Author Topic: Walther P22 Kaboom (Read 8379 times)

Outbreak · « **on:** December 22, 2010, 10:23:47 PM »

My P22 kaboomed tonight. I was shooting UNsuppressed, Remington bulk pack, and about 3 rounds into my second magazine... KABOOM!

I'm okay. My thumb and trigger finger have black crap all over them from where a ton of filthy Slipstream exited the slide, and I'm damn glad I was wearing eye protection, because I felt some bits hit my face.

In this next shot, it looks like I had a catastrophic case head separation.

Once we cleared it (heh) we took it into the shop and the owner told me to call Walther and they might actually replace it. I'm not sure I'd keep the replacement gun, and instead get a different pistol. That's a bridge I'll cross when I get there.

Nightcrawler · « **Reply #1 on:** December 22, 2010, 10:28:57 PM »

Damn!

Glad you're alright.

Cookie · « **Reply #2 on:** December 22, 2010, 10:32:10 PM »

That sucks dude. My first thought when I heard about it from the Midget was that something had gone wrong with the can...this is a bit of a surprise. Wow.

sohmdaddy · « **Reply #3 on:** December 22, 2010, 10:44:44 PM »

I didn't know a .22 was capable of exploding a gun.

Feud · « **Reply #4 on:** December 22, 2010, 10:57:28 PM »

That stinks man, glad to hear though that you've got all your fingers, toes, and eye balls.

mnw42 · « **Reply #5 on:** December 22, 2010, 11:21:42 PM »

That really sucks. I'm happy to hear you are Ok.

JD · « **Reply #6 on:** December 22, 2010, 11:36:02 PM »

Oh man, that sucks. But I'm happy to hear you're okay!

I hope they replace your pistol. Good chance they will, Walther USA has that deal with S&W here in the states, so maybe they'll honor a S&W type warranty? Use of "reloads" would be pretty hard for them to claim, the P22 being a rimfire and all. Since you mentioned the possibility of a case head separation, do you think it was an ammo issue or the pistol itself? Since P22's use zinc slides, I'm wondering if that may have helped play a role?

Outbreak · « **Reply #7 on:** December 22, 2010, 11:39:25 PM »

I've read a couple places in the last hour or so that S&W is merely the distributor for Walther, and does NOT extend any warranty beyond Walther's 1 year warranty. Still, it would be tough for them to prove I did anything to cause a Kaboom. I'm hoping they'll replace it, but not getting my hopes up too high.

JD · « **Reply #8 on:** December 22, 2010, 11:54:10 PM »

Quote from: Outbreak on December 22, 2010, 11:39:25 PM

I've read a couple places in the last hour or so that S&W is merely the distributor for Walther, and does NOT extend any warranty beyond Walther's 1 year warranty. Still, it would be tough for them to prove I did anything to cause a Kaboom. I'm hoping they'll replace it, but not getting my hopes up too high.

Ack! Hope they do the right thing and send you a new one.

mattitude · « **Reply #9 on:** December 23, 2010, 12:12:56 AM »

Did you do any mods from the P22 Bible or is your gun bone stock & untouched? I've heard some horror stories about the P22 (...but there are many guns with same stories...) and that was one of the reasons I ditched mine and went with the Buckmark.

Coronach · « **Reply #10 on:** December 23, 2010, 12:38:16 AM »

I think a lot of manufacturers of .22s take the form factor of a popular gun, make it smaller and out of crappy material, and think it's okay. Hey, it's just a .22 toy, right? A case in point, Sig Mosquito. And, I'm guessing, this. There is no excuse for the gun to fail catastrophically from a .22 rimfire.

Mike

Outbreak · « **Reply #11 on:** December 23, 2010, 12:55:27 AM »

Quote from: mattitude on December 23, 2010, 12:12:56 AM

Did you do any mods from the P22 Bible or is your gun bone stock & untouched?

I lost the slide catch spring...does that count?

Wes S. · « **Reply #12 on:** December 23, 2010, 01:41:53 AM »

Yeesh.

*crosses Walther P22 off list of guns I want to own*

Outbreak · « **Reply #13 on:** December 23, 2010, 01:53:52 AM »

Quote from: Wes S. on December 23, 2010, 01:41:53 AM

*crosses Walther P22 off list of guns I want to own*

Eh, don't be so quick on the elimination. If Walther replaces it, I'll probably keep the new one. I might even buy another one. We'll see. I've never heard of this happening before (unlike Glocks) and one failure doesn't make a bad gun.

Coronach · « **Reply #14 on:** December 23, 2010, 10:58:53 AM »

Let's assume it is a manufacturing issue (read: a lemon) and not a comprehensive design fault. What sort of simple manfacturing error can cause a .22 LR to catastrophically deconstruct the gun? I'm asking seriously, not rhetorically.

OTOH, if you cut corners and make it out of pot metal to save money, I can see this happening very easily.

Occam's Razor.

Mike

JesseL · « **Reply #15 on:** December 23, 2010, 11:39:58 AM »

Quote from: Coronach on December 23, 2010, 10:58:53 AM

Let's assume it is a manufacturing issue (read: a lemon) and not a comprehensive design fault. What sort of simple manfacturing error can cause a .22 LR to catastrophically deconstruct the gun? I'm asking seriously, not rhetorically.

A broken disconnector that allows it to fire slightly out of battery?

Coronach · « **Reply #16 on:** December 23, 2010, 03:20:57 PM »

I've had a .22 fire out of battery that resulted in a damaged magazine, noth, this wqas a ing more. Granted, it was a rifle and, as such, had more metal surrounding the chamber than a pistol, but that's an argument in favor of using good steel, not pot metal, becuase OOB incidents can and do occur.

Mike

JesseL · « **Reply #17 on:** December 23, 2010, 03:27:44 PM »

Probably has a bit to do with just how far out of battery it is and which direction it decides to blow out.

Outbreak · « **Reply #18 on:** December 23, 2010, 03:33:31 PM »

I was actually surprised that my magazine wasn't damaged. Every centerfire kaboom story I've read included the magazine dumping its guts and any remaining ammo straight out the bottom.

I just got off the phone with Walther. The guy sounded surprised when I said the words "P22" and "uncontained failure" in the same sentence. They're sending me a shipping label so I can ship it back to them, and he said they'll look at it and decide either to repair

or replace and ship it back to me.

Hamilton Felix · « **Reply #19 on:** December 23, 2010, 03:47:56 PM »

Wow! What is that slide made of, that just blowing the head off a .22LR round can do that much damage?

I was just looking at a couple of Rugers and a P22 in the store (lost my red eagle 1950 Ruger Standard Auto in the divorce). The P22 looked like a nice little pistol. Sounds like I'll find more durability with the Ruger.

Coronach · « **Reply #20 on:** December 23, 2010, 04:25:16 PM »

My thoughts exactly.

FMJ · « **Reply #21 on:** December 23, 2010, 04:26:46 PM »

Quote from: sohmdaddy on December 22, 2010, 10:44:44 PM

I didn't know a .22 was capable of exploding a gun.

Quote from: Wikipedia

According to the official C.I.P. guidelines, the .22 LR case can handle up to 205 MPa (30,000 psi) copper crusher (measuring method crusher conformal) pressure. In C.I.P. regulated countries, every rifle cartridge combo has to be proofed at 125% of this maximum C.I.P. pressure to certify for sale to consumers.

GeorgeHill · « **Reply #22 on:** December 23, 2010, 04:30:38 PM »

That can happen in any gun. Please remember that KB's are mostly a result of an AMMO issue and not a GUN issue. As far as cheap Bulk Remington? Your looking at the worst QC in the Rimfire Market, they make that stuff as fast as possible and ship it by the truck-full. A Double-Primed Case can indeed cause such a pressure spike enough to shatter the P-22. I've seen the same thing in a HIGH-STANDARD and a S&W 42. It can happen in any gun.

FMJ · « **Reply #23 on:** December 23, 2010, 04:39:07 PM »

What is the best bulk .22 in your opinion?

I know first hand how full of suck the Rem Golden Turds are.

GeorgeHill · « **Reply #24 on:** December 23, 2010, 04:41:44 PM »

Quote from: FMJ on December 23, 2010, 04:39:07 PM

What is the best bulk .22 in your opinion?

I know first hand how full of suck the Rem Golden Turds are.

They are all crap, but I like the Fed Champions more.
But when I am really shooting .22 Rimfires... I like the CCI Velocitors the best.