Walther P22
I was finally able to get out to the range today with the P22. Amanda and J. Arlee were down. We traipsed off to the range with my Mac, the Kimber .45, my P22, my .357 1894cs, Justin's .45LC and his Ruger SAA in .30 carbine.
I had swapped out the original barrel and added the 5" length with counterweight. I also put on the Walther laser and wanted to try that out. I had also put HI-VIZ sights on the Kimber.
The 3 ½ P22 barrel is complete with chamber and feed ramp and is held tight against the receiver bridge by a covering tube and barrel nut. Simply loosen the nut with the supplied wrench and the barrel and covering tube slide out. The 5" barrel installs in the same way, but also has a counterweight fixed to the covering tube by 3 screws. This complicates the barrel removal process if you're using the 5" barrel instead of the 3 ½. The weight must be removed for complete disassembly of the pistol.
The laser snaps onto the integrated rail without set screws. It has a spring loaded key that pops into a slit on the rail when the unit is in the proper position. This unit was purposed designed for this pistol. The laser dot is small, well defined, very bright, and a steady beam. It was easily visible in daylight from my back door to my shed about 25 yards away. At the range, it generated a spot that appeared to be less than 1/4 inch in diameter at 15 yards. The on-off control is integral to the unit and operated by a straight trigger finger. In fact, a straight trigger finger naturally rests on the switch to the laser. The laser is adjustable for windage and elevation by the use of a small Allan wrench.
Even with the 5" barrel, the P22 is not a target pistol although it is accurate enough that at reasonable distances you wouldn't notice the difference. It's just cool looking and lots of fun. I did notice a dramatic increase in accuracy from the 3" barrel to the 5" you understand, but you still won't be taking this to the Olympics. You will, however, be taking this pistol every where else.
It's fun, fun, fun. Once I got the laser dot dialed in, it put the shot right on the dot every time. What a ball. I pasted 1" paint dots to Q targets and we could destroy them, or knock them right off the target, only aiming with the laser at 15 yards.
One of my complaints with this pistol with a 3" barrel was that it was very ammo sensitive...refusing to cycle unless it had high velocity rounds. The 5" barrel solved some of that, and the pistol was very reliable with a mixed box of .22s I was feeding through it.
I realized very quickly that the laser dot would be a good training aid. The shot went right to the dot...if you flinched, or shook, or pulled off the point of aim - it showed up instantly and you could see exactly where the shot was going. You could practice your hold and get feedback about where you should relax and where you should firm up. That was fascinating.
Another note: Man, those .45LC are smoky. Justin always says that if he misses with the first shot, he can always hide in the black smoke cloud. Amanda shot everything as always, but was particularly enamored of the lever gun. That's my girl - a revolver in her belt and a lever gun at her shoulder, a traditionalist. Oh, and the HI-VIZ sights popped right out of their sockets on the Kimber - the wussies couldn't handle the recoil. I'm going to have to break down and spend the money for Kimber factory white-dots.
The 3 ½ P22 barrel is complete with chamber and feed ramp and is held tight against the receiver bridge by a covering tube and barrel nut. Simply loosen the nut with the supplied wrench and the barrel and covering tube slide out. The 5" barrel installs in the same way, but also has a counterweight fixed to the covering tube by 3 screws. This complicates the barrel removal process if you're using the 5" barrel instead of the 3 ½. The weight must be removed for complete disassembly of the pistol.
The laser snaps onto the integrated rail without set screws. It has a spring loaded key that pops into a slit on the rail when the unit is in the proper position. This unit was purposed designed for this pistol. The laser dot is small, well defined, very bright, and a steady beam. It was easily visible in daylight from my back door to my shed about 25 yards away. At the range, it generated a spot that appeared to be less than 1/4 inch in diameter at 15 yards. The on-off control is integral to the unit and operated by a straight trigger finger. In fact, a straight trigger finger naturally rests on the switch to the laser. The laser is adjustable for windage and elevation by the use of a small Allan wrench.
Even with the 5" barrel, the P22 is not a target pistol although it is accurate enough that at reasonable distances you wouldn't notice the difference. It's just cool looking and lots of fun. I did notice a dramatic increase in accuracy from the 3" barrel to the 5" you understand, but you still won't be taking this to the Olympics. You will, however, be taking this pistol every where else.
It's fun, fun, fun. Once I got the laser dot dialed in, it put the shot right on the dot every time. What a ball. I pasted 1" paint dots to Q targets and we could destroy them, or knock them right off the target, only aiming with the laser at 15 yards.
One of my complaints with this pistol with a 3" barrel was that it was very ammo sensitive...refusing to cycle unless it had high velocity rounds. The 5" barrel solved some of that, and the pistol was very reliable with a mixed box of .22s I was feeding through it.
I realized very quickly that the laser dot would be a good training aid. The shot went right to the dot...if you flinched, or shook, or pulled off the point of aim - it showed up instantly and you could see exactly where the shot was going. You could practice your hold and get feedback about where you should relax and where you should firm up. That was fascinating.
Another note: Man, those .45LC are smoky. Justin always says that if he misses with the first shot, he can always hide in the black smoke cloud. Amanda shot everything as always, but was particularly enamored of the lever gun. That's my girl - a revolver in her belt and a lever gun at her shoulder, a traditionalist. Oh, and the HI-VIZ sights popped right out of their sockets on the Kimber - the wussies couldn't handle the recoil. I'm going to have to break down and spend the money for Kimber factory white-dots.
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