# P22- First round hangs up and needs help chambering...any advice?



## fliperoo (May 22, 2009)

hey all, 

picked up a new slick little P22 to tote to the range...but I am having some trouble chambering the first round. when i insert a full mag, and the slide is back, when i release the slide forward, it doesn't seem to have enough "Umph" to chamber the first round and it hangs up. I have to give it a little coaxing with my thumb on the back of the slide, and that little extra push will bring the slide forward and chamber the first round. After firing the first round, everything cycles nicely, but that first round always seems to hang. Is this a common problem with p22's? i've oiled the hell out of the rails and even the mags, probably over-oiled, and it doesn't seem to help. i'd say that this happens 70-80% of the time. i've used all different brands of ammo, and no change. i've resorted to bringing the slide forward prior to inserting the mag and then fully racking the slide to chamber that first round. 

any thoughts/advice?

thanks all. happy plinking


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## kev74 (Mar 22, 2008)

Are you letting the slide go at its furthest rearward point so the spring and slide have the most momentum to load the first round? Or just using the slide release? 

It sounds like the mag spring is tight. It should loosen up with use.


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## James NM (Jan 4, 2007)

Have you tried it with a different mag?

Before you insert the loaded mag, make sure the top round is fully seated to the rear of the mag.


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## BeefyBeefo (Jan 30, 2008)

kev74 said:


> Are you letting the slide go at its furthest rearward point so the spring and slide have the most momentum to load the first round? Or just using the slide release?
> 
> It sounds like the mag spring is tight. It should loosen up with use.


I agree.

Try the slingshot method and see if you have the same results. :smt023


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## fliperoo (May 22, 2009)

*thanks all*

i'll give it a rip and see what goes down. thanks again.


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## fusil (Sep 23, 2008)

Salut Fliperoo,

Have a look at this.:watching:

http://www.freespeech.com/1917-1911M_P22_bible.pdf

Try the mag fix. I had 1 mag that did the same, chopped a bit off......never another problem.:smt023

fusil


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## nukehayes (Sep 22, 2006)

I agree with all the others but please do not oil your mags, they will just collect dirt/dust and will cause problems


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## quickstarr (Nov 26, 2008)

Fliperoo, I have 3 walther P22's and they are great little range guns. But they need special care but it's not much. First off the slide needs to be oiled especially within the first 1,000 round breakin period. After every trip to the range take the gun apart and clean it and reoil the slide. These guns are very ammo specific as you will see, CCI Minimags, CCI Velocitors, CCI Stingers, Remington golden bullets, and Remington Thunderbolts will all shoot well through this gun. It is a great gun and lots of fun, just needs special care and maintenance and all will be good.


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## fliperoo (May 22, 2009)

quickstarr said:


> Fliperoo, I have 3 walther P22's and they are great little range guns. But they need special care but it's not much. First off the slide needs to be oiled especially within the first 1,000 round breakin period. After every trip to the range take the gun apart and clean it and reoil the slide. These guns are very ammo specific as you will see, CCI Minimags, CCI Velocitors, CCI Stingers, Remington golden bullets, and Remington Thunderbolts will all shoot well through this gun. It is a great gun and lots of fun, just needs special care and maintenance and all will be good.


excellent info. thank you.


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## MattB (Aug 30, 2008)

All .22 semiautos seem to be a bit picky. My P226-22 sometimes does what you are describing, but it only seems to happen with hollowpoint rounds.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

*MattB*'s response makes me think of my "sovereign remedy for mis-feeds": _Polish the pistol's feed ramp_, and where the bullet first hits under the barrel hood. (Do _not_ use a motorized tool for this. Use only emery paper wrapped around a dowel, sanding in the direction the cartridge is to move.)
From what I've been reading, you also might very carefully polish the slide rails, both on the slide and on the frame, with some sort of _extremely fine_ abrasive paste. Strip the slide, put a little abrasive on the rails, put the slide in place, and run the slide back and forth until things ease-up. (Clean it all off, very thoroughly, when you're done.)
I admit that this set of remedies are from M1911 practice, not that of .22s, but they'll help anyway. I had to do something similar (to the slide rails) on a Ciener .22 conversion for the M1911.
Let us know how it goes.

After reading the _P22 Bible_ *Fusil* linked us to, I have further thoughts.
Besides the gun's feed ramp, and instead of its frame-and-slide rails, I now suggest polishing the area of the barrel that's showing wear, and the underside of the slide where it pushes on and slides along the hammer during recoil. You'll need nothing but emery paper or cloth for this-no abrasive paste.
I suggest three grades of emery, at least, plus crocus cloth for the final buff. On the barrel, wrap the emery around the outside of the barrel and polish in a front-and-back motion. On the underside of the slide, you need something dead flat (wood? a file?) to keep the emery flat against the metal.


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