and an easy-access magazine release. For those in need, there is also a MILSTD-1913 accessory rail included.
When it comes to concealed carry, you are covered. The shortened grip has been designed for deep concealment. This makes it an EDC (Everyday Carry) handgun you will conceal with ease.
It’s an optics-ready package… To round off this quality pistol, it comes with the FN Low Profile Optics Mounting System. There is no need to buy your optic separately. It comes with a quality Vortex Venom red dot optic sight. Highly effective co-witnessing with the all-black iron sights is yours. The result enhances your ‘point and shoots’ accuracy. Capacity-wise, this 9mm weapon offers a choice. You can go for the 10+1-round or 15+1-round model.
2. Walther CCP M2 .380 Auto Pistol – Black – Best Pistol Of 2022
Walther has been in the firearms manufacturing business since 1886 and released their first handgun in 1908. One of the world’s premier weapons manufacturers, they are still going strong today.
The company has released several new models this year. Therefore, the selection was not easy, but in terms of their best guns of 2022, we will be concentrating on their: CCP M2 .380 Auto Pistol model.
Here’s why… It is clear that Walther continues to strive towards perfection and maximum efficiency from the weapons they produce. The CCP M2 handgun series points in this direction, and the model we are looking at comes in .380 ACP.
While all of Walther’s handguns are stylishly designed, the CCP range is felt to be the most ergonomic and comfortable. This fact, along with the .380 ACP ammo used, ensures a pleasurable, easy shooting experience.
Significantly reduced recoil and more… This Concealed Carry Pistol (CCP) is the first polymer pistol to come with Softcoil gas technology. Such technology works to enhance your shooting experience through significantly reduced felt recoil.
Another bonus comes from the slide functionality, which affords ease of use regardless of your hand strength.
Regular cleaning and maintenance of any weapon you own should be classed as ‘best practice.’ In this respect, the CCP M2 .380 Auto makes life easy. It offers toolless takedown, and the fixed barrel design means ease of cleaning and maintenance is yours.
Specs to please… The CCP M2 is of .380 Auto caliber and has an 8-round capacity. Included in the purchase are two 8-round steel magazines. It is 5.12 inches in height, 1.18 inches wide, and has an overall length of 6.41 inches. This includes a barrel length of 3.54 inches. Trigger pull is 5.5 lbs, and actual trigger travel is 0.27 inches.
The barrel is made from high-quality stainless steel, and rather than being threaded, the muzzle is precision crowned. Weight when empty is 19.4 ounces, and you have safety assurances thanks to the one manual plus one auto safety feature.
Perfectly in sight… Quality sights are also included. These are of low-profile polymer design and consist of…
A two-dot adjustable rear sight. A single-dot post front sight. The dots are white, and the sight radius is 5.43 inches
. Another design feature to be aware of is the fact that the front sight is not dovetailed into the slide.
Shooters can also take full advantage of the integral Mil-standard 1913 Picatinny accessory rail, which comes with 3 cross-slots.
3. Bond Arms Backup – Best Pocket Pistol Of 2022
Next up is a derringer to savor. This is a good choice for anyone looking for a backup weapon. As can be seen, the model name tells it all!
Powerful punching, pocket size!
Derringers evoke memories of the ‘Wild West’ and are effortlessly concealed carry weapons. We feel all gun collectors and enthusiasts should have (at least!) one model in their collection.
This being the case, look no further than Bond Arms. The company has made it its mission to provide top-quality derringers and is surely the leader in this niche field.
So easy to conceal…
The Backup model, as the name suggests, is perfect for EDC (Everyday Carry) as a backup weapon. Its lightweight design and size mean concealed carry is a complete given.
Due to their nature, we would not recommend a derringer as your main self-defense weapon. However, this model will serve you well as a backup in ‘close encounter’ emergency situations. It has a 2-round capacity and uses 45 Auto (ACP) cartridges. Rest assured, at close/point-blank range, that is going to upset any unwanted assailant!
Unique design and features…
Forget other manufacturers who use cheaper alloys when producing derringers. Bond Arms still employs the wax casting production process to produce quality stainless steel components. This stand-out manufacturing process means longevity and reliability are yours.
You are buying into a derringer pistol that is 1.9 lbs in weight and is 4.5 inches in length. This includes the 2.5-inch double barrel. It also comes with a fixed sight, trigger guard, and quality-made rubber grips.
Comfort and control… The specially designed grip will fill a shooter’s palm to provide comfort and control. These features are often missing when using a small pistol.
As for safety, all models Bond Arms produce come with multiple safety features. Examples are the noticeable and easy-access push-button cross-bolt safety and rebounding hammer feature. You will also find that thanks to the rotating mechanism functionality, the barrel is securely locked in place while shooting.
There is then the spring-loaded cammed locking lever, which is designed for a tighter barrel-to-frame fit. This works by facilitating faster loading and/or unloading.
But, barrel options do not end there!
Similar to every Bond Arms derringer, the Backup model accepts interchangeable Bond Arms barrels. This means that you are at liberty to change calibers through complete barrel interchangeability while still using the same frame.
4. Ruger – Ruger-57 5.7X28 – Most Durable Pistol Of 2022
We continue our reviews of the best pistols of 2022 with a model from the highly respected Ruger range. This is their RUGER-57 5.7X28 model.
For use in any State…
The Ruger-57 offers some excellent features, ones that give shooters high-performance expectations coupled with low-recoil. This 5.7x28mm caliber handgun comes with a standard 20+1-round capacity. However, for those shooters residing in States that prohibit such a capacity, there is a 10+1-round, State-compliant model available.
Measuring at 8.65-inches in length, which includes the 4.94-inch barrel, it weighs 24.5 ounces. Upon purchase, you will receive the handgun in a lockable hard case along with 2 x 20-round removable steel magazines. (As mentioned, a 10-round, state-compliant model can be ordered).
A top quality, fully-featured handgun… The very stylish ergonomic design of this Ruger-57 will turn heads wherever you display it. This quality handgun consists of a glass-filled nylon frame with an optimized texture that gives a natural grip and a slender steel magazine.
Its alloy steel slide has been enhanced with front and rear cocking serrations. As for durability, the black nitride treatment found on the steel barrel gives protection against any wear and tear. The fire control housing also enhances durability as it has been precision CNC machined using anodized aluminum.
All of the important controls are easily accessed… This includes the ‘either-hand,’ 1911-style manual safety, a very robust slide release along with a reversible magazine latch. Ease of windage and elevation adjustments are also yours. Sight-wise, you get a serrated rear sight coupled with a rapid target acquisition front sight.
Superior ballistic performance with less recoil… It is well known that the
.7x28mm cartridge is a flat-shooting round known for its superior ballistic
performance. These lighter-weight projectiles deliver significantly less felt recoil than what you will experience using a 9mm Luger. While these cartridges are longer, shooters will be pleased to know that the trigger reach is similar to most common 9mm Luger handguns. On top of this, you can take full advantage of Ruger’s trademark ‘Secure Action’ fire control.
This feature allows for a short and crisp trigger pull that comes with a positive reset. The alloy steel slide is also drilled and tapped to allow for the easy mounting of optics.
5. Sig Sauer, INC. – MPX Copperhead 9mm Pistol – Most Stylish Pistol Of 2022
Shooters looking for a stand-out, sit-up, and pay-attention 9mm pistol should do just that with this Sig Sauer model! This MPX Copperhead 9MM pistol is class, quality, and head-turning all rolled into one.
Not for the shy and retiring!
The unique design of the MPX Copperhead brings an ultra-compact design option to the pistol-caliber table. In terms of style and looks, it is out there on its own. Shooters can be assured that heads will turn wherever they use this weapon.
Based on Sig Sauer’s highly popular MPX platform, it provides additional benefits in the fact that it can easily be folded, stored, and transported. This is due to the reduced operating system and barrel size.
Unique construction… The MPX Copperhead has a Coyote finish. It consists of a monolithic upper receiver that combines the handguard and upper receiver into a single unit. If you are wondering why? The reason is that the weapon is equipped with a really short 3.5-inch barrel. This is included in its overall length of 14.5 inches and weight of 4.5 pounds.
What this means is there isn’t much room to place a handguard. But, fear not, at the opposite end of the gun, you get SIG’s new folding, Pivoting Contour Brace. This allows you to shoot (or store) the gun in a very compact way.
It’s a gas-piston setup… Being built on Sig Sauer’s trusted MPX system means this pistol is a gas-piston setup. Shooters will be aware that many other pistol-caliber platforms use a blowback system.
What gas-piston operation offers is reliability in the fact that it will run in whatever environment you find yourself in. The MPX Copperhead also offers fully ambidextrous use, meaning left or right-handed operation is yours.
Good capacity… Firing 9mm Luger cartridges, it ships with a 1x 20-round removable magazine and gives a healthy 20+1-round capacity.
6. Sig Sauer MPX Noctis Semi-Auto Rifle with Red Dot Sight – Best Semi-Auto Rifle Of 2022
We must stay with Sig Sauer and their MPX platform for this best new guns of 2022 review. However, rather than a pistol model, this weapon is a Semi-Auto rifle that comes complete with a Red Dot Sight.
Style at the double!
Sig Sauer can never be accused of bland weapon design. Once again, this Noctis model will shine wherever you sport it. It has certainly been built to last and comes with a professional series black anodized finish on all metal exterior surfaces.
Then add in the fact that this quality PCC (Pistol-Caliber Carbine) includes a very robust 1x20mm Red Dot Sight – more on the sight later
First, let’s explain more about the weapon itself… It utilizes a gas-operated, short-stroke piston system and includes a rotating bolt that is fully closed and locked.
You will find the rifle functions with just about all 9mm ammo without the need for gas valve adjustment. In terms of flexibility of handling, it also comes equipped with a 5-position, collapsible buttstock.
Add your accessories… Then consider the advantages received from the full-length Picatinny rail and its aluminum handguard. This will allow you to attach a host of tactical aftermarket accessories to suit your needs.
As for the barrel, this is 16 inches long and sports a cage-style flash suppressor. Ease of ‘either hand’ operation controls is yours, thanks to the ambidextrous design. This includes the mag release, charging handle, and bolt stop functionality. Capacity should not be an issue as this semi-auto rifle ships with one 30-round magazine.
Back to the included Red Dot Sight…
The Red Dot Sight is a ROMEO5 model. This affords ultra-low parallax, which makes your point of aim the point of impact. This is regardless of which angle you are viewing your target from. The sight will always remain parallel to the barrel to ensure reliable accuracy.
You benefit from unlimited eye relief. This means finding and lining up targets with the aiming point is fast and easy. Again, this is regardless of eye position behind the sight.
Come rain, come shine… It is water and fog-proof to withstand inclement weather, and you get over 40,000 hours of battery life. The Noctis is a quality weapon and sight combo that is ready to go right out of the box!
7. Glock 44 .22LR Pistol – 10RD – Best New Pistol for Beginners Of 2022
We could not let the best guns released in 2022 pass without including the ever-popular Glock. This one is their Glock 44 .22LR pistol.
A solid and sensible choice for those new to shooting…
It is our strong belief that when it comes to firearms, you should learn to walk before you run! With this in mind, we look at the newest model in Glock’s Gen5 Series. Their Glock 44 chambered in .22 LR.
It is an excellent choice for those new to the handgun world. Ideal for training and general plinking sessions. Although it is lighter, It is a very near design match to one of the world’s most popular 9mm pistols. The Glock 19 handgun.
So, once beginners have mastered the use of the G44, they will be ready to handle more powerful handguns with confidence.
The distinct look and feel of a Glock is yours… Apart from its mentioned caliber, the hybrid steel/polymer slide, and its very straightforward blowback action, this
s a Glock in every other way. You get the adjustable rear sights as well as the famed Glock Marksman barrel.
The G44 has an overall length of 7.28 inches, which includes a barrel length of 4.02 inches. Weight-wise it is 14.64 ounces when empty and 16.40 ounces when fully loaded. Capacity wise it offers a 10-round capability and comes with two load-assist magazines.
Improved control… The fact you will be using .22 caliber rounds with this Glock design means low felt recoil. This lower recoil should work to improve optimal weapon control. Add to these features the Glock ‘signature’ ‘Safe Action’ trigger system and interchangeable backstraps designed to ensure exact hand fit. By doing so, you really are on to an excellent introduction to the world of pistol shooting.
8. Smith & Wesson M&P Shield EZ 9mm Pistol Without Manual Safety – 12437 – Best Handgun Of 2022
Our best new guns of 2022 reviews would also not be complete without a model from Smith & Wesson. Here’s a new release from their very well-established M&P Shield lineup.
What’s in the model name?
The new M&P (Military & Police) Shield EZ now comes in 9mm caliber. For those shooters wondering what the EZ title is, this stands for:
Easy to rack, Easy to load, Easy to clean! It is a hammer-fired pistol that comes with a 3.675-inch barrel and low-profile white-dot sights. Upon purchase, you will receive two eight-round magazines featuring a load-assist tab to ensure quick, easy loading.
Built for personal and home protection… Smith & Wesson knows very well what goes into producing a quality, comfortable, and highly accurate handgun. This pistol has a grip made from polymer, and the barrel comes with a black Armonite finish. Therefore, robust, long use is yours.
As mentioned, this new model is chambered in 9mm caliber. It has an overall length of 6.8 -inches, a height of 5.05 inches, and 1.04 inches in width. There is also a Picatinny-style equipment rail for those wishing to add accessories. Other features include a loaded-chamber indicator and a reversible magazine release.
Quick and accurate… The pistol has an optimal 18-degree grip angle, which ensures a natural point of aim. Shooters will also find enhanced accuracy through the light, crisp trigger along with the white-dot front and adjustable rear sights.
Designed from the proven Smith & Wesson M&P platform, this really is an ideal weapon for personal and home protection.
Looking for a little more? As configured, this EZ model in 9mm will give increased self-protection confidence. However, the model we are reviewing does not have a manual safety feature. This is simply because many shooters prefer it that way.
But, those looking for a little more will be pleased to know that an ambidextrous thumb safety can be added. There is also an option to include a factory-installed Crimson Trace Laserguard sight.
9. Savage Arms 110 Ultralite .280 Bolt Action Rifle – 57579 – Best Rifle Of
2022
An increasingly popular hunting trend comes in the form of lightweight hunting rifles. In this respect, the highly regarded Savage Arms have kept ahead of the pace. And their 110 Ultralite .280 Bolt Action Rifle has to be the best lightweight hunting rifle of 2022.
Wide choice of caliber – Top quality barrel… This quality rifle comes ready to be chambered in 8 cartridges: 308 Win, 270 Win, 28 Nosler, .30-06 SPFLD, 300 WSM, 6.5 PRC, 6.5 Creedmoor, and .280 Ackley Improved.
Your barrel length choice is dependent upon caliber and is either 22- or 24- inches. Capacity is either two or four rounds, again dependent upon the chosen cartridge.
Looking at the barrel, it is easy to understand the quality. Savage has teamed up with Proof Research to fit this hunting rifle with accuracy strongly in mind. This is in part thanks to the carbon-fiber-wrapped stainless steel barrel and melonite skeletonized receiver. One thing is for sure; this is a very weight-conscious build, but more on the weight shortly.
A signature stock and trigger… The new 110 Ultralight comes with Savage’s signature Accufit synthetic stock and a user-adjustable AccuTrigger. Trigger pull can be adjusted between 1.5 to 4 pounds.
Overall weapon weight varies slightly depending upon barrel size, but both come in at weights that will please avid hunters. The 22-inch barrel is 5.8 pounds while the 24-inch barrel model is just 6 pounds. In terms of overall length, the rifle is either 42.5 or 44.5 inches.
Go hunting with added confidence… Savage Arms already have a very solid name among hunting enthusiasts. This new 110 Ultralight further strengthens their position. The rifle has been designed to combat changing elevations and elements but still maintains the top-quality performance associated with a factory-standard Savage 110 action.
Hunters who purchase this rifle should expect durability, robustness, and enhanced accuracy. Watch that kill count grow!
10. Mossberg Patriot – Best Value for the Money Rifle Of 2022
We finish off our best new guns of 2022 with a very keenly priced bolt-action rifle from Mossberg. This is their Patriot model.
Solid bolt-action for big game hunting… This is a bolt-action rifle that offers rich features for the price you will pay. Those shooters into big game hunting will appreciate this addition to their armory.
It comes with a fluted barrel that improves cycling, and the Mossberg patented LBA (Lightning Bolt Action) trigger system. This latter feature is user-adjustable and can be set between 2-7-pound pull.
Chambered for power…Serious hunters will know that the 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge performs exactly as required when taking down larger prey. This is a very good, low-priced option as a ranch or back-country rifle. It is certainly capable of allowing hunters to take down deer, antelope, and coyotes in an ethical way.
The Mossberg Patriot has a 5+1 cartridge capacity and dimension wise it comes in at 42.25 inches in total length, which includes the 22-inch barrel and a weight of 6.5 pounds. There are also Weaver Style Sight bases included.
The choice of finish and ease of operation is yours… As well as a choice of either a Marinecote or Matte Blue finish, both of which feature a recessed crown you can go for a walnut or laminate stock. Both options have grip and forend checkering to ensure a positive hold. When it comes to ease of use, hunters will appreciate the spiral-fluted bolt that has a streamlined bolt handle.
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