Walther WMP .22 Magnum Range Report

[YankeeIronSights]

Hi Everyone,

I tested a Walther WMP in .22 magnum yesterday and was greatly impressed with how well it shoots and performs.

I had zero malfunctions shooting about a hundred rounds of CCI ammo.

Accuracy was very good.

Ergonomics felt awesome, even for my medium size hands. It fills your hand perfect, like a full size service handgun.

I love the fireball that comes out of the barrel. Sounds loud and deep, like a larger caliber handgun. However, there is practically no recoil.

The pistol comes optics ready, although I prefer using the factory sights. The red fiber front sight is easy to see in low light.

The magazine release offers a paddle style button in addition to the traditional side button.

I also like the easy-to-load magazine.

It is very easy to takedown for cleaning.

In summary, I think Walther has a winner and I highly recommend it for range fun, training new shooters and hunting purposes. It could also serve as a home defense gun, in the absence of any other better option. I do not think that it is a good concealed carry option due to its large size. However, some may not mind carrying it owb.

There two great videos on YouTube that show the excellent features of this handgun.

https://youtu.be/06h_NGP5eTc

https://youtu.be/3hkqxniKdP4

https://youtu.be/4lOzQ5i3Lh0

Please share your opinions below.



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[mk70ss]

I have had mine for 8-9 months now and agree with all your comments. The gun just works, has a great trigger, sights and is very accurate. I have about 500 rounds through mine and zero issues so far.

upload photos online

[ammo.crafter]

Thanks for the report. I'm a big Walther fan and was wondering how this gun functions.

[Jim Watson]

Lots of folks carrying .32s, .380s, and .38 wadcutters.
I think 15 WMRs, once proven reliable, would be a contender for small bore defense.

[YankeeIronSights]

Agree. A few well placed .22 magnum rounds can certainly ruin a bad guy's day.


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[wild cat mccane]

Tis true on all accounts. But the WMP is larger than the Walther PPQ 45 and more like the Walther Creed/PPX that is one chunky monkey. You have to hold it to feel the size.

Awesome reviews. I want one and hope the prices drop a bit more from current $400.

[Forte S+W]

Holy Smokes! That's one heck of a fireball!

I was skeptical when Walther announced the WMP since they've never made a .22WMR pistol before and some of their older generation P22's were known to develop stress fractures on the slide over time with use of High Velocity .22LR ammo, but that was with ZAMAK slides whereas the WMP is Aluminum, so it shouldn't be a problem.

[wild cat mccane]

Hey there. Kinda was on the hunt to buy today but by any chance any of you experienced failures to lock back on empty or difficulty to lock a mag in?

Just watched Honest Outlaws kinda crude review and he was having it.

Thanks!

[LeverGunFan]

My WMP has been very reliable with a variety of 40, 45 and 50 grain WMR ammunition. No issues with lock back on empty or problems seating magazines. It's been more reliable than my 22LR pistols.

[MarkCO]

Originally Posted by YankeeIronSights

Hi Everyone,

I tested a Walther WMP in .22 magnum yesterday and was greatly impressed with how well it shoots and performs.

Thanks for the review and post. I have a few folks that are older with terrible arthritis and this might be the ticket. Even a 380 EZ was a bit difficult for them. Have you by chance any compare and contrast to a M&P 380 EZ in terms of ergonomics or manually racking the slide?

Or anyone else?

[YankeeIronSights]

I own a 380 EZ but it recoils a bit more. It is accurate and I like it a lot. Being much smaller, you need to have a firm grip.


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[Sevens]

Thanks for the review and post. I have a few folks that are older with terrible arthritis and this might be the ticket. Even a 380 EZ was a bit difficult for them. Have you by chance any compare and contrast to a M&P 380 EZ in terms of ergonomics or manually racking the slide?

Or anyone else?

I have zero experience with the M&P 380EZ so I cannot compare, but I have the Walther WMP.

My biggest concern to pass on would be to make sure you put one of these in your hands rather than to order one never having seen it. I say this specifically because it is kind of -MASSIVE- in size.

Easy to rack, easy to shoot, the trigger is decent and not difficult to pull, but the reach to that trigger might be a question for some and if this were to be a carry gun, know going in that it's going to require creativity for some to conceal it.
__________________

[MarkCO]

Originally Posted by Sevens

I have zero experience with the M&P 380EZ so I cannot compare, but I have the Walther WMP.

My biggest concern to pass on would be to make sure you put one of these in your hands rather than to order one never having seen it. I say this specifically because it is kind of -MASSIVE- in size.

Easy to rack, easy to shoot, the trigger is decent and not difficult to pull, but the reach to that trigger might be a question for some and if this were to be a carry gun, know going in that it's going to require creativity for some to conceal it.
__________________

Thanks for the feedback posts. Purely for home defense.

[9x19]

MarkCo,

Ruger's Security 380 might be an option. I bought one for the same reasons, and it has been quite easy to manipulate. I ended up buying a second one for the wife.

[MarkCO]

Originally Posted by 9x19

MarkCo,

Ruger's Security 380 might be an option. I bought one for the same reasons, and it has been quite easy to manipulate. I ended up buying a second one for the wife.

Still a relatively small pistol. For these folks, old, pretty much homebound, I'd like a full size pistol with very low recoil. One gentleman, I took his Glock 17 and put a 9 pound spring in it and he is shooting 80 grain solids at 1050 fps. It's about the best solution for him.

One of the Ladies, she had a Lady Smith .38. She literally could not shoot more than a round or two. She gets out an about, but would be okay with something primarily for HD since, when she is out, she is usually with family.

Another is a lady with MS who lives on her own.

I might just need to get one and test it out with these folks.

[JohnKSa]

For these folks, old, pretty much homebound, I'd like a full size pistol with very low recoil.

A lot of people just don't get it.

I've worked with people who have hand strength issues due to age-related or health-related issues and it's not a simple problem to solve.

People typically recommend revolvers, but the recoil and DA pull can be prohibitive and even hammer-cocking can be a problem..

One man I know in his middle 80s has to use two fingers to pull the DA trigger of his full-sized .38Sp revolver and it's a struggle at that.

A woman I know with a health issue that causes joint problems is totally unwilling to deal with centerfire revolver recoil after several experiments. She can shoot rimfire revolvers but has significant trouble cocking the hammer on DA rimfire revolvers.

When turning to autopistols, things can get a bit easier, but other issues crop up. The gun companies are finally starting to help out with guns that are easier to rack, but they still have room to improve.

I took his Glock 17 and put a 9 pound spring in it and he is shooting 80 grain solids at 1050 fps. It's about the best solution for him.

Basically you took his full-sized 9mm and made an easy-to rack, full-sized .380ACP locked-breech pistol out of it.

This is not so simple to do, by the way, as lightening the recoil spring significantly in a typical striker-fired pistol can have safety consequences if it is not done properly. The trigger pull can actually pull the gun out of battery.

It would be nice if the gun companies would look exclusively at the home-defense category and go all out for ease of operation and light recoil in an autopistol, but they seem really set on the idea that a truly full-sized pistol just can't be chambered in anything lighter than 9mm.

[MarkCO]

Originally Posted by JohnKSa

Basically you took his full-sized 9mm and made an easy-to rack, full-sized .380ACP locked-breech pistol out of it.

This is not so simple to do, by the way, as lightening the recoil spring significantly in a typical striker-fired pistol can have safety consequences if it is not done properly. The trigger pull can actually pull the gun out of battery.

Absolutely. Thanks for adding that safety admonition. I should have. The striker spring is an XP, as is the trigger spring (to take the pull back to about 5 pounds). It's a sweet shooter, and yes, I did all the safety checks on it as well.

[Jim Watson]

Too bad the .30 Carry was hopped up to .30 Luger level.
It should have been a .32 +P or maybe +P+

[MarkCO]

Originally Posted by Jim Watson

Too bad the .30 Carry was hopped up to .30 Luger level.
It should have been a .32 +P or maybe +P+

When the .30 carry was introduced, I was excited for this very reason. Then I saw what it was an lost ALL interest.

It's always interesting being a coach/instructor. When I first started, the old standby of grip tighter worked 95% of the time. With such a diverse group seeking SD firearms training in terms of age and physical limitations of all kinds, it has been good, as it has stretched me and moved me to examine more options to meet the reliability and use needs of those students. I have 6th graders under 80 pounds on my Trap team and Ladies over 80 with less than 25 pounds of grip strength.

[MarkCO]

Ummm...

https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/sm...red-in-22-wmr/

Kind of a surprise, but I like it...

[LeverGunFan]

Wow, first the Kel Tec PMR30, then the Walther WMP, and now the S&W M&P22 Magnum... a veritable glut of 22 Magnum pistols! (Ignoring the earlier 22 Magnum pistol attempts)

It will be interesting to see if the S&W Tempo gas operated system has any restrictions on ammunition type - will it use the full spectrum of bullet weights from 25 grain to 50 grain? It has a manual safety, unlike the WMP. The linked article lists both a 5 inch and 4.35 inch barrel, but it appears that 4.35 inch is correct. How much demand is there for 22 magnum pistols?

[Jim Watson]

Walther has a list of ammo to use and to avoid. I read somewhere that Smith did, too, but all I can find now is in the owner's manual:

NOTES REGARDING 22 WMR AMMUNITION:
• One of the benefits of the TEMPOTM barrel system is that it generally
allows the shooter to use ammunition with “lighter” bullets and still enjoy reliable function of the semi-auto firearm mechanism.
• Smith & Wesson® wants to emphasize that jacketed bullets MUST be used in the M&P® 22 MAGNUM pistol. Ammunition with copper-plated, or polymer-coated bullets will cause reliability issues.
• If non-jacketed ammunition is fired, the clearance between the barrel and barrel shroud quickly becomes leaded and fouled and the gun will not function until it is cleaned thoroughly (see page 39).
• As long as bullets with Full-metal Jacket (FMJ), Total-metal Jacket (TMJ), Jacketed Hollow-point (JHP), Jacketed Soft-point (JSP), or jacketed bullets with a polymer tip like the Hornady® V-Max®, the pistol should function reliably with normal cleaning (see page 39).
• Birdshot loads WILL NOT reliably function in the M&P® 22 MAGNUM.
• Smith & Wesson® has found wide variations in primer sensitivity between different brands and types of 22 WMR ammunition. Smith & Wesson® recommends that before you put your M&P® 22 MAGNUM handgun into regular use, that you fire several boxes of your brand of ammunition through it to determine reliability of ignition. If “failure to fire” occurs, try different types or brands of 22 WMR ammunition until a loading is found that provides reliable function in your pistol.

[wild cat mccane]

Ha! I commend S&W for spending less than an hour designing the grip!

JK. Either is super slim and fantastic or that goes down as the laziest grip ever produced.

That long lever on the slide release is sure odd too.

[LeverGunFan]

S&W describes the grip as "slim". it must be wrapped as tight as possible around the double stack 22 WMR magazine.

One of the complaints about the PMR30 was mis-feeds from the 30 round magazine. If S&W has a reliable magazine design they may have a real competitor, especially if the Tempo system allows use of all bullet weights.

[wild cat mccane]

For sure.

Walther will have to update the WMP if the S&W product functions.

50% increase at no cost isn't something small to sneeze at. Particular on rimfire loading-ouch.