Walther P22 Pistol

Walther P22 Pistol Review

The Walther P22 pistol is a semi-automatic pistol manufactured by Carl Walther GmbH of Germany. Walther has a 100 year history of innovations in the area of pistols, and the Walther P22 continues that tradition.

The Walther P22 bears a strong resemblence to the Walther P22, some might refer to it as the P99's little brother. The Walther P99 is the new choice of firearm for the James Bond character of Ian Flemming novel and movie fame. The fact that James Bond carries the Walther P99 gives the Walther P22 a step up over similar small-frame 22 target pistols such as the Sig Mosquito in the eyes of collectors.

Walther P22 General Notes

The Walther P22 comes with a number of valuable accessories with every pistol. When you purchase the pistol, you get a plastic case with fitted foam inserts to store and protect your pistol. Each Walther P22 also leaves the factory with two 10 round magazines, a trigger lock, a grip pad extension, tool set, and an instruction manual.

The magazines that the Walther P22 uses are excellent high quality magazines. This is to be expected when dealing with a company like Walther who has a long history of producing excellent magazines for their firearms. Original first-generation Walther P22 magazines had a host of problems, but for the past several years all of the new guns have been shipped with the new generation magazine that works great.

The toolkit that comes with the Walther P22 contains a wrench that can be used to remove the barrel nut. Do not lose this tool as you will eventually need it to add a Walther P22 thread adapter. Make sure you store your toolkit inside of your Walther P22 plastic case and then you won't have to worry.

I would recommend that you read the manual that comes with the gun to familiarize yourself with how the pistol works. Many of us tend to assume all guns function similarly, and there are a few differences in the way the Walther P22 operates when compared to other pistols. Specifically take note of the magazine release, and disassembly instructions so that you can properly maintain your gun.

The Walther P22 is well made, consisting of a polymer hard-plastic lower and a steel slide. The regulated part of the firearm is the plastic lower as that contains the serial number of the gun.

Walther P22 Fit and Finish

The fit and finish of the Walther P22 is excellent. The slide is laser-engraved with the Walther logo, and P22 in nice sized font. Many gun makers go overboard with their engraving, Walther however has taken a more conservative approach. The conservative engraving leaves the pistol looking tactical and does not come across as a toy.

The hard black finish on the Walther P22 is very durable. Even when dropped you can count on the finish not becoming marred to the point that you'd need it refinished. The black finish is also a matte-black, so the pistol does not attract attention like other flashy pistols tend to do.

Walther P22 Ergonomics

The Walther P22 feels incredibly balanced regardless of whether it is loaded or not. Many pistols feel balanced before they are loaded and awkward after they have been loaded. I would attribute most of the balance to the fact that it is chambered in .22lr and 10 .22lr rounds do not weigh much. The barrel on the Walther P22 is also only 3.4" which gives it a much more compact profile.

The Walther P22 is a small framed pistol so shooters with large hands may not feel very comfortable with the pistol. I had difficulty finding a good stance with my Walther P22 until I switched to a finger-rest magazine. With the finger-rest magazine, the Walther P22 feels more like an extension to my hand than a gun. I highly recommend all owners buy atleast one finger-rest magazine as it makes the pistol very enjoyable to shoot. FWIW, I tried replacing the back grip with the larger one that comes with the gun but did not find it to really make much of a difference.

Firing the Walther P22

The Walther P22 is easy to shoot regardless of your shooting experience. The recoil is light, and with proper hearing and eye protection no one should find it unpleasant to shoot.

The accuracy of the Walther P22 is acceptable for a pistol of this size shooting bulk .22lr ammunition. Groups at 30 feet are easy to keep within 3-4 inches after warming up with the gun. The Walther P22 is hardly a competitive target shooting gun, and no one is marketing it as such.

Walther P22 Conculsions

The Walther P22 is an excellent pistol that belongs in any gun collectors inventory. The pistol is excellent for teaching handgun basics to new shooters and quickly becomes the favorite for younger shooters as well. Accessories are plentiful, ammunition is cheap, and support from Walther is excellent! Keep in mind that Smith and Wesson supports Walther P22's here in America.

Added:  Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Reviewer:  Webmaster
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Related web link:  Walther P22 Pistol
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