First Look: Walther WMP

Published by

David Lane

2 years ago

.22 WINCHESTER MAGNUM RIMFIRE DOESN’T GET THE RESPECT IT DESERVES, WALTHER IS HERE TO CHANGE THAT

New from Walther is the WMP chambered in .22 WMR – a totally modern and tactical pistol designed for a round that isn’t commonly thought of for anything outside of varmint hunting.

Everything about the Walther WMP is designed to bring all of the modern features of a great carry pistol into the palm of your hand.

Walther WMP

Blacked out rear sight, fiber optic front sight, 4-way ambidextrous magazine release, a ported barrel and ported slide, recessed hammer, single-action trigger, interchangeable optic mounting plates, a full-size frame, and 15-round magazines.

Most interesting to me is the 4-way magazine release. A normal cross plug is found just behind the trigger where you would expect it to be, but the edges of the trigger guard itself also acts as a paddle release.

This is a long list of features for any duty-style pistol and unheard of in a rimfire.

With an MSRP of only $550 and shipping with 2 15-round magazines, Walther has packed a lot of value into their new pistol.

While the undisputed king of CCW might be 9mm, there is a call for smaller calibers that are easier to handle in pistols that are easier to rack and manipulate. Be it for people with weak hands or compromised grips or just those of us that don’t like how snappy 9mm can be, the .22 WMR is an interesting choice for self-defense.

Walther WMP

Great self-defense loads exist for .22 WMR from Hornaday, Federal, and even Speer making this a legitimately viable option. Shockingly, most of these self-defense rounds even come in at a fairly cheap price point at around 45-50 cents per round. Compared to 9mm which sits between 85 cents and over a dollar per round, .22 WMR and the Walther WMP are very interesting.

We look forward to getting our hands on one for a complete review.

SPECS

Caliber: .22 Wmr
Frame Material: Polymer
Slide Material: Aluminum
Overall Length: 8.2″
Slide Length: 8.2″
Width: 1.48″
Height: 5.66″
Barrel Length: 4.5″
Sights: Front: Fiber Optic | Rear: Blacked Out Serrated
Weight With Empty Magazine: 27.8 Oz
Magazine Capacity: 15 Rds
Mags Included: 2 Magazines
Safeties: 3-Auto
Optics Ready: Yes
Site: WaltherArms.Com
MSRP: $549

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David Lane

David Lane is the Online Editor for RECOIL Magazine. Starting his journey in shooting sports at a young age, he has made his passion into his living. When not writing about firearms and educating new shooters, David is normally competing in 2-Gun, NRL22, PRS, PCSL, or any other shooting sport found in the desert of Arizona.