.22 pistol opinion

rbwells · Post by **rbwells** » Mon Dec 24, 2012 4:40 pm

Hello, I was wondering if anyone could lend some information (Good and bad) about three .22 pistols. The Hammerli sp20 RRS, Walther GSP Expert, and the Pardini SP New. I know all three are eye ringers and it is honestly about the shooter but i was just wondering if anyone has had any problems with these three? I know the pardini cost $200 dollars more than the other two but it is becoming a constant favorite so is it worth the extra cash? Thanks.

togfish · Post by **togfish** » Mon Dec 24, 2012 8:28 pm

I have had my GSP Expert for just about one year. I am extremely happy with it. It shoots much better than I ever will. In approximately 7000 rounds fired, I've had only two misfires. Both were the fault of the ammo. The first was a "dud" round. The second was my fault in that I allowed a wax buildup on the feed ramp. This happened in very cold weather. The wax is from the CCI SV ammo that I use exclusively. I have learned to look at the bullets for excess wax, and wipe it off, before loading mags in cold weather.

rbwells · Post by **rbwells** » Mon Dec 24, 2012 8:51 pm

Ok also it looks like the gsp expert has a compensator. Is it a compensator is it just a sleave on the end for style? I shoot USA shooting and I can not have a compensator for the competitions.

togfish · Post by **togfish** » Mon Dec 24, 2012 9:10 pm

It is not a compensator. It is a built in/on barrel weight. It does also have a recoil buffer system built in. I recommend you contact Earl Sheehan at Earls Repair Service. He is the dealer and has the answers. Very good guy to deal with. http://www.carlwalther.com/

John C · Post by **John C** » Tue Dec 25, 2012 3:17 am

I've had a GSP Expert for about 5 years. I went through the same decision process you're going through. I went with the GSP because it's a very proven design. They are extremely reliable, with a very low rate of alibis. I really like the fact that they're modular, so you can swap out major assemblies like the top end or trigger group.

The recoil reduction system works well. The gun also functions reliably with Aguila subsonic ammo, so recoil is very low.

The triggers are great, and very adjustable.

I think the only thing the newer designs have going for them is a lower bore axis, but that's a minor detail. The triggers might be a bit better, but I really have a hard time believing that, having worked with the two stage GSP trigger group.

The shooters in my club find the Pardini to be like a Ferrari or Lamborghini. They perform great, but are finicky. If they're not happy, you're not happy. My GSP just runs and runs.

Good luck!

-John

j-team · Post by **j-team** » Tue Dec 25, 2012 4:13 am

John C wrote:I've had a GSP Expert for about 5 years. I went through the same decision process you're going through. I went with the GSP because it's a very proven design.

That's one way of saying it, I would say it like this, the Walther is a good pistol for a 50 year old design.

I have owned 3 GSPs. A .22 from 1986-1991 and a couple of .32s 1988-2006. I now have Pardinis in both .22 and .32 and would never consider going back to the GSP. Yes, they are reliable and durable, in all that time I shot them I only ever broke a .22 firing pin and a couple of .32 ejectors.

For a comparison, I have had 3 pardinis and have only broken one firing pin in the Pardini in 13 years of use, as for malfunctions, the Pardini has been almost 100% reliable, the only thing you need to look out for is over length rounds as the mags don't have a lot of clearance lengthwise so they can cause feeding problems.

Your other option, the Hammerli SP20 is also a fine pistol. My wife has had 2 of them over the years and didn't have any major problems with them. They have one of the best triggers out there.

jpsIII · Post by **jpsIII** » Tue Dec 25, 2012 9:22 am

I've had my GSP Expert for three years of league competition (27 300-matches/year, plus a handful of 900's) with zero pistol-related alibis; just one bad cartridge. I do keep the feed ramp clean. Good luck, good karma, clean living...you choose!

Bob Mccollum · Post by **Bob Mccollum** » Tue Dec 25, 2012 5:32 pm

I just purchased a pardini sp for my son , it is Great! He loves the way it is so balanced and very low recoil. it also is the easiest gun to clean I have been around.
Good luck in your search and shooting. I don't think you would be disappointed with the Pardini.

p38 · Post by **p38** » Tue Dec 25, 2012 9:49 pm

I purchased a Pardini SP22 a bit over 3yrs ago and am VERY satisfied with it. I've only had a couple of misfires and stovepipes during this time and me thinks it's due to ammo; I always keep the pistol clean. After reading many postings in TT, I don't see many topics concerning problems with Pardini. Good hunting for your pistol.

Best Regards,

Jay

tuj · Post by **tuj** » Mon Jan 07, 2013 12:20 pm

The shooters in my club find the Pardini to be like a Ferrari or Lamborghini. They perform great, but are finicky.

I would say exactly the opposite. I have fed my SP a diet of SK Pistol Match Special and I have had exactly 1 failure to eject in thousands of rounds. My SP is way less finicky than my IZH-35M was.

nvalcik · Post by **nvalcik** » Mon Jan 07, 2013 2:49 pm

I have had my Walther GSP Expert since it came on the market. I have shot the .32 and .22 in matches and I have an old style trigger which I prefer. I did have a conventional .32 upper before upgrading. The recoil buffer design works well and it is utterly reliable. I love the fact that it is modular which has allowed me to upgrade to the Expert and buy the .22 unit as well. We used GSP's for our collegiate team guns and they held up well over 1,000's of rounds shot through them. I think the newer grips on the GSP Experts are vastly improved from the old factory grips as well.

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