[Clint Boyer]

I was in the sporting goods store today checking out the P22. Does anyone have experience with this firearm? I like the idea of the interchangable barrels (3.5 and 5 in). I also noticed that S&W is stamped on the one in the shop. I checked out the GunsAmerica and see German made models for sale also.
It seems like a handy little gun.

 

[andy]

i've HEARD Smith versions of the 9mm r

"iffy" in quality. The Walther .22 doesn't FEEL like other guns, so unless you want it as a "trainer" for the 9mm Walther, it has to compete, pricewise, accuracy wise, with the Browning Buckmark. It wil have a hard time doing so.

 

[Clint Boyer]

The P22 is 25% smaller then the 9mm version. My intentions are not for use as a trainer. I carry and shoot many different handguns, I happen to like the FEEL of that one. It is also set up for many accessories

I was curious about the quaility of the S&W version, I've heard nothing but good things about the german Walthers. The one in the shop was $279 and the only cheaper ones I saw on GA were $230-$260 I believe.

 

[andy]

I'll never know from personal experience

cause I detest DA triggers, and because I aint about to either lose or add-to the current group of guns. The "chopped" (Detonics length) Colt .22 unit, on alloy 1911 frame is a great trainer, and the smithed M21 is a great trail gun. That's all the use I have for 22 handguns.

Carrying lots of guns, in lots of different positons, holsters, is asking for trouble, when suddenly NEED that gun. I stick to cocked and locked carry,normally in front pants pocket, but occasinally, at the navel, if ccw'inga belt gun.

 

[Rich Z]

Clint,

I always eyeball the P22 and it certainly feels good in my hand as well. I almost bought one a year or so ago, but when I did a scan of the net for opinions, I heard a lot of people calling it a "jamamatic". So I decided to hold off thinking maybe quality will increase and price go down. I know prices have dropped from when they were first coming into the country, but so far I haven't done any checking around on the quality issue.

I would like to get one, if reliability is satisfactory and accuracy acceptable. I bought a Hammerli Trailside that I really like, but it's a bit big for a pocket pistol. Certainly accurate enough for me, and seems to be reliable. One thing I found out, though, is that the Trailside DOES NOT like the high velocity stuff.

I've seen them for around $260 or so locally, so price is not bad at all. I may buy one sooner or later as a plinker, but I sure would like to be able to "try before I buy"....

 

[Clint Boyer]

I'd like to "try before I buy" also. There's nothing worse then getting something out to the range and finding out it's a lemon.

When I was looking for a small carry gun I bought a Sig P230 and a Colt Mustang Pocketlite .380. That way I was able to do a direct comparison of the two. The Colt won out on almost all of my trials. I'm not saying that the Sig was not a good gun, it just worked better for me and most importantly, repeat fire was more controllable.

That's one good aspect of having and using many guns, you know what works best for you at any given moment. The Mustang sits on my hip most often.

 

[02PSD4ME]

I purchased one for my son last summer ('03), We have over 800 rds through it with no problems.

 

[andy]

why settle for a pocket pistol in hip rig?

that makes no sense at all. Pocket pistols belong in pocket holsters. You can have a REAL gun on your hip.

 

[Clint Boyer]

When I can wear clothing that will cover the Kimber .45 CDP, that's what I carry. The Mustang is easily hidden by a lightweight shirt untucked.
The Mustang may not be the ultimate carry gun (I'll give you that) but it works for me, it fits and I like it. I can drive with it when others gouge me in the side. I can wear it comfortably ALL day.

 

[andy]

yes, in your POCKET, where it has the

advantage of DISCRETELY having hand on gun when you smell a rat. You give up that advantage when you carry it elsewhere. I've got thousands of hours logged with a lw Commander being worn at the navel. Just have to twist it so that the butt's corner is in navel, trigger guard's behind the belt area, and muzzle's pointed at the juncture of strong side thigh and pelvis, have a soft rig cover the front corner of the gun,and severely round off the front corners of the slide. very fast, comfortable when seated,you KNOW when somebody sees or feels it, it aint bumping agains doorways, car fenders, etc. FBI carry kinda sucks, really People mostly go to it out of ignorance, fear of having gun point at genitals, and being too fat to sit down with comfort.

 

[KJUN]

I've shot a friends P22 at the range. I was amazed at the accuracy - MUCH better than I will ever be free=handwith a pistol. Fit my hand well, pointedeasily, and I got some of my best groups free-hand out of that pistol thanwith any small caliber handgun I've ever shot. I was VERY impressed.

The sites are horrible in low-light conditions, though. I had the bright idea to use his pistol to legally hunt some small "game" at night with a flashlight. The hunt was a success, but the shooting wasn't.....lol. I handed the gun back and used my rifle to harvest the animal in a more efficent manner.

Still, in good light, it was an awesome gun. Still pointed well at night, but the sites need improvement for accurate shootg in low-light levels.

KJ

 

[Rich Z]

Aw rats, KJ! Why did you have to go and say something like that?

I need another .22 handgun like I need a hole in my head, but now I am going to start thinking seriously about getting one of these toys. I've handled them at shows and REALLY like the feel of them.

 

[KJUN]

Yeah, me, too. I'm looking at ways to justify getting my own, too! His gun is pretty nice. Feels great in the hand.

KJ

 

[andy]

A .22 is either a pocket pc, a superbly

accurate substitute for a rifle (ie, small game foraging) or the same "feel" for training, with the intent of using a same "feel" and operating mode centerfire. since there's no worthwhile centerfire that feels like a Walther .22, and sinces it's neither pocketable nor 3" at 50 m, (from the Weaver) capable, it's just another plinker. Is the price commensurate with that of a used, $150 Browning Buckmark?

Why not plink, compete, hunt, etc, with REALISTIC guns, hmm? Why dissipate your skill-practice, by practicing with lots of different feeling-acting guns?

If I always carry a cocked and locked SA auto, and don't OWN any other sort of pistol, WHAT are the odds that I will NEED a pistol,and ALSO just HAPPEN to find some OTHER sort of pistol, "in the nick of time" hmm? I'd say less likely than I am to be Bruce-Lee capable with my hands and feet.

What's the point of being HALF ASSED good with lots of guns, instead of being SUPER good, with "just" a few guns, hmm?

 

[Clint Boyer]

Hey KJ
Was the one you shot a 5" or 3.5" barrel? I see they made the slide extention on the 5" appear to be a compensator. I've heard it was designed just for looks.

 

[Rich Z]

Yo, KJ....

Did you shoot the 3.5 or 5 inch model?

I think my local Oshman's store carries this Walther, so I wouldn't even have to wait for a gun show to pick one up.

Well, heck. I think there is a gunshow right near the Orlando Fire Show next month. Maybe I can get the wife to man the tables while I sneak off to the gun show for an hour or three.

 

[andy]

try a used, $200 smith 2214 sometime

18 ozs, 6" long, 2" groups at 25 yds, if you are man enough. Beautiful sights and trigger pull. ONly problem is pos safety is really awkward to use, and nearly imipossible to smith into something more amenable, too. Still, for non defensive uses, that's irrelevant. Is the Walther .22 smaller,lighter, cheaper,more accurate? hell no.

 

[Rich Z]

I just took a look at a picture of the 2214. Sheesh! Looks like something some of those fly by night gun importers out of Miami used to sell. I'm amazed that Smith & Wesson would put their name on something like that. Yeah, I know looks aren't everything, but it does rack up some points for me when I am considering a new gun purchase. That 2214 looks damned ungainly to hold and shoot. I have handled some of the Wather's and they fit my hand extremely well. So visual aesthetics aside, I would be real surprised if the 2214 fits my hand well at all.

This would be a fun gun toy to buy, maybe to carry in my pocket in case I get attacked by a herd of vengeful squirrels.

Actually I'm not completely sold on the Walther at this point. I found the following rather uncomplimentary writeup about this gun just recently:

Many .22 pistols are very ammunition sensitive when it comes to accuracy and it will take some experimentation to find the right ammo for this gun, but the Federal Copper Jacketed Hollow points ain't it. Test groups at 25 yards were consistently over 10" even in the hands of highly qualified competition shooters. It is also outside the realm of what one could consider usable for hunting small game. Shooting squirrels with this pistol means you have to keep your stalking skills in order and being within 15 yards will not guarantee you a hit on one of the critters. If I end up keeping the gun, I will definitely seek out which ammunition will deliver the best performance with it. It does seem to deliver good enough reliability to be a defensive pistol, but one can hardly take the .22 LR seriously as a combat option when there are better choices available.

So maybe getting a "good one' is a rather hit and miss proposition....

So I'm in no hurry to run out an buy one quite yet....

 

[andy]

any hand can be trained to any grip,

and you AINT talking about a high speed defense gun, anyway. The handling of the 2214 is ok, other than the safety problem that I mentioned If have the safety disengaged, a good hand will have have no problem reacting, raising the gun from low ready, and getting hits on the 4" brain circle at 15 ft, in well under 1 second, on the electronic shooting timer. Few such pocket guns are any faster than that.

 

[Rich Z]

The brain circle of a squirrel is nowhere near 4 inches. THAT is what I would be getting the pocket .22 to shoot at. Sometimes I just don't feel like lugging a rifle when I take a walk around the property.