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- - Re: Walther P22 (http://www.thefirearmsforum.com/showthread.php?t=113807)

I recently purchased a used but excelent Walther P22 With a 5" barrell. Took it out to shoot it and was pleased at first. I could shoot stationary 3" clay pigeons @ 50' easily. After about 25 rounds I stopped hitting. Went to a standard 25' pistol target and the best I could do was 3" groups @ 25'. Took it home and cleaned it and tried it again @ 25' paper. At first I was happy again I could keyhole the target, but... after 15-17 rounds the pattern spread again. :( I'm wondering if the gun has a barrell issue. Does anyone have any experience with this gun or know anyone who has? I really like this gun 10 minutes at a time.

Two issues dirt and heat. The barrel is VERY VERY thin and after shooting a mag they can flex some more then others but it only takes a very small movement to throw off accuracy.

I think Maine nailed it for you. It's not a target gun by any means.

And what exactly do you mean "keyhole the target"? Hit accurately? Or actually see the shape of the bullet on the target as though the bullet hit sideways?

mine is real finnicky with ammo but it is an accurate shooter, very accurate for that short of barrel/sight radius. I've not had issues with it like you're having though. Do you bore-snake at the range at all? I snake mine periodically when I'm shooting it, might be just enough to make the difference. I only actually 'clean' it once a year maybe!

Remington 36gn hyper velocity (copper plated) work best in mine (for cycling anyway, not accuracy). But even with all lead, I've not had degraded accuracy. wierd.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sub-moa (Post 995596)

Actually they are very accurate for a DA/SA very light weight pistol. The thin barrel is of high quality and dissipates heat well. What makes them hard to shoot accurately is the short sight radius, DA trigger and it's impact on fire control components and the pistols very light weight. Put a red dot on the bridge mount, place the pistol on a rest and it will better 3/8" 10 round groups. It is not a target pistol or rifle though.

Walther makes some very fine target pistols. Some with the same barrel set up.

There are several things that could be wrong. The frame screws could be loose, there are two. The barrel nut could be loose. If the barrel nut is not tight, then the barrel is not on the pistol tightly.

And if you are shooting soft lead rounds like Remington Thunderbolts you probably have lead in the barrel. It is hard to scrub out and the lightly rifled P22 barrel will foul if fired rapidly with lead nose rounds. So will plenty of other pistols. I'd recommend Remington Golden bullets with the brass wash or CCI Mini Mags. P22s love RGBs. BTW, keyhole is a term used when a round is no longer hitting the target straight on and punching a round hole but rather the round has gone sideways due to either a leaded barrel or long distance. The hole then resembles an old fashioned key hole. I'm not sure what you meant be keyhole the target. Getting the lead out can be quite tricky......the stuff really likes to stick in there. Takes a brass brush and a lot of work to remove it. I'd recommend plated ammo.

Keep us posted on what you find and good luck. You'll get it. M1911

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y66...NewP-22-02.jpg

10 round groups at 21'. Resting hand on top of a table saw. Short barrel P22. Now if only my eyes weren't so old and me diabetic and I could find something other than crooked boolits.

i love mine only use cci mini mags never had a problem

Mine's a plinker and likes mini mags. I really like it. 1911--glad to see you here. I know your expertise is and will be appreciated..........

Closer examination found barrel nut located under the front accessory rail loose. A special barrel wrench was included with pistol. Cleaned and took back to range....Happy again! Gun now shoots 1.5" groups @ 30' consistently.
Sorry about misuse of “keyhole” phrase. I'll just say a very tight group. :D

Took mine out Saturday and it would not fire.........I bragged too soon, I guess. Firing pin issue????

the barrel nut on mine loves to work itself loose. I use blue/medium loctite, just a dab, to help remedy that, no matter how much I torque with the little sheet metal wrench, it never stays put long.

good to hear you're pistola is now shooting good! I continue to be amazed at the accuracy of these little suckers.

Gemtech makes a nice suppressor for these little fellas too.

I might have to look into that :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by jedwil (Post 997085)

Took mine out Saturday and it would not fire.........I bragged too soon, I guess. Firing pin issue????

Did you forget the boolits again? :D Not firing can be caused by...

1. Safety set to safe
2. Firing pin not resetting ( dirty firing pin ) Empty pistol, safety set to fire, the firing pin should move freely forward and return all the way to the rear when pressed in from the rear and released.
3. Weak trigger bar spring not keeping the trigger bar engaged with the sear which causes the hammer to get caught by the sear in the safety notch (half cock notch) Carefully inspect a dropped hammer to see if it is falling all the way.
4. Broken firing pin
5. Broken hammer spring.
M1911

Quote:

Originally Posted by sub-moa (Post 997245)

I might have to look into that :)

Way back loose barrel nuts were a common issue. Walther added an O ring under the nut in about '05 or '06 to address the issue but a dab of blue threadlocker is the way to go. I use a dab under the frame screws as well. Just a dab on the end of the threads, blue......not red. M1911

Perhaps the O ring is missing on mine. I saw none when I tightened it. Also my gun has the later production "A" magazine which dealt with feed issues. Could be a replacement mag,but I don't think the gun is very old.

What year is your pistol. you can tell by the two letter code on the right side of the frame at the chamber. AC for 2003, AD for 2004, etc. There is no J. An AK is a 2009 model. Since you have A part number suffix numbers you have a fairly early pistol....AE perhaps. The original mags had no stagger slot and did not work well. They were discontinued and A suffix mags were offered with a 1" long stagger slot. These worked well until about 2006 when Walther introduced essentially the same mag but with a shorter 3/8" stagger slot. These caused jams, stovepipes and live rounds jumping out of the pistol while the next round was chambered. These were immediately replaced with B suffix mags and a return to the long slot.

So, if you have short slot A suffix mags and are having feeding issues, S&W will replace them with current magazines.

The barrel nut did not change at all, all Walther added was an O ring that fit between the threads and the main body of the nut. M1911

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y66...brary-1928.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y66...brary-1978.jpg

The magazine on the right with the short stagger slot was problematic.

I need some better mags, mine like to spew rounds out the top about every few rounds or so, instead of feeding properly. good to know, thanks for the info!

did u pull the trigger:lmao2::lmao2::lmao2::lmao2:

seriously do u think it is the mags?

If aa1911 has those short slot mags that is exactly one of the problems they cause. A live round will slip out of the magazine and fly out of the pistol while the breech block picks up the next round and shoves it home. This happens faster than you can observe when firing. You know you have 10 rounds in the mag and only fire 7 when the empty pistol locks open. Magazines are as important to a semi auto as any other part of the firearm. Long slot A and B mags work fine as do the new ones that no longer have the A or B suffix letter. M1911

After reading all the posts on this thread I decided to check mine, although I have had no issues with it. I found that the barrel nut was and the frame screw on the right side of reciever was also loose. I cant find the second frame screw. Thanks 1917 for the insight! Learn something everyday.

You can give S&W a call at the 800 number, punch in 3 for customer service and ask for new parts. They are free and especially if you are having PROBLEMS with a part.....like it vibrated out of the pistol. M1911

I have to say that this has been a VERY informative thread. I've had my P22 for a couple of years now, and it shoots very nicely. I have a coworker that may still have his... and it had some feed issues. I will have to have a chat with him about that and see if I can help him out. I've been very happy with mine.

I purchased the Walther P22 to begin teaching my son the pistol. We loved the styling and the feel. It has been easy for him to hold, but we have noticed how the brass will fly in different directions.

There doesn't seem to be a pattern to it and it is definitiely related to how tight your grip is.

Just wondering if anyone has a solution for the brass smacking you in the forehead?

YankeeTactical.com

a tighter grip make em fly higher and away ??

Quote:

Originally Posted by YankeeTactical.com (Post 1020447)

Just wondering if anyone has a solution for the brass smacking you in the forehead?

Yep buy a Ruger mkiii. OR wear a helmet.