Whats your opinion on Walther p22 and its stopping capability?

[el Godfather]

Dear THR:
A question has arisen in my circle or friends with respect to the Walther P22. Most of the guys have had no issues in its reliability, however, it caliber is some what of a concern to some. They state that a .22 is nothing more then a fun range gun PERIOD. On the oher hand few have strongly contested otherwise and states that a good couple with .22 will stop the aggressor in its feet.

Because of low recoil and light weight Walther P22 was discussed without reaching a definitive conclusion.

Whats your input on the matter?

 

[Casefull]

Better hit the brain or spinal area.

 

[ns66]

that's why walther makes pk380

 

[sigarms228]

If I had nothing but a .22 rimfire pistol I would use it and pray for the best. IMO the possibility of multiple shots from a .22 rimfire pistol to stop a charging and determined attacker cold is very unlikely but possible. Myself I like to stack the odds in my favor and would be much more confident that a 9MM pistol with Speer +P 124 Gold Dots would do what I want. It is also very likely that one might only be able to get a single shot on target trying to defend themselves. I think some people watch too much TV.

 

[rcmodel]

A 10-round mag dump gives you about the same energy on target as 2 rounds of 9mm.

But the size of the holes is less.

With only two shots?
Better have a safe escape path behind you.

Just so you know, there is no handgun caliber that can be depended on to stop an aggressor in his tracks unless you shoot one or both eye-balls out.

If you do that, it doesn't matter what caliber it is.

rc

 

[jon86]

Is it really ALL about ft/lbs of energy on target? Or is it more about the surface area of damaged tissue? For example, if we could measure the surface area of tissue that was traumatized and damaged and bleeding in 10 shots of 22lr, I would imagine that it would be significantly greater than the surface area affected by 2 rounds of 9mm. I could be wrong, as I'm sure someone will soon point out.

 

[rcmodel]

Is it really ALL about ft/lbs of energy on target?

No, it really has nothing to do with energy on target at all.

I just used energy as an example because everyone else can relate to it, even if the misinformed think a double-tap from P22 is a man-stopper!

In actuality, you could compare 10 .22 long rifle bullets to a single load of buckshot out of a shotgun.

But the payload of 9 buckshot pellets all gets there at the same instant.

10 shots of .22 LR is spread over a much longer time frame no matter how fast you shoot.
And will not have the same effect to decisively stop a man in his tracks as one round of 12 ga 00 buck..

rc

 

[berettaprofessor]

Walther, Ruger, p22, whatever, these guns are PLINKERS, not self-defense guns.

Listen, I'm somewhere on the side of placement over power, but I'm not going to fantasize about it; there's a happy medium somewhere around the 38 special and 9 mm and that's why both are popular.

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

My dad carries a P22. I think that he is nuts. He carries it with the safety on and does not pratice drawing it and taking it off. It jams way too many times for me to consider it remotely "good enough" to carry. I try to talk him into something better to carry but he is fine with his choice. Maybe me and my brother could just get something for him against his wishes for his birthday!

 

[easyg]

The .22, from a handgun, is not a good self defense caliber.

 

[Sky]

My dad carries a P22. I think that he is nuts. He carries it with the safety on and does not pratice drawing it and taking it off. It jams way too many times for me to consider it remotely "good enough" to carry. I try to talk him into something better to carry but he is fine with his choice. Maybe me and my brother could just get something for him against his wishes for his birthday!

There are allot of older guys in their 60s+ that carry a .22. They have gotten that old and have never used a gun in a S.D. role but feel better by having something with them.

We all know the .22 is not the best round to carry as far as stopping power.

I have known three people who were shot by a .22; one ended up crippled for the rest of his life and a woman who shot a man that grabbed his chest as he ran outside the house to die in her yard and the third was hit in the head and expired on the scene. There are just as many anecdotal stories that would probably indicate it was not a good choice for S.D.

It would be nice if your dad did a bit of shooting his P-22 and then he might decide it really isn't the gun he needs for S.D. but again he probably figures he will never need it. My father does not carry and is 86. He and a pistol IMO really don't make a good match but that is what he has for night stand duty; a .22 revolver. Dad was in WWll Patton's Army, Battle of the Bulge and all that but to get him away from the .22 is like pulling teeth. (Sigh) I felt much better when he had a shot gun in the bed room.

 

[ns66]

My dad carries a P22. I think that he is nuts. He carries it with the safety on and does not pratice drawing it and taking it off. It jams way too many times for me to consider it remotely "good enough" to carry. I try to talk him into something better to carry but he is fine with his choice. Maybe me and my brother could just get something for him against his wishes for his birthday!

why not get him a pk380, looks/feels just like p22 but a tiny bit bigger, he probably can't tell the difference, and 380 is adequate imo

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

It's a good idea on the PK380 but he does like the .22. If anything I'll get him a SR22 since it's almost the same thing but with much better quality and it actually works right.

 

[Kiln]

Yeah my P22 is one of the pickiest guns I've ever had...my $120 Phoenix HP22 performs better than the little Walther ever has. If I don't use Federal Automatch LRN ammunition in the P22 I constantly have problems with it. It is odd because with the ammo I mentioned above, the gun peforms flawlessly.

The P22 is a huge pain in the backside unless running it with ONE type of ammo, the only reason I still have it is because my wife loves it as a plinker. I understand why she likes it because it really is a comfortable little pistol that looks great and feels nice in the hand, accuracy is acceptable but nothing to brag about. It is too bad that it doesn't perform better because I really like the ergos, looks, and size.

 

[meanmrmustard]

I'd carry a .22 for SD. So long as loaded with Stingers, I'd feel alright about a SR22.

Stingers penetrate, and do it quite violently once inside. That'd be my round of choice, in say, the SR22. Perfect pair, IMO.

P22, that's another question altogether...

 

[TAKtical]

Man I would not be comfortable at all carrying a p22. If that is your only option, its way better than nothing. I feel like you would have to dump every round that gun holds into a BG, hope hes not wearing heavy clothing, and pray That you hit something vital. Ive seen coons shake off stingers from a MKIII so I dont have much faith in the .22lr for self defense but like I said, its better than nothing.

 

[TG13]

a .22 is better than saying "stop" in a terse manner..

i think if you do the mods that the P22 bible outlines, it should be reliable.. there's been more than a few people that have successfully defended themselves with .22s..

if you feel confident with a P22, use it.. if not, don't..

 

[atblis]

22 LR does penetrate. It's not about energy in this case (pistols for the most part actually). The name of the game is putting holes in things. The 22lr will do that. Could the holes be bigger? Sure.

Good 22 pistols are somewhat reliable. The P22 is not a good 22 pistol. The P22 is near the bottom of my list of pistols I would consider carrying for self defense.

 

[Fishbed77]

that's why walther makes pk380

Walther doesn't make the PK380. Umarex does.

The PK380 and P22 are nowhere close to the quality of the firearms actually made by Walther (P99, PPQ, and PPS), and for that reason, I would not trust them for defensive purposes.

 

[ns66]

Walther doesn't make the PK380. Umarex does.

The PK380 and P22 are nowhere close to the quality of the firearms actually made by Walther (P99, PPQ, and PPS), and for that reason, I would not trust them for defensive purposes.

apple doesn't make iphone or ipad, no name company in china does, so are most of the things we use these days, as long as walther is willing to put its name on the gun, it's walther's regardless of where/how it's made

 

[BSA1]

My dad carries a P22. I think that he is nuts. He carries it with the safety on and does not pratice drawing it and taking it off. It jams way too many times for me to consider it remotely "good enough" to carry. I try to talk him into something better to carry but he is fine with his choice. Maybe me and my brother could just get something for him against his wishes for his birthday!

The best thing you and your brother could do for your Dad for his birthday is to buy several different brands of ammunition, take your Dad to the range and find a brand of ammo that his P22 runs reliblily with.

Having seen the results of being shot with the 22 on the street and in the hospital emergency room I have a great deal of respect for it once it gets inside the human body. It should not be underestimated.

Personally I prefer a little more jazz for a S.D. 22:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG1MwGX0CIM

 

[balance 740]

apple doesn't make iphone or ipad, no name company in china does, so are most of the things we use these days, as long as walther is willing to put its name on the gun, it's walther's regardless of where/how it's made

You can see things in black and white, or you can see things realistically. The P22, SP22, G22, and PK380 do not come out of the Walther plant, and are all very low quality firearms.

But that isn't really the point here.

The point is that the P22 is a very low quality pistol, in a less than confidence inspiring caliber for defense, IMO. I would feel better carrying a higher quality pistol, and with a more suitable caliber for the purpose of defense.

 

[ritepath]

I've started carrying my SR when in the woods, fishing, biking, because for the most part I'm not that worried about bipedal attackers. However.com I figure it will do the job if pressed into action. My EDC is a 380

 

[Fishbed77]

apple doesn't make iphone or ipad, no name company in china does, so are most of the things we use these days, as long as walther is willing to put its name on the gun, it's walther's regardless of where/how it's made

Not applicable in this case.

Umarex owns a stake in Walther, not the other way around. Walther does not outsource its designs to Umarex to build them in the Umarex factory in Arnsberg (near Cologne, Germnay).

Instead, Umarex slaps the respected "Carl Walther" name on a number of low-quality, potmetal guns (including the P22) that are designed by Umarex and made by Umarex in the Umarex factory. This is obviously done for marketing purposes, as Umarex itself is best know for airsoft toys and cheap potmetal rimfires. Walther itself has no say in the matter.

The Walther operation and factory in Ulm, Germany, however, remains a quite separate entity that has designed and manufactures a range of very-high-quality guns such as the P99, PPQ, and PPS, as well as a line of high-end target pistols, such as the SSP.

 

[ns66]

Not applicable in this case.

Umarex owns a stake in Walther, not the other way around. Walther does not outsource its designs to Umarex to build them in the Umarex factory in Arnsberg (near Cologne, Germnay).

Instead, Umarex slaps the respected "Carl Walther" name on a number of low-quality, potmetal guns (including the P22) that are designed by Umarex and made by Umarex in the Umarex factory. This is obviously done for marketing purposes, as Umarex itself is best know for airsoft toys and cheap potmetal rimfires. Walther itself has no say in the matter.

The Walther operation and factory in Ulm, Germany, however, remains a quite separate entity that has designed and manufactures a range of very-high-quality guns such as the P99, PPQ, and PPS, as well as a line of high-end target pistols, such as the SSP.

what you said may be true, or may be false
how do you know umarex didn't get walther engineers to do the work? and use their technology or manufacturing know how? i will doubt they paid big $ to buy walther just to put a name on the gun
and about quality, do you have any real data/statistics to prove your view? i dont know about p22, but pk380 seems to be just fine, and well liked by users, there are problems early on, but so are sig p238 and other big name companies