The p22 is a fine pistol. It does however have some short comings. Most, have been corrected over the past few iterations, but some remain.
For instance- Part of the trigger group contacts the slide during normal operation. From the factory, this part (trigger disconnect bar/ears) can be still sharp and burred. The steel ears will slowly wear away the softer zinc slide every time the pistol is fired. This isn't a show stopper in it's self, but the zinc slides are not terribly strong, and extra wear is never a good thing. The modification is to remove the part and file/debur it either by hand or carefully with a dremel.
I have not yet done this one, as my trigger disconnect ears are pretty dull to start with. I can see the wear starting in the slide however, so I will probably get around to it sometime.
Like I said, a lot of the issues have been resolved by now, but there are still some things that Walther should fix. I am not going to get up and jump and shout about the pistol, but I am happy with it. The first few models of the P22 rightfully earned a bad rap, but the newer models make up for it. My AF coded pistol works near flawlessly after a break in period.
As to the mag safety- I was under the impression that the mag safety first originated in pistols used by prison guards or other guards who might have their guns taken from them. Being able to drop the mag out of the gun and render it safe, even with a round in the chamber, could be a life saving move. It might just buy enough time to get out of dodge or some such. I don't think it really makes handling the gun any safer and might create a loaded situation. It seems to me like one of those insane set of switches you have to hold to get a saw to turn on- Safetys just for the sake of having more safetys and not to make the device safer.
Ammo choices- Like all .22's the Walther can be picky on what you feed it. You're best bet for reliable operation is either CCI minimags or Remington Golden bullets. Either can be had at Walmart, and the 550 round Remington bulk pack is a steal. There are many brands and types of subsonic ammo, but don't bother unless you are using a suppressor. Otherwise you may have some short stroke problems with the weaker ammo.
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