Sig mosquito versus Walther P22? Recommendations?

[Spacehog 2,218]

I am looking at getting my 14 yo daughter her first pistol for Christmas. I want her to start with a .22 to learn the fundementals before moving up to larger calibers. I have looked at both pistols above and have always liked the feel of the Walthers. Any recommendations from those that have owned or shot both. Any others that I should be looking at?

[Squishy 1,149]

Just a thought depending on how much you want to spend but a Sig 9mm like the P226 with a 22LR conversion kit could allow an easy transition from 22LR to 9mm with the same grip, trigger etc. I read up on the Mosquito before getting a conversion kit for my P220 and it seemed to have some problems in certain cases which could have a lot to do with not using high velocity rounds which Sig recommends. My 22LR conversion works well, a FTF every 100 rounds or so which is not bad for me at least.

[mancat 2,368]

I checked out both extensively a couple years ago. Ended up buying the Mosquito, and don't regret it one bit.

 

P22 would probably be better for a girl with small hands. It was just too small for my hands; I couldn't work the controls because they were too close to my thumb. The Mosquito is closer to the size and weight of a full-size SIG pistol. My wife has small hands and likes to shoot the Mosquito, so I'm not sure if the size is going to be an issue for a girl so much as it would be for a man with oversize hands. Point is, have her try both out and see which one fits.

 

The P22 is known for having some slide failure problems. Not sure if these have been totally resolved. I don't know of any mechanical failure points with the Mosquito.

 

Both pistols are somewhat sensitive to ammo and may not cycle reliably with weak-loaded .22LR. I started off using CCI Mini Mags with my Mosquito, and after about a thousand rounds of break-in it was loose enough to reliably cycle with several brands of bulk .22LR. Ironically now it really likes the cheapest stuff out there, Remington Golden Bullet. That stuff is dirt as hell though.

 

If for some reason you prefer a .22LR pistol that emulates a full-size modern auto pistol, you may also want to look at the CZ Kadet and Ruger SR22. If not, don't forget to check out the classic .22LR pistols, the Ruger MKIII series and Browning Buckmark.

Edited November 25, 2012 by mancat

[Dad2142Dad 6,559]

My daughter has a mosquito and really likes it.

[JonnyDingDongs 158]

Hmm.. Looks like I have to be the odd man out. I've owned both- I still have the P22. I traded the Mosquito off and haven't looked back. There's really nothing wrong with either of them, but I love my P22.

[belt fed frog 56]

while i can not dispute the one platform 2 caliber ideal as being good

i agree with mancat do not forget the old standards

 

and would only add the High Standard`s and Woodsman`s to the list expensive yes but durability unmatched IMHO but in the end the only thing that really matters is her comfort with the pistol and if it is a natural "pointer " for her !

[VR762Shooter 838]

The first gun I fired was a Mosquito. I had nothing but issues with the one I was provided. I don't know if it was ammo choice, lack of cleaning, or some sort of extended wear (gun was provided by club I went to for my license) but I wouldn't buy one myself after the number of malfunctions I had with it ( 2 FTF and 2 FTE out of a 10 round mag). It was good training for clearing a jam, but I wouldn't want to mess around with something so fickle

[yakdung 2,926]

I would go with the Walther out of the two pistols listed. Have you thought about a Browning Buckmark? Nice little pistol. I picked up one a few years back for $199.00 and have shot the pee pee out of it. .22 revolver would be nice as it would allow you to shoot longs shorts and no powder rounds. Good luck on what ever you decide as they are all capable pistols.

Edited November 25, 2012 by yakdung

[Shandlanos 1,470]

Another vote for the Walther.

 

I've had four or five of them now, and have two at the moment. The mosquito has a garbage trigger, one range session with that thing was enough. I'd rather have a crappy beretta neos than a mosquito. Walther/S&W back their stuff up well, too - I've had no problems getting them to ship me new springs, pins and even an extractor when needed, free of charge.

[mancat 2,368]

Just FYI the Mosquito trigger takes all of 15 mins to clean up. The trigger transfer bar is rough and rubs up against the frame. Polish the transfer bar, gritty trigger gone.

[Spacehog 2,218]

Thank you all for your comments. I had thought about a G19 with the .22 conversion slide. That way she could graduate to a 9mm with the same ergonomics. Just not sure I want to spend that kind of money on her first pistol. I could just buy her the conversion as I already have the G19, but its just not as fun opening your first slide as opposed to your first pistol. Additionally the wife would suspect i was just buying it for myself, and she would be partially correct

 

I already ruled out the SR22 after handling one. The Mark II is still on the table. I will check out some of the others mentioned as well. I want it to be a complete surprise so I can't really take her out shopping for them.

Edited November 25, 2012 by Spacehog

[MT Predator 2,294]

I have a Walther that has had a metric shit ton of rounds through it with no issues. It eats most ammo, a few malfunctions running subsonics and snake shot. My buddy had the Sig which didn't perform as well so he traded it for a Walther.

Edited November 27, 2012 by MT Predator

[dayofruin 425]

I really like the P22. The Browning Buckmark is also a good choice. If its for the purpose of getting used to the feel and moving up to larger calibers, the Full sized Sig with the conversion would be a good choice too, as would a 1911 with a .22 conversion.

[Magnamar 2]

I have the GSG 1911 .22LR and I love it. Also its great for training up to a full size.

[Shandlanos 1,470]

The Glock conversions are also a ton of fun. If you want to get her a pistol of her own - well, you CAN buy complete Glock lowers for $200-$250. The conversion slides are still around $250-300. You could build her a very nice dedicated .22-cal Glock for around $500.

 

I have one, and a handful of magazines. I've had extractor issues, but advantage arms sent out replacement parts without hesitation.

[poolingmyignorance 2,191]

I say for the price point get the colt umarex, 1911.Mine cycles pretty much everything. Even suppressed, it will almost cycle the cb quiet shots.

[Rottieman33 90]

Sig only because I live 8 miles from them

[HB of CJ 1,263]

Have owned and shot both. Sold the Walther. Kept the Sig. Eliet Iron Echo 2 can. All NFA rules apply. Yeah..you will have to fiddle with the Sig. Still looking for a good 1x9 twist threaded aftermarket Sig barrel. The Sig just fits my hands better and the controls seem to make more sense. Not knocking the Walther..a fine pistol...just a little bit too small for me and has a weird safety.

 

I need the 1X9 barrel because NOW (tuned) my Sig LOVES Aquila SSS 60 gr. Sub sonic round nose lead ammo with the short brass case. Tuning was necessary. (springs and polishing) Now having fun hollow pointing the 60 grain bullet to different depths and weights. We have a skunk problem. I love my Sig, but the Walther was very good also. HB of CJ (old coot) :) All NFA rules apply again.

[termite 463]

I've got a P22 and so does the wife, they both run great with anything we feed them, they even cycle with CCI standard velocity using the can, 1050 FPS = SS here.

[rs51085 136]

out of those two, get the p22. but personally I would get a ruger mark 3. I have felt the trigger of several p22s and they are no where near as nice as the ruger. the ruger will eat anything and is probably one of the most durable of the 22s you can currently get. not to mention ruger has great customer service.

[fast2gnt 16]

Love my walther p22, I have had it for 9yrs and 10,000+ rnds through it never had a problem.

[SwissyJim 117]

love my older S&W 422

[Koljec 37]

I am looking at getting my 14 yo daughter her first pistol for Christmas. I want her to start with a .22 to learn the fundementals before moving up to larger calibers. I have looked at both pistols above and have always liked the feel of the Walthers. Any recommendations from those that have owned or shot both. Any others that I should be looking at?

 

If it feels good in her hand, I would spend a little more ($500 to $600) and get a Sig P226 Classic (22LR). Down the road, she can change to 9, 40, or 45 for about $300 a kit. The swap takes all of 3 seconds, too.

Edited November 26, 2012 by Koljec

[Spacehog 2,218]

This is why I love this forum. The wealth of experience and willingness to help others is unmatched. I come in with two options and walk away with 10! I will consider the Sig 226 conversion. My daughter is 5'7" and wears a mens size 10 shoe already, so she can handle larger frame pistols. Although I am a BIG fan of 1911 pistols, they will definitely be out of the price range for this buy. I like the idea of a Glock frame with the conversion slide. I hadn't thought of that possibility. I may take her to look at a few pistols under the auspice of Daddy buying a new gun. She would probably buy into that based on how many I have already bought in the last 24 months. It may be the best way to determine what best "fits" her. Apart from reliability, to me, the trigger is the next biggest consideration on a hand gun. It doesn't have to be perfect out of the box, but I would want the ability to tune it aftermarket. I appreciate all of those that have commented on the triggers of the various options above. I appreciate the input!

[MT Predator 2,294]

Not knocking the Walther..a fine pistol...just a little bit too small for me and has a weird safety.

The Walther's safety is not an issue to me. Because the P22 is so small, it does not have a de-cocker. Instead, you simply squueze the trigger and ride the hammer forward on safe. Flip to fire and holster. When firing, first trigger squeeze is double action, follow ups are single action. No different than many other full size pistols you carry in the same configuration.

[zenman223 460]

Didn't see it mentioned but I've been looking at the S&W 22a w/ bull barrel. It has a top rail for a red dot plus fiber optic front sight with integrated rear sights in the rail. Most reviews I've seen have been good and buds has em for $260 shipped! Ive got the p22 and its great but my next 22 will be the 22A. Just an 11th option to think about!

[6500rpm 670]

It's since been replaced with a newer version, but the first gun I bought my wife was a S&W 422 target pistol and thousands of rounds later it still runs like a champ. Light weight and longer sight radius.

Controls are easy and well laid out.

[evlblkwpnz 3,418]

Hmm.. Looks like I have to be the odd man out. I've owned both- I still have the P22. I traded the Mosquito off and haven't looked back. There's really nothing wrong with either of them, but I love my P22.

No you aren't. A friend of mine was on a gun buying binge and ended getting the Mosquito and P22 at the same time. The Mosquito didn't run as well as the P22, on the same ammos. He sold the Mosquito off and some time later got in a tight and I got P22 from him. I have 3 of them now. I have ran CCI ammo in them that was purchased in '78, '79, and '80, as well as various brands of currently manufactured ammo. The only thing that mine do not like very well is the Remington bulk. I'm not sure if I got a bad batch of ammo, but it was old and the projectiles in this stuff would easily spin and move around in the case. Outside of that particular ammo, they run great. I shoot a couple of them suppressed a lot and they are so dirty that it is hard to identify some of the parts in them. Keep a drop of lube on each rail and clean the breech face and extractor now and again.

[Koljec 37]

This is why I love this forum. The wealth of experience and willingness to help others is unmatched. I come in with two options and walk away with 10! I will consider the Sig 226 conversion. My daughter is 5'7" and wears a mens size 10 shoe already, so she can handle larger frame pistols. Although I am a BIG fan of 1911 pistols, they will definitely be out of the price range for this buy. I like the idea of a Glock frame with the conversion slide. I hadn't thought of that possibility. I may take her to look at a few pistols under the auspice of Daddy buying a new gun. She would probably buy into that based on how many I have already bought in the last 24 months. It may be the best way to determine what best "fits" her. Apart from reliability, to me, the trigger is the next biggest consideration on a hand gun. It doesn't have to be perfect out of the box, but I would want the ability to tune it aftermarket. I appreciate all of those that have commented on the triggers of the various options above. I appreciate the input!

 

Glad to give another option. If you do choose the P226 Classic, I recommend breaking it in with about 300 rounds of CCI MiniMag. After that, as long as you or your daughter don't baby arm it, you should be able to cycle lower-test 22lr -- I've been able to cycle everything down to Aguila 60gr subsonic.

 

Also, the X-Change kits all have Sig Lite Night Sights. It's great having a P226 that interchangeably shoots 10 rounds of 22lr with dovetail and 15 rounds of 9mm with night sights for less than $900.

 

To be fair, you can probably configure a Glock similarly; I just don't have experience with those.

Edited November 26, 2012 by Koljec

[JonnyDingDongs 158]

Hmm.. Looks like I have to be the odd man out. I've owned both- I still have the P22. I traded the Mosquito off and haven't looked back. There's really nothing wrong with either of them, but I love my P22.

No you aren't. A friend of mine was on a gun buying binge and ended getting the Mosquito and P22 at the same time. The Mosquito didn't run as well as the P22, on the same ammos. He sold the Mosquito off and some time later got in a tight and I got P22 from him. I have 3 of them now. I have ran CCI ammo in them that was purchased in '78, '79, and '80, as well as various brands of currently manufactured ammo. The only thing that mine do not like very well is the Remington bulk. I'm not sure if I got a bad batch of ammo, but it was old and the projectiles in this stuff would easily spin and move around in the case. Outside of that particular ammo, they run great. I shoot a couple of them suppressed a lot and they are so dirty that it is hard to identify some of the parts in them. Keep a drop of lube on each rail and clean the breech face and extractor now and again.

That's the weird thing about my experience- I had ejection issues with the P22, but not the Sig. I ran Federal Lightning & Champion, Centurion, and CCI Blazer through both guns. The Sig handled all without issue, even though the owner's manual cautioned that the gun would most likely prefer CCI Mini-mags. The P22 loves the Blazer, does ok with Centurion, but dislikes the Federal.

I guess I had the opposite experience that most report. I still love my P22 though. For the money, it's hard to beat.

I will say that I hate buying mags for either of them though. That's something I had not considered at the time of purchase.