Reviews For Phoenix Arms HP22A Compact Pistol, RA22ANB, Nickel, SA, 3", 10Rd, Adjustable Sights

By mattake2
Review Date: 05/10/2008
Rating:

Just got my HP22A recently & overall it's not a bad little gun. If you only put up enough money for a Hyundai, you can't expect a Mercedes Benz's performance. Mine jams on occasion but it feels great to hold & is very fun to shoot!

By anthonylewis
Review Date: 06/04/2008
Rating:

Didnt work at first due to the pistol grip being loose but after i fixed it i was able to shoot 1000+ rounds one day with only one minor jam. i carry it daily due to its size. and it jams less than my springfield 45!

By Corny the Clown
Review Date: 09/12/2009
Rating:

Without being derogatory, I would say the finest Saturday night Special I have ever seen. It is reliable,once you learn what to feed it, Accurate, and interchangeable barrel makes it one of the best deals on the market. You can pay more for a gun, but it won''t give you any more service.

By Larry
Review Date: 10/01/2009
Rating:

This pistol is very reliable, no jams just keeps firing. THIS GUN IS NOT!!!! no saturday night special. The quality of this gun rivals those of the Bersa, Taurus, Cobra and Ruger and for alot less money.....This is definitely a very high quality hangun for the working man or woman.....Good Job Phoenix Arms...Keep up the good work for us working people.

By Wally
Review Date: 11/22/2010
Rating:
Reviewer Experience: Military Experience
Reviewer Location: CA

I initially bought the HP22a for my wife. I took it to the range just to break it in for her. After shooting it, I have to say that I really love shooting it. It has no recoil and I shot 300 rounds through it without a single failure. I collect guns and this is the most inexpensive, but is my favorite. Other people don''t like the fact that this gun has so many safeties. It is not a problem if you practice with your gun. But it gives me peace of mind that if someone were to get their hands on this gun and is not familiar with the safety features, they will not be able to shoot it. I can disable all the safeties and chamber a round in less than 2 seconds. This has a firing pin safety disable switch so that you can dry fire without damaging the firing pin if the safety is enabled. You need the extended magazine and a Hogue Jr Overgrip to make the handling just superb. I love this gun, and I will keep it close to me.

By CAPTAINMJ
Review Date: 12/09/2010
Rating:
Reviewer Experience: CC Holder
Reviewer Location: TN

Have had it only a month and was impressed with it the firts time i saw it especially for the price! Have put just over 100 rounds thru it with one stove pipe using CCI standard velocity ammo. Feels very sturdy and like the dual safeties! Great for plinking and plan to keep in the car. It''s a little heavy but not a show stopper. So far,very pleased with purchase...

By MitchellEarl
Review Date: 02/01/2011
Rating:
Reviewer Experience: Law Enforcement
Reviewer Location: TN

I have owened and tried to carry all the big boys, S&W 4506, Mod 1911 and such. With a Carry permit since I am retired, this fine weapon is fully concealed in it''s holster. When purchased at Dealer, he told me then, only use high quality and high power ammo. He was right. I use Remington Hi-Power Hollow Points, it is great. I would not want anybody shooting at me with it. With the right Ammo, it is excellent for Home Defense and Carry. Keep up the great work with an American Made affordanle weapon for the average citizen !

By MKerns
Review Date: 02/19/2011
Rating:
Reviewer Experience: Beginner
Reviewer Location: OH

After many weeks of checking the internet for reviews on different handguns, and being this would be my first, I decided to go with a 22LR to practice because the ammo is so much cheaper than any other caliber. For the meager amount they ask for the HP22A, and the other reviews, I decided it was the definite winner. I realized when I first opened the box and picked it up that it was indeed a good choice. It''s kinda heavy, but that''s a plus in my opinion. The weight absorbs most of the recoil. For only having a 3 barrel I was concerned with accuracy, but I can say that after shooting 200 rounds without any hangups, it''s really pretty accurate. I was able to keep a 4-6 diameter circle at 25ft, and maybe a 1ft diameter at 60ft. From what other people said about other small pistols, I expected it to be all but useless at long range, but it''s really not! It''s also pretty easy to clean and disassemble. I tried 4 different ammo types without any hangups too. I''m definitely glad I chose the HP22A! The only issue I have is the finish around the end of the barrel will chip away after a few hundred rounds, but that''s a very minor detail to me. I never owned a pistol before so I have no idea if that''s a normal occurrence. If Phoenix Arms produces a 9mm or 45ACP I would likely purchase one of those as well.

By Ladder107
Review Date: 01/10/2010
Rating:

Just bought last week and tested it yesterday. Took the advice of others here and only ran Remington rounds - FLAWLESS! Love this gun! Small yet packs a punch like any other 22 cal. Real smooth action I thought and would recommend or buy again! Loved the manual that came with-very descriptive! Enjoyed the parts and price listing in the back of manual-easy to get parts if ever needed. Really like the double safety feature of the gun. I take off one star for only a single reason-wish mfg. would have added a thumb knob to the clip to help take pressure off the spring slide, making loading rounds a lot easier. This was a little awkward but manageable. Once you get about 6-7 rounds in clip, it becomes quite difficult to continue loading. Easy carry in my new Type 1 holster and disappears on your waste with its small size. Nice job Phoenix!!!

By SD
Review Date: 06/20/2010
Rating:
Purchased From This Site: Yes

Shot it for the first time yesterday. First ammo I tried was Federal. Multiple jams on every clip. When I went to the Remington had no jams from a box of 50. Fun little gun to shoot. Fairly accurate for short barrel.

By khromedome
Review Date: 09/03/2010
Rating:
Reviewer Experience: Military Experience
Reviewer Location: OH

for the price a grt. little piece and quite accurate to say the least was able to hold a nioce grop at better distance than i thought possible.buy it.

By dan112
Review Date: 09/07/2011
Rating:
Reviewer Experience: Weekend Shooter
Reviewer Location: TX

This is a very reliable 22 long rifle pistol. Ive had it for about 7 months and love it. The safeties are nice. Has not jammed on me at all. Would not hesitate to use it for self defense if it was all I had. If it breaks, send it to Phoenix Arms and they will fix it with its lifetime warranty.

By JoeBoy254
Review Date: 09/14/2011
Rating:
Reviewer Experience: CC Holder
Reviewer Location: WI

I purchased this pistol for the history of the company. There is almost a cult following. You will need to shot many rounds through the gun to obtain reliability of the feed. I have fired over 1000 rds through the pistol and found it a very accurate at 7 yds. The accuracy of my gun is just as good as the Taurus and Walter models which are comparable. The safeties take a while to get used to. The action is not designed with a empty hold open, so you need to use a snap cap, low velocity round or count your shots to protect the firing pin and barrel face. For the price of the gun, you cannot beat it for a plinking pistol. The .22 cal is not recommended as a carry gun, but the Phoenix .25 ACP would be a good purse gun for a woman.

By RW
Review Date: 09/30/2010
Rating:
Purchased From This Site: Yes

This little pistol is a blast to shoot. I have shot nothing but remington ammunition in it and it hasn''t jamed once. I was suprised to see how acurate this little pistol is. Even out to 50yds if you bench rest it.

By GI
Review Date: 10/17/2009
Rating:
Purchased From This Site: Yes

First time out many FTE and FTF with various ammo. Took pistol apart and found the feed ramp was poorly plated, had burrs on it, and had a tiny gap where the casting meets the barrel. After peeling off the loose plating and polishing the ramp things improved dramatically. I found that Aguila ''Match Pistol'' 40gr, 925 fps doesn''t work. Winchester ''Xpert HV'' 36gr,1280fps also jams. However Remington ''Golden Bullet'' 36gr, 1280fps works great. This pistol has a very steep feed ramp and seems to be very sensitive to the bullet nose profile. I have since fired about 300 rounds of the Rem with maybe only 5 FTF and zero FTE since polishing the ramp. I disassemble and clean the pistol and magazine after every range trip and wipe off the gun oil with a dry towel leaving the thinnest possible oil film. For the price a very good pistol. I''ve ordered the black version to see if that behaves better out of the box.

By Rez Exelon
Review Date: 11/17/2010
Rating:
Reviewer Experience: CC Holder
Reviewer Location: OK

I was fortunate enough to pick up this little guy after it had several thousand rounds through it. I was able to put several thousand more through it. I eventually picked up some extra mags through MWHO and all went well till I had the magazine release button fail. Probably my fault because I was rough on the gun and took off some of the Ring of Fire safeties. I contacted their customer care department expecting to pay to send it in shipping wise, and then pay for servicing, and then pay for return shipping and all of that. To the contrary they wasted no time in letting me know that all I had to do was send it and they would take care of the rest. I had a quick turnaround time and got it back as good as new. Top marks for service and customer support and really good value for the money. Oh, and it shoots well too. After you get used to the feel of it you can hit nice tight groups even with the short barrel. I experienced no greated FTF or FTE rates than I have on my SW22a, or any of the other 22''s that I''ve shot. And I like how it''s got a nice solid feel in the hand.

By GC
Review Date: 09/03/2010
Rating:
Purchased From This Site: Yes

Very very nice gun for a small compact hand gun. Perfect size to stick in my pocket or purse. Fits comfortably in my jean poccket when I am riding alone on my horse. Great gun for off-road sorjourns.

By neo
Review Date: 06/12/2008
Rating:

i shot over 1500 rds in one session at the range. with only one jam towards the end. Nice pistol. Yet when the first day i tried it at the range the trigger assembly wouldnt work but i fixed it in 5 mins. it was due to the grip being loose and all i did was tighten the screw. awesome gun.

By BR shooter
Review Date: 04/02/2008
Rating:

I bought one of these for my wife and it jams every magazine load, she hates loading the magazine and gets really angry when it jams. I'd go with another brand or wheel guns for a woman. I'm going to get her a 9 shot revolver to eliminate jams.

By BADBUOY
Review Date: 12/10/2011
Rating:
Reviewer Experience: CC Holder
Reviewer Location: MI

I LOVE MY LITTLE HP22A PISTOL. SHOOTS GREAT ONCE I GOT RID OF THE REMINGTON BULLETS THEY ARE JUNK. I HAVE HAD REALLY GOOD LUCK, NO JAMS USING THE RED BOX FEDERAL ROUNDS. I EVEN GOT MY WIFE TO SHOOT IT, SHE HATES ALL GUNS. SHE KIND OF LIKE THIS ONE

By MSlate87
Review Date: 01/06/2012
Rating:
Reviewer Experience: CC Holder
Reviewer Location: GA

This gun has its issues as most cheap guns do, but once you get some time at the range with it and figure out its minor problems it is a fine gun to keep in your pocket. Very accurate for pocket pistol. Has feed and jamming issues probably could be corrected with a file.

By DS
Review Date: 01/07/2012
Rating:
Purchased From This Site: Yes

NICE GUN! Was very surprised in the weight and quality of this gun. Disassembled and oiled before even loading the magazine. This gun is unbelievably reliable with almost no noticable recoil. It shoots CCI ammo perfectly and I am going to experiment with other ammo as I find time. Its not easy to find anyone with this gun in stock for any length of time, but boy is it worth the wait! Am considering purchasing one or two more-just because-...

By ted
Review Date: 09/21/2008
Rating:

ive had this gun for awhile now and ive seen it jam only once while my girlfriend was shooting it. i use federal ammo. if you use crap ammo its not your guns fault. ive really enjoyed this gun. good size and accuracy. hard to clean. only thing i see wrong.

By Ringgoamanda
Review Date: 09/30/2008
Rating:

HP22A is a perfect little shooter... very accurate works well with any cci lr ammos... me and my wife fired a total of 1050 rounds with 10 misfires probably because we used cheap ammo from walmart but all-in-all we love this gun and we are trying to look for another one here in Vegas seems hard to find one again though.

By Septimus39
Review Date: 10/09/2008
Rating:

This was my first gun, so it has something of a special place in my heart. It's a little finicky, but you get used to it after a while. It shoots well enough, is reasonably comfortable in my hand, and was certainly the right price. My complaints are that it gets extremely dirty and is a pain to clean and that it's a little tough to operate. You can't take a magazine out with the safety on, can't pull the slide back with the safety on, the slide doesn't stay back after the last shot, etc. It's not easy to operate at first, and I always have a hard time letting friends shoot it because it's so bizarre, but it's fun to shoot and I do have a good time with it.

By Paitsch
Review Date: 10/19/2008
Rating:

This is a great gun. We fired about 100+ rounds of Aguila .22s (those were pretty hot rounds for .22s) and had no problems whatsoever. Definately not a "Saturday Night Special."

By RJ
Review Date: 10/23/2008
Rating:

I enjoy shooting this little auto,and my kid's also enjoy plinking with it, I did have a few problems until I figered it out but overall for the price not a bad .22 auto.

By JD
Review Date: 10/29/2008
Rating:
Purchased From This Site: Yes

great weapon

By Mooman177
Review Date: 10/29/2008
Rating:

This is a GREAT 22 pistol! out of 200 rounds I shot the other day, I had one dud, and that probably wasn't the fault of the gun. I field stripped it and cleaned everything after buying it. FIELD STRIPPING IT WAS TERRIBLE. Pieces fell out, but I figured out how to get it back together. Once you figure it out, its EXTREMELY EASY to do it again. VERY RELIABLE, CONCEALABLE, AND COOL LOOKING PISTOL!! A must have! You really can't beat the price. I have never had a jam with the magazine like others are talking about.

By Jerry
Review Date: 11/10/2008
Rating:

Excellent weapon for the money. It is somewhat hard to clean but it sure is fun to shoot! Very accurate considering the 3" barrel.

By ringgoamanda
Review Date: 12/01/2008
Rating:

Now, im really impressed with this weapon... our actual number of rounds fired is exactly 4,922 and its still going strong. Is that a cheap gun? i don't think so! Honestly, i was very skeptical when we first bought this magnificent little pistol but i was wrong... very very wrong. It is well made and can outlast other expensive .22 lr pistols!

By Baron
Review Date: 12/11/2008
Rating:

This was my first pistol. Not wanting to spend much i got this one. The first time I took it out it jammed after every 2 or 3 shots...(I was using regular 22 bullets) I then bought some "STINGER" bullets which are a tad bit longer (they have a chrome housing and come in a blue plastic box)With these bullets I can shoot all 10 rounds repeatedly as fast as I can with NO jamming. This is a great gun to start out with.

By Larry
Review Date: 12/18/2008
Rating:

I've had my HP22 for 6 months and have put 3000 rounds thru it. It is my favorite gun to shoot. It took 200-300 rounds to break in but since then it has been a really fun gun to shoot. I removed the nasty mag safety and it now works like any other semi. I've had 1 stove pipe and all the FTFs have a firing pin mark on the casing so I assume it's the cheap ammo, not the gun. 22s seem to have 1 in 10 FTFs in general due to poor ammo quality. Cleaning it is as easy as any gun I own once you learn to break it down and put it back together. No rocket science, just figuring out how it works. I replaced the recoil spring once and keep all friction parts polished. It's just a fun gun to shoot and accurate as all heck. It seems to like the Remington green box or Federal HPs the best.

By the fox
Review Date: 12/23/2008
Rating:

Ive had my HP22 for a couple months now and have shot about 700 rounds through it with minor problems, partly to deal with cheap ammo, one thing i did notice with it is that in cold weather it tends to jam when using federal ammunition for some reason but the best ammo i have found for it is remington gold tip hollow points, 200 rounds of this with no issues whatsoever.

By staghead29
Review Date: 01/19/2009
Rating:

I have had several of these guns and I really like them. However I found if you mix different ammo it will hang. The best I found is the Renington gold tip ammo. Ican shoot a hundred rounde of this without a problem then switch to Winchester and hang every two or three shots. All these guns need is good ammo to have a real good gun.

By locked and loaded
Review Date: 01/21/2009
Rating:

i take this gun fishing with me because as long as you have good ammo you can not really worry about it getting to dirty to shoot like other cheap guns.

By mr
Review Date: 01/25/2009
Rating:

Save your money, buy a good knife.

By Brad
Review Date: 01/28/2009
Rating:

Great gun for the money. I use CCI MiniMags and have had no problems at all. Perfect for concealed carry or a back-up house gun. With the CCIs and the 3" barrel you get a nice fire ball out of the muzzle each shot. Accurate at 20 yards with 3" groups on a bench.

By Bear
Review Date: 02/16/2009
Rating:

I have had my little Phoenix 22 since 1995. In the 14 years I cannot count how many rounds have gone through this little wonder. At my first attempt at putting a few rounds to the target the gun jammed nearly every other round. FTFs and Stove pipes mainly. So, I threw the Federals in the 10-22 ammo case and broke out the gold remingtons. That ended the failures all together. I recently purchased the 5 inch barrel and extended 10+1 magazine. I did the fittment alterations to the new barrel and I am astonished at how accurate this little plinker really is with the target 5 inch barrel. I also altered the safety so that I can eject the magazines with out putting the safety on and I increased the original 11+1 and 10+1 magazines to 12+1 and 11+1 respectfully. This is an amazing little gun for the money. As long as it's well taken care of, it takes care of you.

By Chad
Review Date: 03/15/2009
Rating:

This is a great plinker! Shot thousands of rounds through it and very little problems. If you keep it clean and oiled it will perform well just like anything else they need a little TLC.

By clawhammer
Review Date: 05/07/2009
Rating:

I recently purchased one of these little things. They might be small and inexpensive, but I will tell you one thing for sure, they are very reliable and very dependable.Easy to conceal as well. The only thing that I would recomend is using CCI mini mags. you can pick up a box of 100 rounds at wall-mart or where ever for about ten bucks. I had used the federals and super x ammo and they do have a tendency to jam and misfire quite a bit. I thought it was the weapon it self at first but after buying the CCI mini mag high velocity round I havent had a single problem.

By juice
Review Date: 07/13/2009
Rating:

bought new 11 years ago, jammed occasionally when new until I dis-assembled and gave a good cleaning and oiling. Works great! The better the ammo you use the cleaner the gun will stay and last you years upon years. Has been very dependable and I actually like the double safety. It is a nice feature for a small inexpensive handgun. Built tough and strong. Has a very nice balance in the hand. Its guard will keep your skin out of the slide un-like most small guns which can grab and slice a larger handed person. Overall I rate it a 5 for longevity, durability, and price. Keep it clean and it will work flawlessly!

By MM
Review Date: 07/31/2009
Rating:
Purchased From This Site: Yes

Nice little gun. I bought both the 3" barrel (HP22A) and the kit with the 3" and 5" barrel. I have done a little shooting and have been quite happy with the little guns. Very compact. I don''t have a lot of experience with small pistols, but in my opinion this little gun seems to work well and do what it was made to do! MBM

By chuck
Review Date: 09/04/2009
Rating:

I am a private investigator and personal protection agent in oklahoma and have used mine as a backup to my 9mm keltek for the last 4 years and it is quite dependable. Its thinner than my keltek and wears great in an ankle holstertwo mags per gun plus one in chamber on each gives me 42 liteweight rounds,more than enough. I chase tornados in our spring season and I like to wear it as my CCL weapon. Both guns work well together and are no heavier than most fullsize guns fully loaded-GREAT GUn!!

By Mikey
Review Date: 09/27/2009
Rating:

I purchased this pistol 2 years ago and it''s a sure fire weapon!!! I already fired thousands of rounds through mine shooting at the local gun club. If you want to teach your wife how to shoot?? You can''t go wrong here!!! This gun has 3 safeties on it!!! Once you get the hang of those... It''s bang bang bang............................

By steve
Review Date: 12/03/2007
Rating:

i have a hp22a that has done me very well using federal shells . i keep it clean and oiled other then that i've done nothing but shot it. and i have been very pleased with it. who knows maybe down the line i'll have trouble but as of rihgt now i'm very pleased with it.

By Hank
Review Date: 01/30/2008
Rating:

I to have a hp22a and have had no problems. Since October 07 I have shot 150 rounds of all makes with no jams or stove pipes. Like Steve who knows what will happen but as of now I am pleased.

By door mouse
Review Date: 02/20/2008
Rating:

I'd had my hp22 for just over 3 years. It has had some minor problems, but I have shot 1000s of rounds of ammo through it. Basic maintainence, such as keeping it clean, and changing the recoil spring after 1000 rounds. It's a great plinking gun, and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for an inexpensive 1st handgun. Plus the ammo is cheap, mine like Remmingtons (yellow jackets or gold hp) or CCI (stingers). The 3" barrel is fun for shooting at close range targets and the 5" barrel really makes a diffence in accuracy from a further distance. Have fun and be safe.

By }{AMMER
Review Date: 03/02/2008
Rating:

I have had mine for 10 years and I love this little gun I have 2000 round through it and have no problems i clean it and oil it and shoot it.I would recomend this pistol to anyone

By bozz
Review Date: 03/20/2008
Rating:

fired 250 rounds thru mine 3inch barrel using remingtons not one stove pipe mis fire or jam decent shot group @ 10 yards with 3inch barrel. mag a little sharp and a bitch to load after about the fifth shell thats my only peeve.

By MD
Review Date: 04/26/2011
Rating:
Purchased From This Site: Yes

Glad I came across your website! Excellent prices and great service! Thanks, Michele

By JN
Review Date: 05/03/2011
Rating:
Purchased From This Site: Yes

I really enjoy this plinker! I''m looking forward to when the extra mags and extended "target" barrel are in stock so I can see how accurate the gun is through near-constant firing during a range session. I''ve fired more than 300 rounds in the first week of ownership (that''s about 11 bucks worth of 22lr ammo, LOL). Some folks get bent out of shape because of the mag safety. After a couple dozen rounds I had my form down pat to where I can use the gun without even thinking about the mag safety getting in the way. It is a little bit of a bother to be unable to open the slide without the mag safety engaged (which in turn necessitates the mag being inserted) but you deal and still have fun. I would recommend this as a great first pistol and a nice plinker. It is relatively accurate to about 15 - 20 feet, after that it may take some one with better skills than yours truly. Recoil is a non-issue as with many 22lr platforms and at least for my medium size hands, I find the HP22 comfortable and not too shabby in terms of ergonomics. In terms of use: I''ve experienced FTF, FTE, and chambering issues but none of this was a surprise for two main reasons: 1) I''m using the cheapest, crappiest ammo I can find to break in this bad boy and 2) I hadn''t cleaned or broken in the piece at that point. Since then, once I cleaned it and began using quality CCI ammo, there were ZERO problems. The only reason I''m not giving 5 stars is because the fit and finish leave a lot to be desired. However, that just may be my particular example because I''ve noticed the ones on youtube being put together a little tighter than mine. I think this little pistol is definitely a keeper and really appreciate the generous warranty from Phoenix Arms.

By wolfenstein Godlike
Review Date: 05/27/2011
Rating:
Reviewer Experience: Weekend Shooter
Reviewer Location: TX

bought this gun a few months ago, it performs great, fits nice in the hand, and is nice and loud for a .22, easy to keep in a pocket, goes everywhere with me, great gun that is American made with a lifetime warranty, thank you Phoenix Arms for making an affordable gun that is very reliable, you have a customer for life

By BR
Review Date: 05/27/2011
Rating:
Purchased From This Site: Yes

I ordered my HP22A on backorder because they were very hard to get a hold of. It suprised me when it shipped in only acouple of weeks. I picked the gun up at my local FFL with no problems. This is a GREAT little gun and best of all the ammo is so cheap! Took it out shooting the day I got it and went through 10 or so mag''s with no hickups. Surprisingly loud for a 22LR and also very accurate. I got the gun just for fun and because the ammo is so cheap compared to my 9mm. Would recommend the gun to ANY one looking for a fun plinker. All around cant beat this gun for the price. All steal construction is a definate plus in my book. And pheonix is great company to work with they sent me a spare safetly for free!