GRAND POWER K22 MK23 X-TRIM 22LR LBP

Here is the video:
Watch it here!

Recently, I reviewed the Tippmann Arms M4 Elite-L Fluted, an AR15-type semi-auto .22LR rifle that is distributed in the UK by Shooting Supplies Ltd. Well, not long after, they asked if I would like to take a look at the latest Grand Power LBP to hit the UK – the K22 MK23 X-TRIM, chambered in .22LR. The answer, of course, was a resounding yes!
For those that don’t know, Grand Power is based in Slovakia and manufactures a wide range of firearms, including pistols, and the K22 X-TRIM is the rimfire version/baby brother of their flagship X-Calibur centrefire pistol. Of course, in order to become a Long Barrel Pistol (LBP), and therefore be legal in the UK, the K22 has been fitted with a 12” barrel and a ‘coat hanger’ at the rear, ensuring it exceeds the 24” overall length required by law.

What’s in the box?

I am pleased to say that the pistol comes in a decent hard case, which is always nice, especially when you are spending this kind of money! Inside, you will find the pistol, 2x 10-round magazines, 4x mounting plates (more on these later), a bore brush (which is too short for the UK spec barrel!), 2 x low profile safety levers, and an instruction booklet. 

Top slide and sights

The pistol features a distinctive, lightweight, skeletonised top slide. The older version of this pistol showed vertical cutouts to the front and angled ones to the rear, while this latest version shows larger, more significant angled cutouts at the front, and large cocking grooves/serrations, rather than cut-outs, at the rear. This new design not only looks more modern but offers maximum grip as well!
Next up, however, is the real news, as the new pistol is optics-ready! Importantly, you do still get a set of decent ‘irons’, with a blade up front that includes a red day-glo element, and a decent micrometric sight to the rear. This unit is adjustable for windage and elevation, plus features a green day-glo element on each side of the ‘U’ notch.
Removing the rear sight exposes a rectangular cut-out, allowing the shooter to replace it with one of the four mounting plates provided. Simply select the one that is compatible with the red dot sight that you intend to fit. This design helps to keep the sight as low as possible, which is beneficial. Incidentally, Shooting Supplies supplied one of their Holosun HS407C X2 reflex red dots, which came pre-fitted and zeroed. Score! 

Barrel, shroud, and coat hanger

The solid steel barrel (no steel liners here!) measures 12” in length and 14.20mm in diameter, plus features six flutes, which are almost certainly there to help reduce weight. As with most LBPs, a metal shroud/faux moderator is used to cover up the barrel and to improve aesthetics. It shows a 28mm diameter, is well made and finished, and is secured at the muzzle by a knurled retaining cap that ensures a snug fit.
With the slide to the rear, you can see the chamber and a highly polished silver feed ramp. Behind you also have a clear view of the firing pin, a standard extractor, and a fixed ejector, which is mounted within the polymer frame.
The ‘coat hanger’ shows a significant build, measuring 10mm wide and 5mm thick. It is secured to the pistol grip, under the back strap, and the other end shows a circular tip with laser engraving on each side. It is well presented and represents a carefully considered and weighted component, rather than something that is just bolted on to make the K22 UK legal.

Controls

The trigger is pretty decent in use, shows a polymer blade, and in single action breaks at a very pleasant 3 lbs 14 oz. Critically, I found that it enabled me to extract decent performance from the pistol, with the reset being particularly predictable and clear-cut.
Pleasingly, all of the controls are ambidextrous. The mag release catch is positioned in the standard location and shows an oversized button on the left and a normal-sized one on the right-hand side. Noticeably, the oversized safety levers sit proud of the frame and are light/easy to operate – angled up for SAFE and horizontal for FIRE. Importantly, in use, I found the design naturally led me to use the one on the left (I’m right-handed) as a thumb shelf when gripping the pistol. If I didn’t want to, then I had to consciously make an effort to avoid doing so. As mentioned previously, some low-profile levers are supplied, should you wish to fit them instead.
Sitting on the frame, on either side of the ejection port, you will see the slide release catches, which are low in profile and show a serrated face for additional grip. These can easily be accessed using the thumb on your firing hand, but you do have to lift up the safety levers first, as they sit in the way. This is potentially another reason for fitting the low-profile levers instead. The choice is yours!
Finally, Grand Power has also changed the design of the hammer, making it more angular in design, and I feel that aesthetically speaking, it combines well with the look of the skeletonized top slide. 

Frame and feed

It has to be said the polymer frame is of excellent quality, and the metal innards that are housed within it appear to fit like a glove. Starting at the front, you will notice a Picatinny rail with a single groove, and this will happily accommodate a tactical light. Yes, there won’t be a need for one here in the UK, but they can be used as a way of adjusting the balance of the firearm. The front of the trigger guard is squared off and serrated for grip.
The pistol grip itself is well done and very ergonomic. Firstly, height-wise, it’s spot on, showing a small flare at its base to keep the little finger in check. For grip, the front face shows horizontal grooves, while the sides and backstrap feature panels of medium/light stippling. Did someone say interchangeable back straps? Yes, there are three other sizes to choose from (not supplied), and speaking to Shooting Supplies Ltd, they are hoping to get some in soon!
Ergonomically, the top half of the grip flows to accommodate the support hand, while a decent-sized beavertail at the rear accommodates the web of your shooting hand. The test gun came in Flat Dark Earth (FDE), but Bronze, Gold, Black, and Grey are also available!
The K22 feeds from a 10-round polymer magazine (2x supplied), and the design ensures that the pistol’s slide is locked to the rear after the last round. Also, the mags include loading tabs to make filling them easier. In use, the last round was often a bit of a squeeze to get in, however, as I continued to enthusiastically churn my way through ammunition, the springs eased up nicely. Incidentally, Shooting Supplies are having some extensions designed that should increase the capacity to 20. Happy days!

Disassembly

Follow the instructions and the pistol is quick and easy to disassemble for cleaning and maintenance. Everything is easy to get to, and a quick look around highlights just how well the pistol is put together. There is also evidence of some clever thinking by Grand Power, as they actually supply two recoil springs (one sits inside the other), allowing you to use both or one at a time to tailor the pistol to the type or quality of ammunition that you are using! How about that!?

Shooting, handling, and balance

Throughout my testing, I shot the pistol freehand, as nature intended, and as I got used to it, I really began to appreciate the balance and handling characteristics. I have been lucky enough to shoot quite a few handguns over the years and I have to say it didn’t take long before I forgot the coat hanger was there. However, once made ready, and prior to taking aim, I tend to adopt a high compressed ready stance but had to adapt it to accommodate the coat hanger. I ended up tilting the pistol slightly to the side so the coat hanger could go around my body, which worked well.
For the duration of the test, I used standard velocity ammunition and settled on SK Long Range Match, which always performs well. Firstly, no bones about it, the K22 is a seriously reliable .22LR pistol, which is obviously of paramount importance. As with most semi-autos, I did start experiencing failures to feed once the gun got really dirty and began to slow down.
Accuracy-wise, I was clearly the weak link, but I did manage a 3-shot freehand group at 10 yards that measured 0.447”. I then topped this up to a 10-round group that measured 1.117”, and overall, I would say that I was typically able to extract quite fast, 0.8” – 1”, 4 or 5 round groups consistently in real-world conditions. No doubt with more trigger time and less caffeine, I would hope to be able to improve on that!
As expected, all the controls functioned correctly. Noteworthy was the trigger, which was pretty good for a pistol, allowing me to shoot consistently. In hindsight, I would have liked to play with the various backstraps, as the one fitted was possibly too small for me.

Conclusion

It is not uncommon for manufacturers to skimp on the quality of the materials used on rimfire pistols, with many showing cast parts and zinc alloy bits. Grand Power, however, takes a different approach and has built the K22 MK23 X-TRIM to exactly the same standards as its bigger brother. This is great news and really shows, straight from the box. In use, the pistol provides plenty of performance potential that can now be accessed even more easily by fitting a red dot sight. If you haven’t tried one on a pistol, then you must!

Here is the video:
Watch it here!