Meet the P22
The P22 resembles a shrunken Walther PPQ. It’s a perfect plinking gun, and because of its size, it is an excellent teaching pistol for smaller shooters.
Introduced in 2002, the P22 originally had more of a Walther P99 styling. In 2011, it was cosmetically changed to look more like the PPQ. Some people call it the P22 Q variant, but internally, this P22 Q is virtually the same as the original P22.
Now, don’t confuse the P22 with the PPQ .22 LR. The PPQ .22 LR is same size and has the same controls of the centerfire PPQ but is chambered in .22 Long Rifle.
The P22 is different. It is about 10-15 percent smaller than a standard PPQ and has an exposed hammer and slide safety.
Review Model
This California-compliant model came from the Guns.com Certified Used list. It has a limited 10-round mag capacity, and it doesn’t come with a threaded barrel like standard P22s. Instead, this “Target” edition has an integrated forward-mounted barrel weight for more stability.
The P22 is a hammer-fired, direct blowback pistol, as are most .22 LR pistols. It uses a traditional DA/SA trigger mechanism, meaning the gun can fire when the hammer is not cocked. The first trigger pull is double action, and subsequent shots are single action.
The ambidextrous slide-mounted safety acts only as a safety – there is no de-cocker function. Of note, when the safety is engaged, a firing pin block is lowered. This means you can dry-fire the gun when it is on safe without fear of damaging the firing pin like on many .22 LR pistols.
Range Time
I had a blast with this gun. Shooting .22 LR is just so fun. I had heard reports that the P22 could be picky with ammunition, but I had no problems running it with CCI Mini Mags. I didn’t have one ammo-related stoppage.
The P22 is light, small, and doesn’t recoil at all. This is due to it being a .22 LR, but I think the barrel weight helps.
The double-action trigger pull is heavy at slightly under 7 pounds, but that’s just the first shot. I grew up shooting DA guns, so I don’t have a problem with them. Follow-up shots with the 3.5-pound single-action trigger are easy. The travel is short, and the break is good. As a training gun, I think an optional DA trigger is good because it really forces the student to have good fundamentals.
The short and slim grip only allows me to wrap two fingers – I need the mag inserted for a full grip. You also need the mag inserted to fire, because there is a magazine-disconnect safety. But with the mag inserted, the gun feels great in the hand. There are no hot spots, and it is so light, it moves around fast.
Critiques
The P22 has an ambidextrous European paddle-style magazine release. Normally, I don’t mind paddle releases, but this gun puts the paddle at a weird place for me. I found it awkward to drop mags.
My second issue was also magazine-related: I had trouble with one of the two included mags. The loading tab, which is helpful, would occasionally get stuck in the lower notch and not feed. I believe this was just a faulty magazine, as the other one functioned smoothly.
Finally, the blocky 3-dot sights don’t allow much light to come into the sight picture. One of the reasons I didn’t get great accuracy groups is because of these sights. They seem to be a remnant of this pistol being designed in the early 2000s. Today, I think people expect better iron sights and optics cuts, but I’ll make allowances because this is an older gun.
Dave Luu
Dave Luu is a certified instructor and range officer who also founded and managed a national shooting league. Active in the shooting sports since 1999 and involved in the firearms industry since 2017, he brings decades of experience to his work as a writer and content creator. Dave balances his passion for firearms with his full-time career as an attorney supporting the U.S. Department of Justice.
View All Articles by Dave Luu