Any shooter will tell you that the cost of ammunition has risen dramatically over the last few years. Even though we are slowly recovering from yet another ammunition crisis, it is still not affordable to spend a day on the range. The cost and availability of reloading materials are not a good solution, even for hand loaders. You’ll be hard-pressed to find cheaper rounds than the 22 caliber, whether you purchase factory-loaded ammunition or hand load it yourself. The .22 caliber is an excellent choice for target practice or general plinking.
You can find .22 in almost any type of firearm, whether it’s a pistol, a rifle, a bolt-action, sym-auto, a slingshot, or anything else you could think of. As a firearms teacher, I understand the importance of learning even the basic fundamentals. The same stance, breathing, sighting and trigger pull apply regardless of the caliber. If you can’t hit your target when shooting a.22 caliber, you won’t be able to do so with a bigger caliber, either.
This review will focus on the Walther P22, one of my most-used.22 caliber guns. The Walther P22 has a polymer-framed semi-automatic double action pistol that is chambered for .22 long rifle. The Walther P22 was introduced in 2002. It is made in Germany by Walther and distributed in the United States by Smith & Wesson. The P22 comes in two different versions. The standard version comes with a barrel of 3.4 inches, while the target version has one that is 5 inches. Both versions have the same frames, so the barrels can be interchanged. The Target version with the longer barrel comes with a slide that covers the additional 1.6 inches. My Walther is the Target version.
There are many threaded barrels adapters available for the P22. The threaded adapter replaces a barrel nut and allows for the attachment of suppressors with a thread pitch between 1/2″-28.
Specifications
- Standard Target
- Magazine Capacity: 10 10
- Barrel Length: 3.4″ 5″
- Overall Length : 6.3″ 7″
- Height: 4.5″ 4.5″
- Width: 1.1″ 1.1″
- Weight: 16oz (1.0 lbs) (unloaded) 21.5oz (1.34 lbs) (unloaded)
- Action: Semi-Automatic, Double-Action
- Trigger pull weight: (Double action) 12.35 lbs. (Single action) 4.85lbs.
Cost
Walther P22 prices can vary. Standard (short-barrel) versions are usually around $300. Target (long barrel version) is usually priced between $400 and $500. Prices are based upon a black model. Walther also offers other color schemes such as flat dark earth (which is essentially OD-green), angel blue, nickel and military. Color can influence the price but not dramatically. Californians will find that the P22CA costs about the same as its non-California equivalents.
What’s inside the Box HTML0?
The Walther P22 is packaged in a hard case made of plastic with a foam interior. The Walther P22 came with a 10-round magazine, two hex keys, a trigger locking key (which I will discuss later), two front sights, and a plastic mounting plate. My P22 is a P22CA and therefore did not include a barrel tool. However, non-California P22s should have one. In the box, you will also find a spent .22LR casing from the gun that was used for quality control.
First Impression
The Walther P22 has a compact frame, but it is not too small. The polymer grip is textured. The backstrap has a very round shape and flares downwards. The P22 has a removable backstrap. A slightly smaller one is included in the package if you want a smaller grip. The front strap features a subtle finger groove.
The grip of this small pistol is just tall enough for my ring and middle fingers. However, with the magazine in place, a slight extension gives my little finger somewhere to rest. I have large hands and find that small-framed pistols are difficult to control. The P22 is a very different gun. The P22 fits my palm very well. The P22 has a good amount of surface contact, giving me a feeling of complete control. Although it sounds cliche, I feel like the P22 is an extension to my hand when I hold it.
In my personal experience, I first encountered a Walther P22 while working in law enforcement. The team to which I was assigned had confiscated several firearms in a drug-related arrest. One of the guns was a Walther P22CA. I was given the task of booking all the evidence, including the guns, into the property room. The P22CA caught me attention as I handled the evidence. As soon as I touched it, I was immediately impressed. I was already tempted to shoot the P22 just by holding it. I bought mine two days later.
Sights
The three dots sights on the Walther P22 look pretty standard. The front sight of the Target model is attached to the extension slide that covers the additional 1.6 inches in the barrel. The rear sights can be easily removed. The rear sights are not very sturdy and the way they attach to slide is not great. The sights will move if you apply pressure to either side. Thankfully, I’ve never had any problems with the rear sight. They don’t have to be too robust to handle the recoil from a rimfire.22LR.
The rear sights can be adjusted for windage. The front sight cannot be adjusted, but there are two additional front sights included in the box. They have different heights so you can change the elevation by changing the front sights. The front sights are easily snapped in and out.
The Walther P22 safety can be operated by thumb and is located on the rear end of the slide. The Walther P22 safety is ambidextrous. The levers on each side of the slide have identical sizes. The gun is ready for firing with the safety in its up position. The safety is in the down position. The safety lever is marked with an “F” on both sides, indicating that the pistol is ready for firing.
When the safety is engaged, a “S” can be seen. A piece of metal is placed just below the point where the external hammer and the firing pin meet when the safety is engaged. This metal piece prevents the external hammer from touching the firing pin. Safety can be activated whether or not the hammer has been cocked.
The safety lever was a little too far forward. To engage or disengage the safety, I need to adjust my grip. The adjustment to my grip I need to make is very slight but it affects my sight picture when I am holding the lever on target. The levers stick out about 3/16 inch from the slide, which allows them to be operated comfortably.
The magazine release on the P22 is ambidextrous, just like the safety. This is not your typical magazine release that you’d expect to find on a pistol made in the United States. The magazine release is located at the point where the trigger guard and grip meet. You can remove the magazine by pressing the release down using the small tabs either side of trigger guard. It takes some time to get used to.
I’ve never been able to remove the magazine with my thumb alone. Although it is possible, I found that pushing down with my middle finger and thumb on either side of the magazine release was much easier. I’d prefer the P22 to have a more conventional magazine release. However, I must admit that I like this one better than the European traditional magazine releases which are usually found at the bottom grip and require the support hand to operate.
The slide lock on this gun is not ambidextrous. It is located to the left of the gun, so that the right thumb can be used. It is positioned perfectly, in my opinion, just above the point where your thumb rests naturally when you shoot. It has enough “meat”, so you can easily push it up and lock the slide, or down and release it. The slide lock, like the grip I think is the best feature of this firearm.
Trigger
Double-action Walther P22s (and other guns for that matter) mean that when you pull the trigger, it completes two separate actions. Pulling the trigger with the hammer forward will first cock it, then release the hammer to fire. When firing double-action, the travel of trigger is a little over.6″. When the hammer is cocked, the trigger travels slightly less than.2″.
I found the trigger to be quite wide for a gun with such a small frame, which was something that I really liked. The front of the gun has a few vertical grooves. The grooves on the trigger are so subtle that my finger pad doesn’t feel them. However, they provide enough grip to prevent my finger from sliding. The trigger is smooth for a double-action semi-automatic, even though it requires 12 lbs. I did not notice any “creep”, or a significant delay, before the trigger released. The nearly 5 lbs in single-action seemed a bit heavy to me. The trigger must be pulled deliberately in single-action as well as double-action. But that is not a bad thing with a.22 LR pistol.
The trigger lock is a feature that I have never seen on any of my other guns. There is a hole with an “F”, and “S” marked in the round shape on the right-hand side of the frame. The key included in the box, the trigger lock key, fits into this hole and activates a locking system.
The gun will fire normally when unlocked in the “F” (or “F”) position. The trigger is only able to partially cock the gun’s hammer when it’s locked (in “S” mode). The trigger cannot be pulled back all the way, so the hammer can’t be released or fully cocked. It’s not a feature that I have ever used but is available for those who want an extra layer of security.
The key is a very simple tool. It is a simple knob that you can turn by reaching into the hole in the frame. If the key were lost, the trigger lock would be easily engaged/disengaged by using tweezers and small needle-nosed grips.
Shooting
When I first saw the Walther P22 I was tempted to shoot it. When I finally had the opportunity to shoot it, I wasn’t disappointed. The shooting of it made me want to keep on shooting it.
Shooting.22 caliber guns is fun for me. Recoil and muzzle-rise aren’t as important in.22 calibers. As I don’t have the shorter barrel I can’t speak for how Standard P22 fires. Target is very accurate and consistent. The Target version’s longer barrel and slide extension add weight to the front, which reduces muzzle rise. Even when firing rapidly, I felt as though my sight picture was never compromised.
After the first shot is fired, all subsequent shots are fired in single-action. This can sometimes make me want to fire rapidly. The P22 would be better if it came with more magazines. I’d rather shoot more and reload less. I’ve been meaning to get more magazines, but haven’t yet.
The P22 is equipped with an internal magazine lock that prevents the gun from firing if a round is in the chamber, but the magazine has been removed. The magazine will disengage the trigger and it won’t do anything when you pull it. This feature is not something I like, but it’s one I look at from a tactical and defense perspective. It doesn’t bother my that the P22 comes with this feature. I keep in mind that I wouldn’t carry a pistol of.22 calibre as a personal protection weapon.
The slide always locks back on my P22 after the last shot is fired. It locks back sometimes and does not lock back other times. The majority of my shooting with the P22 has been done using a can of mismatched.22 round. Some of the rounds are high velocity, and others are not. According to my reading, the P22 prefers high-velocity rounds to ensure that it cycles properly. The mismatched ammunition could be the reason why my slide does not lock back consistently. I will need to test my theory further.
Suppression
After owning my Walther P22 in California for a few year, I moved to a state that allows threaded barrels. I could not put a suppressor onto my P22 quickly enough. I chose the “Mask”, manufactured by Deadair Armament. The only reason I chose this model was because it is low-profile enough to allow the sights of the gun to be used and seen. The Mask is about 5 inches long, which doubles the length of the Target P22. However, the weight increase is minimal. A Deadair Mask costs in the $400-range.
Shooting a Walther P22 with a Deadair Mask should be at the top of everyone’s bucket-list. The P22 with Deadair Mask and the right ammunition is extremely quiet. The sound of the action cycling probably makes up the majority of what is heard. The point of impact dropped about an inch at 50 feet. However, shooting through a clock showed that the suppressor did not change the velocity.
When I say, “with the correct ammunition”, I don’t necessarily mean.22 LR subsonic ammo. On the packaging of most.22 LR ammo, the velocity expected is stated. High Velocity rounds usually range between 1200 and 1500 fps. The sound barrier is broken by a projectile at 1125 fps. Anything below 1125 fps is subsonic, whether or not the ammunition is advertised. The suppressed P22 will still be quiet with high velocity ammunition. However, you can hear a crack in the air because the bullet has broken the sound barrier. Shooting a bullet traveling below 1125 fps will eliminate the cracking noise and make it more noticeable.
Breakdown/Cleaning
The Walther P22 can be field stripped in a relatively straightforward manner. The first step in the Target version is to remove the slide extensions using a hex key. After removing the slide extension, you will need to push the take-down catch down. The take down catch can be found on the frame, just above the front of the trigger guard. The slide will then separate from the frame. Slide will separate from frame. Move slide forward until it clears barrel which is still attached frame. It is possible to take the gun apart even further but it’s not necessary for cleaning.
The procedure is essentially the same. However, one of the steps is tedious and difficult. The guide rod, which runs through the middle of the main spring, is about half as long as the spring. The instruction manual states that the mounting pin included in the package should be used when reassembling your gun to install the main spring. The pin must be pushed into the slide hole just below the barrel. The pin holds the spring’s unsupported part in place until the spring is compressed enough to take over. You can use anything similar in size, such as a screwdriver. I’ve reassembled my several times without using anything. But I wouldn’t recommend it. If/when the spring pops out of its place, it is very easy to bend or kink. This design flaw (or feature as I see it) is the thing I hate most about my P22.
P22 vs. P22CA
You may have noticed in the photos that my Walther is a modified P22CA. It’s probably best to explain the differences between the P22CA, and the P22. The P22 comes with an easily removable barrel nut, regardless of whether it has a threaded adapter. The barrel nut is flat on both sides and can be tightened or loosened with a wrench. The threaded barrel is included with most P22s.
California has declared pistols with barrels that are threaded to be assault pistols and illegal. Walther has released the P22CA which is the California-compliant version of P22. What’s the difference? The barrel nut cannot be removed, so the threaded adapter can’t be installed. The barrel nut of the P22CA does not have flat spots that can be used to hold a wrench. Also, the threads holding the barrel nut are sealed using epoxy. It is not a secret that I purchased the P22CA when I lived in California.
After leaving California I decided to add a suppressor as a way to celebrate my newly found freedom (which I’ll discuss in more detail later). After some research, I found that applying heat to the threads of the P22CA barrel was the easiest way to remove it. Then, I used channel locks instead of a barrel nut to unscrew it. The channel locks left some marks on the barrel nuts, but I planned to replace them anyway. After removing the California-compliant barrel nut, I replaced it with a barrel adapter. I felt like I should explain why I have a suppressed version of the P22 stamped with a P22CA.
Conclusion
Walther P22 is an elegant, well-sized pistol that’s comfortable to shoot and hold. I would not recommend or consider it for concealed carry, because of the ineffective caliber. The non-traditional magazine release would be a secondary reason. However, for a plinking gun that is intended to be used recreationally, I strongly recommend this model. It is comfortable for any size hand, the recoil is manageable by anyone and it’s sufficiently accurate.
The P22 is a lot of fun to shoot. As much as I enjoyed shooting it, I think it’s even more enjoyable suppressed. You should suppress your weapon if you can. The P22 is still a very good gun.
