More Than Just A Plinker
When it came time to run the G22 carbine through its paces, it took me a little while to get accustomed to the manual of arms and the operation of the Walther G22. It had been some time since I had shot a gun of the Bullpup design. In fact, the last one I fired was the old High Standard Model 10B 12-gauge police riot gun.

The magazine release is integrated into the stock (left), and an extra magazine is also located in the stock (far right).

But once that period of familiarizing myself with its operation was out of the way, I found the G22 to be a fun gun to shoot, and I have to admit that I used up a lot of my test ammunition shooting rocks, sticks, and empty shotgun shells that littered the local shooting range.

This particular G22 liked the CCI Mini-Mag ammo best, and groups averaged 1.25 inches at 50 yards. All the details of this shooting, including a complete list of the ammunition that I test-fired in the G22, can be found in the accompanying chart, but I should say here and now that all the loads functioned flawlessly in the G22 and gave good field accuracy.

You don't need an excuse, or a reason, for choosing a particular gun for your plinking fun. When it's your day off and you want to go plinking, you just take whatever suits you and have fun. And while the Walther G22 certainly qualifies as an interesting plinking gun, I can see some other uses for this carbine.

It should make an excellent small-bore carbine for the camper, backpacker, and fisherman. Its short overall length means that it can stow away in a backpack or boat cabinet pretty easily. And its five-pound, nine-ounce weight won't add too much to the heft of all the gear a fellow has to pack. With its 20-inch barrel, the G22 should collect all small game very handily and accurately.

Another use for the Walther G22 carbine is as a pickup truck gun for farmers, ranchers, and other rural dwellers. Again, the short overall length of the G22 makes it handy to maneuver safely within the confines of a truck cab. A well-placed .22 Long Rifle hollowpoint bullet will generally take care of small pests, varmints, and feral animals that often plague the rural citizen. And the relatively low report of the .22 LR cartridge won't unnecessarily disturb the neighbors, should that be a concern.

Walther's G22 .22 LR carbine is simply fun to shoot. It's obviously very well made, and the numerous innovative features make it a very interesting firearm to work with. In fact, it would appear to me that the Walther G22 could be scaled up just slightly and be offered in 9mm and .40 S&W. Now that would be a great concept, wouldn't it? One could have a G22 for plinking and a G9 for home defense.