Even though the Walther P22 is available different colors, including a brushed stainless option for the slide, the Walther P22′s slide is not made of steel. The slide is made of cast zinc alloy. The different color options for the slide, including the brushed stainless, are coatings applies to the zinc alloy.
The P22 is more accurate with the 5-inch barrel than it is with the 3.4-inch barrel.
IF this is true, you or any other human being isn’t a good enough shot to make a convincing argument one way or another. The 1.6-inch difference in length between the 5 and 3.4-inch barrel is not enough to make a measurable difference in the Walther P22′s accuracy.
Rounds aren’t supposed to be staggered in the magazine.
Older Walther P22 magazines had solid sides that kept rounds stacked directly above one another. These older magazines, with serial numbers beginning with a B, were prone to feed failures. The newest, problem-free (for the most part) magazines that have a serial number beginning with a A have a slot in each side that allows the round to sit staggered upon one another.
The slots allow the larger primers of the rounds to protrude through the sides of the magazine slightly and allow the shaft of the casings to contact each other. This positioning causes each round to point upward assisting in a smoother chambering action.
Dry firing a Walther P22 won’t harm the pistol.
The Walther P22 has an inertial firing pin. When the action is cycled, the hammer strikes the rear of the breach block through which the firing pin protrudes slightly. The force causes the firing pin to slam forward quickly and strike a chambered round on the other side of the breach block. Once the round has been struck, the firing pin is returned to place by a small spring that’s positioned in the middle of the breach block below the firing pin.