The Walther P22 is a semi-automatic pistol that is chambered for .22LR (Long Rifle) rimfire ammo and produced in Germany in 2002 by a German man, Carl Walther. Carl Walther is known for the weapon manufacturer Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen. They have been producing firearms and air guns for over one hundred years. The Walther P22 includes characteristics you would expect on a more expensive handgun. This pistol is an excellent gun to train with or take with for a day at the range with your buds. The Walther P22 is also fantastic for those with budgets since it packs the excellent features a higher-end gun would, but with the Walther P22, you will not spend too much money on ammo! Continue reading for our honest thoughts for the Walther P22 review.
Is The Walther P22 Any Good?
There are many review out there for the Walther P22, and for a good reason. This Walther P22 review is going to describe how the Walther P22 is a reliable handgun with the features of a higher-end gun. The combination is perfect for the softer shooting of a .22lr accompanied by its lighter polymer frame. See below for the outline of features for the barrel, slide, frame, grip, and trigger of the P22.
P22 Barrel
The Walther P22 being a semi-automatic pistol is designed with a fixed barrel, as you would see with many other 22lr caliber handguns. The size of the barrel is right under three and a half inches at 3.42 inches. However, there are additional steps to a takedown of this handgun, but they are pretty clear. Something to consider with the Walther P22 if you are looking to have a silencer is that all you need is for the barrel nut is an adapter to convert the barrel to a threaded barrel version. Also, you do not have to get frustrated about cleaning the barrel because it easily becomes removable.
The Slide and Frame for P22
The Walther P22 comes with a nicely notched slide for easier gripping and handling. Ideally, for those that get sweaty hands during shooting practice, or if your hands ever become wet. The frame is a polymer with a zinc alloy slide.
Below are some additional specifications about the Walther P22.
- The Walther P22 magazine release is ambidextrous.
- The safety levers are ambidextrous.
- The slide stop is built for right-handed shooters, though.
- Engineered wisely, the safety lever is positioned on the slide itself and can be readily reached by your thumb without adjusting your grip.
- When holding the Walther P22 in your hand, you do not have to keep double checking if the gun is placed in fire or safety mode. It is quite deliberate to turn it from safety to fire mode. There is also an audible sound that you can hear when switching back to forth.
Grip and Hold for The P22
The Walther P22 just utters ergonomic. You can add extra back straps to fit your hand and personal shooting preference. No wonder the P22 has been so popular! Embedded on the grip are finger grooves which adds a nice texture and additional grasping support. Even though it is a thinner gun, it by no means is an uncomfortable one. Near the grip, there are front and rear slide serrations. Since the Walther P22 has such a low recoil, you will not have to worry about hand fatigue as you would have with a larger caliber.
Features on The P22 Trigger
The Walther P22 is a double-action single action with a blowback design. The trigger guard is squared off and has serrations on the front and even has a small notch for your finger for gloved hands. You will also find ambidextrous mechanical protection on the slide, as well as a magazine disconnect safety button. This will restrict any pulling motion on the trigger unless a magazine is presented in the gun.
The Trigger Lock on a Walther P22
The Walter P22 is designed with a trigger lock as a vital part of the handgun. There are clearly marked “F” and “S” symbols to indicate the locks fire and safe positions. You can find the trigger lock inside the box your Walther P22 came in. If you decide to use this feature of the gun, simply place the key inside the hole on the gun’s right side and turn. I have heard that some people do find that this trigger lock is difficult to manage. It appears the downside is how hard you really have to push down on the trigger lock to turn it. If you end up losing the physical forked key for this feature, you will be expected to order a new one, which can take weeks.
Ammo For The P22
What states in the owner’s manual is, “Malfunction may occur when ammunition with a low propellant charge is fired. Use only high-velocity ammunition in your Walther P22.” So, the P22 does recommend high-velocity ammo, though Bulk or Federal Box ammo works flawlessly with this Walther gun. You’ll have very few issues with this compact and concise gun. Many experts utilize the Federal 22 Long Rifle or “LR” ammo or really any bulk ammo. Experts highly recommend the following for the P22 pistol.
- CCI Mini Mags
- CCI Stingers
- Remington High-Velocity Golden Bullet
- Remington Target
- Federal Premium Gold
- Federal High Velocity
The following ammo had prompted difficulties but is adequate for target practice.
- Winchester 40 grain solids
- Federal Bulk Ammo
- Winchester Xpert Bulk Ammo
- Remington Golden Bulk Ammo
- Remington Thunderbolt
And finally, we did not want to leave you hanging about what you should not use in a P22 pistol, so the following ammunition is highly not approved in a P22.
- Yellow Jackets
- Remington SubSonics
Dependability and Self-Defense
A lot of people actually use this pistol as a concealed carry or car gun for self-defense. This compact yet sturdy P22 pistol can be really effective if your shots are placed right. Certain Walther guns have a last-round bolt hold open and are an excellent benefit when you are in self-defense mode and need to add bullets quickly. The reliability this little gun has is tremendous. Through extensive research and experience, a Walther gun can fire flawlessly for nearly 12,000 shots before needing any touch-ups or showing any signs of wear and tear. You may get the occasional ammo-related jam, but overall the Walther guns are fantastic for their price.
Can a Walther P22 Kill?
There are many people that think bigger is better when it comes to guns. However, the P22 pistol can, in fact, be a trustworthy concealed carry or utilized in a hunting or hiking event when you need to practice self-defense. You can easily hit the paddle levers with your right thumb or index finger on this semi-auto pistol since it is an ambi-magazine release. The magazine release is quick and efficient so that you can load up with your high-velocity or other bullets mentioned above. And as game is concerned, the shoot ability is decent with a P22 as you can take down small games such as squirrels, groundhogs, prairie dogs, foxes, deer, and even wild hogs.
What is Included in A Walther P22 Box?
Unless they have changed up the packaging, if you purchase a brand new Walther P22, you should expect to receive the pistol with a ten-round magazine that is stainless steel. One spare replaceable back strap, a trigger lock key, the recoil spring reassembly rod, and one small wrench, used for removing the barrel if needed, and a limited lifetime warranty for this investment.
Our Rating on The Walther P22 Pistol
Ergonomics *5/5*
As well as many others, our opinion is that the P22 is exceptionally comfortable. While also offering additional options to customize the rear grip panel to your preference. Simply because of this pistol’s thinness, the ergonomic grip is a great gun to use with both hands or if you have smaller hands even with its easy to use functions such as the safety lever, the magazine release, and the trigger.
Accuracy *4/5*
The Walther P22 is an excellent pistol for a fun day at the range with buds, and if you add an addition to your barrel, it works flawlessly as a plinking gun. You can also play around with different ammunition brands for the best accuracy. As mentioned above, you should get high-velocity ammo for the best outcome, but others would work too.
Reliability *3/5*
You have to keep a P22 cleaned. We are rating reliability at a three out of five because of how much you may have to spend time cleaning it. When you are using the P22 consistently, it will get dirty. A dirty P22 could bring on catastrophic failures. That is on the more severe side. Otherwise, your pistol may experience issues in the gamut from failures to feed, extract, and eject.
Looks *4/5*
Being a small and compact 22lr, the P22 has an impressive appearance. The Walther company has designed the P22 similarly to the P99. It is about seventy-five percent the size of a P99 and still punches what it needs! You will find two significant benefits on the Walther P22 that you would not find on the P99: the external safety lever and the external hammer. The trigger guard is squared off in a very nice ergonomic fashion, making the trigger press in a comfortable position. You can get the P22 in various colors and configurations to your liking. And with magazine models, you can purchase that feature a finger rest base pad is available for an upgrade. A finger rest can significantly help shooters have an extra stable firing grip on this pistol.
Value *5/5*
The price point for this impressive yet small pistol, in our opinion, is phenomenal. It truly is hard to beat with how many features you are given, plus the overall specs. The Walther P22 pistol is a fraction of the cost compared to the other large-caliber handguns. We think the P22 is one of the best handguns for its value on the market because of its features and its affordable price. It ultimately allows you to invest more money into ammo and accessories to make your gun yours.
Final Thoughts
OK, so you want a handgun that is impressive, does the job right, and at an affordable price? This is the gun for you then! Take this baby to the range and practice target shooting or take it to your backyard in the woods and do some plinking with some buds. You’ll have so much fun with this guy! Please remember, though, always practice gun safety!
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