Walther P22 Review

Questions & Comments

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- Please note that comments are pre-moderated. I'll post your comment ASAP, usually within an hour or so.

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On June 6, 2009 John said:

I had the dissassembly release lever allow the slide to fly forward when fired. Walther repaired it at no charge and I haven't had any problems since. I was told I was cleaning it too much - wow.

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On June 8, 2009 Ben said:

Really? Can't say that I've ever heard of a similar problem. Unless you're *really* rough with your P22 when you're disassembling it, that sounds more like a manufacturing defect than a problem brought on by too much cleaning. It's nice to hear that Smith & Wesson stood by their product and repaired the pistol.

Thanks for the comment, John.

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On June 9, 2009 K. J. said:

Just had a "catastrophic" failure with my P-22. Less than 100 rounds through the gun, firing Remington ammo, experienced debris blowback. Discovered cracks in the slide, one approx 1.5" from the ejector to the rear and up toward the top of the slide. Another approx. 2" from the left side of the port to the rear of the slide. No excessive recoil experienced, no abuse to the piece, will contact S&W tomorrow. Anyone experience a similar failure?

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On June 10, 2009 Ben said:

Wow, I'm sorry to hear about your pistol's failure. Sounds like you managed to make it out uninjured, though. That's a good thing.

The P22 has a cast zinc frame which seems prone to stress fractures after many rounds, but 100 rounds hardly fits that bill. Sounds more like there was a defect in your slide during the casting process.

There are other documented cases of this happening - perhaps too many. Here's a long thread over at The Line Forums that discusses the topic.

Please post back here to let me know what Smith & Wesson has to say and what, if anything, they're going to do about it.

This is a pretty important topic, so I'll be creating another page dedicated to examining this potentially dangerous weakness in the P22.

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On July 2, 2009 Duane said:

I have a P22, on which I installed a Laser. The access door for the batteries on the Laser does not latch well enough to withstand the "jump" of the barrel. The door and the batteries fall to the ground. I have taped it so I can fire it without losing the batteries and the door. Anyone else having this problem? I have not contacted S&W to get their advice.

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On July 4, 2009 Adam said:

i just got my p22 and i love it

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On July 5, 2009 Ben said:

I've fired quite a few rounds with a laser attached and I've never had any problems with the battery door latch failing. I just took a look at it and it seems pretty solid. The plastic clip on the front has a lot of spring in it and grabs well.

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On July 12, 2009 CRAIG said:

i just bought a p22. 7/12/09. They took care of the trigger bar ears cutting the bottom of the slide, as seen in the p22 bible. It is a 2009 model which says AK on the gun. Im glad they took care of that issue! Its a great little gun.

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On July 13, 2009 Bob said:

The only problem I had was the trigger lock was on and the the action was engaged and now the trigger lock won't open. The manual says it will be hard to open but I'll be dam*ed if it will. Is there a way to release the trigger lock or does it need to go back to the factory.

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On July 13, 2009 Ben said:

The trigger lock is a source of a few problems and many people opt not to use it. Luckily, there's a pretty easy solution to free the trigger lock that doesn't involve a trip back to Smith & Wesson. Check out these links:

Rimfirecentral

http://blogonomicon.eponym.com/blog/_archives/2006/3/18/1827642.html

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On July 21, 2009 Lee said:

Hi, i was just wondering if all walther P22's come with threaded barrel for suppressor or extension and also if u can purchase the carbon fiber gribs seperatly or later on if u decide to.

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On July 30, 2009 mark said:

Overall a really nice gun. I've put about 2000 rounds thru it so far. Early on I had quite a few problems when using cheap ammo, but it seems to have loosened up quite a bit and problems are few and far between now. CCI mini-mags still work the best of any ammo. I have noticed some modest damage to the bottom of the slide from the sharp edges on the trigger bar ears. Would recommend especially to those newer at shooting, but fun for just about anyone.

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On July 30, 2009 Ben said:

Thanks Mark,

There's actually a pretty easy fix to stop the slide damage in the walther P22 Bible that's linked in the text above. All you need is a Dremel tool and a steady hand.

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On August 3, 2009 TrickyNix said:

I've recently got a P22, and the first time i took it to shoot it for some reason after it shot the second round it would not chamber the next round and so i had to take out the magazine and put it back in and pull the slide back myself. I also am having some trouble with the magazine itself, somehow the bullets in the clip are staggering and I'm not sure if that is supposed to happen. Does anyone have any suggestions for me?

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On August 3, 2009 Ben said:

The P22 can be pretty picky about ammunition. The feed problem that you're having is typical with cheap, low velocity ammo. Check out this page for the best ammunition for a P22. Stick with CCI mini-mags and you shouldn't have a problem.

Additionally, if you're using hollow points the rounds may catch on the bottom rear of the chamber. There's an easy fix for this problem in the Walther P22 Bible linked in the text above.

Rounds are supposed to stagger in the magazine - this is normal. As they approach the top of the magazine they'll center themselves on the top of the plastic feeder.

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On August 14, 2009 Vincent said:

Just bought a new p-22 they now only come with 1 magazine FYI, your article is great thanks for the links and the info...

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On August 17, 2009 Barb said:

Can anyone recomend a holster that will fit my P22 with the laser attached?
Thanks for any help.

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On August 26, 2009 Jamie said:

How is the accuracy with the laser built by walther?

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On August 26, 2009 Ben said:

Hi Jamie,

That's a great question. I'm actually working on a complete write-up that evaluates the how the P22 performs with a laser as well as how Walther's product stacks up against Viridian's green laser.

To answer your question, Walther's laser is very accurate and has adjustments for elevation and windage. If you can float the red dot steadily enough on target, the P22 will put the round where you're pointing.

I like Walther's laser because it is smaller than any other laser made for the pistol and it fits perfectly against the underside of the frame and the front of the trigger guard. Other lasers, like Viridians, are significantly larger – especially on such a small pistol.

Visibility is where Walther's red-dot laser comes up short. It's not as bad as some people make it out to be. I can still see the laser on target in the sun at 20 yards with a little squinting, but the green-dot lasers are clear as day (pun intended ;).

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On September 3, 2009 Jim said:

I bought one for my wife,who is very recoil and noise sensitive, as a CCW. It is a fun gun to shoot, BUT mine will only shoot the CCI Mini Mags and absolutely no hollow points (because of the lip between the ramp and the chamber). The safety is backwards for me and my wife and the slide is chewing up the frame. When one sees Smith & Wesson or Walther you think quality, but not in this case. They MUST have had these same problems at the plant and let them go anyways. SHAME SHAME. Think Winchesterin the 60's & 70's.

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On September 4, 2009 Marvin said:

I'm planning to buy a walther P22 soon (My H&K P2000 is...

Comment has been moved to Walther P22 Ammo

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On September 4, 2009 Ben said:

Hi Jim,

There's no doubt that the walther P22 does have it's problems. With the exception of a few, they're all pretty picky about ammo and it sounds like you've got a bad case. The bright side is that a box of CCI rounds is only about $9/$10. If it's any consolation, most pistol will start to become less ammo picky after they're broken.

As for the other two problems you've noted (the hollow-points catching and the slide issue), there's pretty easy fixes for these in the Walther P22 Bible.

To stop the hollow points from catching all you've got to do is use a Dremel to gently round off the bottom rear of the chamber lip.

To keep the slide from getting eaten by the trigger bar ears, all you need to do is lightly file a little off of the ears.

Both of these procedures are described in the manual above. I know it's somewhat of a pain but it's worth it to improve the pistol's functionality and longevity.

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On September 15, 2009 Ulises said:

I am a shooting fan and last weekend got a try on a walther P22. I have to say that where you put your eye you put the bullet. The gun has very good accuracy. The only problem that I see is the double action - I am used to single action. It is a very good handgun and after that day I am planning to buy one. I have a Ruger Mark I and a HK 22 revolver but this one is great.

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On September 19, 2009 mark eide said:

im interested in buying this pistol. i was wondering if you could tell me a good place to buy it.
thanks

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On September 20, 2009 Ben said:

Dix,

I just deleted your comment by accident instead of posting it. I've got to moderate stuff that comes through because of spammers and sometimes I hit the wrong button. Sorry about that. You can find the answer to your question over at the Walther P22 ammo chart. I update that whenever I find another type of ammo that performs well with my very picky P22. I figure if it works with my pistol it will work with all of them.

Generally, you want to look for heavy, high velocity ammunition and stay away from the bulk stuff. Lead that's 35+ grains with a high velocity charge should do well.

If you're having trouble finding ammo locally you can look online. I know that there are additional regulations concerning California, but I'm unaware of restrictions on ammunition.

Let me know if you've got any other questions - I won't delete them next time ;)

- Ben

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On September 20, 2009 Ben said:

Hi Eide,

The P22's popularity has made it an easy gun to find most anywhere firearms are sold. You should look to pay around $300 for the pistol and you want to make sure that the one you buy hasn't been sitting in the case for a long time being dry-fired by prying hands.

The P22's inertial firing pin can become deformed with constant dry-firing and you'd be buying a pistol that's on it's way out. This is a good case for buying the pistol online, but then you would have to pay a local firearm dealer's receiving fee in addition to an online retailers price.

Check out local big box store like Cabelas, Outdoor World or a similar large sporting good retailer. These store usually have a display model that takes the beating and they pull sales models from the back.

- Ben

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On September 24, 2009 bmeister said:

I purchased a P22 about a year before I joined the army, and I have put thousands of rounds through it and works great. It is a little picky about the kind of ammo you use, all CCI rounds work well, along with remington high-velocity rounds. And as for it's recoil, it's no different acquiring a target than if you using a larger caliber weapon(9mm, 40cal,etc) it just takes practice that's all. go the range and practice(controlled pairs) Two round burst two-three seconds apart. And you can dry fire the pistol it has a hammer block, it's just like the barreta M9 we use is the service. the accuracy is a bit better if you go and buy the five inch barrel as appose to the three point four in barrel. I have a red dot zero zoom scope on mine at our range we have a manhole hung 100Meters out and I can hit every time. gun goes bang, manhole go ping. If your having trouble with a magazine makes sure it has an A stamped into it. Oh and they make a extention for the mag also, goes from ten rounds to thirteen haven't got it yet, when I get back from Iraq I'll get a couple, I'll yet you know how it works out. Next pistol: Springfield XD(M)40cal 2009 pistol of the year. So if your looking for a great trail gun, your first pistol, or just for practice I recommend the P22 to everyone, young, old, it's the pistol even a child can use.

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On September 28, 2009 Ian said:

I did all the Bible mods plus other improvements,to my wife's digital camo pink walther P22. It runs faltlessly as fast as you can pull the trigger with any ammo. She outshot me now and is ready to move to 9mm. may sell it or save for the kids to start shooting.

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On September 30, 2009 Thomas said:

My friend and I bought us each a new walther P22 for suppressor use. I have shot nothing but Remington sub-sonic ammo in mine. Except maybe a couple hundred rounds of Bulk Remington. After 14 months of use on (about 2000 rounds each) mine developed a crack in the slide. About a week later, my buddy's cracked too. We called S&W and were told that we were out of luck; a year had passed and the warranty was out. So here we are with two cracked slides and refuse to replace it with one that's gonna crack again. S&W (Walther) should do a recall on these pistols before someone gets hurt or killed. I will never by another.

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On September 30, 2009 Ben said:

Yup - The zinc alloy slide has been a known weakness for the P22. I'm in the process of putting together an in-depth review of that issue here. If you'd like to be notified when the information is available, join the mailing list.

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On October 5, 2009 Ken said:

Will (or should) my p22 fire 22 magnum ammo? I love the hangun..

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On October 5, 2009 Ben said:

Hi Ken,
Heavy, high velocity ammunition will perform best in your P22. Check out the Walther P22 ammo page for a table and complete info.

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On October 8, 2009 Al said:

Jim,
I purchased a P22 this spring,(2009). Reasons....It nested in my hand well, and the workmanship was very good for a inexpensive handgun. In August I used the P22 along with my bersa .380 to qualify for CCW.
As the P22 came from the factory, is how I used it, no break-in, no taking apart, no lubing, no modifications.
I fired 40 rounds of .380 and 60 rounds of .22, using Peters high velocity, solid point.22 ammo.
With all 60 rounds,I did not experience jamming nor misfeeding of any kind.
My instructor had everyone on the firing line load six rounds quickly and fire reasonably quickly as well. After 30 rounds the P22 got quite hot, but did not jam nor misfeed and kept right on digesting the last 30 rounds.
Accuracy....I was amazed. Where I pointed, that's where the hole appeared.
In all respects, I am very pleased with this gun.

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On October 13, 2009 steve said:

bought a 5" barrel for my wife and loved it, so I bought the shorter barrel model for me. After about 1000 rounds my wifes gun broke the hammer spring.S&W sent a prepaid mailer. S&W has had the pistol since sept 9 and are still waiting on replacement spring from Germany. Real bummer. Anybody else had similar problems? Wondering about another place to get parts? Love your site, love the gun, just wish I had it back.

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On October 13, 2009 Ben said:

Hi Steve,
I'm sorry to hear about your pistol, although it's nice to hear that Smith & Wesson is taking care of it. I can't say that I've heard of the hammer spring breaking too often, but you can do a quick search online for "walther replacement parts" and you'll get a few options. Of course, getting a new spring while S&W still has your gun won't do you too much good either. If I come across anything, I'll shoot you an email.

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On October 14, 2009 Chris R said:

I bought my wife a new P22 Saturday (10 Oct), got it home and right off the bat it would not shoot DA, after about 15 rounds, it stopped firing altogether, stopped ping the rims on the shells. Took it back to the dealer, they messed with it "got it working" until I showed up and tried to engage the safety and it would not set in the detent. Left it another day, "Fixed" again, until I racked the slide with a snap in it and it locked up again on the safety and will not hit the primers.

I had high hopes for this gun, it was to be my wife's Carry, she is small in stature, but now I am in a stand off with 1)trying to get my money back, 2) get another new one to replace it or 3) ship it off and wait until....?? (meanwhile my wife has no carry piece).

Very, very dissapointing, not knocking the gun, it appears I have a lemon, or since it was in the display case, maybe it was dried fired to death by other potential buyers.

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On October 15, 2009 Ben said:

Hi Chris,

I'm sorry to hear about the aggravation that you've been through with your P22. The thumb safety slipping isn't a big deal. Next time that happens just take screw driver and snug the screws on each lever. It also helps to add a drop of BLUE Loctite to the end of the threads of the safety screws. This will keep them from vibrating lose.

The firing pin issue that this pistol is experiencing sounds like a case of abuse. It's not typical as far as I know and I get a lot of people writing in to tell me what's wrong with their P22. I'll be posting a detailed breakdown of the P22 very soon that will show the breech and its components in detail, including the firing mechanism (pin, spring and how it sits in the breech). This will help to give you an idea of what may be wrong and how to fix it yourself if you feel comfortable doing so. I can email you when this goes live if you would like.

Please keep me posted as to the outcome of your situation, and whether you get a new pistol or have this fixed for good. Once you do get things straightened out, make sure that the pistol is loaded with CCI mini-mags or stingers if your wife will be carrying the piece. Hollow points are best, but they may hang on the chamber in an unmodified pistol causing an unreliable situation in a carry gun. I'll be posting instructions for an easy modification to fix this problem too. Again, if you want me to tell you when it's available - let me know.

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On October 15, 2009 Chris R said:

Thanks for the input, I will keep you posted, no fail to feeds (yet, only got through 15 rounds). Since the gun is brand new I don't want to tear into it, but I will keep you all posted, my guess is a broken FP spring or a damaged FP.

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On October 21, 2009 Mike said:

The P22 I purchased for my wife this summer has a mildly aggravating problem. The slide may or may not lock open after firing the final round from the magazine. She's shooting Remington Golden Bullet hollow-points, which are recommended according to the ammunition chart, and the pistol has probably had slightly less than 1000 rounds put through it. Any ideas? This is a great site.

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On October 21, 2009 Ben said:

Hi Mike,

Sure, I've got an idea about what's causing the problem. It's a combination of the resistance on the P22's slide and an inconsistent charge in the ammunition.

The easiest fix is to switch ammunition to CCI Mini-Mags with a 40-grain copper-coated, or 32-grain hollow point bullet. They should be pretty much the same cost as the Remington Golden bullets.

The other option is to reduce the drag on your P22's slide. Some pistols are effected more than others by the weak spots in the walther P22's design. I'll be posting in-depth instructions in the near future on how to complete some very helpful modifications that will get your pistol functioning reliably, but for the time-being many of these mods can be found in the Walther P22 Bible (linked from the review page).

Specifically, you'll want to round and polish the ears on the trigger bar and take about 0.020" off the bottom of the breech block just in front of the safety bar. When doing this modification, don't take any material off of the safety block itself. Doing so may allow the hammer to strike the firing pin even with the thumb safety engaged.

These two modifications will reduce drag on the slide allow it to cycle fully and lock itself back after the final round is fired.

Another thought is that there is a tolerance issue with the magazine(s) that you're using. Do you have multiple magazines for the pistol? If so, does the slide fail to lock with all magazines - or just one? The reason I ask is that the little button on the side of the magazine engages the action to lock the slide back when the magazine is empty. If it's a little out of whack, it may be missing the mark every now and then.

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On October 21, 2009 Mike said:

Ben, thanks for the info. I'll change to CCI. As for the magazines, I've got the two included as original equipment in the case. I'll pay attention to whether there is a recognizable pattern in performance. I've downloaded the P22 Bible, and will get to work on those mods.

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On October 28, 2009 Robert said:

I've been thinking about purchasing a P22 for a couple of weeks now as an entry level pistol, I mostly shoot rifles. My main question is whether or not there is a performance difference that's visibly noticeable between the two available barrels. I'm no dumby and I know that longer barrels can offer more accuracy, but I want to here it from people who shoot it! I'm a big stickler for my guns being a bit more on the accurate side.

Regardless I'll be buying one, just want to know which variant I should drop the dough on! Thanks!

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On October 28, 2009 Ben said:

Hi Robert,

Personally, I can't see the longer barrel making a big difference in accuracy. I opted for the shorter barrel and I can consistently plink empty 9mm casings from 30 feet or more (with the laser ;).

There's people that swear the longer barrel is more accurate, and they're probably right if you're target is 50 yards away. Personally, I prefer to use rifles for long range shooting.

I'll be buying a longer barrel soon enough, just because I've made it my mission to make this site a complete P22 reference. Other than that, I would save my dough for better toys to put on the pistol like a laser, a Weaver mount with a red dot scope or a suppressor.

I hope that helps.

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On October 28, 2009 Robert said:

I was thinking about getting a suppressor for the giggles involved with having a suppressor, but unfortunately the great state of Michigan doesn't permit the ownership or usage of them if you're not with the government.

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On November 2, 2009 Daniel said:

I got my p22 about 6 months ago,Have fired about 2000 rounds through it.I Haven't had any major problems.The only thing so far to happen is that when the magazines is full and I release the slide, it wont load the round fully. Is it the clip I'm using? It's a Walther clip. I'm using Remington golden hollow points .22 lr.

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On November 8, 2009 Will said:

I own the black 5.4'' model P22, the only complaint I have is that if the manual safety is engaged and the trigger is pulled, the safety will disengage.. I tested this at the range with a live round and it didn't go off, or get dimpled..But it was enough for me to want to sell the gun, two others at the same gun store I purchased had the same issue.

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On November 9, 2009 Ben said:

Hi Will,

IMPORTANT: Before I get into what I think the issue it, it's VERY IMPORTANT to note that any pistol with safety issues should not be fired until the problem is corrected. In your case, the safety seems to stopping the firing pin from impacting a round the first time the trigger is pulled - but it probably won't block the firing pin on the second trigger pull. Obviously, this creates a very dangerous situation.

I've never experienced this problem with a P22, but the way the manual safety functions would make this possible if the safety block weren't seated correctly or if the hammer or block were misshapen. This could cause the impact of the hammer on the block to roll the block out of the way disengaging the safety.

The manual safety works by rolling a block in front of the hammer that keeps it from striking the firing pin. The hammer impacts the safety block with full-force. Have you taken the manual safety off the look at wear marks and to ensure that it's seated correctly?

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On November 10, 2009 Eddie said:

I have had my P22 for a couple of years now and have put no telling how many thousands of rounds through it. It has always function great with quality ammo and with the cheaper stuff it makes for good tap rack bang practice. Last week, on thursday, the hammer spring broke and S&W sent me out a new spring on friday. I got it today and with a little time and the photos on the disassembly link it was a fairly easy self fix. Thanks

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On November 11, 2009 Ben said:

Hi Eddie,

It's nice to hear that S&W was so quick with the replacement spring. I'm glad the disassembly info helped.

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On November 27, 2009 wayne said:

Hello, I have been eyeballing the p22 for some time now, and have decided to get serious about buying one. I considier myself knowledgeable and familiar with firearms (no genious mind you) I know the difference between hk and ak. It seems to me, from the reviews I've read, that it's hit or miss if you get a lemmon. Could you maybe compile an inspection list on what to look for that will reduce the chances of getting a turd. The biggest thing that concerns me is the slide material. I may hold off purchasing until there's wind of the prob being addressed. I'm already aware of the sight issue,I own a p99 and lost the front sight that was optimal for me. Everything else seems to be light issues for the mechanically inclined. It's a beutiful gun and, for me, sits extremely well in the hand, even my big hand. Thanks for the review and any pointers you can give me when I get ready to purchase one.

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On November 27, 2009 bud said:

Hello,just purchased new P22 this month.Craig on July 12,2009 posted that they had taken care of the ears cutting into the frame. Just wondering if this is actually the case, did Walther make the necessary changes to the trigger bar ears or does the problem still exist on new AK models??? Great sight, getting lots of good info....Thanks

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On December 11, 2009 Michael said:

Okay, this is probably a really stupid question, but it involves the safety and I want to be sure things are working the way they are supposed to. I have not loaded any ammo into this gun yet. When the slide safety is on, both the trigger and hammer move normally, in both single and double action. Is this correct function? The only difference between safe and fire is that if there is a cartridge in the chamber the hammer is prevented from striking? I was expecting a more a more obvious trigger lock or disengagement.

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On December 11, 2009 Ben said:

Hi Michael,

The slide/thumb safety prevents the hammer from contact and advancing the firing pin. The hammer will still fall when the trigger is pulled, but as long as the safety is engaged the round *is not supposed* be able to discharge.

If you're looking for a more obvious lock, you can engage the trigger lock to prevent the action of the pistol. This isn't really a practical safety mechanism for the range, though.

I think this is a case where it's important to note that all safeties, regardless of their functionality, are mechanical devices that are prone to failure. I'm not trying to lecture you, but it's always best to look at a safety as a last-resort option. Common sense and proper procedure will always be first and foremost in preventing accidents with firearms.

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On December 28, 2009 Larry said:

Just purchased a pink with "stainless" slide for my daughter. It operates flawlessly with 40 grain Mini Mag rounds. It doesn't like Aguila 60 grain SSS rounds or Armscorp standard velocity 40 grain LRN, producing multiple FTF and FTE problems. We only put ~250 rounds thru it, but accuracy was less than what I'd hoped for. Perhaps that will improve with time, break in and familiarity. All in all, my daughter likes it.

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On December 31, 2009 Larry said:

BTW, the "stainless" had me wondering because it was billed as "stainless", not nickle. I emailed Walther and they replied that it's not a stainless steel slide, it's a zinc alloy slide with a stainless finish. I took this to mean a plated finish. It has a pleasant pink-copper patina to it. Whatever it is, it is nicely done.

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On January 3, 2010 James said:

I recently bought a new P22 and couldn't wait to put some rounds through it. When I got to the field I was very disappointed, wouldn't fire! Tried several different rounds, and still no luck.. not even marks on the brass. Maybe it was repeatedly dry-fired in the store? Gun was only made a couple months ago.. must have been a lemon. Thankfully I was able to return it in the store and get a new one which works flawlessly. Love the feel of it, excellent gun to carry.

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On January 5, 2010 Bud said:

Rec'd email from Walther stating that they have done nothing to the new AK models ears to prevent the problem..

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On January 10, 2010 JD said:

Just got a P22 for my wife and so far so good. I noticed that the safety engages exactly backwards to the description in your review....down to engage safety, up to disengage...Ammo was Rem sureshot and did have a few misfires...will try the mini mags..She picked the P22 after she found the S&W 317 was around $600. She wanted a gun with no or very little recoil..I wonder if the mini mags will increase the recoil over these remis...

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On January 11, 2010 Ben said:

Hi JD,

Thanks for catching the error in the review. I've correct the info about the safety position. You'll find that recoil with the Mini-mags versus the Remington ammo won't be very noticeable.

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On January 12, 2010 Phil Francis said:

I am considering a 5" P22 Target pistol but while looking at one at Cabela's the compensator looking thing was a little loose and rotated on the barrel axis which would throw the front sight off. Have you had any comments about this being a problem as I have not seen anything on the web that addressed this. Walther said it could be a loose barrel nut or a worm screw that is under the front sight that may be loose. The set screws that clamp the compensator to the barrel may be part of the problem.

What is your opinion?

Thanks,

Phil

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On January 14, 2010 Dee said:

I have not been a fan of guns, but my recent boyfriend of 2 years is a gun nut, and being with him and shooting at his friends ranch or at the gun range I have grew to like guns, but still dont know much about them. Well we went into this local gun store today, and I saw the walther p22. I fell in love with it, cause it fits my hand perfectly. I am a small petite woman, and was wondering would anyone recommend that this gun?? I have not owned one, so this will be my first one that I buy. Any info would surely help. Thanks

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On January 15, 2010 Jason said:

I just looked a a P22 today at a local gunshop and decided to do some homework on it. Thanks for all the info, it sounds promising... but I noticed in the shop that there was about an eighth of an inch gap between the grip and magazine butt... Also the bottom of the mag. seemed to "jiggle" back and forth. Does this still happen with a loaded mag?

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On January 16, 2010 Ben said:

Hi Jason,

There's always a small gap between the pistol's grip and the magazine. This remains constant regardless of whether the magazine is loaded or not. However, it's never caused any problems. It exists because of the downward pressure that being applied to the magazine.

The bottom of the magazine has a little play because it can be removed for cleaning (or modifications). Take a look at the page for disassembling a Walther P22 and you will see what I mean. All the way at the bottom of that page is the section for the magazine. The bottom plastic plate of the magazine is held in place by a plunger button that's pushed down by the magazine spring.

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On January 17, 2010 Alex said:

hey just got myslef a p22 ak... whats the diff between the ak and the ah?
Thanks- alex

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On January 20, 2010 Larry said:

What's the "best" way to clean dirt and burnt powder off one of these polymer frames?

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On January 20, 2010 Garrett said:

I have a P22. I agree with the review entirely , with one exception. My model has the mounted laser and I'm having problems with the battery compartment latch/door. It pops loose every time the gun is fired. It fits loose ( to be generous ) with some wiggle to it. The defect seems to be the latch mating up to the opening. Has any topic on this matter been mentioned on any site? Thanks....

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On January 20, 2010 Ben said:

Hi Garrett,

There's an entire page about the Walther P22 laser here. I've never had any complaints about the battery door popping open.

I've got a bunch of issues that I need to look into that people have submitted. I'll add this one to the list. I'm hoping to spend some quality time with my P22 in the workshop very soon. I'll keep you posted.

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On January 20, 2010 Santiago said:

hi i just got my p22 sold to me by my cousin. he shot less than 50 rounds in it and i the same when i got it and im pretty spooked whether to continue shooting or do some recommended mods to it. I was wondering also do the 2007 p22's have problems with serial no.'s starting with "G"?

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On January 21, 2010 Ben said:

Hi Santiago,

Performing some of the modifications on your P22 will help it to last longer. So long as it's in the hands of a safe shooter, the pistol itself is not unsafe to shoot without doing the mods. It's important to note that you shouldn't perform any modifications to your pistol if you don't feel comfortable doing so. If you don't, take it to a licensed gunsmith. If you do, I would recommend polishing the trigger bar ears to keep them from gouging the slide. The other mods are more for performance and to make the P22 less ammo-picky.

I'm trying to get Smith & Wesson to answer me about the evolution of the P22 and the serial markings of each version of the pistol. I'll post my findings once I get an answer. If anyone has information on this, please let me know.

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On January 29, 2010 robb said:

does anyone know if there are any upgrade parts for my the walther p22 ?
besides laser sights. maybe high capacity mags/clips,ammo and anything else.

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On January 30, 2010 John said:

Has anyone purchased the P22 with a laser sight? I have been thinking a about buying one and wasn't for sure if the exta $100.00 was worth it. Thanks.

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On January 31, 2010 Ben said:

Hi John,

The P22 with a laser is a ton of fun. I plink empty 9mm shell casings at 12 yards. Check out the Walther P22 laser info here. This is on the factory laser. I haven't forked over the cash for a Veridian green laser yet, but I would appreciate input from anyone that has one.

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On February 2, 2010 JD said:

Where are the magazines, clips whatever? Ordered 3 clips for my wife's P22 and S&W says maybe Feb...maybe? Anyone have any success with after market mags?

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On February 2, 2010 Ben said:

Hi JD,

There's a page dedicated to the Walther P22 magazine here.

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On February 5, 2010 Pete said:

I was looking at a p22 today at the local gun shop and wanted to do a little research on it. I was 85% sure I wanted to buy it, and now, after reading your sight, I am 100% sure. Looking forward to your review on holsters.

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On February 7, 2010 CoachRick said:

Hey, Pete...If you haven't already purchased your P22, you might mention to your LGS that Cabela's has the P22 3.4 for $299. Maybe you'll score a price match or a deal on ammo. The lowest price I had seen locally was $317. Have fun!

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On February 9, 2010 Thomas said:

Is anyone making mag extensions or new mags to increase capacity?

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On February 11, 2010 Bob said:

After much research on various forums I decidedto buy a P22 last week. I haven't been to the range to try it out yet, and with back surgery yesterday it might be a couple weeks before I do. In the mean time I will try to find some Mini-Mags to break it in with, and a few boxes of other brands to find what it likes best. I am really anxious to get out and see what it will do. In all my research I got tired of reading the posts by people who have never owned a P22 running it down because it isn't a $1200 S&W 41. From all the reports from people who actually own and shoot one I think it is exactly what I am looking for. Good value for a reasonable price for practice instead of shooting hundreds of rounds of 9m/m 40S&W or 45acp in my other guns.

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On February 13, 2010 Gary said:

I purchased a new P22 in with the basic black frame for my wife. I was hoping to find a replacment pink frame for it but I am having trouble finding one....any help?

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On February 13, 2010 Ben said:

Hi Gary,

I don't think I've ever come across an aftermarket pink P22 frame. I would suggest that you contact Smith & Wesson to ask where you can find a dealer that stocks this part. Send an email to the address listed on Smith & Wesson's contact page on their Web site. They do check this address and someone will answer.

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On February 21, 2010 JR said:

I have had my P22 for about 18 months and fired about 1000 rounds through it. While cleaning after a recent trip to the range I noticed the small screw on the barrel block had worked loose causing significant damage to the slide. I will contact manufacturer this week for resolution. Confidence in reliability and safety is diminished for now. Make sure you check the torque everytime you clean or fire. Consider blue lock-tite. Very poor design placing this screw in line with the slide, they could have placed screw below slide action further down on the lower receiver eliminating possible damage or catastofic failure.

If you are still shopping consider a Browning Buckmark.

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On February 22, 2010 James said:

There is also now a blue grip version.

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On February 22, 2010 Ben said:

Hi JR,

I'm sorry to hear about the damage to your Walther P22. This issue has been talked about here and also noted on the assemble/disassemble page with the Loctite suggestion. It's a day late/dollar short for you, though. Please let me know how what Smith & Wesson has to say.

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On February 22, 2010 Ben said:

Thanks James,

Do you have any images or more information about this version that I can post?

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On February 24, 2010 Criss said:

I'm having a problem with the breech retaining dowel pin (32) backing out of the slide after firing 50 rounds or so. I've reset it several times, but it keeps reoccuring. I've heard that several other owners have experienced this problem. Any suggestions? Love your site by the way.

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On March 1, 2010 bob said:

Thank you for the great info on the Walther/Smith & Wesson P22. I Ran into the frame failure problem just this week. Do you know if I should just write to the manufactor or bring it back to the dealer for service? Thanks for any help.

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On March 2, 2010 Walter said:

I have just bought a P22 pistol and the safety lever is hard to operate