Walther P-22 redux update

[DanGunner]

My family name, before it was Anglicized, was Walther, so naturally I bought a Walther P-22 a few years ago when I resumed shooting after a long diversion into boating. Later I bought another. However, although I liked the gun's ergonomics and features, such as DO/SA, I never really liked it due to crankiness on ammunition and what I perceived as inherent inaccuracy. I sold both a couple of years ago but this week reneged and bought a new one simply because I wanted a compact .22 autoloader and Ruger's SR22 and LCP .22 aren't on the roster. I'm hopeful that 2nd Gen P-22 will turn out better. If not I still have my 1944 vintage Walther PP which is a fine shooter so the family name will be upheld.

UPDATE: I bought Walther P-22 after a long and fruitless search for a Ruger SR 22, but within a few weeks of taking possession of Walther an SR 22 popped up on Calguns and it's now in jail awaiting parole into my custody. I'm looking forward to a side-by-side comparison since outwardly they are so similar. If I keep both, I'll probably make space in the safe by selling my S&W 22s target pistol, since I have its fraternal twin, the S&W 22a, that I like just a tiny bit more although both are deadly accurate, easily on a par with my Buck Mark. It's nice to have options.

[12pewpew]

Not sure what gen I have but I bought one new about 4 or 5 years ago that's a complete POS. YMMV.

[sseric75]

https://www.taylor-tactical-supply.com/ppq-22-reduced-pwr-recoil-p/ppq-reduced-pwr-recoil.htm

https://www.taylor-tactical-supply.com/ppq-22-reduced-pwr-recoil-p/ppq-reduced-pwr-recoil.htm

[TKM]

You are probably easier to re-assemble than a P22.

[alpha_romeo_XV]

A couple weeks ago I took my circa 2006 P22 to the range and put 100 rounds of Thunderbolts through it with no problems which confirms past results. For test purposes I tried 5 other brands of 22LR ammo and each had FTE and FTF problems to varying degrees. I don't know what about Thundernolts allows them to work so well in my P22 but if it wasn't for them it would sit in the safe.

[SharedShots]

People will buy a P22 and complain like pink hat wearers at an NRA convention but buy almost anything else and sink thousands into them and boast about reliability or; pay 2-3 times more and do the same.

Then they start complaining about how their AR15 won't feed, extract or eject.

It's a $299 pistol in 22LR. With any 22 you need to find the ammo that works well but for some reason with the P22 it's supposed to eat anything right out of the box.

If it's a S&W or anything else, send it back on frequent flyer miles for repair replacement, buy new barrels, polish feed ramps, new extractors, burnish the mag lips, change ammo 10 times but dang that P22 is pure trash.

[Wheellock]

I have a 2019 vintage P22 and I haven't had any issues if I keep it somewhat clean (no more than any other 22).

I also have a 2002 vintage P22 that hasn't had any issues but I seem to be the lucky one there.

[ACfixer]

Just put a P22 in an ultrasonic cleaner for a friend at work, she told me the gun jams constant. It was really dirty so, in the tank it went... the finish on the slide basically just fell off. What a pile of junk, I just shelled out $300 to buy her a new gun. We've cleaned countless guns in this thing... I can't believe what a cheap piece of crap zinc alloy "zamak" hunk of worthless garbage. The SIG mosquito is no longer the biggest pile of crap I have ever encountered.

I'll end up selling this as is or cerakoting the slide and taking a beating. No good deed goes unpunished, but if you buy this thing you've been warned. This is after 5 minutes in water with dawn soap and simple green.

[k1dude]

Just put a P22 in an ultrasonic cleaner for a friend at work, she told me the gun jams constant. It was really dirty so, in the tank it went... the finish on the slide basically just fell off. What a pile of junk, I just shelled out $300 to buy her a new gun. We've cleaned countless guns in this thing... I can't believe what a cheap piece of crap zinc alloy "zamak" hunk of worthless garbage. The SIG mosquito is no longer the biggest pile of crap I have ever encountered.

I'll end up selling this as is or cerakoting the slide and taking a beating. No good deed goes unpunished, but if you buy this thing you've been warned. This is after 5 minutes in water with dawn soap and simple green.

Heck, it's probably a factory rattle can paint job. I'd have simply applied another coat of rattle can paint and called it good.

[pinger]

My gun shot reliably with many of the bulk ammo I had. The only problem was the rear sight was plastic, wobbly and not repairable. I got rid of it cause I couldn't keep the sight fixed short of epoxy.

[heyitsyeh]

You want a rimfire worthy of the Walther name, get the MP5 22lr

[ACfixer]

Heck, it's probably a factory rattle can paint job. I'd have simply applied another coat of rattle can paint and called it good.

Good to know.

If something comes into my possession I will return it in the same or better condition, and if I can't do that I'll buy a new one. I am not going to spray paint someone's gun and return it to them.

[happy_gunner]

I had the first gen of P22, it did jam every so often until I was informed about the type of oil I used to lube it. After switching to Rem oil, it ate everything I fed it.

[SharedShots]

Just put a P22 in an ultrasonic cleaner for a friend at work, she told me the gun jams constant. It was really dirty so, in the tank it went... the finish on the slide basically just fell off. What a pile of junk, I just shelled out $300 to buy her a new gun. We've cleaned countless guns in this thing... I can't believe what a cheap piece of crap zinc alloy "zamak" hunk of worthless garbage. The SIG mosquito is no longer the biggest pile of crap I have ever encountered.

I'll end up selling this as is or cerakoting the slide and taking a beating. No good deed goes unpunished, but if you buy this thing you've been warned. This is after 5 minutes in water with dawn soap and simple green.

You just shelled out $300 to buy a gun for a co-worker? Hopefully they didn't pay you back in any way.

Dirty gun jams. No kidding, almost all of them will do that if they get dirty enough.

Apparently, you have no idea about which types of finishes can be cleaned in an ultrasonic and which should not.

Sprayed on/painted and many other finishes applied to aluminum, zinc and other alloys containing those materials should never be cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaner. That applies to almost anything, not just the P22. If you used the proper cleaning techniques and practices, you wouldn't have that problem. Also, chrome plated items should not be cleaned in an ultrasonic. Then, the type of solution used should be compatible with the finish and material of the item being cleaned. You would not for example, generally clean aluminum/zinc alloy in any solution (like simple green) that has a corrosive or etching effect on that material.

Just because you did it wrong doesn't mean something is junk.

A simple search regarding simple green:

"Simple Green is corrosive and will react with bare aluminium causing hydrogen embrittlement (this is also known as stress cracking corrosion). As the cleaner gradually ferments it reduces the pH from its normal mildly alkaline state to acidic. Slow corrosion of the aluminium results, generating a little hydrogen on the surface."

Simple Green also corrodes Zinc. An ultrasonic cleaner working so much faster than a quick spray, brush, wipe and rinse caused the problem you created.

The ultrasonic cleaners will find even very small areas of a finish and then work on those areas to the detriment of the material.

[SharedShots]

Good to know.

If something comes into my possession I will return it in the same or better condition, and if I can't do that I'll buy a new one. I am not going to spray paint someone's gun and return it to them.

You messed up the finish using Simple Green which corrodes aluminum/zinc and alloys using them.

Many people think Simple Green is safe to use on everything because you can wash your hands in it and it's biodegradable and all that. Not true.

Simple green will damage Aluminum, Zinc and alloys that use them. Many a disappointed person has tried to clean aluminum which was just slightly warm only to find out the finish became very damaged.

Keep simple green away from aluminum parts. Yes, some very tough finishes on aluminum will provide some protection but an ultrasonic can find a pinhole and then the simple green begins its work on damaging it. You might not see it at first and it gets worse over time. Some finishes on aluminum or zinc are very good and don't allow the simple green to get to bare metal but - -

these are guns and anywhere the aluminum alloys wear that is bare metal and the simple green will start to react with the metal.

Even a quick check of the makers website tells you that Simple Green should be diluted and by your mixing it with Dawn who knows that it can do? Never mix household cleaners, that is a basic safety precaution.

You owe her a new gun.