What should I purchase?

mld · Post by **mld** » Thu Jun 16, 2011 4:15 pm

I'm returning to shooting after an absence of many years. I would like some help and recommendations on what .22 and .32 pistols to purchase. I used to own a Hammerli 208 .22, a Walther GSP .32 and a Walther .22 short rapid fire.

I would like to ease myself back into the game with a Walther SP22 (for example) but I have an opportunity to buy a Hammerli SP20 .22 with the .32 conversion at a good price.

I also like the look and feel of the GSP Expert but it is a bit out of my price range right now.

Help please?

j-team · Post by **j-team** » Thu Jun 16, 2011 4:33 pm

I don't think that the Walther SP22 is a serious target pistol, it's just a glorified plinker.

Given the choice of the two you have mentioned, I would take the Hammerli SP20.

Bob-Riegl · Post by **Bob-Riegl** » Thu Jun 16, 2011 4:46 pm

I just learned something about Walther guns that I almost threw up over. I have a lady friend shooter---who has the new Walther in .32 and one day when cleaning the gun she noticed a piece of metal sitting inside the grips. It turned out to be a 3"piece of the right rear rail. She did get the gun repaired by Walther as they TIG welded a new piece and re-machined that section---the metal lower for the pistol is cast aluminum not machined from a billet. That alsmost made me puke as I was eyeing one in .22 up till that moment in time. "Doc"

lastman · Post by **lastman** » Thu Jun 16, 2011 10:48 pm

I have used a Hammerli SP20 for quite a few years now and I have found it to be a great all round pistol.

I would recommend it to anyone looking to be more than a social plinker but not training for elite competition.

Good luck

Tycho · Post by **Tycho** » Thu Jun 16, 2011 10:51 pm

Sorry, no offense, but I'd read through the last two years of tt before asking a question that was asked two thousand times...

mld · Post by **mld** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 10:19 pm

Thanks for the comments; after reviewing posts on this forum and other sources I've ordered the SP20 22/32 conversion.

orionshooter · Post by **orionshooter** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 11:19 pm

j-team wrote:I don't think that the Walther SP22 is a serious target pistol, it's just a glorified plinker.

Given the choice of the two you have mentioned, I would take the Hammerli SP20.

I disagree...it's not even a glorified plinker. As an SP22 owner it shocks the conscience to see this kind of trash bearing a Walther label.

j-team · Post by **j-team** » Wed Jun 22, 2011 1:18 am

orionshooter wrote: I disagree...it's not even a glorified plinker. As an SP22 owner it shocks the conscience to see this kind of trash bearing a Walther label.

I apologise for tarnishing the good name of plinkers!

TonyT · Post by **TonyT** » Wed Jun 22, 2011 11:39 am

I shot a Walther GSP in 22 and 32 for several years. They are rock solid and you can purchase cutom barrels for the 32 for 50 yard bullseye shoots. In later years I wanted a pistol with less weight up fpont and opted for a Pardini SP in 22 and Pardini HP in 32. The Pardinis shoot well at 25 meters but the Walther GSP's will outlast them in service and could be used by your great grandchildren.

milevsport · Post by **milevsport** » Thu Jun 23, 2011 11:18 pm

TonyT wrote:I shot a Walther GSP in 22 and 32 for several years. They are rock solid and you can purchase cutom barrels for the 32 for 50 yard bullseye shoots. In later years I wanted a pistol with less weight up fpont and opted for a Pardini SP in 22 and Pardini HP in 32. The Pardinis shoot well at 25 meters but the Walther GSP's will outlast them in service and could be used by your great grandchildren.

I think you opted for the best .22 pistol. I shot competitively GSP until 1996, when I won medal in Atlanta, but after that changed to Pardini and never looked back.
If you look at the 25m firing lines at international level, no one is using GSP, where Pardini is used by 80% of the shooters in rapid-fire pistol, and almost half of the girls in Sport Pistol.
As for reliability, I've seen 20 year old Pardinis with poor maintenance still used in competition.
The adjustment of the balance and the recoil control in Pardini are great.
www.PardiniGuns.com is the place for support