Not Ready For Prime Time... Walther P 22

[AzShooter]

Well, I finally made it to the range with my new Walther P 22 and it's not ready to be used as a carry gun. I started out with 100 rounds of CCI-Mini Mags to break it in and had 7 jams with it. It was getting better as time went on. I marked my magazines so I can keep track to see if they are causing the problem. Doesn't look like it though.

I then tried CCI Velocitors. Boy could I tell the difference in recoil and report. The gun functioned flawlessly with this fodder so I'm getting close to wanting to trust it.

CCI-SV worked pretty well and I only had 2 jams.

I watched just about every video on You Tube and found a few that address the failure problems. Seems I need to polish the hammer, the slide is dragging on the top side of the hammer. I also want to polish the feed ramp. ( Go Slow And Check Often).

I'm not too concerned. I figure a gun needs about 500 rounds to break in.

I installed a new Green Fiber Optic front sight. It sure stands out.

Well, I finally made it to the range with my new Walther P 22 and it's not ready to be used as a carry gun. I started out with 100 rounds of CCI-Mini Mags to break it in and had 7 jams with it. It was getting better as time went on. I marked my magazines so I can keep track to see if they are causing the problem. Doesn't look like it though.

I then tried CCI Velocitors. Boy could I tell the difference in recoil and report. The gun functioned flawlessly with this fodder so I'm getting close to wanting to trust it.

CCI-SV worked pretty well and I only had 2 jams.

I watched just about every video on You Tube and found a few that address the failure problems. Seems I need to polish the hammer, the slide is dragging on the top side of the hammer. I also want to polish the feed ramp. ( Go Slow And Check Often).

I'm not too concerned. I figure a gun needs about 500 rounds to break in.

I installed a new Green Fiber Optic front sight. It sure stands out.

Well, I finally made it to the range with my new Walther P 22 and it's not ready to be used as a carry gun. I started out with 100 rounds of CCI-Mini Mags to break it in and had 7 jams with it. It was getting better as time went on. I marked my magazines so I can keep track to see if they are causing the problem. Doesn't look like it though.

I then tried CCI Velocitors. Boy could I tell the difference in recoil and report. The gun functioned flawlessly with this fodder so I'm getting close to wanting to trust it.

CCI-SV worked pretty well and I only had 2 jams.

I watched just about every video on You Tube and found a few that address the failure problems. Seems I need to polish the hammer, the slide is dragging on the top side of the hammer. I also want to polish the feed ramp. ( Go Slow And Check Often).

I'm not too concerned. I figure a gun needs about 500 rounds to break in.

I installed a new Green Fiber Optic front sight. It sure stands out.

 

[Heinz]

My P22 is an older model I bought used. It functioned flawlessly for the several hundred rounds I have through it. 400 I think. But since it replaced an S&W 22S it did not have a high bar to jump.

 

[boykinlp]

For some unknown reason, I have a sense of deja vu.
Larry

 

[bulletslap]

I had an older one, that wore rapidly.

I liked the size, but not the high grade pot metal it was made from.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

Any new firearm requires a break-in period.

Any .22 rimfire, particularly semi-autos, will display preferences for certain ammo types and reject other types.

 

[hittman77]

I have a sense of deja vu.

All over again??

 

[rockquarry]

Is the .22 pistol discussed here the one S&W came out with about twenty or so years ago that was supposed to be some sort of collaboration with Walther?

 

[LVSteve]

For some unknown reason, I have a sense of deja vu.
Larry

I just said that, didn't I?

 

[Andyd]

My P22 is an older model I bought used. It functioned flawlessly for the several hundred rounds I have through it. 400 I think. But since it replaced an S&W 22S it did not have a high bar to jump.

Interesting. I have a S&W 22A that worked very well with SV and HV ammo and is still accurate to this day, despite over 110,000 rounds through it.

 

[Heinz]

Andyd, I am glad to hear that. And 22A is right designation. I bought mine new with a four inch barrel and never successfully fired a full five round clip. I tried every ammo I could find in Ohio and South Carolina. I called S&W who said they could work on it free of charge but it would still be "fussy with ammo" It was accurate and gave me a lot of dry fire practice. It usually fed but was erratic about ignition
Rockquarry, yes my Walther is marked Smith and Wesson, I do not know the year.

 

[Fishinfool]

My Walther P-22 is shown along with a Ruger Bearcat. Actually my second one, with about 3k rounds thru it. My first had a lot more, before I gave it to a friend who put quite a bit more thru it. Both have been very reliable, though I notice the one I have now will mis-feed if limp wristed (noticed while teaching a couple girls to shoot). A nice plinking or carry in the woods gun.

I don't believe there is any relation to S&W with this model, including the 22a.

Larry

 

[reccpd101]

I own 5 of them. All older models. i use them to teach new shooters. They've had lots of rounds thru them and get cleaned after a class. They've been very reliable and accurate. I always use the hotter ammo. One or two lost their rear sight and the factory fixed them no charge. My favorite is carbon fiber.

 

[rockquarry]

I wasn't sure of model numbers, but the photo in post #11 shows a depiction of a pistol I bought new about twenty years ago. It jammed terribly with most ammo. I sent it back to S&W and they corrected that problem for the most part.

When I asked the S&W rep about the poor accuracy, he responded with, "these aren't target guns". No one ever made a statement that contained more truth. At 25 yards, my gun grouped very poorly, and I tried many ammos. Certainly a contender for the most inaccurate handgun I've owned and I've owned many.

 

[gwpercle]

Run 500 rounds through it before you go to polishing and doing things you may regret . I've seen some polish jobs that were way above and beyond what should have been done ... and all they really needed was to be cleaned , lubed and shot enough to break in .
Gary

 

[Gene L]

I had one back when, got it because the barrel was threaded and I wanted a pistol for my silencer. It was very reliable with CCI but lacked accuracy. You could get a barrel extension or maybe a longer barrel, can't remember, and trying to get a somewhat accurate pistol, I bought one of these...no significant improvement. It was boxed as a S&W. I put a red dot on top of it, still not working. I sold it and bought a Buckmark.

 

[flyfishinjunkee]

Buddy of mine owns one, we have fiddled with it. Doesnt work worth a darn under most circumstances. I wouldnt own one...

 

[ISCS Yoda]

This is a Walther PPK/S 22 - and I would NOT rely on it for concealed carry or any other defensive plan:

This is a Walther P-22, and I would rely on it for defensive use; as a matter of fact, I have two and I gave one to my girl friend.

Okay, no, I did NOT give her the suppressor. There are laws about that....

 

[Echo40]

As someone who once carried a Walther PPK/S-22 for just under a year when I first started carrying a pistol for self-defense, I can tell you from experience that when folks advise against carrying a .22 rimfire pistol for self-defense, they aren't all just being caliber-snobs who insist that anything under 9mm is insufficient for the task.
Unfortunately, rimfire pistols are just plain finnicky because they're chambered in a rimmed rifle cartridge with an outside the case lubricated bullet and the very way that their primers are seated inside the case makes them distinctively unreliable.

My Walther PPK/S-22 feeds 40gr CCI Mini Mag FMJs with 100% reliability, but other brands or types of bullets have given me trouble, particularly Remington Golden Bullet, which I've had not only failures to fire and failures to eject will, but I've also had one stick in the chamber.

So yeah, I strongly suggest that you either upgrade to a centerfire cartridge of some kind, or at least switch to a revolver since that will eliminate the issue of ammo cycling which is present in so many .22LR pistols.

Otherwise, just keep experimenting with different types of ammo until you find one that your P22 likes, and stick with round-nose solid bullets.

 

[oysterer]

Pulling such gun for self defense creates many more problems than it can solve. Leave this at home or best get rid of it.

 

[VaTom]

Ruger SR22 is one of the best of that category of pistol. Had one since they first came out. Not ammo picky. Totally reliable. I researched other similar brands before I bought it and the Ruger got the best reviews for not being ammo picky. Great pistol.