Walther P22 Review

The Walther P22 can be unarguably termed as one of the most popular rimfire, semi-automatic 22 pistols on the market. The first impression of every gun is just when you hold it initially, and Walther P22 gives you a great feel on your first use. As far as affordability is concerned, it is quite economical and serves the purpose of plinking and casual target shooting for the entire family.

The finishing is done with black polymer and the side is made of zinc alloy, giving it a unique appearance and class. It gives an overall bulky yet compact look with a barrel length of only 3.4 inches. Its length measures about 6.3 inches, and height and width approximately 4.5 inches and 1.1 inches, respectively. The barrel, extractor, recoil spring guide and ejector are all made of steel.

Stainless steel is used to construct the magazine together with a bump pad and follower. The weight of the Walther P22 without magazine is just about 15.1 oz. Within the frame of the black polymer, there is a lock work that consists of stamped and MIM steel components. The grip of Walther P22 pistol is well fabricated to allow easy handling with a range of hand sizes. It is influenced by European style, which is evident in the hooked front on the trigger guard. This hook is useful in providing a place for the offhand index finger. There is also a Picatinny rail available for the mounting of accessories such as lights, lasers etc.

The most appealing feature of Walther P22 is its sights. They are excellent because of the availability of plenty of light between the rear sight and front sight blade. These sights consists of a polymer ramp, rear sight adjustable for windage, two white dots and the front sight with a white dot pressed into the slide.

To adjust the elevation, there is an option of two additional front sights. Ergonomic considerations of the pistol provide an interchangeable back strap allowing a comfortable grip, and an ambidextrous magazine release, which is located at the bottom rear of the trigger guard.

If you can hold the pistol steadily enough while hitting targets, Walther P22 is an accurate and consistent pistol despite its small size. However, it takes some practice to develop accuracy with this pistol. This can be easily achieved by taking an extra second between rounds to re-acquire the target.

The Walther P22 is built for safety because it is also a good pistol for family use. There are several safety mechanisms installed such as the Slide Mounted Manual Safety, Trigger Lock and Drop Safety. The Slide Mounted Manual Safety is ambidextrous just like the magazine release. When engaged, it prevents the hammer from contacting the firing pin and also inhibits it from moving forward to be in contact with the chambered round.

The Trigger Lock is purposely included to give it a good safety feature while storing the pistol. The Drop Safety is incorporated in the form of a firing pin, which is designed to only disengage when the trigger is pulled. This safety prevents the firing pin to contact the chambered round if the gun is dropped.

Model: P22

Action: DA/SA

Caliber: 22

Overall Length: 6.30"

Overall Height: 4.50"

Overall Width: 1.10"

Barrel Length: 3.42"

Sights: 3-Dot

Capacity: 10 + 1

Weight: 17.60 oz.