One of the benefits of being a holster maker is gun testing. Long time customers often will allow me to fire their guns, some demand it, others bring ammo to shoot!
I had to make a rig for a P22 rig (right hand with matching mag pouch, black). Since I only have molding guns for the 1911 and a few others I needed to mold around the actual pistol. Since it was in my hot little hands, it got shot, ALOT!
First and foremost, this gun is FUN. Bringing the fun back into shooting is important. Sometimes we get a little to serious with defensive, target, training and such and forget that SHOOTING IS FUN! This 22 certainly brings enjoyment!
A quick Google search brings up a pile of folks who have had bad luck with the gun. I contacted a few disgruntled owners to find out a few things:
-they fed the gun low power/low quality ammo.
-they ran the guns with NO lube or cleaning or break in.
-there was a bad batch of mags that Walther DID fix if needed.
There was proof of hardware error with company support, and enough proof of people trying to make the gun work with poor ammo. (experienced 22 owners will understand this statement).
Now that the negatives have been addressed AND fixed. SHOOTING!
I might have mentioned FUN before. Gosh, I cannot begin to tell you what a blast I had with this Walther.
Sights are 3 dot, trigger is Crunchenticker style (DA/SA), a teensy safety is on the left side of the slide. This is a scaled down pistol from “normal” guns. Even so my medium sized hand found the grip comfy and ergonomic.
Take down is odd for this pistol, download the online instructions via the Wiki. (scroll to the botton, look for the PDF link, good info here too. Cleaning is a breeze (use a spray cleaner, really….don’t detail strip). Mil Comm’s TW25 spray works superb for the action/trigger assembly with a dab of grease on the high-wear parts.
Accessories: The laser that Walther sells for this is a cute unit, a superb cat toy too. The bezel WILL pop off, S&W (one of the importers) is well aware of this and will send replacements if needed (sometimes at a small cost, sometimes free). I am critical of Lasers, this one adjusts and keeps zero fairly well and is easily seen. Activated is by a SMALL switch that is tough to find.
Ammo: Use high speed, try all the brands of ammo you have on hand, use what works. It’s that simple.
I would not hesitate to carry this pistol as a backup (or a backup to a backup) or in the woods for squirrel/varmint hunting.
Go buy one!
Holster Price Black or Brown $55 plus shipping. $45 for a natural leather.
Turnaround time is usually 2 weeks.
Come visit my Leather Shop at:
http://www.andysleather.com
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Free shipping till 12/31/09
June 8, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Andy,
One of the handiest accessories is the Gemtech Outback II suppressor. To attach one merely replaces the standard barrel nut with one Gemtech makes that has threads going “the other way” and screw it on.
May 12, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Thanks for sharing your ‘common sense’ knowledge of the merits of the Walther P-22. I own several ‘concealable’ pistols including ranging from the Kimber Ultra Comp in .45ACP, an H&K USP Compact in .40 S&W, a Glock 19 9mm, a Kahr P9 (9mm), a Colt Government in .380 and the forementioned Walther P-22.
My favorite (by far) to carry is my ergonomically PERFECT P-22. Some of my friends were at first a bit shocked to learn this fact, many feeling that the .22 rimfire is “too small,” or unreliable to be a defense round, etc. Granted, the .22 doesn’t generate anywhere near the hydrostatic shock of the .45 ACP, but that’s like comparing a baseball-bat to an ice-pick. Both are quite deadly, but in different ways.
You have already addressed the two leading potential weak areas for the .22, cheap ammo and dirt/carbon fouling/buildup and these two factors can (and have) gotten many cheap/lazy people into trouble regardless of caliber. After trying several different premium brands of Hyper-Velocity .22 ammo from my Walther, I settled on the CCI ‘Mini Mags’ and have no worries. I keep all my weapons impecably clean and sleep well at night.
As for the “it’s too small argument,” my response is, “I’d rather defend myself with the P-22 that’s ‘on me,’ then the Kimber that’s locked in my cars glove-compartment! I also appreciate that I know that I can dispense eight ronnds (I never carry a full mag to save spring tension) of Hyper-Velocity Hollowpoints into a six-inch round area (think head or center-chest) in a little over a second with no appreciable recoil or feed issues!
In short, anyone who still doubts the deadly potential of the .22 rimfire should consider that covert operators such as the Israeli Mossad, have been dispatching bad-guys with it for a long time.
-Mark
November 5, 2009 at 12:07 am
I recently shot (and became infatuated with) this weapon! Every weekend, my buddies and I either go to the range, or more often, to one of our houses where discharging is legal and there aren’t neighbors who will be bothered. A month ago, a friend of a friend came and brought his little P.22. I had a .357, a SIG P226, and the other four guys there also had nice pistols… and we were just waiting to take turns shooting that P.22! He had the green laser sight, nickel plated slide, whole nine yards. Before I could make fun of it, I saw it in use and was impressed. Then I shot it. I’ve never even thought about buying a .22 pistol, but that thing just fit like it was made for my hand. The bullets seemed to always go just where I pointed the gun and as has been said, is FUN to shoot.
Especially with that Gemtech suppressor, it would be a prize in anyone’s collection. Unfortunately, with the class three tax ($200), acquiring the suppressor would cost more than the gun… but I’m still considering it.