22 magnum semi auto

Keltec makes one. RIA has one in a 1911. In the past they had a hard time getting semi-auto in 22 mag to be reliable. Not sure if the bugs were worked out or not.

I just picked up a late 80's vintage AMT Automag II having heard for years about their issues-most trace back to the WMR powder available 30 years ago. As long as I stick with CCI ammo it runs perfectly, great muzzle blast with minimum recoil makes it a fun one to shoot & has good sights/good trigger plus 6" barrel all add up to an accurate pistol. Just don't see 'em around

Nasty Canasta said:

I just picked up a late 80's vintage AMT Automag II having heard for years about their issues-most trace back to the WMR powder available 30 years ago. As long as I sick with CCI ammo it runs perfectly, great muzzle blast with minimum recoil makes it a fun one to shoot & has good sights/good trigger plus 6" barrel all add up to an accurate pistol. Just don't see 'em around
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That just looks like too much fun!

I have a RIA 1911 in .22 mag. When I first got it the gun was unreliable with any .22 mag ammo. Didn't matter what brand. I sent it back to RIA. It came back to me with instructions to shoot only 40 gr or heavier rounds. It works now with CCI and Winchester 40 gr. 30 gr ammo still won't work in it reliably.

Nice AMT.

CoalCrackerAl said:

Keltec makes one. RIA has one in a 1911. In the past they had a hard time getting semi-auto in 22 mag to be reliable. Not sure if the bugs were worked out or not.

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Looks pretty good

I have a Kel-Tec PRM 30 which is 100% reliable if I stick with 40 grain bullets or heavier.

I just bought one recently off GB. Delivered today to my FFL. They're closed today, but hopefully they'll get it logged in and call me tomorrow for pickup. Will let you guys know (maybe a new thread) my POV about it. 22Plinkster was pretty high on it. I have a couple other .22 mag semi-autos (RIA, Keltech & Excel) so should make a good comparison.

Walther WMP Mini-review

Picked up my new Walther WMP .22 WMR and took it to the range to try it out. Shot it with CCI Maxi-Mag 40 gr TMJ, CCI Gamepoint 40 gr JSP, Hornady 30 gr V-Max, and Federal Game-Shok 50 gr JHP. Shot about 70 rds total. Two malfunctions: fail to eject with first round of 30 gr V-Max on top of full mag, and fail to feed second round of JSP from full mag. Accuracy amazing. First mag load at 15 ft was in a three-inch group and I wasn't really even trying all that hard. Conclusions first: Walther has a home run. This gun out of the box is more reliable than any of my other 22 mag semis after several hundred rds break-in. Also, they've come up with a 22 mag semi that looks, feels and functions like any other "normal" full-size semi-auto handgun. No quirky operation. No quirky mag loads. No quirky field strip. And, as you'd expect from a 22 mag semi: big bang, big flash, no recoil. Lots of fun to shoot. The grip looks kinda weird but its ergonomic - feels quite natural and provides an easy hold. The gun also comes with a couple extra mounting plates for red dots and a low-rise extra rear sight. The front sight is fiber optic. It seemed to me to be perfectly zeroed out of the box.

View attachment 1082915

Field strip is typical for any center-fire semi auto: activate the take-down lever and move the slide forward:

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The action is kind of interesting. I don't know if there's a proper technical term for it. It's hammer fired, I suppose it's technically a DA, but it functions like a SA. The hammer is recessed and not really accessible. The slide action when charging sort of pre-cocks or half-cocks the hammer. In this position the gun is read to fire but it's drop-safe. The dongle in the trigger is the safety. When the trigger is pulled the hammer is cocked back the rest of the way and at the break it falls.

Hammer down:
View attachment 1082919

Charged & pre-cocked:
View attachment 1082920

Trigger pulled and about to break:
View attachment 1082921

Trigger ergonomics acceptable but nothing to write home about. Main observation is that the reset is a little "soft".

All in all I'd rate this Walther WMP 22 mag semi-auto pistol: Beats the other 22 mag semis any which way you compare. Street price around $500.

I like this gun!!

What is MSRP on these guns?

549 for the Walther. I have it on my want list.

CoalCrackerAl said:

549 for the Walther. I have it on my want list.

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It is going on mine. I'm prepared to wait several years like I did for the Kel-tec PMR 30. I won't pay the $800 people were willing to pay to get the PMR30, I have a Walther PPQ 9mm that explodes lungs and the ergonomics is very appealing, the 22 mag should be too.

ms6852 said:

What is MSRP on these guns?

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$549
https://waltherarms.com/wmp/
I paid $500 for mine, but it was a GB auction starting at that price and I was the only bidder. There are actually a number of them "NIB" available on GB in the low $500's.

Walkalong said:

..... but was hoping you'd rave about the trigger......

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I don't have a trigger-pull gauge, so I could only estimate the pull at "medium-light" but the break is crisp. It's mainly the soft and light reset that I can't rave about. It's one of those things you notice on your first shot and then you just get used to it.

tightgroup tiger said:

Appreciate the review! Nice!
This will get a lot more serious thought.
A 22 magnum pistol would force me to wear hearing protection for my own good. 22 LR, not so much.

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I use ear protection for LR too but the mag does have a lot more muzzle blast, at least from a 5.5” barrel. Also only brings power up to a regular .22 LR, from a rifle.

I still have it but will admit to not having fired it in 20 years or more. It just doesn’t do anything better than other choices I have, yet.

Rather have one of these Walthers than a 5.7x28 pistol ! With the right load they are only 200-300 FPS apart ! My Ruger 5.7 got absorbed by a son soooo.

wiscoaster said:

The action is kind of interesting. I don't know if there's a proper technical term for it. It's hammer fired, I suppose it's technically a DA, but it functions like a SA. The hammer is recessed and not really accessible. The slide action when charging sort of pre-cocks or half-cocks the hammer. In this position the gun is read to fire but it's drop-safe. The dongle in the trigger is the safety. When the trigger is pulled the hammer is cocked back the rest of the way and at the break it falls.

Hammer down:
View attachment 1082919

Charged & pre-cocked:
View attachment 1082920

Trigger pulled and about to break:
View attachment 1082921

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Looks like the KelTec P32/P3AT pre-cocked *(partially cocked) hammer design that got reproduced by almost anyone in the pocket pistol world (Ruger, Taurus, etc.). Difference being that the KelTec hammer is smaller and doesn't expose itself past the slide.

Great review. Looks like a solidly fun pistola.

*Edited

chicharrones said:

Looks like the KelTec P32/P3AT pre-cocked hammer design that got reproduced by almost anyone in the pocket pistol world ....

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Thanks .... I didn't know what the term for that was .... so, "pre-cock" eh? .... I was just guessing - first time I've seen that. Seems to work well enough for me.