[searcher451]

In doing some additional research on the P22
for use as a plinking/training gun, an interesting thread
continues to come up in chatrooms. It talks about the
the use of zinc in the construction of the P22, which
keeps the weight down but apprently leads to all kinds
of breakage and cracking issues.

Has anyone run into this as a serious problem?
Is it something that was rectified somewhere along the
run and is no longer an issue, perhaps? You can find
some interesting photos of P22s online that are cracked or
broken after as few as a hundred rounds through them.
Thoughts? I love the look and feel of the gun but don't
want to buy a passel of trouble. Thanks in advance.

 

[Holescreek]

My opinion on this gun after many weeks of screwing with it to make it shoot the way a new gun should comming from the factory is that unless you have particularly small hands, are looking for a plinker to use for concealed carry, or are planning on adding a silencer, you'd be better off with most any other pistol. I too have seen the photos of slides stretching after only 6K rounds. Additionally, the front of the frame is so weak that the factory scope mount jumps around like it's mounted on the end of a diving board. If this was my gun instead of my wife's, I would have dumped it already. The majority of conversations on the sites I've been on are about correcting the flaws in this POS. -Mike

 

[uncut]

I have said it a few times before....... Umarex not Walther

 

[MGMike]

The P22 is a triumph of clever marketing: it's cute as a bug, has the "look" of a P99 shrunk in the wash, and comes with every "feature" and accessory imaginable. It has perfect appeal to the computer-bred generation who are entranced by things that look like space modules and not old enough to have personal experience with pre-plastic guns.

But as a serious firearm, it's an expensive joke. It reminds one of nothing so much as an Umarex C02 or blank-firing lookalike that has been upgraded (just barely) enough to handle real ammunition. Its designers are brilliant: they succeeded marvelously in producing it at an absolute minimum cost with plastic and zamak and powdered-metal injected inserts. The profit margin must be stupendous. There isn't a part designed for ruggedness anywhere in it. The idea of carrying this thing as a self-defense weapon makes sense only if there is really nothing else available.

I have not tested the slide to see if it is aluminum or zamak (zinc); I suspect the latter, as it allows really precise casting. Zamak won't take much stress and, worse, it seasons with age and eventually breaks, as Colt learned four decades ago when it introduced a 4/5th size copy of the in .22LR, with a zamak frame. It was soon discontinued and later reappeared with an aluminum frame.

 

[MGMike]

The P22 is a triumph of clever marketing: it's cute as a bug, has the "look" of a P99 shrunk in the wash, and comes with every "feature" and accessory imaginable. It has perfect appeal to the computer-bred generation who are entranced by things that look like space modules and not old enough to have personal experience with pre-plastic guns.

But as a serious firearm, it's an expensive joke. It reminds one of nothing so much as an Umarex C02 or blank-firing lookalike that has been upgraded (just barely) enough to handle real ammunition. Its designers are brilliant: they succeeded marvelously in producing it at an absolute minimum cost with plastic and zamak and powdered-metal injected inserts. The profit margin must be stupendous. There isn't a part designed for ruggedness anywhere in it. The idea of carrying this thing as a self-defense weapon makes sense only if there is really nothing else available.

I have not tested the slide to see if it is aluminum or zamak (zinc); I suspect the latter, as it allows really precise casting. Zamak won't take much stress and, worse, it seasons with age and eventually breaks, as Colt learned four decades ago when it introduced a 4/5th size copy of the Single Action Army in .22LR, with a zamak frame. It was soon discontinued and later reappeared with an aluminum frame.

Sorry, was inserting SAA and hit the wrong button. Inability to edit posts is a serious shortcoming on this forum. M

 

[searcher451]

I make golf clubs when I'm not on the firing range or
writing books or teaching at the local college, and I
know a little about zinc. A number of golf club heads
are made with the stuff; it's lightweight, it's malleable,
and it's inexpensive (as in really inexpensive). It's
also a bargain that's not worth buying. I can't tell you the
number of zinc clubheads I have had to pull and toss
over the years and replace with stainless steel or
titanium models. Even the zinc heads that are reinforced
with titanium (and quite a few of them exist) are junk. They
just don't hold up to the typical pounding that a golf club
takes. I was startled to spot on another site that parts of
the P22s are made of zinc; it explains a lot of the posts
that you find. At the same time, there seem to be two
distinct camps: People either despise 'em, or they love 'em to
death, with not a lot of middle ground. Does anyone know
whether the design has been improved, perhaps, and that
the ones of more recent vintage are holding up better than
the models of last year and the year before? Or is it all the
same, and S&W/Walther are happy to replace the ones that
fail because the sales are sufficient to warrant that approach?
Again, it's a nice looking piece. You just wish that it worked.
Thanks in advance for the thoughts.

 

[MGMike]

I am convinced that the P22 sells on showcase appeal, and the buyers who think it's great don't have anything else to compare it to. But if you want an eye-opener, shoot the P22 and a PPK .22 together. They are about the same size, but the similarity ends there. That's when you recognize the P22 as a toy pistol on steroids.

 

[searcher451]

You know, that's a great idea, Mike. I had forgotten
that you can get a PPK in .22 caliber. That might
well be the way to go to get a reliable plinker for
some fun/serious range work. Many thanks for the tip.
I'll have to poke around in that caliber and see what
turns up. Salute.

 

[uncut]

I have a PP in .22lr and I love it....
but man have you guys checked the prices of a good condition PP PPK/S or PPK ??
Mine won't win a beauty contest and it still const a good price......

 

[MGMike]

Searcher, be prepared for sticker shock. The only PP-series pistols available today in caliber . 22 are used German- or French-made PPKs, PPK/Ss and PPs that now command collector prices. But they are, in my opinion, the Mercedes-Benz of .22 automatics, though the sales figures were always disappointing. In the U.S., for every new .22 sold, nine .380s were sold. The popularity of .32 caliber was largely limited to Europe; the German police surplus PP pistols in .32 sold mostly because the price was so attractive.

In my view the PP-series makes more sense in .22 than in any other caliber, and they are a delight to shoot. The .380s have too much sturm und drang for such a mediocre caliber. Back when slides and barrels were available, I converted several PPK/S and PPK .380s to .22 caliber so I could enjoy them.

M

 

[searcher451]

Sticker shock and then some. The few that are
advertised on one of the popular sales websites
are pricey to say the least, and exorbitant to speak
more plainly -- especially when what I'm really
looking for is a plinker to help hone the rusty
reflexes of an out-of-practice shooter. I appreciate
Uncut's observations and those of others who are
fans of the P22. Still, some of the problems associated
with the gun are hard to ignore. It's too bad Walther/S&W haven't
upgraded the materials in the P22, given some of the issues
involved. I've got an e-mail note in to my local dealer
about finding a used PPK, but I don't hold out much hope of
getting one for under 5 bills -- and that's enough to
buy two of the P22s and a brick of bullets at WallyWorld. Sigh.

 

[uncut]

searcher
If cosmetic condition is no subject go look on this site... there is always one or two PP's in .22lr that won't break the book.....

http://www.simpsonltd.com/advanced_search_result.php?search_in_description=1&keywords=walther

Keep in mind when looking for them that the PPK mags in .22lr are much harder to find. The PP and PPK/S mags are out there but not cheap neither.

 

[uncut]

OK so here she is.... kinda treating her like a step child due to the finish
but one day some nice refinish will blow new live in her.....
The reason I got this one ??? Well there are no import marks on the slide (hidden in the magwell) and it is "ID" ('83) date coded originally imported to Canada

 

[searcher451]

Gee, a little blue, a little rub,
a little gold, a little scrub ...

And I'll bet it shoots like a dream which is what
the Walther is all about. They can always be
spruced up a bit, but the old line about a sow's
ear and a silk purse springs to mind with a lot of
imitators these days. That's why the case of the
P22 is so sad:

It looks so good, but potentially lurking under
that marvelous exterior ...

Many thanks for the tip on finding one via Simpson's.
I'm on the prowl, as they say.

 

[uncut]

I got it for $400 and some change ....
I love it once it is in single action....the double action is so darn heavy
I had thought about putting in a reduced main spring but never got to it ....
I have a shitload if NIB grips for it for when I ever get around to send her to Ford's
anyhow... no more PP talk here.... let's take that to the right Forum

 

[searcher451]

Any thoughts on the Walther TPH?
It appears to have at least some of the solutions.

 

[photohause]

Zinc slide, copper jacketed rounds....hummmmm...

 

[searcher451]

To make it worse, I talked with an FFL today who said that
he has sold dozens of the P22 with no problems reported
by anyone. "Great little gun -- really fun to shoot," he
said. "Pay no attention to those posts on the internet."
So there you go. And I'm more confused now that when
I started.