How to Disassemble a Walther P22

• Contents
• Introduction & Disclaimer
• Tips before getting started
• Tools
• Ensure pistol is not loaded & remove ammo
• Remove slide
• Remove action
• Separate slideplates
• Remove trigger assembly
• Remove hammer assembly
• Remove barrel
• Remove breech
• Remove safety
• Disassemble receiver
• Disassemble magazine

Introduction & Disclaimer

Firearms are deadly weapons. Improperly disassembling a firearm can result in damage that may cause the firearm to malfunction causing serious injury or death. This tutorial is meant for informational purposes only. By viewing this content you acknowledge that there are no warranties whatsoever to the accuracy of this information. It is strongly suggested that you take your firearm to a licensed gunsmith for servicing.

The following information illustrates how to disassemble a Walther P22. I tried to err on the side of too much information rather than not enough. You'll notice that the slide lever release "j" spring isn't pictured anywhere, and that's because I didn't have a nice step-by-step guide the first time I disassembled my P22 and I lost it. Luckily, the pistol functions just fine without it.

The pistol used in this information has not had the necessary modifications yet, so you'll notice some pretty bad knocks in the slide. It also just come off of the range, so it's pretty dirty.

The number that corresponds to Smith & Wesson's Walther P22 manual is listed in parentheses after each part.

Clicking any picture on this page will cause a larger image to open over the existing content.

Your comments and question are welcome. Please submit them using the form at the bottom of this page or email me

Tips before getting started

• Make sure your work area is clean and that you can find springs and small parts easily if (when) they're dropped.
• Springs may fly out when slideplates are separated.
• Be patient and don't force anything. The pistol is a mechanical device that operates with close tolerances and damaged can result if things are forced.

Tools

• Phillips head screw driver
• 3/32in. punch
• 1/16in. punch
• Soft hammer
• Large Ziplock freezer bag

Ensure pistol is not loaded

Before you get started taking breaking your pistol down, give it a thorough check to make sure that it's not loaded. Drop the magazine, lock the slide back and check the chamber and action for rounds. To be extra careful, I also remove all ammunition from the vicinity of my work area and put it in a drawer or cabinet where it's sure to stay secure.

Remove the slide

• Pull down takedown lever (17)
  
   
• Thumb down slide stop lever (16) and pull the slide back
  The rear of the slide will pop up in the rear
  
• Pull the slide back toward the front of the pistol, over barrel and off.
  • You will have to lift the back of slide slightly to get it off
     
• Remove the spring guidance rod (21) and recoil spring (22) and you should now have a pistol that looks like the image below.
  

Remove the action

Spring Warning:
Be careful not to lose slide stop spring(16) that sits just under the lever. Once you remove the action there's nothing to hold the lever on anymore and it will fall off. Under the lever is a small srping that has a tendecy to go flying. Some people like to put the pistol in a Ziplock bag before removing the action to ensure the spring doesn't get lost.

• Push the two dowel pins (18, 19) through the frame
  
  
  
  • Note that the dowel pin above trigger guard (19) is longer than the one on the top of the grip (18).
    
     
• Remove the action from receiver being careful not to lose the slide release lever spring
  I lost my slide release lever spring a long time ago and never bothered to replace it because it's not a crucial component. Therefore, you won't see it pictured.
  

Note:
This is the point at which to stop for cleaning the pistol. The action is exposed and there's not much that you can't get to with a good can of polymer-safe spray solvent.

Separate the slideplates

Separate the slideplate (left half (2), right half (3)). This is where stuff can get lost if you're not careful. Take a look at this entire section before you do anything so you see that there are two spring and one part that can potentially get lost if you're not careful.

• Unscrew stove bolts (4, 5)
  Note that the stove bolt (5) that is just below the barrel is longer than the stove bolt (4) that is below the trigger assembly
  
   
• Push the straight pin (7) (trigger pin) half way through from right to left while holding the action upside down as show below
  Don't push the pin all the way through. Leaving it in place to secure the trigger assembly as you separate the slideplates.
  
  

  • Spring Warning:
    When separating the slideplate, the magazine safety spring (24) outer and spring (34) inner may fly out. Some people like to put the slideplate in a plastic Ziplock bag before separating it so anything that falls or flys ut can be easily found.

    

  • Spring Warning:
    Trigger lock spring (26) may fall or fly outt

    

  • Part Warning:
    When separating the slideplate halves the ejector (11) may fall out

    
• This will allow the left slideplate (2) to be separated.
  
   
• Remove the trigger lock (25), trigger lock spring (26) and the ejector (11) at this point because they're loose. You don't want to lose them as you continue to disassemble to pistol.

Remove the trigger assembly

• Push the straight pin (7) the rest of the way through trigger assembly
   
• Now that it's free, maneuver the rear end of trigger assembly around hammer assembly and lift it off the slideplate.

• Note:
  Half cocking the hammer will give you more room to get the trigger assembly out.

• Remove the pin from the plastic trigger using a 1/16in. punch.
  Note that the spring will fall when the pin is removed.
  
   
• After you remove & Dismantle the trigger assembly and you should have something that looks like this:
  

Remove the hammer assembly

• Relieve pressure on the trigger assembly components by lowering trigger. To do this, lift up on sear (9) by pushing down on its arm as shown in the picture below.
  
   
• Make sure straight pin (7) is all the way through the trigger assembly and while still holding the sear out of the way, gently pull the hammer back further and slowly lower it.
  
   
• Here's an image of the hammer assembly with all components how they should be reassembled.
  Note the position of the hammer and spring for reassembly. Long end of hammer spring contacts slide plate at the bottom, etc.
  Note the position of the sear & spring and that long end of spring contacts the slideplate
  
   
• Slide the long end of the hammer spring over the catch on the slideplate to relieve pressure on hammer
  
   
• Push down on arm of sear and lift out the hammer assembly. This may take a little finesse. It's easiest to lift the hammer off by pulling the pin out if possible.
  

• Note:
  Once hammer is off, relieve pressure on sear and it will go vertical

  
   
• Lift the sear off of the pin and be careful because the spring will fall
  
   
• Remove sear pin also, if it's still stuck in the slideplate

Remove the barrel

• Note:
  I like to leave the barrel on up to this point because it makes handling the slideplate easier when removing other components. I'm not saying that you should use the barrel as a point for torque, just a gentle hold.

• Unscrew the barrel nut (48) using the supplied wrench
  

• Note:
  A little heat may be required if you've ever applied (blue) Loctite to the barrel threads in the past.

• Slide the sleeve off over the barrel
  
   
• Gently remove the barrel from the slide plate by pulling on the chamber
  
   
• You have now completely disassembled insert, frame and action. Your Walther P22 should look something like this:
  

Remove the breech

• Use a 1/16in. punch to push the extractor pin (35) from the top of the slide through the bottom of the breech block (31)
  

• Note:
  A little light tapping may be required because the spring is putting pressure on the extractor. I use the butt of a small screw driver to tap the punch - 20 little taps are better than 2 big ones. It also helps to push in on the center of the extractor with your thumb the relieve pressure on the pin.

• Remove the extractor (33) and extractor pin (34)
  
   
• Use a 3/32in. punch to push the dowel pin (32) that secures the breech block through the slide and breech.

• Note:
  In the next step, don't totally remove the dowel pin from the slide. There's a lot of pressure on the pin and leaving the end of it seated in the slide will make pushing it back through for reassembly much easier.

• Note:
  The pin is seated securely and will require a little light tapping using a soft hammer. Be gentle, this is a cast zinc frame that is brittle.

• Place the slide on a soft surface like a cloth over wood as to not damage the slide or its finish. Remember, the slide is cast zinc-alloy and it's brittle.
  
   
• The breech is now held in place by the pressure of the firing pin safety spring (45) and channels on the slide

• Spring Warning:
  The firing pin spring may fall/fly out when breech is removed

• Part Warning:
  The firing pin safety (44) my fall when breech is removed

• Place the thumb safety in the "fire position" (or as close to it as possible if it's blocked by the dowel pin) to relieve pressure on the firing pin
   
• Slide the breech forward about 0.25" to clear the channels on the slide as shown below, and lift it out from the end opposite the safety block (38)
  

• Note:
  The firing pin, firing pin spring, firing pin safety and firing pin safety pin will now fall as pictured above because they're not held in anymore by the breech

Remove the safety

• Note position of safety block (38) before removing it. There is a flat edge with two small circles on it that must be facing the back of the breech block when reassembled.
  
   
• Unscrew the safety lever screws (41) to remove safety levers (left - 39, right - 40)
  

• Note:
  When removing the safety levers, the safety lever ball (42) and safety lever spring (43) pictured below my fall out.
  

• Note:
  The safety block will slide out once a single safety lever is removed. There's no need to remove both levers if you don't want to.

• Slide safety block out of the slide
  

Disassemble the receiver

Disassemble the magazine

• Depress the button on the bottom of the magazine butt plate (large - 61, standard - 58)
• Slide magazine butt plate forward while holding button in
  

• Note:
  The Magazine spring (59) and butt plate retainer (60) will pop out when you slide the butt plate off.

• Remove the magazine button (57) from magazine butt plate (58)
  
   
• Slide the magazine butt plate out of magazine body (55)
  
• Here's an image of the magazine components
  

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