Phoenix Arms is no more

[irving]

Too bad they closed. As others have mentioned, it would be nice if someone were to buy them. I have the HP22A which is fun to shoot. After disabling the safeties and installing 3D printed mag followers that make the slide lock back on the last round, it's even more fun.

 

[someguy2800]

The LCP .22 has problems, but there are ways to fix it with aftermarket parts.

If you ask me tho, you should have to spend money on springs to make a pistol work.

The aftermarket parts didn't fix mine but it at least made it like 95% reliable with mini mags, up from about 80% with the factory springs. It was still hopeless with pretty much any other ammo.

 

[WestKentucky]

I have had a few. Wore a few out. Just too much fun for the money and couldn’t quit. The rails on the frame wear out and gall up, can be touched up a few times before they are total junk. Lubed properly they get 25-30k shots. Ran dry, about half that. Love them. I have 1 functional and a couple worn out to a point they are not safe.

 

[1KPerDay]

I had an HP22 for a few years. It was my first 22lr pistol.

It was hot garbage: Jam-O-matic, inaccurate, and a huge PITA to disassemble. I sold it as soon as I could afford decent 22lr pistol.

Good riddance says I.

How dare you reply with relevant personal experience about the topic at hand!

 

[CajunBass]

I've been saying I was going to get one for years, just for grins and giggles. I've got nice guns, but sometimes I like to try out the "low priced spread" just to see how good/bad it is. What would I have to lose? A hundred bucks or so? I can waste that on all kinds of things. You should have seen the junk I had back when I was bass fishing. Color-C-Lectors, PH Meters, a bass fishing computer. I had a reel once with a built in "computer." It was supposed to tell you how far your last cast was. Turned out I knew how long my last cast was. Six inches too long, or six inches too short. We won't talk about lures. That's how I came to buy a Hi-Point many years ago. It turned out I liked that silly thing. It worked, and worked pretty well. Kel-Tec P-11 also. Even a SCCY. I had them all for a while, then soldl/traded them off.

I never did get around to ordering a Phoenix. Probably never will now. It was one thing when I lived out in the country and could walk out back and shoot a 22 behind the hog pen. It's another thing when I have to go to the indoor range. I don't really even shoot my Model 18 there. A 22 just begs to be shot at cans and pine cones. Not paper targets (IMHO).

 

[Terry G]

Good. Inferior and mediocre products should go away. The market has spoken.

If you want a reliable and good .22lr pistol, as much as it pains me to say, get a Taurus TX22. Or for a little more when used, the SR22 or M&P .22 Compact.

I swore off Taurus recently because of an absolute fiasco with their TH 45. The other dozen or so I own I've never had trouble with. The TX22 is an example of one they got right. I've put a lot of .22's threw the wringer and the TX22's are good guns.

 

[Glockpride]

I swore off Taurus recently because of an absolute fiasco with their TH 45. The other dozen or so I own I've never had trouble with. The TX22 is an example of one they got right. I've put a lot of .22's threw the wringer and the TX22's are good guns.View attachment 1254525

I agree. As much as I have shunned Taurus over the decades, that’s what I hear from dozens of others. I don’t have one, but would have zero concern about owning one. I think that 3-4 years ago, Taurus made major changes at the top on down, and that has begun to reflect in their quality and reliability. All for the betterment of the shooting community.
One of my first interactions with Taurus was back in the 1980’s with a revolver that I enjoyed shooting that someone let me shoot at a range. I don’t think that they’ve had nearly as many problems with their revolvers as their auto loaders.

 

[crestoncowboy]

Spoken by a guy who never owned a Phoenix Arms. It's probably the best small .22 auto pistol available.

I have 2.. one long one short. It's not jennings level junk but I'd take a 950 or 21 over 3 Phoenix any day

 

[AbbysDad]

Easily disabled. A $100 for a 22lr that was reliable was well worth it despite the safeties. It would be a no-go if it was going to be a defensive weapon, but for a cheap range toy, it's not a deal breaker for me at least.

My Ruger MKII with 5.5" bull barrel was $149; I'd rather have that

 

[Styx]

My Ruger MKII with 5.5" bull barrel was $149; I'd rather have that

Me too. Post a link to where I can buy one at that price please. I'm sure others will love to jump on that deal.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

A lot of skeptical people I know gave the Phoenix HP22 & HP25 a chance and had to admit they were better than they expected them to be.

In other words there are crappier .22 and .25 pistols out there. That may be damning with faint praise. That may be praising with faint damnation. But it is what it is. M

 

[someguy2800]

Honestly I feel like 22 ammo has gotten so bad, and is so expensive that its barely worth bothering with semi auto 22's anymore. My LCP-22 refused to eat anything but mini mags and my buckmarks and Model 60's which 10 years ago ran like sewing machines, are now picky eaters that require premium ammo if you don't want to practice clearance drills. I think my AR with CMMG conversion is my most reliable semi auto 22. It has a heavy enough hammer to set off the crappy priming of bulk ammo, but that still doesn't help you when there is no priming compound in every case. At least with a revolver or lever you can just keep going past the duds. Sorry for the tangent.

 

[tarosean]

Heck I thought they folded in the 90’s.

 

[crestoncowboy]

Heck I thought they folded in the 90’s.

Jennings and raven did. Phoenix mage the hp22 and hp25 and they were 10x the gun of the old j-22 or similar. They are often considered "ring of fire" because it's the jennings family company and run by the guy who ran raven but they really aren't near the junk those or lorcin etc were. The two i have were dad's and they do function. They are zamac and have way too many redundant safeties, crap sights, and mediocre accuracy but they work fine. I was with him when he bought one, a range kit for 125 bucks but then that was 25 years ago too. That was half what a Beretta or Taurus clone costed then. One of mine is long barrel and one is short. One is black and one is stainless colored....I don't know which one is which. That's how much I think of them. Whatever their round count is today is what it will be when my kids inherit them most likely. If they weren't dad's I'd give them to some kids who needed a 22. But they still don't deserve to be associated with the old jennings and raven. Lol

 

[DT Guy]

You can get a Kel Tec P17 for the same price as the Phoenix when you catch a sale. Accurate, reliable (got to pick its ammo, like any .22) and no zinc parts.

Larry