Richochet
Member
Does anyone own the TPH auto pistol and what do they think of it. I'm considering it as a CC pistol. I use a PPK but sometimes would like the smaller size of the TPH.
Thanks
Thanks
Walther TPH
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Barry in IN
Member
I have a US-made TPh in .22lr. It's a really neat gun- thin, and surprisingly, very accurate.
It's not very reliable, however. It won't fire on the first hammer hit roughly once per magazine. It will almost always fire on the second attempt.
Too bad, I'd like to use it as a backup to a backup to a backup gun, but can't trust it.
I've heard similar reports from others with the US guns, and have heard that the German ones are better, but can't say firsthand. I've also heard that the .25ACP ones work better.
It's not very reliable, however. It won't fire on the first hammer hit roughly once per magazine. It will almost always fire on the second attempt.
Too bad, I'd like to use it as a backup to a backup to a backup gun, but can't trust it.
I've heard similar reports from others with the US guns, and have heard that the German ones are better, but can't say firsthand. I've also heard that the .25ACP ones work better.
Richochet
Member
The one I'm looking at is stainless and made in America. In fact, I've not seen any made elsewhere.
The bit about not always firing puzzles me. What brand of ammo are you using? What steps, if any, have you taken to resolve this problem?
The bit about not always firing puzzles me. What brand of ammo are you using? What steps, if any, have you taken to resolve this problem?
Hypnogator
Member
That's because they're illegal to import under the '68 GCA. Walther got around the law by having them manufactured in the US, but not, from what many say, to German standards.
FWIW, I had one in .22LR that was completely reliable. I say "had" because it's now my daughter's CCW. I wouldn't have given it to her had there been reliability issues with it.
Barry in IN
Member
Ricochet, sorry, I answered your question, or thought I did, then found out today that it must not have entered. Stupid computers.
Anyway,
I have tried every type of .22LR ammo I could get my hands on- from Blazer to Eley. Really!
Winchester PowerPoint does seem to work best.
Here's what we (gunsmith and I) have tried-
First, he thought the firing pin was maybe too blunt, and took it down to a finer chisel shape.
No help.
He made a stronger hammer spring.
No help.
He looked to see if something was dragging on the firing pin, like a firing pin safety that didn't fully release or a rough channel in the slide.
Nope.
I thought that since it always fires on the second try that maybe the exractor was the cause. My thought was maybe it wasn't fully snapping over the rim. Therefore, when the hammer hit came, it only caused the extractor to snap over, or it just made the round seat in the chamber fully.
I worked over the extractor and it's cut in the slide, polishing, reshaping.
No help.
It seems like ther is more, but I can't remember any.
That's plenty.
There was an article in a recent Combat Handguns on this gun. The author had the same experience with .22 TPh's.
I've asked on the internet, and while there are usually very few people who have ever had one, there are alwys some people who have had the same trouble. I've never found anyone who got there's working.
I wonder if it's a similar situation to what happened with the Mitchell High Standard .22's a few years ago. A lot, if not most, of them were machined out of spec, and just flat wouldn't feed. I was lucky, and mine did.
Maybe the TPh's had a similar thing happen?
Anyway,
I have tried every type of .22LR ammo I could get my hands on- from Blazer to Eley. Really!
Winchester PowerPoint does seem to work best.
Here's what we (gunsmith and I) have tried-
First, he thought the firing pin was maybe too blunt, and took it down to a finer chisel shape.
No help.
He made a stronger hammer spring.
No help.
He looked to see if something was dragging on the firing pin, like a firing pin safety that didn't fully release or a rough channel in the slide.
Nope.
I thought that since it always fires on the second try that maybe the exractor was the cause. My thought was maybe it wasn't fully snapping over the rim. Therefore, when the hammer hit came, it only caused the extractor to snap over, or it just made the round seat in the chamber fully.
I worked over the extractor and it's cut in the slide, polishing, reshaping.
No help.
It seems like ther is more, but I can't remember any.
That's plenty.
There was an article in a recent Combat Handguns on this gun. The author had the same experience with .22 TPh's.
I've asked on the internet, and while there are usually very few people who have ever had one, there are alwys some people who have had the same trouble. I've never found anyone who got there's working.
I wonder if it's a similar situation to what happened with the Mitchell High Standard .22's a few years ago. A lot, if not most, of them were machined out of spec, and just flat wouldn't feed. I was lucky, and mine did.
Maybe the TPh's had a similar thing happen?
Richochet
Member
Thanks to all of you guys for helping me on this issue.
New gun fever is like malaria. It can flare up suddenly and really make you feel sick because you don't have the gun you're dreaming about. I've had the shakes and been running a fever for days thinking about this TPH.
But after reading all your sincere comments, I think the fever is finally broken tonight. I'll sleep better and probably wake up not having fantasies about this pistol.
I thought I would outgrow this fever with the coming of years but apparently once a fellow catches the gun bug.........there's no cure.
No TPH for me.
What will my fevered mind think of next?
New gun fever is like malaria. It can flare up suddenly and really make you feel sick because you don't have the gun you're dreaming about. I've had the shakes and been running a fever for days thinking about this TPH.
But after reading all your sincere comments, I think the fever is finally broken tonight. I'll sleep better and probably wake up not having fantasies about this pistol.
I thought I would outgrow this fever with the coming of years but apparently once a fellow catches the gun bug.........there's no cure.
No TPH for me.
What will my fevered mind think of next?
Just a note on small .22 pistols in general. It may sound contrary to common sense, but it is a lot harder to get a .22 to fire than to get a centerfire (.25 or .32) to fire. The case of the .22 has to be made hard and thick enough to withstand the internal pressure without bursting at the rim or the head, so it is actually much harder than a small pistol primer, which has to stand up to only the amount of pressure that comes through the flash hole.
This means that a hammer or firing pin of a weight (mass) that will reliably fire a CF round may not reliably fire a .22 round. If the manufacturer decides to make up for lack of mass by increasing the power of the mainspring (the spring that fires a gun is the mainspring), then the gun becomes harder to cock and may not cycle properly.
This is one very good reason to either run extensive reliability tests on a small .22 before carrying it, or go to a .25 or .32 pistol even though paper ballistics may favor the .22. Some folks have found that standard velocity .22 loads function OK, while hotter loads will not fire. The reason is that the hotter the .22 is, and the more suitable it may seem for defensive purposes, the harder the brass will be and we are back with the same problem.
Jim
This means that a hammer or firing pin of a weight (mass) that will reliably fire a CF round may not reliably fire a .22 round. If the manufacturer decides to make up for lack of mass by increasing the power of the mainspring (the spring that fires a gun is the mainspring), then the gun becomes harder to cock and may not cycle properly.
This is one very good reason to either run extensive reliability tests on a small .22 before carrying it, or go to a .25 or .32 pistol even though paper ballistics may favor the .22. Some folks have found that standard velocity .22 loads function OK, while hotter loads will not fire. The reason is that the hotter the .22 is, and the more suitable it may seem for defensive purposes, the harder the brass will be and we are back with the same problem.
Jim
Got one in my pocket...have had for 10 years. Had same problem off and on (note....not a good idea to shorten fireing pin under any circumstances, if your idea is to increase the strike..."gunsmith"??????)
I have solved said prob by stacking a small portion of an additional mainspring under the standard. There is pleanty of room on the guid rod for it.
Cheers
I have solved said prob by stacking a small portion of an additional mainspring under the standard. There is pleanty of room on the guid rod for it.
Cheers
Other option
I have a FEG SMC 22 that is a copy of the ppk. This little pistol shoots very well and it alot cheaper if you can find one. I have the SMC 380 as well and it is flawless. Some guys like the real thing though. Walthers are very nice.
I have a FEG SMC 22 that is a copy of the ppk. This little pistol shoots very well and it alot cheaper if you can find one. I have the SMC 380 as well and it is flawless. Some guys like the real thing though. Walthers are very nice.
Barry in IN
Member
I feel compelled to add that while I trade away guns at the drop of a hat, I still have that TPh after all that trouble.
It is a neat little gun. As I said in my first response, it is amazingly accurate, so I guess that's worth something!
Heck, it's worth having around to shut people up who say that you can't hit anything with a little gun. Maybe they won't notice that I pulled the trigger 10 times to get eight shots!
But, I would never feel good carrying it for defense. I could get by with it, I guess, since if I keep pulling the trigger it will fire. But I'd have to get rid of about 95 guns to be that bad off.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, if you want something unique, and the price is good, get it. Who knows? It might work fine.
Just don't get it to save your hide.
Oh, and spot-on advice from Mr. Keenan (as always). I just didn't know how to say it.
I've often wondered if my TPh were a .25, would it work.
If you really, really want a small .22 auto, may I suggest a Beretta 21A? I got one when I lived near Chicago, where there is no provision for carry- still. Strange, but I suddenly felt the need for a really,really small gun upon moving there.
I put at least 5,000 rounds of Remington Std Vel ammo though it, plus a bunch of other stuff. I bought the case of Rem ammo, and used it all in that gun. It was on the old side, with cruddy, green cases here and there, yet I had maybe 10 rounds total that wouldn't fire. They wouldn't fire from anything else either. So, it was the ammo, not the gun.
It's not the smallest .22 pistol, but it's as small as I'd go.
It is a neat little gun. As I said in my first response, it is amazingly accurate, so I guess that's worth something!
Heck, it's worth having around to shut people up who say that you can't hit anything with a little gun. Maybe they won't notice that I pulled the trigger 10 times to get eight shots!
But, I would never feel good carrying it for defense. I could get by with it, I guess, since if I keep pulling the trigger it will fire. But I'd have to get rid of about 95 guns to be that bad off.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, if you want something unique, and the price is good, get it. Who knows? It might work fine.
Just don't get it to save your hide.
Oh, and spot-on advice from Mr. Keenan (as always). I just didn't know how to say it.
I've often wondered if my TPh were a .25, would it work.
If you really, really want a small .22 auto, may I suggest a Beretta 21A? I got one when I lived near Chicago, where there is no provision for carry- still. Strange, but I suddenly felt the need for a really,really small gun upon moving there.
I put at least 5,000 rounds of Remington Std Vel ammo though it, plus a bunch of other stuff. I bought the case of Rem ammo, and used it all in that gun. It was on the old side, with cruddy, green cases here and there, yet I had maybe 10 rounds total that wouldn't fire. They wouldn't fire from anything else either. So, it was the ammo, not the gun.
It's not the smallest .22 pistol, but it's as small as I'd go.
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