Walther new 22 mag pistol

[Grouse870]

Walther wmp .22 mag pistol. Optic ready, 15 round mag, paddle and button mag release. Seems interesting. I do wonder if it’s made by walther or if it’s made by umarex. With Speer, hornady and now federal coming out with .22 mag “defense” loads its kinda cool to see some other manufacturers come out with more defense minded .22 mag. I see the appeal and the niche for this. I think it looks like a fun gun to shoot and I wouldn’t mind trying it out as a small game gun.

https://waltherarms.com/wmp/

[diananike]

Jeez I’m really trying to come up with a good reason for this now that .22WMR costs almost as much as 9mm….
It’s interesting and if ammo was still 9$ a box then it’d be a fun practice gun.
My single six convertible handles both and I usually only shoot a couple of cylinders of magnum after a session to scorch clean the lube from the LR ammo out of the barrel. And get some fun blast out of it.
For a dedicated pistol I can’t see the purpose of it. .22LR is all you need for small game. And for training you might as well shoot 9mm for close to the same cost. I wish my Glock 44 worked with optics but apart from that it’s a more practical choice.

[OlongJohnson]

It's the same length and size as a full-size PDP, about three ounces heavier, and holds three fewer rounds of a much smaller cartridge. WTF?

Kel-Tec has had the PMR-30 holding 30 rounds for a dozen years already. The FN and Ruger 5.7x28 pistols hold 20 rounds.

[Colt191145lover]

Basically the size and close to the weight of a full-size service pistol, but it only holds 15 rounds of .22 WMR? Kel-Tec has had the PMR-30 holding 30 rounds for a dozen years already. The FN and Ruger 5.7x28 pistols hold 20 rounds.

If you're going to carry a round that may leave you needing to hose the bullets into a threat for awhile, I don't see why you'd go with such a WMPy capacity.

A more reliable magazine design perhaps?

[Grouse870]

For a field pistol I see the appeal. With a dot I would feel comfortable (assuming the accuracy is there) shooting some of our bigger small game farther than a regular .22. .22 mag is still cheaper than 9mm around me especially so with premium 22 mag vs 9mm. The kel tec may hold more but it has a fixed rear sight (actually fixed not driftable) the optic mount is different and it’s a kel tec.

[MandoWookie]

For a field pistol I see the appeal. With a dot I would feel comfortable (assuming the accuracy is there) shooting some of our bigger small game farther than a regular .22. .22 mag is still cheaper than 9mm around me especially so with premium 22 mag vs 9mm. The kel tec may hold more but it has a fixed rear sight (actually fixed not driftable) the optic mount is different and it’s a kel tec.


Yeah the Kel-Tec sights are horrible. And I have read mounting optics causing issues.
The only other option for a semi-auto 22WMR is the Rock Island one that is built on a 1911 frame, and it has I believe 10 round mags.

There is now 3 options for 5.7 handguns, from FN, Ruger and Palmetto, but ammo is still $1 a round for even AE FMJ, so the WMR ammo is still cheaper, when either is available.

It still works out economically for me and my 351c, because WMR is still cheaper and more available than .38 Special for my 442.

This Walther option has a lot of good features, but the low capacity, overall size and weight for such a small cartridge, and the funky dual mag releases makes it not very appealing.

[balance]

With the "three shields" Cologne proof mark, this is made by Umarex.

[Bart Noir]

As mentioned above, the mag release is almost everything ever invented, although it is missing a P-38 style grip mag release. Hers are the words from the Walther link:

"Featuring an optics-ready slide, best-in-class ergonomics, and a first-time patented ambidextrous reloading mechanism incorporating both paddle and button releases called the Quad Release. With 4 total activation points, the Quad Release mechanism is the most versatile ambidextrous mag release ever created."

I never liked the Walther levers (but did like the HK ones) and that is one reason why I sold off P99s and moved into the world of PPQ and PDP.

Bart Noir

[Bart Noir]

Oh yeah, it doesn't have any old Beretta style mag release button on the grip. So I guess I shouldn't say they went overboard with releases :p

[pi3]

Jeez I’m really trying to come up with a good reason for this now that .22WMR costs almost as much as 9mm….
It’s interesting and if ammo was still 9$ a box then it’d be a fun practice gun.
My single six convertible handles both and I usually only shoot a couple of cylinders of magnum after a session to scorch clean the lube from the LR ammo out of the barrel. And get some fun blast out of it.
For a dedicated pistol I can’t see the purpose of it. .22LR is all you need for small game. And for training you might as well shoot 9mm for close to the same cost. I wish my Glock 44 worked with optics but apart from that it’s a more practical choice.

[diananike]

I think there’s already a PPQ equivalent in .22LR
It’s my impression that rigging a .22LR to run with an optic is pretty difficult due to the extra mass and the low power of the round.
There is a aftermarket slide for the Glock 44 that will run but it’s on the ragged edge of reliability.
The .22 WMR pulls off running optics in the slide reliably with its extra power.

[Jim Watson]

There is, I have shot one. If I wanted another PPP (Plastic Plinker Pistole) it would be a tough choice between the PPQ .22 12 shot and the P322 20 shot. The PPQ had a somewhat better trigger, although the P322 isn't bad, as such things go, either is better than my S&W.
There is a PPQ 5" version that would tip the scale.

[sharps54]

I don’t necessarily want to keep giving this pistol grief but Walther recently sent out an email about this as a field pistol. The ad talked about the funky magazine release, personally I’d rather a old style heel release for a field pistol, but what stood out to me was that this is a hammered fired pistol with a 4.5 lb trigger and no manual safety. That just seems like a bad idea, I know Glocks and other striker fired pistols have lured everyone into believing manual safeties are overrated, not a a new claim I think the first place I came across it was in A Rifleman Goes to War, but I am curious. Is this just me being an old man or is the lack of a manual safety here a big deal?

[SCCY Marshal]

...what stood out to me was that this is a hammered fired pistol with a 4.5 lb trigger and no manual safety. That just seems like a bad idea, I know Glocks and other striker fired pistols have lured everyone into believing manual safeties are overrated, not a a new claim I think the first place I came across it was in A Rifleman Goes to War, but I am curious. Is this just me being an old man or is the lack of a manual safety here a big deal?

Played with one, today. It's pretty much a light LEM trigger rather than an unlocked SAO.

[SCCY Marshal]

I might need a username change to Quixote as I tilt at the windmill that is internet opinion of the WMP.

Having had another day to play with a guy's Walther, I think a lot of people are doing this pistol a disservice. Rather than pen a russian novel, I'll just hit some quick points:

The Magazine - Yes, Kel-Tec has double the capacity in a smaller, lighter gun. And every PMR/CMR owner I have ever met has snapped off a feed lip or cracked the spine of one or more mags. They also label and track their mags to see which one actually work in the first place. This magazine feels robust and is metal lined. It is also easy to load.

The four magazine release buttons/levers - The gun if actually fully ambidextrous and can be handed to anyone who will quickly find what release position works best for them. Be great to someone looking to buy a first automatic run as a sample. Or what if you, the owner, wind up one-armed for a spell? You're covered.

The size and weight - I'm currently surrounded by people in and out of surgery, having tremors, getting chemo ports, losing kidney function, and generally trying not to die before their next birthday. Hand them a light, reasonable, internet-approved .22 like a Taurus TX22 and watch them fade a little more. It is light, plasticky, and digs at their very dignity to replace a "real" gun. Hand them the WMP and they have a handful of service pistol. A full size gun with well reasoned sights in a chambering that barks and hits above it weight class. And that bull barrel sure does help dampen some shakes.

Shootability - A cold Hayes 5x5 in just over two seconds not knowing where POI was with the ammo loaded and just covering the target with the glowing fiber circle. All five shots in a couple inch group. How about a cracked, 7" diameter 33rpm singles record found on the side of the road a few nights back*? First shot hit at 15 yards with a proper hold.

Ammo -

No-Go - 30-whatever grain ballistic tips make a single-shot and Winchester Dynapoint 45 grain JHP has unreliable feeding (feels softly loaded, too)

Good - Browning BPR JHP is the loudest test load so far and starts to have some actual bump of recoil. CCI Maxi-Mag runs, as does Federal Game-Shok 50 grain JHP.

As for ammunition expense, you get a quality loaded RIFLE cartridge for the cost of 9mm range fodder. This argument is borderline stupid. Speaking of this being a rifle caliber, you could do companions guns of any number of rifles and a snub revolver from Charter to Ruger or Smith & Wesson.

TL/DR: The WMP looks downright stupid on paper but I think opinions would change with a real range trip to air one out in person.



* Yes, finding this rarity greatly amused me.

[SCCY Marshal]

Played with a WMP again, today. Some 50 yard plinking and water testing.

Hornady Critical Defense 45 grain looked promising with two 15+1 loads running fine. The bullet itself went through four layers of T-shirt and was found fully expanded after losing a couple petals in milk jug #4. High: 0.334" Low: 0.292" Ave: 0.313"

Browning BPR, a 45 grain SJHP, continued to run well with significant blast/report and some recoil. The bullet was embedded nose-first in the front wall of milk jug #5 with all of the exposed lead fragmented off flush with the copper and a subtle flare to the leading edge of the jacketed portion but no expansion of it.

For comparison, and because it was in a range bag, a Beretta Bobcat screwed a CCI Stinger 32 grain JHP into the fourth milk jug with no expansion.