Walther P22 Buyers" Overview
The Walther P22 is a popular rimfire pistol that receives varying opinions and feedback. Before purchasing a P22 it's important to examine the pistol's strengths and weaknesses to make sure it is the right firearm for you.
Some of the P22 strengths are that it's inexpensive, fun to shoot and there are many accessories available for it. Debatable additions to this list are the P22's reliability and quality. There will be more on these two points a little later.
Compared to other .22 caliber pistols the P22 is on the lower end of the price scale at about $300 depending on where you purchase it. Pistols from Luger or Ruger that also chamber a .22 caliber round are generally in the $500 range, though some say these pistol are better constructed.
There's no denying that the P22 is fun to shoot. The .22 caliber round that it shoots has little recoil and the pistol is pretty accurate even with the shorter 3-inch barrel. The small size of the P22's frame makes it an ideal pistol for people with small hands or beginners that aren't ready for a larger pistol.
People love to accessorize their firearms and the P22 certainly meets this need. There are countless accessories that can be affixed to the P22's little frame ranging from red dot scopes almost as long as the pistol itself the silencers and laser. The cost of the accessories that you may be tempted to buy for your P22 can often out weight the original cost of the pistol.
Reliability and quality are sticking points with the P22. Some people never have problems with their pistol even under heavy use while others experience one issue after another. The P22's main weaknesses seem to stem from these areas. There are some aspects of the P22's construction that questionable and its reliability is marred by the pistol ammo-pickiness.
The P22's construction is pretty sound with the exception of its zinc slide generally referred to as pot metal. Cast zinc is a less expensive, weaker alternative to steel. It's also lighter, which may be the reason why it was the chosen material for the P22. Of course, only Walther and Smith & Wesson know for sure. Other than the slide the P22's other components hold up pretty well.
Some P22 are notoriously picky about ammunition while others from the same lot off the assembly line will shoot any brand of ammo that's run through them. There's really no explaining this, it's just the way firearms are. It does however affect the P22's general reliability. The good news is that almost all P22s are very reliable when used with the manufacturer recommended CCI ammunition.
Some of the P22 strengths are that it's inexpensive, fun to shoot and there are many accessories available for it. Debatable additions to this list are the P22's reliability and quality. There will be more on these two points a little later.
Compared to other .22 caliber pistols the P22 is on the lower end of the price scale at about $300 depending on where you purchase it. Pistols from Luger or Ruger that also chamber a .22 caliber round are generally in the $500 range, though some say these pistol are better constructed.
There's no denying that the P22 is fun to shoot. The .22 caliber round that it shoots has little recoil and the pistol is pretty accurate even with the shorter 3-inch barrel. The small size of the P22's frame makes it an ideal pistol for people with small hands or beginners that aren't ready for a larger pistol.
People love to accessorize their firearms and the P22 certainly meets this need. There are countless accessories that can be affixed to the P22's little frame ranging from red dot scopes almost as long as the pistol itself the silencers and laser. The cost of the accessories that you may be tempted to buy for your P22 can often out weight the original cost of the pistol.
Reliability and quality are sticking points with the P22. Some people never have problems with their pistol even under heavy use while others experience one issue after another. The P22's main weaknesses seem to stem from these areas. There are some aspects of the P22's construction that questionable and its reliability is marred by the pistol ammo-pickiness.
The P22's construction is pretty sound with the exception of its zinc slide generally referred to as pot metal. Cast zinc is a less expensive, weaker alternative to steel. It's also lighter, which may be the reason why it was the chosen material for the P22. Of course, only Walther and Smith & Wesson know for sure. Other than the slide the P22's other components hold up pretty well.
Some P22 are notoriously picky about ammunition while others from the same lot off the assembly line will shoot any brand of ammo that's run through them. There's really no explaining this, it's just the way firearms are. It does however affect the P22's general reliability. The good news is that almost all P22s are very reliable when used with the manufacturer recommended CCI ammunition.
