Walther P22 - Light hammer strike issues

[West Chester]

Just picked up a used P22, fired 15-20 rounds then started to get some light hammer strikes. Hammer would fall, nothing - re-cock and the round would go off. Had 10-15 of these.

Then nothing. Could drop the hammer 10 times in a row on a round and nothing would happen.

Ammo was correct. CCI stingers and mini-mags.

The firing pin moves freely. Gun was fairly clean, barrel was slightly dirty.

Any ideas on why this is happening?

[sid]

I had a similar issue with mine. After getting home from the range I decided to fiddle with it. I thought maybe by chance I had forgetten that the safety was on because the hammer will drop with the safety on. The unfired rounds also had a very slight mark from the firing pin. To test my theory and because I didn't want to go to the range again and my neighbors can be sinsitive to gun fire.
I removed the bullet from a round and dumped the powder. This left me with an empty case with a live primer. I made sure the safety was off (this time) and fired it. Low and behold it worked. The promer poped and the case was dented nicely.
Try this it may be the answer you are looking for.

Sid

[West Chester]

The safety is 100% not on. Does your p22's firing pin stay all the way back when the pistol is ready to fire. I noticed that my firing pin can freely move forward and there is no way a hammer can hit it.

[P-11 shooter]

My moms had light strikes for a while. Check the pin on the mag release. It was working its way out on her P.22

[sid]

The safety is 100% not on. Does your p22's firing pin stay all the way back when the pistol is ready to fire. I noticed that my firing pin can freely move forward and there is no way a hammer can hit it.

The back of the firing pin sticks out approx. 1/16" beyond the slide/safety barrel. It is spring loaded so it stays back all the time. I would have to push the firing pin in about 1/8" to have it in far enough to fire a round. This can easily be done with a ball point pen (pushing the firing pin in that is). It will go in an 1/8" or so farther then that though. Maybe your firing pin or spring is broke. I had heard it is a bad idea to dry fire these to much and maybe yours was to much before you bought it.

Sid

[Kimba]

I also had a problem with safety "walking on" Took it apart & reseating it and tightened down the safety lever.

[jokusfocus]

I don't know about how to specifically solve your problem, but hopefully this will help:

P22 Bible

[West Chester]

Did a bit more research and for the benefit of anyone that has this problem from another site...

The Walther P22's firing pin is a flat piece of metal that moves freely in the center of the breach block. The firing pin has a nub that keeps it from falling out of the breach block, and it's held in position by a tiny spring. Only small portion of the firing pin protrudes from the back of the breach block and through the safety block. When the safety is disengaged, there is about a tenth of an inch of the firing pin protruding.

When a the trigger is pulled and the hammer falls, it strikes the little bit of the firing pin protruding through the safety block and sends it forward to impact the chambered round. After the firing pin impacts a chambered, it's returned to position by a little spring that sits inside the breach block.

When a P22 is dry fired, there's no casing in the chamber to stop the firing pin and the pin continues on into the empty chamber cavity. This causes the small spring that's tasked with returning the firing pin to become hyper-extended, thereby impeding its ability to fully return the pin. What ends up happening is that the firing pin isn't moved far enough back past the safety block for the hammer to strike it. Once this occurs, the pistol will no longer function reliably.

[andrewjs18]

I haven't had the specific issue with my P22 yet, but I do know they're extremely picky with ammo.