Walther P22 - I finally understand

[desidog]

They're made in a toy factory...and that is what they are. Mine is a POS. It still sucks after a trip back; the hammer spring broke, and now it's too weak to set off a cartridge 1/2 the time. Also the slide's hold-open catch didn't work after the first 100 mags or so. The metal is so soft that the corner got rounded off. Accuracy with the short barrel is laughable; and disassembling the gun with the long barrel in is laughable. The G22 is equally crappy.

 

[evan price]

And I suppose all the GI's who were issued M1 Carbines made by Rock-Ola were being issued guns made by a "toy company" too...

Desi, I'll give you $150 for your P22, ship it to my FFL.

Geez, mine has over 6000 rounds on it, no problems, and it likes Federal Wal*Mart 550-round bulk ammo.

It is the best training gun I can find that is going to feel like shooting a real gun. That's why I bought it instead of a Ruger MarkX or something like that. Heck, I have S&W 22A. But shooting that and then shooting a Glock or something- it's just not the same thing at all.
Zinc is not the problem with the slide. The problem is people shooting high velocity ammo in them, and not changing the recoil spring; especially in guns with the fake compensator block. THAT cracks slides. There's no buffer on the P22 so it has to work with a wide variety of ammo types- weak to snappy. The recoil spring calbrates that. A slightly stronger recoil spring and ammo that is right for it makes it last and last. Oh, and the GOOD mags, -A or -B revision.

 

[BCRider]

While I wouldn't buy a P22 unless someone had a rather large center fire gun pointed at my temple (it's just too "space gun" looking to me) I hear you about the practice aspect.

I've got a couple of .22 semi pistols and I try to use them the way you're saying for IPSC/IDPA practice. Mind you in my case the guns shoot better than I'm able to hold them so perhaps there's something there but with my shakey old guy eyes and muscles I'm doing well to keep the groups in 3 to 4 inches at 20 yards without a rest and a scope.....

Up this way there's a club that holds a speed steel match once a month. There's 5 to 6 stages with 4 white and one black steel gong targets. The black is the finisher and sounds different. It's a time only event and it's .22 friendly. I'll be taking one of my own .22's out there next time for the second run through after lunch to help cut the cost of shooting. I ran both runs through and it used up 6 1/2 boxes of 9mm since that was all I brought. Makes for a rather expensive day.... .BUT HELLISH FUN! ! ! ! !

Frankly I'm shocked that there are not more rimfire only or at least rimfire friendly events of this sort.

 

[atblis]

Well

And I suppose all the GI's who were issued M1 Carbines made by Rock-Ola were being issued guns made by a "toy company" too...

That's not really valid comparison for a number of reasons.
-I don't think they actually made toys at that time. Just jukeboxes which are/were complex devices.
-War time necessity. Not done for profit reasons.
-Military quality controls and oversight
-National pride figures in there too.

 

[bigfatdave]

Frankly I'm shocked that there are not more rimfire only or at least rimfire friendly events of this sort.

I wish there were more near here, my club is very .45ACP centric for competition, and adding that on to shooting with a bunch of know-it-all old guys who base their handgun criteria on pre-1950 data is frustrating ... particularly when they argue stopping power as they shoot paper.

 

[shoen1200]

I purchased a .22lr "service" pistol for all the reasons you guys mentioned.
But I bought the sig sauer mosquito insted.
I decided on the mosquito over the p22 because of size - its bigger.
I wanted a handgun to get my wife and daughter started on target shooting and drills.
They love the fact that the mosquito handles just like the larger caliber version does but does not scare or hurt them.
And when its fired it lively enough that they have to redo the sight alignment/picture - not like my heavy target high standard pistol.
I am happy with it - its cheap training and fun.