Walther P22 Review: The Rimfire Trainer That Wouldn’t Quit

This Walther P22 review is really a survival story. I bought this little .22 LR pistol on impulse, shot it suppressed for untold thousands of rounds, eventually broke the slide, and somehow came away liking the gun even more.

The .22 rimfire Walther P22 is an absolutely adorable defensive pistol analog. Small enough to be eminently portable yet sufficiently ample as to replicate larger, more serious iron, the P22 is the classic combat handgun simulator. My P22 and I have had countless adventures together.

The P22 features a polymer frame and zinc-alloy slide. Walther offers the gun in a variety of colors. The single-action/double-action trigger apes that of more traditional defensive fare, while the controls will seem familiar to anyone who has ever run a social gun for real.

The weapon feeds from a handy 10-round magazine and carries a base MSRP of $329. It is not hyperbole to say that every serious American handgunner needs a P22 of his or her own.

How This Walther P22 Review Started

My P22 was actually an impulse purchase. I’m pretty intentional about my ordnance. It is rare that I drop my hard-earned cash on something sparkly that just catches my eye at a gun show.

However, back in the Dark Ages, my two young sons and I were prowling about such a venue when a brand-new OD P22 began calling my name. I laid down the plastic and made that slick little smoke pole mine.

The pistol itself was actually just the starting point. I needed a proper sound suppressor to do it up right. Back then, my Gemtech Outback set me back about $300, and the blasted transfer tax was another $200. Gemtech has since replaced the Outback with the newer GM-22.

Today, the federal tax on qualifying suppressor transfers has dropped to $0, although the paperwork and approval process still apply. Rimfire suppressors remain fairly affordable, and you can still find relatively inexpensive .22 cans. To mate one to the P22, you will need a muzzle adaptor. Those are readily available and inexpensive.

That original setup came together a long time ago. My two sons are both successful professionals in their thirties today. That adorable little Walther handgun helped me raise them both.

Why the Walther P22 Works as a Rimfire Trainer

Every law-abiding American should know how to run a gun. The right to keep and bear arms remains a rare constitutional protection in the wider world, and Americans should not take that for granted.

It’s a buyer’s market for 9mm defensive pistols these days. Your local gun emporium is awash in top-quality, inexpensive combat handguns. However, these weapons are loud, and centerfire ammo, even cheap bulk blasting bullets, is expensive.

The obvious answer, with its familiar combat-style controls and cost-effective chambering, is the Walther P22.

What Happened When the Slide Broke

I actually shot my P22 until the slide broke in half. Now, don’t be put off by that. It took untold thousands of rounds to get there. I burned bullets by the brick. I used that sound-suppressed rimfire pistol to introduce dozens of new shooters to the sport.

Thanks to my Outback suppressor, we could hit my backyard range and leave the muffs inside. Ringing steel with that nifty little gun is arguably the perfect way to while away a lazy Saturday afternoon.

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Nowadays, my Outback suppressor weighs about twice what it originally did simply because of all of the deposited lead in its entrails. The can is sealed and maintenance-free. I’d be fearful to look inside it otherwise. However, it still performs about as well today as it did when new.

After about a zillion rounds, a couple of my federal law enforcement buddies were out with me turning ammo into noise. One Secret Service friend ran through a quick magazine, and the rear half of the slide broke off. He actually caught it with his weak hand. The component failed at its thinnest point. It has since been redesigned. Regardless, the following day I called Walther and explained the problem.

Per their instruction, I shipped the disabled gun back to Walther. As the pistol was going from the current owner to the original manufacturer for repair, it did not have to move through a local FFL on my end under the usual federal repair-return process.

Nine days later, that longsuffering P22 was back in my sweaty hands with a new slide that was beefier and more robust than the original. It was also the cleanest it had been since we met at that gun show so many years before. They even threw in a fresh magazine for my trouble.

That was likely a decade or more ago, and the gun is still going strong today. That durability is the real point of this Walther P22 review: the little pistol has been used hard, repaired once and kept right on running.

Controls, Accuracy and Handling

The handling portion of any Walther P22 review has to start with the controls, because they mimic the larger defensive pistols many shooters actually carry. The double-action trigger is long and fairly heavy, but smooth.

The single-action sort is much lighter and shorter. The exposed hammer can be manually cocked if need be. The slide-mounted bilateral safety blocks the firing pin but does not drop the hammer.

The slide stop is a modest tab on the left where it should be. The magazine release is a pivoting thumb lever mirrored perfectly on both sides of the gun. There are generous gripping grooves on the slide both front and rear.

This is a pocket-size pistol, but it still shoots plenty straight. At typical close-range distances, my suppressed P22 will pick the bullseye out of a target so long as I take my time and do my part. The trigger is predictable and amenable to fairly precise work.

The slide locks back on the last round fired to facilitate fast reloads. Invest in a few spare mags, and you can inculcate skills that will hold you in great stead when you transition back to the more expensive, more powerful larger guns.

Is the Walther P22 Useful Beyond the Range?

It has been said that the best defensive gun is the one that you actually have on you. Any serious gunman would poo-poo using a .22 rimfire pistol for personal defense. However, I have seen lots of folks shot with .22 rimfire rounds.

That little bullet leaves a pretty tiny hole, but it has penetration for days. Additionally, the intrinsic lack of recoil readily lends itself to follow-up shots. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting at least twice. The placid, soft-shooting P22 excels at that.

My wife has access to anything in the collection. However, most typically when she strikes out on her own, it is the P22 that is her constant companion. It really doesn’t matter how big or bad you are. Ten zippy little .22 LR rounds will immediately adjust your priorities.

As the P22 is so small and handy, it is painless to carry. Larger, more serious guns are uncomfortable. If it hurts to do something, you won’t long do it. By contrast, with the P22 you can carry it without feeling like you strapped on an anchor.

A sound-suppressed Walther P22 will remind you what got you into this curiously strange sport in the first place. Fast, reliable, cost-effective and cool, the P22 is the perfect tactical training tool. It is also, coincidentally, just super fun. Mine was the best impulse purchase I ever made.

Walther P22 Range Performance:

Walther P22 Specifications:

• Type: Direct Blowback Semiautomatic
• Caliber: .22 LR
• Barrel: 3.42 inches
• Overall Length: 6.5 inches
• Weight: 1 pound (empty)
• Sights: Fixed Front/Rear Windage Adjustable
• MSRP: (Gun Only): $329