New P22 owner as of 7/26/06

[DrDanO]

:)
After much research, discussion with people that owned the P22, visiting local Houston gun shops and talking with a gunsmith, I took the plunge with eyes open and great expectations. And it turned out to be exactly as I had hoped for. Bought the pistol at Carter Country for $279 short barrel version. I decided that if the gun was what I hoped it would be and I wanted to I could buy the longer barrel assembly later if I wanted it for about $90.
I had narrowed my .22 caliber search down to the P22, the Ruger Mark lll, and the Browning. The gunsmith and some gunshop folks I trust guided me away from the Ruger and Browning. One told me that he would only sell me the Mark lll if I forced him to! The Browning I am sure is as good as the P22, and the folks I talked with who are experienced with these guns said that the P22 and Browning were both reliable but very different. The Browning is a heavy full size pistol that will weigh on you if you are carring in a backpack or in a holster after a short while. the Walther is much lighter but has a shorter barrel and will probably not be as accurate. the people who owned the P (2 I knew, 1 a friend of a friend) were all 3 very happy with the gun and recommened it highly having experienced no problems at all. So, I opted for the P22. Took it out for a very short trial firing only 50 rounds of Remington Golden Bullets. Absolutely no problems, felt great in my hand, good sub 3 inch groupings, loved it, I am a very happy P22 owner!
I will report again when I get a few hundred rounds through it, but fully expect to just like the gun more and more.

[ShipWreck]

Glad U like it - I've heard they can be picky about ammo - so, if U found what the gun likes, stick w/ it.

[malkore]

if you want a picky ammo gun, try a Sig mosquito.

so far my p22 has feed everything I've given it, without a hitch. its a fun lil gun.

but i'm hella surprised they steered you away from a Ruger 22. those are like...some of the best target 22's from what I hear.

[DrDanO]

I was steered away from the 22/45 Ruger. The Mark ll or the standard Mark lll were given very high recommendation, and I was told that they would likely be somewhat more accurate than the P22, they do have a longer barrel. But as far as reliability is concerned the Ruger and the Walther should be pretty close to equal. It was the feel of the Mark lll in my hand that decided the issue for me. And that was the suggestion made by informative people at Carter Country. They were all for the Mark ll or lll, not the 22/45, but suggested that the difference should be in how the gun felt in my hand and how easy it was for me to use the controls and comfort of carry. That gave the P22 too much in it's favor to ignore just for a little more accuracy - I'm not a competition shooter, just like to keep the world safe from agressive tin cans, bottles, and such.

When values are clear, decisions are easy.

Good Shooting...