Phoenix Arms HP22A?

[WC Deer Hunter]

I have been thinking about getting my son a .22LR pistol as a starter pistol for him. I have just started looking and ran across these. Phoenix Arms Official Website - Pistols - Firearms - Handguns - Manufacturer - Model HP22A Rangekit I have never heard of Phoneix Arms before but ran across this and would love to get something in this price range. Does anybody know anything about them?

 

[jamstutz]

Would not recommend it...

I have a Phoenix Arms HP-22 on my bench right now that one of the local LEO's brought in. After cleaning it up I found that the firing pin spring had either disappeared or disintegrated, leaving the gun non-functional...a 75 cent part. I called Phoenix Arms and they said they would send me a new spring for .75 + $12 S&H shipped FedEx. I asked if they could just drop one in an envelope and ship it for 44 cents, but they refused.

A closer look at the slide, however, showed that the channel for the firing pin spring was worn away at the breech, leaving nothing to hold the firing pin spring in place. I will be returning the HP-22 as is, suggesting that the LEO use this piece as a paperweight and nothing more.

If you want to get your son a .22 LR as a starter gun I would recommend a revolver--something like the new Ruger LCR in .22 LR. It has a nice trigger and will still serve as a great practice piece and trail gun should he later choose to graduate to .38 Spl +P or .357 Magnum for carry.

 

[WC Deer Hunter]

I have a Phoenix Arms HP-22 on my bench right now that one of the local LEO's brought in. After cleaning it up I found that the firing pin spring had either disappeared or disintegrated, leaving the gun non-functional...a 75 cent part. I called Phoenix Arms and they said they would send me a new spring for .75 + $12 S&H shipped FedEx. I asked if they could just drop one in an envelope and ship it for 44 cents, but they refused.

A closer look at the slide, however, showed that the channel for the firing pin spring was worn away at the breech, leaving nothing to hold the firing pin spring in place. I will be returning the HP-22 as is, suggesting that the LEO use this piece as a paperweight and nothing more.

If you want to get your son a .22 LR as a starter gun I would recommend a revolver--something like the new Ruger LCR in .22 LR. It has a nice trigger and will still serve as a great practice piece and trail gun should he later choose to graduate to .38 Spl +P or .357 Magnum for carry.

Any idea how old it is or how much it has actually been fired? Thanks for the input.

 

[Deet]

Purchased mine for $100 several years ago. I modified it so the magazine drops out of the gun when you push the mag release. I hated pulling on the mag to get it out. That is the only modification I have made to this gun. I have put about 2,000 rounds thru it without any problem. Its a fun little plinker.

 

[WC Deer Hunter]

Purchased mine for $100 several years ago. I modified it so the magazine drops out of the gun when you push the mag release. I hated pulling on the mag to get it out. That is the only modification I have made to this gun. I have put about 2,000 rounds thru it without any problem. Its a fun little plinker.

Thank you. That was one reason I was wondering how old the other fellows was. Who knows it could have had 50,000 rounds run through it for that to happen. That's the one i was looking at in the range kit that comes with the short barrel too and the case and all the cleaning tools. I thought $175 was a pretty good deal for all of that or I could get just the pistol for $105.

 

[JohnP82]

I had one for a few years and personally put over 10,000 rounds through it with no major issues. I had an occassional failure to extract with weak ammo that wasn't able to cycle the action and the occassional failure to fire which I have had with any rimfire. Overall I was very happy with the gun. I sold mine to a buddy and it is still running. Mine was very accurate and a nice shooter. It had more safties than I thought was necessary, but it was for cheap plinking so it wasn't a huge deal.

The Heritage Rough Rider is also a nice choice for young shooters if you don't mind a SA revolver. They are very reasonably priced.

 

[PistolBob]

I've had mine for 15 years maybe? Probably less than 300 rounds through it. One word of caution, there is a "Jesus" spring in that barrel that will fly about 30 miles in a random direction if you are not careful when disassembling it for cleaning. I've spent a good portion of my life looking for that spring....I always find it.

It's nice and easy to carry concealed. I would hate for it to be my only firearm, but it is fun to shoot and pretty accurate for the size.

 

[jamstutz]

Any idea how old it is or how much it has actually been fired? Thanks for the input.

No, it isn't mine so I don't know its history.

 

[Jubba]

I have 2, 1 works and 1 doesn't. The one that doesn't, just experiences fte.

 

[growl18]

I bought a used range kit (with 3&5 inch barrels) 2 years ago. A real bargain at $120 IMO. Has been totally reliable and accurate so far. I think it would make a good first gun. It also comes with a Life time warranty should you have any issues. When I called Phoenix about a couple replacement springs they sent me 4 for free. I didn't pay for shipping.

 

[cmstuard]

I have one and the company is great in replacing broken parts to the original owner. They sent me a new firing pin and springs with just a phone call. I also had a piece break on the slide after thousands of rounds. I sent them the slide and they replaced the slide with all new internals no question asked. The gun is also pretty accurate for what it is. I also modified the safety to allow the mag to freely drop... a annoying feature on the gun. And yes, watch out for the recoil spring when breaking it down... you can easily lose it. They also strongly recommend that you don't use high velocity rounds (1,200 fps +) and under 1,200 fps are hard to find in my area. This may even void warranty, but I'm not sure. However, I use federal bulk with no issues. I've heard both good and bad stories with the gun. If you willing to take a chance and have time to work out the bugs with the company, you probably can't go wrong for the money.

 

[leftsock]

I had one for a while. The numerous safeties were annoying, though they could be modified. The thing weighs a ton for its size, 23oz, considering that an unloaded Glock 17 weighs in at 22.22oz. With that weight, however, recoil is negligible, and it makes a better club than the G17.

 

[leftsock]

I admit that I can't really think of a "better" pistol around the $100 mark other than, maybe, a Hi-Point C9 or some other model.

 

[paperboy]

I had one and the only reason I got rid of it was to buy something else. I want to get another, mine was accurate and I was so confident in it that I even carried it from time to time. I think they are a great bargain. You should be able to get one for like $140. I know around the Lafayette area RamZ's and 4 Guns have them.

 

[Shoots4Fun]

I'd save a little more and get a Heritage Rough Rider, or even more if you want a semi-auto like a Beretta Bobcat or Taurus 22.

In my opinion, you get what you pay for. The Rough Rider is a great start anyway being a revolver and all...

 

[growl18]

I'd save a little more and get a Heritage Rough Rider, or even more if you want a semi-auto like a Beretta Bobcat or Taurus 22.

In my opinion, you get what you pay for. The Rough Rider is a great start anyway being a revolver and all...

Nice phoenix comparison to Taurus and Walther.

http://www.genitron.com/rev-22lr/p2-22lr.html

Some times you get more than what you pay for.

rec.guns FAQ: III.C.2.oa.1. Phoenix Arms HP22

 

[jamstutz]

I have one and the company is great in replacing broken parts to the original owner. They sent me a new firing pin and springs with just a phone call. I also had a piece break on the slide after thousands of rounds...

I probably shouldn't have called on a Monday...

 

[Dr.Midnight]

I had one and didn't care for it at all. Mine was a bear to take down and put back together, and it was incredibly picky about the ammo it liked. As mentioned previously, that little spring, at times, was the bane of my existence. I was happy to be rid of mine, and I took a little hit when I sold it.

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

If'n it were me, I'd probably head into Winchester and take a Gander into the case at Buckshot, N. Main St. Right next to the old Girton auto parts building. Orrrr... If I were in Muncie I'd probably check out McGalliard Guns across from the KFC. But that's just me.

 

[WC Deer Hunter]

If'n it were me, I'd probably head into Winchester and take a Gander into the case at Buckshot, N. Main St. Right next to the old Girton auto parts building. Orrrr... If I were in Muncie I'd probably check out McGalliard Guns across from the KFC. But that's just me.

Is that right downtown? I'm not real familiar with Winchester but let's face it it's Winchester so it can't be to hard to find. Is Buckshot an actual gun shop?