View Full Version : Thoughts on a Walther P22....
Looking at getting an inexpensive shooter to shoot rather regularly. Looks like this could fit the bill, but not sure on build quality. I have scanned the bible and read numerous reviews but have not come to a concrete decision and look here for first hand knowledge and feedback from you all. Seems as though most that are built after '08 seem to have better quality control?
If there are already threads about this, please post up the links as the search did not produce much in for this particular gun. TIA.
very fun little gun.
numerous reports of cracked slides though. if you find the right ammo (they tend to like remington and federal bulk i think... not expensive taste at least) they are quite reliable.
seems the lifespan is limited to like 6000-10000 rounds though. :(
i'd say probably the best "tactical" 22 would be a glock or something with an advantage arms kit on it.
Great little gun. Picky with mags and ammo though. My son shoots one and its relatively accurate too.
lfromsalem
05-09-10, 12:17
I have one, and shoot it suppressed. Works every time.
I have one...my son uses it mostly due to the fact it is small enough for him to handle.
Personally, I'm not a fan of the pot-metal slide..
My preference (and next .22) will be a Browning Buckmark
Littlelebowski
05-09-10, 13:05
I had one and got rid of it. Piece of junk in my opinion. There's many reports of the slides breaking. Get a Ruger MKII/MKIII.
I have one. I love it. It's a fun little gun and a great plinker. But that's it.
Got one that was built in '05, never ran right until I found(on google) the "p22 bible". It's been really reliable with mini-mags and about 85% with Fed. Bulk from walmart. Fun plinker.
Thanks for all the feedback, Im gonna go look at another one tomorrow and see what I think.....still not really convinced one way or another though.
I have a 2007 P22 (AG date code). Current round count is 1600.
I bought it for use as trainer gun to help teach new shooters, as the manual of arms carries over well to 'real' handguns (most notably, the reciprocating slide). In this role, it's performed admirably.
It is NOT a .22 I would buy if I planned on putting 10,000+ rounds through it. To say the construction of this gun is "cheap" is being generous. The slide stop lever gouges the underside of the soft zinc slide during normal shooting. The rear sight is wobbly. The front sight is weakly staked into the slide with plastic nubs. The trigger bars of older models were also known to gouge the pot-metal slide. The accuracy is sub par when compared with other .22 semi autos.
It's nowhere near the gun that a Ruger MKII is.
That said, mine's been 100% so far using CCI Mini-mags, though my round count is still pretty low. It has taught several new shooters semi-auto handgun manipulations before they've stepped up to a real service caliber. Beyond that, I don't run it hard, and don't plan to.
P22s have received several tweaks as the model has progressed throughout the years. Buying at least a 2007 is a must, with a newer model being preferrable. The hammer profile is one of the most important aspects of reliable functioning that's been dialed-in over the years.
If you really want to get serious about putting a lot of rounds through one, I'd recommend checking out the RimfireCentral forums for things to watch out for, tweaks, and fixes. ETA: I just checked out the 'P22 Bible', that originated on RimfireCentral, and is everything you need to know. The fact that there's a 100-page guide on P22 tear-down, fixing, and modification is what most call a "clue".
If you just want a good .22 that you can shoot and not worry about, see LittleLebowski's post.
An Undocumented Worker
05-09-10, 21:08
I've been through, a S&W 22A-1, a Beretta U22 Neos and finally settled on a Kadet kit for my CZ-75b.
The S&W 22A-1 while accurate and durable, was unreliable and the sights on my version kinda sucked. Also the slide banged the feedramp thus gouging it up helping to induce failure to feeds. I traded that in for the U22 Neos
The Neos appeared to have better build quality than the Smith, also used a striker fired design, it had it's own flaws. First the grip was too damn small for my hand and my hands aren't large either. Secondly the sights sucked ass, the front sight was too wide, and made of plastic, and the rear sight would come loose as the cross pin walked it's way out under fire. It also did not seem as accurate as the Smith. Also cleaning the Neos was a painful procedure due to really sharp edges on the top rail of the barrel, so even though taking it apart was easy cleaning often drew some blood.
I have also shot a Walther P22 and the thing is tiny, again not exactly the most comfortable gun to hold unless you have small hands and secondly the sights do not lend themselves to accuracy at all, front site is too wide, and the notch in the rear site even wider making proper alignment of the sights with the target an imprecise task. And honestly everything about that pistol screams cheap.
Since I already had a CZ 75 D Compact (AKA PCR) I traded the U22 in and got a 22 conversion kit for my CZ, the Kadet Kit made by CZ. there were some slide lock issues with it on my PCR but it runs flawlessly on my CZ 75 B aside from the typical 22 problems with the occasional failure to fire and the rare stovepipe. Other wise it is accurate and the sights are good, the trigger is all dependant on the CZ you have it mounted to, trigger work etc. Barrel is hammer forged, and the fit and finish is on par with CZ's service pistols.
CZ also makes makes a stand alone Kadet pistol which is basically a standard CZ 75 B with the Kadet kit installed from the factory.
So if you want a "tactical" style 22 semi auto my vote goes to the CZ 75 Kadet. Oh I forgot to mention the grip on that thing feels as if it was made for my hand, and an absolute joy to hold and points very naturally
Mine was fun and reasonably accurate, but the slide cracked and hammer spring broke at around 6,000 rounds. S&W does an excellent job with customer service for the P22. It needs it.
Mine was fun and reasonably accurate, but the slide cracked and hammer spring broke at around 6,000 rounds. S&W does an excellent job with customer service for the P22. It needs it.
those pot metal slides probably cost them about 8 bucks to make... i guess with a lifetime supply of parts included in the purchase price it's not a bad deal. it IS a fun gun to shoot.
FlyAndFight
05-10-10, 11:44
Got my daughter a Beretta Neos last year and it's had about 1000 rds or so fired through it and I have yet to have a problem with it. The sights may not be the best but considering it's got a built in rail, it's begging for a cheap red-dot sight anyways.
Easier to field strip and clean than the MkII and III's, though not as accurate. Still a fun little .22LR pistol. I'll be getting one for my son when he's older. I may even pick one up for myself... ;)
varoadking
05-10-10, 19:38
Garbage...
Just flush your money down the toilet and forget about it...it will be less painful..
Get a Ruger MKII/MKIII.
Sound advice...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v22/varoadking/Mancave/RugerMarkIIs004.jpg
Okay, after looking at one in person again today, my research and you all convinced me that.......the walther is out. Not sure what I want at this point, but i got the itch to get something and Im gonna need to scratch it pretty soon.:D Thread over.
I won one in a raffle at an IDPA match around 2003-2004 or so. The one good thing I can say is that it prompted me to finally get a .22 suppressor. Other than that, it's pretty much junk. Mine has been less than reliable, mainly because the hammer face rides the underside of the slide, reducing slide velocity significantly. Once I put a few dozen rounds through it, it gets dirty and fails to go fully into battery. The slide will literally hang up on the hammer face. It requires frequent cleaning and heavy lubrication. Accuracy is mediocre, and the trigger sucks. The front sight is held in only by a pair of little plastic nubs. Reassembly is also a PITA, especially if your hands have any lube or solvent on them.
Doesn't seem to have any preference for ammo, I've fed it Federal, Remington and Winchester bulk pack, as well as Remington standard velocity and subsonics with the suppressor.
Basically, I'm waiting for S&W to come out with the dedicated M&P .22 pistol, and then the Walther is getting retired.
LHS,
Sounds like the experience I had with mine. They can be made to run if you want to work on it. It's not worth it if you bought the gun new at full pop, but if you got one cheap like I did or free-ish like yours I feel its worth it. Google up the P22 bible or if you would like I may be able to send you the file.
Does anyone like the bit over priced Sig Mosquito? Sorry for the hijack.
Does anyone like the bit over priced Sig Mosquito? Sorry for the hijack.
I have one, I bought it when they came out, it eats pretty much anything, not too many issues with 10k through it. It is "close" to a service pistol and helps a bit, but marksmanship mostly, and even then, there may be better options.
montanadave
05-11-10, 06:46
If you lend any credence to their reviews, the May issue of GunTests has a comparison of the ISSC M22, Walther P22, and the Sig Mosquito. The Mosquito failed their test due to an out of battery discharge. According to the review, they talked with Sig and were told the Mosquito's chamber is manufactured to 22 Match CIP specifications making the chamber too tight for some 22 LR ammo. A problem which is easily remedied with a little chamber work but sounds like the Mosquito is likely to be a picky eater out of the box.
Their two cents, not mine. I own a Browning Buckmark and it always cleans its plate. :D
Mine has been less than reliable, mainly because the hammer face rides the underside of the slide, reducing slide velocity significantly. Once I put a few dozen rounds through it, it gets dirty and fails to go fully into battery. The slide will literally hang up on the hammer face.
This is a classic hammer profile issue, and is exhibited by almost every P22 I've ever seen. It can be easily remedied if you're willing to disassemble the frame and reprofile the hammer properly. It'll run like a raped ape once this is done (until it breaks, that is). The linked 'P22 bible' is a good guide for this.
What's sad is, the guys on Rimfire Central had this issue figured out in the P22's infancy, and even had correspondence with S&W, in which they sent them examples of what the hammer SHOULD look like. Despite this, it took the manufacturer years to get it right. I'm not sure what the newest versions look like, but the hammer face still wasn't right in '07 or '08 when the manufacturer tried to make the necessary improvements.
Tennvol12345
05-11-10, 18:40
I have one I bought to use with a SWR Spectre. Without the can mounted accuracy is so/so, you get a little baggy full of different sight heights and none of them fix my accuracy issues. With the can on the gun turns into a single shot. The can is too heavy for the barrel and as a result the barrel tips up slightly preventing the slide from going back.
Save your money and buy a Ruger MKIII or a 22/45.
This is a classic hammer profile issue, and is exhibited by almost every P22 I've ever seen. It can be easily remedied if you're willing to disassemble the frame and reprofile the hammer properly. It'll run like a raped ape once this is done (until it breaks, that is). The linked 'P22 bible' is a good guide for this.
What's sad is, the guys on Rimfire Central had this issue figured out in the P22's infancy, and even had correspondence with S&W, in which they sent them examples of what the hammer SHOULD look like. Despite this, it took the manufacturer years to get it right. I'm not sure what the newest versions look like, but the hammer face still wasn't right in '07 or '08 when the manufacturer tried to make the necessary improvements.
I didn't know about the bible until I read this thread, but I figured out the hammer face was dragging on the underside of the slide and filed a little bit off the top corner to alleviate it. Unfortunately, I got a little too adventurous and now the gun won't recock itself reliably. I've essentially made a DAO gun, with the hammer falling on the half-cock notch after every shot. I figured it was a cheap way to re-learn why I shouldn't perform amateur gun-plumbing, and something I'd fix with a new hammer one of these days. Honestly, I don't shoot it nearly enough to care anymore, so it's fallen down on my list of priorities. I'd get my 22/45 threaded well before I bought a new hammer for the P22.
It's a fun shooter and extremely fun when suppressed.:D
I've had a problem with the slide catch spring flying out under recoil, but it still held the slide back when empty. Plus I just called up S&W and they sent me 2 springs free of charge and it was at my door in 2 days.
Other than that, I haven't had too many problems with the gun. When it gets nasty dirty it'll sometimes fail to eject, but there are fixes for that which require modification to the extractor.
I also use it to train basic skills to new shooters and they appreciate that the manipulation of the P22 is the same of a full sized pistol.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v246/MugenR/HK-USP_Walther-P22.jpg
My better half has one and likes it. She weighs a buck-ten soaking wet and has tiny hands, so it fits her perfectly. It's too small for me to use practically. You just have to know what it is and what it isn't.
It's great for practice with cheap ammo or "taking your friend to the range for the first time" gun (especially if your friend will not benefit from lots of noise and recoil).
It's not especially reliable (though there are some minor modifications that can apparently be done to rectify much of this) and it's obviously not a combat caliber (queue flame war), so it's not something I'd carry.
Bottom line: If you want a fun teaching/cheap practice gun, it's great. There may be better options, but this is the one I'm familiar with.
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