Walther Arms

[TheHumungus]

Just wondering if anyone else has had an issue with Walther Arms?

I called because my son's P22 is getting 2 to 3 FTF and FTE's with every mag and we are shooting CCI Mini Mags. And there are numerous people complaining on various gun forums about having similar issues with the P22. Some have no issues at all, but some like us have numerous problems with the pistol.

Here is a copy of the letter I sent them that goes into more detail about the issue:

Good Morning Sir or Madam,

I am writing to you inform you of an issue I have with one of your products, as well as my dissapointment with your customer service department.

Yesterday, I called and spoke to someone regarding the problems we are having with my son's P22. We have owned it just about two years and purchased the gun new from Northwest Armory in Portland, Oregon. We are having constant Failure to Fire (FTF) and Failure to Eject (FTE) issues using premium ammunition like CCI Mini Mag. I had been using the firearm to teach my 10 year old son safe pistol shooting. However, we are having 2 to 3 failures per magazine. The failures have occurred since we owned it. The only positive thing about this experience is my son is now an expert at clearing jams.

By doing a simple Google search, I found out that many other P22 owners are experiencing the same problems. So, I called your customer service department seeking advice as to how to correct the issue. The person I spoke with (I'm sorry but I did not write down his name) spent considerable time defending the product, and seem to discount the problems I have been having. I asked if it was possible I just got a lemon, and he said it was not possible. He made it appear as if I was the only one experiencing these issues, however Google says otherwise. He then said the gun won't feed correctly if it is being "limp wristed." I told him I have been shooting for 40 years, and know (and teach) proper shooting techniques. He then recommended that I switch from CCI Mini Mag to Fiochhi .22 ammo. With .22 ammo very difficult to find, I found this suggestion to be insulting. I then became frustrated with his unwillingness to help, and ended the call.

Recently, I had a very different experience with Sig Sauer. I bought a new Sig P250 pistol that was not feeding properly. They immediately issued me a Return Authorization, emailed me a pre-paid UPS label, and said they would take the gun back and fix it. They did not challenge me as to the type of ammo I was using or proper shooting techniques. They polished the feed ramp and throat and apologized as the feed ramp had some machining marks that was impeding the proper feeding of the gun. When they returned the gun, they included a Sig Sauer carry bag as a way of appreciation.

So, respectfully, please examine your customer service procedures. I spent $400 on your product. It was my son's first pistol ownership experience. We have had constant headaches with it, and when I called for help, I was treated like the problem was with me, and not the gun.

I am still trying to decide what to do with the firearm, but in all honestly, will probably sell it and purchase a Ruger SR22.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

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[John Gault]

I heard of reports such as yours prior to buying mine and took a chance. I've had no problems with mine with the occasional exception of ammo related issues and an few slide hold back on last round issues .

There's several discussion groups regarding "fixes" for specific problems that I found online. Sounds like in most cases customers were able to resolve issues with polishing, etc. etc.

Sorry to hear you're having problems. I think that for your son with it being his first gun that going to a Ruger or ? that has a longer barrel and tighter sites will be good for confidence anyways. I don't consider my P22 a great target gun even with the best ammo.

 

[TheHumungus]

I know there is no law that says a company has to provide good customer service, but I was really surprised at how Walther handled me versus how Sig handled me. I've heard good things about Ruger's service as well.

Walther did contact me this morning by email to make arrangements to send the gun back for service, but even their email this morning was sterile. Not even a "Dear Mr. XXXX" or "Thank you for contacting Walther Arm." It was just a short, terse email requesting my contact information.

Odd.

 

[jrprich]

Skip the SR22 and buy a Ruger MkIII with the 7" barrel for target shooting.

 

[TheHumungus]

Just a quick follow up. Walther Arms customer service is truly awful. I have cancelled my service request out of frustration, and just going to sell the P22. Buyers beware.

 

[Outrider]

Just a quick follow up. Walther Arms customer service is truly awful. I have cancelled my service request out of frustration, and just going to sell the P22. Buyers beware.

That's a bad decision. Now someone else gets stuck with a gun you feel is a lemon.

I do have experience with Walther's customer service. While the quality of the person you speak with can vary as it would with any individual, I have found Walther to be responsive and interested in solving the problem.

In my case, Walther took in a pistol I had for repair. Walther paid for the shipping both ways, replaced the broken part for free, and sent me a couple of spare parts for free that I had requested to buy. The only complaint was that it took a few months. And even that was something they had warned me about since they had just ended their relationship with S&W as their distributor and warranty service provider in the U.S.

With .22 pistols, they can be incredibly finicky and ammo sensitive. While Mini-Mags are normally really good, suggesting a switch in ammo is a reasonable approach. It often can eliminate the problem altogether. If it doesn't, one can look at other things like the mags, shooter, etc.

It's true that .22 ammo is in short supply and you may have an issue that an ammo switch won't remedy but as a troubleshooting technique, it's completely understandable to recommend it. When a company is looking at the expense of shipping both ways, they want to exhaust the possible causes of the problem that are within the owner's control before authorizing a return.

Complaining that their email to you was cold or terse seems odd. You're not on a date. You're dealing with a company. All they need is your info so they can authorize a return ticket and a shipping label. That shouldn't require a soft touch. You want something fixed or replaced (hopefully for free) and they're willing to take a look and see if they need to fix it or replace it under their warranty.

I understand the frustration but terminating the service request rewards them for what you feel was not being responsive enough. If they really did botch things, wouldn't it be better if they had to pay to make it right? -From your posts, it seems things were moving in that direction.