Walther P22 - Cycling Issue

[vipprimo]

So I got a P22 for my wife and she finally got to fire it a couple of days ago and then let my mom borrow it to see if it's something she wants and then I realized that I think it needed cleaning and without reading the book I just pulled the latch down and popped it off etc.

I was having difficulty getting it back together and I looked up a video and I seemed to have done it right, but when I pull back the slide and flip down the release the slide didn't move forward. I jossled it and went forward. I took it apart again and it looked fine and put it back together again and once again it wouldn't release forward. Then I noticed the release was really tight, but after holding it down and cycling it like crazy it finally decided it was going to cooperate, except the release was still tight on pulling it down, but I think it'll at least work now.

Note, nothing looked worn unnaturally, etc. It looked almost new. I haven't fired it since yet, but I plan to real soon to make sure it's cooperating again.

Has anyone else had this issue? The only thing I could think of was that it was the spring, but I figured I would ask someone here to see if something might be rubbing etc.


(If there are any spelling or grammar errors... deal with it!)

 

[shanef]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILB_wkLXzAA

 

[vipprimo]

I appreciate the assistance. That video wasn't as specific as the one I watched and they both said the same thing. I'm hoping more to find someone who has had this problem so they can advise me what I may have forgotten or what they did to resolve it.

 

[dgrafton]

I have a P22, and usually the only issue with re-assembly for new owners is the recoil spring. If you didn't use the pin supplied for re-assembly, you may have kinked the spring, although I'm not sure that would cause the issues you described. I've been playing with mine for the last 15 minutes. The only way I can get it to do what you said is by not installing the guide rod and recoil spring.

 

[vipprimo]

I had a feeling that was it. When I was taking it apart the first time it got away from me when the spring tried to pull it out of my hand and it got a little caught on the end of the lower part and I thought I might have kinked it, but it didn't appear to have any problems.

I'm just going to cycle it a ton of times and I hope that straightens it out.

 

[Yota79]

Had the same issue w/my P22 and after taking some material off the hammer and polishing the surface it runs like a sewing machine. There was a good write up i had found w/pics online. Let me see if i can dig it up. Found it http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_5_27/13896_How_I_made_my_P22_not_suck_.html

 

[vipprimo]

Nice! You are the man!

 

[Yota79]

Page 8 2nd post down gives you a good idea of what to do.

 

[vipprimo]

I want to thank everyone that gave me a suggestion.

The problem was definitely the spring. When I took it apart the first time the spring had caught the front of the lower half and I think it tweeked it. When I put it back together the movement of the spring was hindered and the way it cycles causes like a hump the spring has to overcome and it made it weak at the wrong point.

I put it back together and forced it to cycle a few times and then just put it up. Couple days later I took it and put some rounds through it. It had one "stuck" problem at the beginning of a magazine.

I again put it up and then took it out today and it acts like nothing ever happened.

The suggestion is make sure you use a guide rod and carefully take it apart. If not just let the metal memory get back in the spring by letting it sit around for a bit.

 

[Gak44]

Good to hear you got it working again. I have had one a couple years now. No real problems, just the spring everyone has problems with. I did see a utube vid, where a guy used a wooden dowl to install the return spring. I think the p22 is a cakewalk, compared to my 22/45, for reassembly!!