Smith & Wesson just dropped two new rimfire entries that feel less like “budget trainers” and more like deliberate expansions of the M&P ecosystem into the .22 LR space. The folding FPC 22LR keeps the compact, optics-ready DNA of its 9 mm sibling while giving shooters an ultra-light, packable platform that still accepts the same red-dots and braces many already run on their centerfire guns. Pair that with the M&P 22X—a refreshed, optics-cut compact that finally brings modern slide cuts and accessory rails to the rimfire line—and you have a pair of guns that let new shooters train on the exact ergonomics they’ll later carry in 9 mm without breaking the bank on ammo.

For the 2A community this matters because rimfire isn’t just plinking anymore; it’s the most practical on-ramp for marksmanship, safe gun handling, and the next generation of owners who might otherwise be priced out by today’s ammunition costs. When a major manufacturer like S&W invests real R&D into folding blow-back actions and refreshed 22 X-frame variants, it signals that the company sees long-term value in cultivating new, younger, and more diverse shooters who will eventually step up to defensive firearms. That investment also keeps rimfire innovation in American hands rather than ceding the category to imports that often skip domestic accessory ecosystems.

The larger implication is cultural as much as commercial: every new, well-designed .22 that wears an M&P badge quietly normalizes the idea that safe, affordable, and modern firearms are accessible to everyone. In an era when some states are trying to make even basic ownership cost-prohibitive, products like these lower the barrier to entry while reinforcing the practical case for the Second Amendment—namely, that an armed citizenry starts with citizens who can actually afford to train.