[Wiredog]

I bought a PPQ.22lr as a starter handgun for the folks that go with me to the range and have never shot. It's a nice looking gun and definitely feels like my PPQ.45 in almost all aspects.

However, I was cleaning it before I went out to the range and while I was using my nylon brush, I noticed that the black paint on the surfaces inside the slide was coming off to expose the metal--it was somewhat disappointing. I assume the Cerakote must only be on the outside slide and barrel. I doubt it will impact the performance of a .22 plinking pistol but still.

Only have 100 rounds of Remington Golden Bullet go through it and had at least 1 round in every 10 round magazine either fail to fire or fail to go into battery.

I had the same sort of experience with my CCP that is also a fixed barrel design until I found the ammo it likes to eat. So I plan to give it more time and try CCI Mini-Mags next but wanted to see if anyone else has had that same experience.

 

[queueball]

PPQ vs Golden Bullet

During the great ammo drought (after newtown), I scavenged any 22LR I could find, so have a lot of different rounds through my PPQ .22. Here's my subjective observations:

While Wildcats were the worst, Winchester 36/1280 copper plate HP can also be flaky, true for all my 22 autos (I won't name all of them).

I have over 500 rounds of golden bullet in the PPQ and do not recall any real problems. It works reliably in all my autos and i'm down to 200 rnds of the case left, so I'd expect to see problems by now.

I much prefer the CCI standard. It's consistent and best of all is subsonic if you put a can on your PPQ, which makes it a joy to shoot. Every Federal offering I've tried works fine too, even the multitude of bulk packs. Gemtech subsonics are superb and any Eley seems good, but only shot 200 of those.

Now after 2000 or so rounds of different ammo I did start getting a lot of failure to go bang. despite ultrasonic cleaning and other efforts. I ended up taking apart the firing pin mechanism bolted to the upper part of the slide.

Walther SAYS DO NOT DO THIS in the manual, and I can assure you I spent time hunting on the floor finding springs that went sprung. What really saved me (besides powerful flashlight) was I took photos of each step of tear down so now it''s not that difficult. The GSG 1911-22 had the same problem and I just cleaned that, but not shot it yet. The PPQ 22 is now back to 100% with/out the can.

Yes, the interior is less finished. I'll agree, with your observations, but don't really care. I'm still shooting pinecones off trees, so satisfied, as accuracy and fidelity to the 9mm version is most important.

 

[jkv45]

I have a newer PPQ .22 as well, and this weekend my son started having problems ejecting Federal Champion .22 lead RN.

I personally have had good luck with CCI Std 40 gr with most of my .22s and tend to stick with it. If the gun has problems with CCI Std, I feel there is an issue that needs to be resolved. CCI Mini Mags are a bit too hot IMO, and are hard on the gun if not required to make it cycle consistently. Some guns need it, but from my experience the PPQ does not.

There is a question about the PPQ .22 that you could help resolve. One question is whether the gun is made in the Ulm or Arnsberg plant. The other is the material the slide is made of. Walther has stated aluminum, but in other places has listed the slide material as zinc.

Because the finish is off on a spot on your slide, you may be able to answer the second question. I believe putting a drop of vinegar on the metal should indicate the type of material. If it's zinc it should turn the spot black (and possibly bubble). If it's aluminum it shouldn't react at all.

 

[jkv45]

I tested the slide last night with vinegar, and if the test is correct the slide material is aluminum and not zinc.

 

[Caine]

I’ve got to say Remington Golden bullets are my least favorite 22s in any gun. When the great ammunition drought was going on I wouldn't buy them. Every 22 is different about which brand of ammo it likes. For rifle and pistol I found Federal High Velocity to be the most consistent.

By the way, I still have a spring somewhere under a huge china cabinet.