phoenix arms hp-22 with range kit

Yeah, I have one. It's a zinc gun and has had plenty of problems in about 2K of ammo over a 20 year period. It' certainly not a range gun. I've already got 4K through my less than a year old Ruger SR22 and would have a lot more, but for the ammo crunch with .22 ammo. I've got untold number of rounds through my Rossi M511 Sportsman stainless revolver (kit gun) and the danged thing is 1" at 25 yards accurate off the bench with Federal Automatch and amazingly shoots Remington shorts into 1.5" which is a good thing since that's all I've been able to find besides .22 magnum in rimfire lately. My Ruger mk 2 is a tack driver, has an LER 2x optic on it for squirrel hunting and can put 10 rounds into an inch at 50 yards.

The PA HP22 shoots well for what it is. It's reliable until it breaks, meaning it feeds and ejects near 100 percent. It's 3" accurate at 25 yards with the short barrel and I can squeeze another inch of accuracy out of it with the 5" barrel. Its shining quality is it's pocketable with good accuracy, but my 2"/25 yards accurate Ruger SR22 is better and is still pocketable and a lot lighter than that brick of zinc.

All in all, I wouldn't buy one now. I've had battering problems from the slide, had to figure that one out and grind the thing back to shape with a dremel to get it running. The slide cracked shortly after purchase, got a new one from PA. Their customer service is GREAT, can say that. But, I'd rather have my other .22s for ANY application now that my Ruger SR22 has replaced the PA as my fishing companion in my pocket. If you get it and wanna shoot it a lot, you're going to be shipping it back to PA often for repairs or replacement. I haven't got 2500 rounds on it, yet, but I hear somewhere around there the frame WILL crack. I don't reckon that to be the case with a Ruger SR22. Another thing, the recoil spring looks like it came out of a ball point pen, lasts about 500 rounds before it goes limp and you start getting misfires because it won't return to battery, not a great feature in a pistol. Good thing is, PA will ship you springs for free.

JMHO, though. I looked at the bersa and was tempted, then the Ruger was introduced and I HAD to have one. I'm a bit of a Ruger fanboy as I own 8 of 'em, one .22 rifle and the rest handguns. I've owned several others over the years that I've traded off. One got stolen. THAT still burns me, was a stainless Ruger Old Army revolver.

Oh, here ya go. This is a danged nice shootin' handgun for a little over 300 bucks. I'd spend the extra money, advice from one who has owned an HP22 for near 20 years now.

BangBang said:

I have had one for about 15 years and have never heard of the problems NT claims with his.

Don

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Really? All the problems I've had are well documented all over the net. Seems YOU'RE the exception to the rule, not me, from what I've gathered on the little gun on the net. Now, I ain't sayin' the net is always right, but I've had these problems and many others have, too. I could go to THR and dig up some posts for ya, but it's just a conversation and if yours is doing fine, I'm glad. They are quite accurate for what they are and quite reliable, too, with the right ammo. Not supposed to shoot the hyper-velocity stuff like stingers in 'em and with the frame battering mine's had, i can see why.

One, the frame crack seems inevitable from what I've read, though mine's not got enough rounds through it to find out, yet.

Two, my slide crack was addressed early on in production with a redesign, more meat in the slide where they were cracking. Don't think that'll ever be an issue again.

Three, EVERYONE on the net complains about the cheesy recoil spring giving out and mine's no different there.

The good part of the Phoenix Arms story is that when it does bite the dust around 2500-3000 rounds, PA will replace it...I guess forever, it has a lifetime warranty and they do have great customer service.

I don't really need mine anymore, but one attribute it DOES have, it'll fit a back jeans pocket in a flap holster that looks like a wallet that I made years ago for a .25 auto. My Ruger SR22 is larger physically and requires either a front pocket or cargo pocket. I normally carry it in the front pocket of my Wrangler cargo jeans.

If Texas had buyback programs, I might make me some money on the thing, only gave 70 bucks for the gun and 45 for the "range kit". It's a lot of gun for 70 bucks, gotta admit. I keep it around, might come in handy sometime for a fishing gun, yet. And, I made a memory on a fishing trip once, killing a good dozen snakes off an infested little lake. That was way cool, even got attacked in my little 10 ft john boat by one I hit amidships off a log. He came after me (non-poisonous snake, but very agressive) and it took me about 8 shots to hit his head. He made it to within 20 feet of the boat and I was about ready to one on one with the boat paddle.

Oh, should add, the frame battering thing I've not read about on the net. I might be an exception there, I don't know, but it happened to me. I blame zinc construction, the very thing that makes this gun cheap, for that, and perhaps one too many rounds with a limp recoil spring.

No nerve touched, I just found it odd that you have seen nothing about the problems of the HP22 on the net. It's all over the place.

I haven't shot it much, so sorta forget about it for long periods. When it had that frame battering problem, I didn't figure it out for a long time. Then one day, for some reason, it came to me what it might be...and it was. I'd just stuffed it in the back of a closet and forgot about it for 6 or 8 years, then got it going again. It was cheap, I have no regrets of buying it, just wouldn't recommend it to someone looking for a gun he can shoot and not mess with, that's all. IOW, I'd rather have a Bersa, or a Ruger, or other quality firearm given the choice. If I were the OP, I'd stop being so antsy and just wait on the Bersa, a very nice gun with a great reputation, if that's the gun he wants. The Ruger is another possible. I wouldn't get a Walther, either, because of the Zinc slide, but many like 'em. The HP22 has given me a bias against zinc alloy.