New P22 Walther- Failure; Happy B Day!

[munk]

Yep, birthday present and anniversary present to my wife, took it to the fields today and it failed to fire with new box of CCI minimag 22 lr.

It had been a display model. (had I been there at point of sale it would not have been) The clerk had difficulty in turning the stupid mandated security lock to 'safe' position. He'd layed the weapon on it's side and pressed inwards against the small bar in the hole in the side of the reciever. In fact, he'd turned the gun from safe to 'fire'. It did not fire and would not budge. We finally got it to move and from one position to another failed. No cartridges showed an indent of any kind.

I'm bettiing neither the clerk who first operated it nor ourselves should have pressed down upon the bar. Though the instructions did say considerable force might be neccesary if the gun was in 'safe' and had been cycled. I believe that 'force' was turning more than depression action- though in truth no gun should be offerred where this is even an issue!

At any rate, we are 200 miles from the store. I felt heartsick. I was actually angry with myself for not making it work, and disgusted that the side hole is now buggered up.

This is exactly the kind of experience I did not want for my wife's very first gun purchase.


munk

 

[GigaBuist]

Dunno what they were doing buggering with that silly internal lock. I bought one, oh, probably 3 weeks ago I think. They gave it to me in the "fire" position and had a cable lock for it to stay legal. Michigan requires a lock to be sold all arms through an FFL.

I got a rifle last week that had one of them stupid red plastic locks on it. They forgot the "key" so I had to use a needle-nosed pliers to remove it.

 

[Ardent]

Bum luck Munk, that sucks. I bought my wife a P22 as well... We won't even go there, what a headache. Sent it off 5 MONTHS ago for warranty repair for horrible slide/frame fit and aweful accuracy, still have not got it back. Cute pistol, full of issues. The one thing I can say is that mechanical function was good... and that's about it.

Ardent

 

[munk]

And we can't just 'send it back' Where we live there is no second day UPS.

As a reminder for everyone, when UPS started the policy of second day handgun shipping, I called their national office and had it on tippy top authority that shipping handguns in the US would be done anywhere, and that was just a designation. WRONG. There is no second day UPS shipping where I live- we are too far away from any second day and they won't do it.

This means I'll drive the gun nearly 400 miles round trip in several weeks when I return to Billings MT.

We got it from Big Bear Sporting goods and I'll be very curious to see what will be done.


munk

 

[Ardent]

Personally, unless you're really set on owning a P22 I'd just ask them to take it back and buy a Ruger mark II or Browning buck mark. Then again, I know my wife wouldn't go for either of those, they aren't fancy looking enough.

Ardent

 

[hksw]

Sorry to hear of your problems. I do think the engineering that went into the lock-out was done very poorly. A wedge shaped mating surface between the key and the pin? Cripes. Rounding off of the edges will be done in no time. When I got my P22, the dealer attempted to show how it was done and it, similar to yours, was a little difficult to activate, He had tried a couple times before I told him it was OK, I'll look it up and find out how to do it from the manual and I think he was getting a little frustrated too about not being able to turn it to safe. Buggered up the edges of the key a little but luckily didn't do much damage to the gun except a small scratch or two on the inside of the lock-out hole.

 

[munk]

If I had one that worked I'd leave it on 'fire' and never use the lock out. This gun has not been fired- it won't fire.

The worst thing is my wife is so discouraged she doesn't even want this or any gun anymore.


munk

 

[munk]

Good news! I hope. The manager of Big Bear Sporting Goods in Billings, MT has offerred to replace the gun.

If this happens, I will make his store my first stop for all firearms and firearms related business.


munk

 

[mfree]

I picked up a P22 two weeks ago and in the boredom that resulted from not getting to the range until today, I went through it with a fine-tooth comb.

The barrel nut was loose... tightened it. I couldn't manually cycle fed bulk pack through it without jamming on every round, which took looking into... the machining on the end of the chamber was left extremely sharp. I knocked that down just a smidgen with a fine needle file until it cycled that ammo by hand every time.

I got it to the range today, and put 380 rounds through it. The barrel nut came loose around the 300 mark, but it *never* failed to feed and fire a round. When the barrel nut loosens though, it'll start flinging brass at your forehead (did it twice) so be wary

I'm pretty happy with mine, but then I love tinkering. Out of the box it would have been a bear to use. P22s to me fall into that class of gun that's 99% compelte as you buy it and your details are the last 1%. Ah well, it was cheap enough