Walther p22 Failure to fire after magazine change.

[Guest marican]

Was at the range today and my walther did something odd. After finishing a magazine I ejected it and inserted a new, full magazine. The slide was still back. I used the slide release, took aim and fired. Click.

So i'm thinking it didn't chamber the round. i pull the slide back just a hair and see the round chambered fine. Cock the trigger manually and fire again. BOOM

I can't imagine this is the way it's supposed to work. It did this to me maybe 50% of the time while i was at the range today. Sometimes i'll flip the safety on inbetween magazine changes to reload etc, but it was always on fire when I went to shoot it. Anyone knows what causes this? does something need cleaned or lubed?

[Garufa]

Were you using the same brand of ammo during the entire session? 22's in general are notoriously finicky when it comes to ammo.

[Raoul]

My P22 is very sensitive to mags. I had a couple that the pistol would not cycle at all.

[Guest marican]

I did have different ammo, but it didn't seem to matter. The magazines were just the 2 factory ones that came with the gun. The odd thing is that i hadn't seen this issue at all until this session. I've probably sent 400 rounds through it before today with no issues.

[Guest buttonhook]

have you cleaned it really well? it could be the mag disconect saftey sticking

[Guest Sgt. Joe]

I have noticed with mine that a lot of the time when only using the slide release that the slide will not go into full battery, I have to push it the last 1/8 inch or so.

So I always retract the slide fully back by hand to let it go forward and into full battery.

I have no idea if that is the problem that you are having but having the slide not fully seated into battery it would keep the firing pin from fully striking the round and thus cause the click rather than bang. Hearing the click was how I noticed what mine was doing.

I have never had any ammo problems with mine but then all I have ever fed it is the CCI mini-mags from Wally World.

EDIT: Here is a link to all one would ever need to know about a P22

http://www.freespeech.com/1917-1911M_P22_bible.pdf

[Oh Shoot]

Oh, man...forget my comments....I forget the thing was double/single action...was thinking striker fired.

- OS

Edited January 12, 2011 by OhShoot

[BrasilNuts]

Next time it happens eject the round and look to see if the primer was struck.

Honestly, I love my P22, but it does all kinds of weird stuff.

The safety flips to the "on" position every now and then while shooting.

Off the top of my head I can't think of a malfunction that it hasn't had.

The best way to get it to function half way reliably is to keep it clean.

550 rounds is about the max before it needs to be cleaned.

[Guest Sgt. Joe]

This gun will let firing pin release out of battery? Wow.

- OS

Actually I have no idea just what it does. I just know that after hearing the click I noticed the slide was not in full battery, pushing it in resulted in being able to fire the round.

I am not experienced enough nor knowledgeable enough to know just what is really going on.

I do know that at least with mine that using the slide release sometimes does not put the pistol into full battery and the result is a click sound.

[Oh Shoot]

Oh, man...forget my comments....I forget the thing was double/single action...was thinking striker fired.

- OS

Edited January 12, 2011 by OhShoot

[Guest marican]

I have noticed with mine that a lot of the time when only using the slide release that the slide will not go into full battery, I have to push it the last 1/8 inch or so.

So I always retract the slide fully back by hand to let it go forward and into full battery.

I have no idea if that is the problem that you are having but having the slide not fully seated into battery it would keep the firing pin from fully striking the round and thus cause the click rather than bang. Hearing the click was how I noticed what mine was doing.

I have never had any ammo problems with mine but then all I have ever fed it is the CCI mini-mags from Wally World.

EDIT: Here is a link to all one would ever need to know about a P22

http://www.freespeech.com/1917-1911M_P22_bible.pdf

I'll keep an eye you for this next time, and also check to see if the round was struck. Thanks for all the suggestions and the link to the great pdf. I appreciate it.

[1gewehr]

The P22 had an issue with the safety detent getting loose. When that happened, the safety would move towards the 'safe' position under recoil. Sometimes not all the way, just enough to engage the firing pin block. If this happens again, look at the safety and see if it is still firmly in the 'fire' position. It is an easy fix at the factory. Send it in and they will replace the safety assembly with the updated version.

[Tncobra]

May have been said already, push the slide forward and pull the trigger again. May just be wax buildup causing it to be out of battery.

[Guest tngw1500se]

I have a number of failures to fire with my P22. They way I look at it is that it's good training. It's not my carry gun and it makes me learn what to do when a gun fails. Rack the slide and come back on target.

[Guest wardamneagle]

I have noticed with mine that a lot of the time when only using the slide release that the slide will not go into full battery, I have to push it the last 1/8 inch or so.

So I always retract the slide fully back by hand to let it go forward and into full battery.

I have no idea if that is the problem that you are having but having the slide not fully seated into battery it would keep the firing pin from fully striking the round and thus cause the click rather than bang. Hearing the click was how I noticed what mine was doing.

I have never had any ammo problems with mine but then all I have ever fed it is the CCI mini-mags from Wally World.

My brother has a p22 and it has a similar issue. As long as you always pull the slide back to release it, the gun seems to do fine.

[-Bristol-]

Sling-Shot, as a lefty I'm very familiar. It has merit.

[graycrait]

I should not say anything but after having a bucket load of .22 pistols I put the P22 and Sig Mosquito in the same class of plinkers as I do Lorcin, Jennings, Bryco, Phoenix - well - I actually classify Phoenix a step above the Mosquito and P22. If you want accuracy and reliability in a relatively inexpensive package then Ruger, Browning and S&W offer pistols that fit that profile. If you want a tacticool plinker that will take a suppressor then the P22 and Mosquito are fine range toys. I've got enough range toys myself to know what that classification means.

[Guest buttonhook]

you should get in the habit of racking the slide and not releasing in from the slide lock anyway

[Guest marican]

you should get in the habit of racking the slide and not releasing in from the slide lock anyway

Do you rack the slide after magazine changes? It seemed to me that releasing the slide lock after replacing the magazine was pretty close to the same action as happens every time you fire. Or are you saying that as a good habit to get into because other handguns like to be racked?

[Oh Shoot]

Do you rack the slide after magazine changes? It seemed to me that releasing the slide lock after replacing the magazine was pretty close to the same action as happens every time you fire. Or are you saying that as a good habit to get into because other handguns like to be racked?

Some guns are best loaded from slide lock, like Kahr as per manufacturer's instructions.

Certainly the force exerted is a more consistent slide release than hand racking.

- OS

[Guest buttonhook]

Do you rack the slide after magazine changes? It seemed to me that releasing the slide lock after replacing the magazine was pretty close to the same action as happens every time you fire. Or are you saying that as a good habit to get into because other handguns like to be racked?

I do hand rack all of my guns. useing the slide release on some guns doesn't produce the same force as fully retracting the slide and releasing. It just a habit I've gotten in to.

[Guest buttonhook]

Certainly the force exerted is a more consistent slide release than hand racking.

- OS

i would have too disagree with this statement. hand racking should be just as consistant (pull all the way back then release) only it should allow more force (given the longer length of travel)

[Oh Shoot]

i would have too disagree with this statement. hand racking should be just as consistant (pull all the way back then release) only it should allow more force (given the longer length of travel)

IF you release it consistently, without any friction drag from fingers, or riding the slide at all.

Kahr recommends using slide release, and many folks have indeed found it necessary, at least until x number of rounds have been fired to loosen things up.

XD manual also states to load first round from slide lock release.

On the other hand, whatever works, works.

But Woody Harrleson couldn't have killed all them zombies from inside the snack bar with his twin 1911's without using slide lock release reloading.

- OS

[Guest buttonhook]

that may be true......but on the p22 the spring just doesn't have the power to do it all the time better to manually rack the slide. when dirty even more important