[Rhino]

Hello,
I just got a P22 and wanted a little more info about the piece. I am not familar with rim fire weapons, most of my experience is with 1911 style pistols.

Can these pistols be "dry fired" or do they make some type of "snap cap" to place in the chamber?

I have the short barrel version, is the 5" barrel worth the investment? Is there much difference in accuracy? (It does not look as good, IMO)

Thanks

 

[uncut]

Yes they make .22lr snap caps.. though I have no idea if they work well or not... I never used them....
the 5" barrel I have heard is a lot more trouble to clean... I have no P22 yet so I can't tell you for sure though....
I swould be happy with the short barrel.....but thats just me

 

[kraut22]

Both barrels are easy to clean. If you're afraid of an extra 2" of barrel length, then I doubt any different pistol is for you.

The 5.5" barrel has a compensator, so reset time will be improved, and your groups will be better if you're shooting for speed. Other than that, the 3.5" looks much better, I agree.

You shouldn't dry-fire any semi-auto pistol, as you will break the firing pin eventually. Snap caps are available, but you may as well just shoot cheapie .22LR -- it's a hell of a lot cheaper than snap-caps.

 

[phobos512]

The 5.5" barrel does NOT have a compensator. It has a neat looking hunk of metal on the end that doesn't do anything.

I have the 3.4" myself and have a ball with her.

The typical snap caps for .22LR in my experience are not true snap caps like you'd find for a centerfire firearm, but instead are made of something soft to give the firing pin resistance but lower wear than a real case (the ones I've seen are plastic or rubber, but solid).