I heard about the Walther Magnum Pistol about the same time everyone else did. The 15-shot autoloading pistol, according to one source manufactured at Umarex, is large – not particularly heavy. It's hammer-fired and has a blade in the face of the trigger to prevent movement of the trigger if the gun is dropped.
The rear sight is serrated, black in color and has no dots or other visually intrusive nonsense. The front sight is a bright fiber-optic of the current style. The gun has no manual safety, but has an interesting feel.
Well, it’s a Walther. Known for ergonomics, the WMP was a fine fit for the human hand. It just felt right.
It’s configured for optics mounting and is provided with mounting plates. I’ve not taken advantage of that yet, but I have an optic waiting to be installed – right behind some sight replacement chores on other guns.
What’s the deal with an autoloading pistol – a large one – in 22 Magnum?
Not sure. It’s fun? Perhaps it’s a good choice for certain people with particular infirmities, perhaps elderly status or it’s for young people who want to see the firepower display of vast amounts of unburned powder igniting ahead of the muzzle.
It has a purpose. One thing is the power. It has a 4 ½” barrel and the first five rounds fired were from an older box of CCI Maxi-Mag. Loaded with 40 grain JHP bullets, the average velocity was 1,519 fps. Fired from a (less than stable) rest, those bullets grouped into nine inches, with the best three going into five inches …
Understand that Mini-Mag 22 Long Rifle 40 gr. ammo will yield about 1,280-1,300 fps … from a rifle-length barrel. This leads me to believe that, while the 22 rifle would be easier for most folks to fire accurately, the WMP exceeds it in the power department.
You just have to be able to hit the target. It seems, thus far, that the WMP has that covered – if the shooter does.
From 25 yards, I checked accuracy and velocities with a somewhat better rest. I used the 22 Mag ammo I had.
First, a note: Walther has a list of recommended ammo. Use that. If it says something’s not a good fit for this pistol, don’t waste your money. Believe them.
Hornady 30 grain V-Max is one of those. While it shot into two inches at 25 yards (with the best three into 1 ¼”), feeding, extraction and ejection were not amongst its assets. It achieved 1,817 FPS average velocity – and that’s nothing to sneeze at from a pistol barrel.
Winchester Varmint 30 grain likewise had issues – like not running the slide. Still, it was an accurate load and achieved an average velocity of 1,582 FPS. (Yes, the WMP is a pistol.)
Finally, CCI MAXI-Mag 40 gr. JHP (from current stock) averaged 1,407 FPS and put five rounds into two inches at 25 yards. The best three hits went into 1 3/8”. Old production MAXI-Mag was over 100 FPS faster, as noted.
What about the rest of the gun? The sights were simply superb. When I get a chance to get glass on it, I’ll retry some accuracy work – if I can acquire a variety of 22 Mag. 40 grain loads. I have gotten a supply of CCI – for which I thank CCI and Federal Premium.
The only thing that hurts the WMP thus far is a lack of holsters. I’m seeing this as a farm and ranch utility pistol, very handy for someone running a tractor, pickup or ATV across the fields – though it’s a fun shooter and there are other applications.
WMP SPECIFICATIONS:
MODEL: 5220300
CALIBER: .22 WMR
SLIDE MATERIAL: ALUMINUM
FRAME MATERIAL: POLYMER
OVERALL LENGTH: 8.2″
SLIDE LENGTH: 8.2″
WIDTH: 1.48″
HEIGHT: 5.66″
BARREL LENGTH: 4.5”
SIGHTS: Front: Fiber Optic | Rear: Serrated
WEIGHT WITH EMPTY MAGAZINE: 27.8 oz
MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 15 rounds
MAGS INCLUDED: 2
SAFETIES: 3-auto
OPTICS READY: YES
TRIGGER PULL: 4.5#
MSRP: $549
(Source: Walther)
-- Rich Grassi