Phoenix HP22..Yeah a "cheapie"..

[ironglow]

  The HP 22 is actually a cheapie but it does seem to function very well, surprising in fact, considering it's original cost.
   I discovered the slide on mine was cracked , so I got hold of the Phoenix people..who said, "send us the old one we'll send you a new one".  No debate, just an honest replacement..which pleases me since I have both the 3" and the 5" barrel..  Barrel arrived yesterday, about a week after I mailed the broken one.
    If you have a Phoenix with a broken slide, you may do well to contact them.  Here's the address:
 
       Phoenix Arms
       4231 Bricknell st.
       Ontario, CA            91761
 
   May be best to call first......  (909) 937-6900

[Ladobe]

Some of the pocket change 22's were actually pretty reliable, some very reliable.   I remember some of the Jennings, Lorcin, Ravens, I.J., Galesi that weren't too bad, others of them that were.   My Astra Cub was a tank, only 22 Short but it took a bunch of small game and game birds up to ducks.   I think I paid $12 for it.

[BUGEYE]

Speaking of cheap, I decided to get all my guns in shape considering todays atmosphere.
I have an RG 14 that looks like the firing pin is peened, so I found a firing pin at Bobs gun parts and am gonna take it to my smith for installation.
before I get jumped on about a pot-metal gun, it's not, it's made from steel. I've been all over it with a magnet.
however, I do intend to use CB longs in it, or shot cartridges.

IG, didn't mean to steal your thread.  got carried away.

[ironglow]

Speaking of cheap, I decided to get all my guns in shape considering todays atmosphere.
I have an RG 14 that looks like the firing pin is peened, so I found a firing pin at Bobs gun parts and am gonna take it to my smith for installation.
before I get jumped on about a pot-metal gun, it's not, it's made from steel. I've been all over it with a magnet.
however, I do intend to use CB longs in it, or shot cartridges.

IG, didn't mean to steal your thread.  got carried away.

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  No  sweat  Bugeye;
   I have had this Phoenix for maybe 20 years and have had good service with it.  If you search the web, you can find many positive reports on this same pistol.  Unfortunately, that same search will reveal the occasional broken slide.  I'm hoping this is just on the older ones...  Unless I am mistaken, the replacement slide seems to be a bit beefier in that area of the slide.  The accuracy of the Phoenix is decent..but I was surprised to find that for me anyway..the 5" didn't improve the accuracy over the 3" barrel.

[BUGEYE]

Speaking of cheap, I decided to get all my guns in shape considering todays atmosphere.
I have an RG 14 that looks like the firing pin is peened, so I found a firing pin at Bobs gun parts and am gonna take it to my smith for installation.
before I get jumped on about a pot-metal gun, it's not, it's made from steel. I've been all over it with a magnet.
however, I do intend to use CB longs in it, or shot cartridges.

IG, didn't mean to steal your thread.  got carried away.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx
 
  No  sweat  Bugeye;
   I have had this Phoenix for maybe 20 years and have had good service with it.  If you search the web, you can find many positive reports on this same pistol.  Unfortunately, that same search will reveal the occasional broken slide.  I'm hoping this is just on the older ones...  Unless I am mistaken, the replacement slide seems to be a bit beefier in that area of the slide.  The accuracy of the Phoenix is decent..but I was surprised to find that for me anyway..the 5" didn't improve the accuracy over the 3" barrel.

A lot of times a company will change a part to function better without saying a word in their brochures because they would then be admitting a fault in the first guns.  you are probably good to go.  as long as they function good, I would say that function is more important than accuracy in a small 22.   It could someday save your life, and that's why I want ALL my guns working.

[okie headhunter]

phoenix are great I have ran thousands of round through it. I even used it for my c.c. lic  range test. the other cool thing is that they sell a drop-in  4 in barrel with a 10 rd mag for about 40.00.

[Ladobe]

As it happens I just received a replacement Monday for a pocket 22 I had sold some years back and later wish I hadn't.   It's a very early Beretta M21 Bobcat, polished blue, nicer than normal wood grips and w/2 magazines that appears to have not been shot much.  Long discontinued with only matte and inox available now. and for pretty steep prices.  Only has a few minor bumps on one grip that will be easy to fix, otherwise all metal perfect, one mag never used the other very little so all near mint.   Built like a tank, the other one I bought new back in the mid 90's (matte) never missed a beat no matter how much I shot it and was more than accurate enough for any use.   And I got this one for a song price wise, considerably less than what I sold the first one for so a win/win all the way.   
 

 

[ironglow]

  Nice looking gun..should be good for deep cover..  That pretty wood highlights the gun..

[Awf Hand]

I had one of the Phoenix .22's.  I had purchased the longer "target" barrel, or whatever they called it.  The hammer broke off with less than 50 rounds through it.  Of those 50, I lost track of the smokestacks.  Had it fixed (warranty) and then the extractor fell off after another 100+/- shots.
 
Bought a Beretta 21a and have put thousands of rounds through it.  I know the CCI Stingers make an impressive fireball and never fail to feed or eject.

[kynardsj]

I've owned two of the Phoenix 22's. Never had a problem with either. The last one had the short and longer barrel. Also for a small 22 it has a 10 shot clip. I'd own another if one came up in the local buy, sell, trade magazine.

[ironglow]

  That seems to be the reswults with Phoenix users...they either love them or love to  hate them..  Mine has performed well over the approximately 20 yerars I have owned it.  Admittedly, however, mine hasn't had as much use as some have..since I am a "rifleman" at heart..

[Ladobe]

With any firearm that does what you want it to, gets it done for your uses for it reliably it matter's not what name is on it or what it cost.   Lots of very cheap to buy firearms have been excellent firearms for the right person, especially when I was a kid six decades ago.   
 
 

[spruce]

If it wasn't for cheap guns I wouldn't have had ANY guns when I was a teenager.  To me, that 20ga Mossberg bolt action that I had to scrimp and save for to buy used was as valuable as any Parker or Fox or Boss ever made!

[coyotejoe]

One I should have kept was an Erma Excam RX-22, a PPK lookalike. I've seen some very bad Internet comments on that one but mine was a gem. It would hold a 3" group at 25 yards with about any ammo and would even feed and function with .22 shorts if I didn't load more than two in the mag. I used it as my trapline gun for finishing shots on trapped animals and I liked the .22 Short for that so I'd load one Short in the chamber, another Short atop 6 longrifles in the magazine. After firing one I'd just drop the mag and load a new Short on top. I once made a head shot on a beaver at more than 50 yards with that little gun and a .22 Short cartridge. For me it was a true pocket pistol, I just carried it in my hip pocket.

[omegahunter]

Never had any issue with the Phoenix that I had with the exception of a degrade in accuracy after the first 30 rounds.  Run a boresnake through it and away you go with great accuracy again until you had dumped another 3 mags though it.  Great pocket pistol for dispatching coyotes that had been caught or bayed up by the dogs.

[Couger]

That seems to be the reswults with Phoenix users...they either love them or love to  hate them..  Mine has performed well over the approximately 20 yerars I have owned it.  Admittedly, however, mine hasn't had as much use as some have..since I am a "rifleman" at heart..

Recently picked up a used Phoenix.  Damn thing won't fire reliably every time, but methinks I'll be able to correct things!
 
I wanted it because it is 'cheap' vs a Beretta or Taurus.
 
Those of you who have and like your Phoenix .22's,  What .22 loads work well for you?

[ironglow]

Mine works well..(before the slide broke)..  Some pistols don't like hollowpoints though.  Mine seemed to like high (not hyper) velocity rounds.  For just starting out, I would suggest CCI high velocity round nose cartridges.  That is mini-mage but round nose.  Just my $.02.

[theratdog]

the hp's don't like hollow points you are suppose to shot round nose bullets the hollow points get hung up on the feed ramp.i have one and does my wife we have shot thousands of rounds out of them.the jeminez j 22 is a real shooter too eats every thing i have fed it.i had problems with the jeminez 380 firing pin off center would not fire sent slide back to jemminez they sent me a new one.