By R.K. Campbell | Contributing Editor
Some years ago SIG introduced the Mosquito, a neat “fun gun” that unfortunately proved problematic in terms of reliability.
While proper lubrication, a break in, and using CCI Mini Mag .22 Long Rifle ammunition went a long way in enhancing reliability the Mosquito never got over its teething problems.
Then Glock introduced the M44 .22. While a good shooter and a must have for Glock fans, this is another pistol that isn’t quite as across-the-board reliable as Glock claimed. It is very difficult to convince a rimmed cartridge to feed in a self-loading action. Factor in a heel based lead bullet that is a friction fit rather than crimped in place and you have a real engineering problem. You also have a generally dirty cartridge that leaves a lot of powder residue in the action.
There are reliable .22 pistols. The Browning Buckmark and SGS 1911 22 come to mind. It can be done and SIG Sauer resolved to do it right.
The P322 is an American-manufactured single action blow back operation pistol that resembles the popular P365. SIG tells us then they spent more than two years developing this handgun. Ergonomics and accuracy are important and so is reliability, which I would wager was the most difficult problem to overcome.
A nice touch is that the pistols are supplied with both a flat and curved trigger shoe. The P322 is optics ready and features good sights with a four-inch barrel that develops good velocity with .22 Long Rifle high velocity loads.
The P322 isn’t a rimfire P365 despite the similar size an appearance. The P322 makes an excellent understudy pistol for the P365 or P320, however. The P322 is a handy size at 7 inches long, 5 ½ inches high, and weighing 17 ounces. As a field gun it is much lighter and handier than a Ruger Standard Model or Browning Buckmark. Perhaps it isn’t as accurate but it is an accurate handgun for its size and weight class.
SIG makes this pistol affordable at around $400. It is an entry level SIG or a crackerjack recreational pistol. I don’t consider it an economy handgun although it is less expensive than a SIG P365 as one example. I consider it a nicely sized .22 rimfire for recreational use, training young shooters, and even field use.
While hunting with rimfire handguns usually involved a long barrel revolver the P322 is capable of knocking a squirrel out of a pretty tall tree or taking a bedded rabbit. A selling point is the pistol is supplied with two 20-round magazines. That is a lot of ammunition and a great deal of fun at the firing range. The P322 features a light rail as well. For those who are involved in the headlong pursuit of racoon hunting I think the light rail is good to have.
Since the .22 Long Rifle is more prone to leaving powder residue than the high intensity 9mm cartridge, it is important the P322 is easily field stripped and cleaned. Remove the magazine and lock the slide to the rear, checking the chamber. Rotate the take down lever to release the slide then pull up and to the rear on the slide. The pistol is easily scrubbed clean. I recommend a field strip and good lubrication every 300 rounds for best reliability. If the pistol isn’t properly maintained function will become sluggish. Slide velocity slows and eventually the pistol will short cycle. This is true of all rimfire handguns.
The pistol features a manual safety, which I found positive in operation and easily manipulated. The fiber optic sight is a good touch. When loading the magazine, be certain you load the magazine a few cartridges at a time, tap the rear of the magazine to continue loading, and continue until the magazine is fully loaded.
The trigger action is crisp and reset is fast. It is a great deal of fun to rip off a staccato string of shots into the steel plates or a reactive target!
Test firing went well. I used the CCI Mini Mag initially as this is touted as a load that runs in any .22 pistol. It certainly ran in the SIG. Winchester Wildcat, Remington Thunderbolt, and PMC Zapper also performed well. Winchester’s new rimfire Silvertip also proved reliable.
During the ammunition drought brought on by panic buying most folks were concerned with centerfire ammunition especially 9mm and .223. I had plenty of .22 Long Rifle on hand and frankly don’t fire the rimfire as much as I should. I ear marked 1,000 rimfire cartridges for test and evaluation of the SIG P322. I had so much fun I ended up firing 1,300 rounds in less than a month.
The pistol proved reliable with consistent slide velocity with all loads. The recoil spring assembly did its job correctly.
I went longer than I would recommend between cleanings. At about 650 rounds slide velocity slowed and function was sluggish although there were no short cycles or misfeeds. I stopped abusing the pistol, field stripped it, and cleaned and lubricated it.
The grip is ergonomically designed and fits most hands well while the trigger action is crisp and sharp. The pistol is quick and accurate. As for bull’s eye accuracy, firing from a solid benchrest gave credible results. At 15 yards and taking as much time as needed between shots I fired five shot groups as small as 1.34 inches and as large as 2.4 inches. While the SIG is an accurate rimfire, it should not be compared to a Browning Buckmark or Ruger Standard Model but to the Walther P22 or a Bersa .22.
Ballistics:
Blazer 40 grain 960 fps
Remington Thunderbolt 40 gr 1001 fps
Fiocchi 40 grain CPN 991 fps
Fiocchi 38 grain 1002 fps
CCI Mini Mag 999 fps
CCI Mini Mag Segmented 1004 fps
Winchester M22 40 gr. 1011 fps
