I will admit that the “aesthetics” were one of the selling points.
Generally Speaking: I don’t have any “target” pistols. The closest I have is a Gold Cup National Match with very nice engraving and inlay work that I bought as a collector piece. I’ve put some rounds through it, but it’s not one of my regular “shooters.”
But I was looking to reduce my cost of ammo while still having a “fun gun” (no comments from the peanut gallery!)
AIUI, the P22 was originally designed and sold as a blank-firing pistol. A little reworking and it was marketable as a .22 rimfire pistol. A question for those of you who have one: will a magnet stick to any part of it except the barrel and springs? I was told by a fellow shooter that the P22 uses zamak (a zinc casting alloy) for the majority of of its metal parts. If so, that would give me concern for long-term durability. Such zamak automatic pistols that I’ve run across (low-end stuff made by Jennings, Raven, Lorcin, et. al) lost their finish pretty quickly and suffered broken parts and cracked slides at relatively low round counts.
Pot metal guns? :eek:
My thoughts exactly.
Scumpup: I ran a magnet over the slide, and got nothing except around the extractor and other similar hardware.
No need to justify. 
The P22 is a fun gun, and it looks cool. Heck, I got my AR-180 specifically because it’s ugly! 
I thought some weisenheimers might chime in if I handed them an open-ended straight line like “fun gun.”
Like, “If your gun’s not fun anymore, have a Dr. check your prostate!”
Or, “If you gun’s not fun anymore, you’re not doing it right.”
Etc.
Jeez, first you ask for the peanut gallery not to comment then you get upset when we don’t. Make up your freaking mind.
Amp (who just performed a function check on his “fun gun”)
Thanks, ExTank. Give us an update if the gun ever exhibits any slide cracking or other failures of non-ferrous parts.
200 rounds downrange today, and it shoots straight (as straight as I can shoot, anyway). GAH, I’m out-of-practice. No fly-aways, though; everything was at least in the target circle, both hands, seated and standing, one- and two-handed.
I’m ambi with a firearm, but my right is stronger. I really need more lefty practice.
A quick “Oh, @$%&!” moment when it initially wouldn’t fire; apparently, I hadn’t firmly seated the magazine. No feed failures, and only one failure to fire. I just recocked and tried again, and it discharged the round.
Jeez! 10-round magazines go quick! The range I go to doesn’t allow rapid-fire, but with people popping off 9mm/40 S&W/.45 ACP on both sides of me, I don’t think the RSO could even hear me rapid-firing one 10-round clip.
The range was crowded, so I didn’t dally. I’ll go back earlier next Saturday and take a little more time.
All-in-all, two thumbs up!
Sounds like a good day on the range. 
Mine’s fairly accurate. Last weekend I was hitting a 6-inch round steel target from 25 meters. I was impressed.
As for “quality,” it certainly cannot be compared to a Browning Buckmark. To be honest, the P22 feels and looks a bit “cheap” IMO. But it still a fun gun to shoot.
I think it’s the polymer lower; makes it look/feel like a “plastic gun.”
Right.
Of course, this is just a perception of mine, and it I’m probably being unfair. In other words, just because something may “feel” cheap doesn’t mean it is cheaply made or of inferior quality. The fact that it is an accurate shooter would seem to imply that it’s actually a quality piece.
At any rate, I confess I do love shooting it. It’s very light and feels good in my hands. I’m also going to try and get our 11 year old daughter to shoot it this summer. She’s pretty good with her rifle, and I think it may be time to introduce her to the handgun.
Oh, hey Johnny, Look what I’ve gotten for that lovely rifle you sold to me. That’s right, it’s a thirty-round magazine. It’s a Spanish military-issue CETME mag, and it’s rare as hen’s teeth. I paid 90 dollars for it. I just had to have it…it looks SO COOL, like one of the old Stg44 rifles!
Heh. The AR-180 has a 40-rd. I’d rather have two twenties!
But it LOOKS so COOOOOOOL!
Also, it’s a collector’s item. It may be worth a lot of money some day. They’re already nearly impossible to find.
Every now and then, 30-round “G3 mags” will pop up on Gunbroker or other sites - they are typically cobbled together out of two twenty-round mags, and look like shit. There is also a weird 30-round HK91 mag that they sell for 15 dollars on Cheaper than Dirt, which has horrible reviews and is supposedly real piece of junk. No military ever made an official 30 round magazine for the G3.
They did, however, make one for the CETME. And it fits just fine in the G3. It also has the added benefit of being curved, so that it looks cooler and more unique. Also contrary to what you might think, it CAN be used with the bipod. It’s long, but not long enough to touch the bench when the rifle is shouldered.
That is extremely cool.
