Best customer service on the planet! Bar none! My HP-25 had a problem. I contacted Phoenix arms, and they said to send it in and they would give me a new pistol. I did and they did. I had the HP-25 and they replaced it with the 'newer' HP-25A. I got an upgraded pistol for zero dollars. Who else does that these days?
Henry will, Ruger will, Hi Point will, Diamondback will, and Taurus sometimes will....there's actually quite a few out there with fantastic warranty service.
S&w will, many want the old ones. They'll fix back to 1986, but the new ones are still great. A lot feel that isnt the case but owning multiple the proof is in the revolver.
I’ll never know. Got my 25 in the 90’s, voided the warranty well over a decade ago. I simply couldn’t stand the safeties, especially when cleaning. .25 was way cheaper back then. It’s always been “meh”.
I think they're a far better pistols now too. The HP22A is probably their best gun by far. It holds 10rds too (in 22lr) and 9rds in .25. I really hope the .25acp and .32acp come back in popularity. They're both good self defense rounds and it would be nice for them to not be so expensive. (edit: I do hate the safeties though).
@@deucedeuce1572 These are great little guns. If you hate the safeties, there are ways to remove the more obnoxious ones and make the gun work more like a normal automatic (VERY simple mods).
I have one ...shoots first time everytime no matter what I put thru it ...very happy with it ...a little training overcomes safety issues ...some folks just don't like to train.
It even makes better sense to just do those safety modifications and train with it like “normal”pistols. Parts are cheap to make the mods and go back prior to selling if you do sell it.
TO AVOID DRY RIFING you have 3 options: 1. Count your rounds. 2. Use a snap cap as your last round. 3. Use a low-velocity 22lr as your last round so you know by the sound that it is your last round and it will probably not eject.
Do they still make 22lr tracer rounds? I wonder if it's even a cause for concern. Someone who has one can probably look. My 10/22 has a notch cut into the breech so the firing pin doesn't hit against anything if it's empty. Does this have that or nah?
I own one great shooting little gun! I replaced my magazine followers and now have last round hold open which I love and don't have the issue of the firing pin getting damaged after last round is fired on empty chamber. This little pistol has been 100% reliable good value for the money.
@@jamesdietz6899I got mine on ebay a couple years ago. I think you get 3 for 20 bananas. Pretty clever, the back of the followers are squared off, instead of rounded. They work great!
Shot over 4500 rounds through my first one until it was frame cracked and unsafe...bought that one used for $60, so $200 at the gun buyback was more than a full reimbursement on a "broken" pistol. My second one bought new for $115 went over 6000 rounds before it was unsafe. Frame was cracked on both side, slide was halfway cracked, and the feed ramp was separating from the barrel cracked....still reliable and functioned perfect all the way through. It is currently with Phoenix being replaced under lifetime warranty and I should have it back in a few weeks.
Nope, 95% of it was Rem Golden Bullet and Thunderbolts. Nearly ALL 22lr is standard velocity in normal pistol-length barrels. It is only "high velocity" as printed on the box when used in a rifle-length barrel, as that is what is used from the factory for testing them for velocity. I stopped counting after the respective numbers I poste above....they guns were just unsafe after. EDIT: I also deactivated the lawyer safeties with a patch under the mag disconnect (fully revertable) and simply bought a spare manual safety (so fully swappable with the modified one)....my pistols worked like normal handguns. Frame safety was always left in the fire position.
No, all .22 LR is not the same. Much of it is hotter than standard velocity .22 LR, which can overstress tbe frame. Believe what you want, as most people do...
@@homie3star Just researched the Golden Bullet and Thunderbolt. The former is standard velocity but the latter is considered high velocity. If you talk to the factory foreman at Phoenix as I did, he will explain why the factory doesn't recommend high velocity .22 LR-John in Texas
Purchase my Phoenix HP22 back in the mid to late 80s, looks identical glad to know they're still around, The price back then was between $59.99 - $79.99.
I've seen many videos showing basic maintenance disassembly of this pistol and this was the best I've ever seen. It was very clear to see how everything works and how exactly to disassemble and reassemble.
I got in the habit of cleaning and lubricating all guns before going to the range. It's really made a big difference on reliability and has saved a lot of time having to make multiple range trips to make sure they're running reliably (not that any excuse is a bad excuse to get more range time). I have severe chronic pain though, so I don't get to shoot often. If a gun malfunctions, because it wasn't cleaned or oiled, I'll then have to wait a long time before I can get out again to retest after cleaning and oiling. Some guns have some kind of coolant or lubricant/protectant on them from the factory and especially in the barrels that's really dark and sticky and hard to clean off... so cleaning and lubricating can make a big difference. I also clean and lubricate the magazines, hone and edges that may be sharp and also square up the spring coils if they need it. Magazines being unreliable can be a big problem too... so that's probably even more likely to be the cause of having such better luck with new guns their first time out. I've had some very dirty brand new mags in the past too... and when the springs on them aren't squared up it can cause a lot of friction and jamming problems.
Didn't the Dudley Do Rights want to ban the inexpensive lil handguns like those ? Saturday Night Specials they dubbed them, no guns for the poor, no soup 🍲 either !
Glad to see you finally doing this review, Mixup. I recommended it to you a couple times. I currently have 2, and have had 3. They're great shooters. I'd have recommended the 5" barrel though, but they're only like $35 on Phoenix's website. With a 5" we easily plink golf balls out to 90-100 feet. There are some cool tricks and tips, like for the magazine disconnect - simply remove the left grip panel, take one side of the brass fold over from a manila envelope and slide it under the disconnect bar... no harm, no foul, and you won't void your warranty. Now it runs like a regular gun. Push the safety up and lock the slide lock for barrel removal, remove the magazine, as you pull back on the barrel locking lug, slide your finger under the barrel to keep the spring from flying out or getting damaged. Barrel swap / replace is really simple and only takes a few seconds if done correctly. You're doing it the hard way in the video like I did when I got my first Phoenix. I've been to the factory locally here in Ontario, Cali, and they're friendly people. At one point one of the guns we'd put over 10k rounds though got a crack in the slide when we forgot and ran some high velocity ammo one day. Phoenix just gave us a brand new gun. You definitely shouldn't run high velocity ammo through them. BTW, and maybe you're aware, but Phoenix came out of Raven Arms of Saturday Night Special infamy. Their Costa Mesa factory burned to the ground and Phoenix Arms rose from the ashes.
Have enjoyed mine for many years. Only had to replace the spring. They're a California company which accounts for those safeties. Also, nice people to deal with.
The eight million safeties make it a plinker, which is fine. I got one years ago to train my ex who has tiny hands, and I've used it since to let small handed folks try. I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn, so I got the long barrel and extended magazine-- made it a MILLION times better for me. Could actually hold the thing and can hit pretty well, so it's really fun for me now, especially shooting steel. Only issue I've had was that the feed ramp on the long barrel I got was rough, two minutes with a rubberized abrasive wheel and it's golden. It's a fun little trainer.
Got mine 4 or 5 years ago for 110 bananas. Didn't really expect too much out of it, but I got to say, it's been utterly reliable! Bought a couple extra mags. Then, a couple years ago, got a 3 pack of last round hold open followers on ebay. They work great! They even have them for the hp25.
Excellent review. I bought one quite a few years ago with the idea to help my young kids to train to shoot. Always Used federal ammo. Never once gave me any issues. The safety’s are a pain but it is solid little pistol. Helped my kids a lot when I was training them.
You two are awesome! Your marksmanship is fantastic. I have a Phoenix Arms HP25a and was thinking of selling/trading it but after watching this video, I decided to keep it and retrain myself in all its safety eccentricities.
Hello Thomas. Thank you for the nice compliment and I also thank you for recently subscribing to my channel. I'm also glad to hear that you are keeping your HP25a.
I bought mine about 15 years ago. I made two modifications. I modified the thumb safety, making it more of a conventional pistol. The other modification was to buy the extended magazines. I use CCI standard velocity ammunition and have never had a failure. I called the factory several times about the recoil springs and they were happy to send me springs with no charge.
I only buy firearms if Mixup 98 does a review on it. Few gun channels are as honest. Also, I dont buy "boutique" firearms, which is more than budget friendly. Drives me nuts when someone does a review of a $1000 gun. After $400 the darn thing should be autonomous and do regular scans of the perimeter.
@@CharlesSalmondYou don't need $1,000 gun to protect your life when you can get a Glock for less than half and it's proven reliable. Expensive guns often times do little to nothing that warrants the price, they just know idiots will pay for it.
Kool little pistol. I bought a Taurus tx22 and my wife claimed it. I think it's the best 22 pistol I've ever owned, but it's about the same size as my 9mm G3, so it's not little
That little gun runs circles around my Beretta 21 anyday, everyday. The Beretta is a pretty paperweight that rarely makes it through a mag. The target barrel and finger extension mag made it one of my favorite plinkers.
The original Ring of Fire manufacturers got sued out of existence due to malfunctioning safeties & a lack of a magazine safety, which would have saved lives. And, avoided lawyers suing them into bankruptcy. Phoenix Arms learned these lessons. They have built a cheap gun, from Zamak, that work, which are lawyer proof. Here we are 30 years later. They're still in business
I've owned about a half-dozen of these little guns over time, they always went bang and they are surprisingly accurate. I always used HV ammo, mostly CCI. Disconnect extra safety and it's all good.
Have one , never fails. Paid less than one bone for it. Also added the 5 inch barrel and an extended magazine. Great little backyard pllinker. Perfect for the grandkids.
I have the 22hp it's great! Mines the black finish. I also have the 25 hp in satin finish, slightly more finicky than the 22 still dollar for a great little carry piece! Love Phoenix arms great little company, I bought some of their merchandise, and the service was great. The crazy safety thing is just something they did to keep from being pushed out of business in crazy California it's pretty easy to get used to. Mine needed a bit of lubrication when they were new, too, but that's an easy fix! Thanks for the video! It's awesome to see a gun tuber of your caliber do a review of this cool little gun!
I miss mine every day, after 6-8K rounds I had a frame crack on the inside of my frame, it wasn’t visible from the outside of the weapon. For the money, folks SLEEP on these. One of the best 22 pistols I've shot, I had the range kit & loved it and the exposed hammer. Didn’t love that it was heavy as hell tho, same weight as a full size 1911 lol. Once mine cracked, I sold it and got the keltec P17. Don’t sleep on Phoenix arms, their stuff is worth every penny!!!
First handgun I owned was a Raven Arms 25 caliber. A little mouse gun that could pop balloons. That was about 40 years ago. What good thing can I say about it. It never blew up in my hands. I could disassemble and reassemble with my eyes closed. My stepdaughter has it now. That's all I can say. It was probably a mistake to buy, I could have got a 38 special for just a bit more.
It’s my back up CCW for my Glock19. Taken it to the range many times. No misfires. The only thing I recommend is to change the hammer after about 3000 rounds.
i have owned one for several years. I really like it as a fun gun. However, it had problems at first. The build quality was so low that the trigger was (and still is) off center, the feed ramp had a big chunk of metal on the side left over from the casting process and the "nickel" plating started to rub off. But the trigger works fine even though not correctly aligned, I cleaned up the feed ramp with a file and some emery paper and is good to go, and I took off the flaking nickel plating with some emery paper which actually made it feel better in my hand. Now the gun is good. I disconnected the third safety that won't let you pull back the slide unless the mag is inserted. There are several videos on TH-cam on how to do it and, in my opinion, it makes it safer because you can lock the slide open to show it is safe. I run CCI mini mag 40 grain copper plated round nosed in the gun and it goes bang every time and runs flawlessly. However, it took some experimenting to find an ammo that worked consistently. I think that the fairly heavy return spring tension requires a good deal of force to reliably cycle the slide. The CCI 40 grain mini mags seems to have the mass and the velocity to consistently make that happen. But there were several kinds/brands of ammo (that came in bulk boxes) that didn't really have the pop to make it run consistently. I won't name them because they work fine in my other .22 pistols so the difficulty is with the pistol, not the ammo. The HP22A is NOT a self defense gun. It is too heavy for its size, it can be inconsistent with various ammo, and there are too many safeties. And who would want to rely on .22 rimfire ammo if it absolutely has to fire to save your life. But it sure is fun to shoot. The 3" barrel makes it a great little James Bond spy gun, and the 5" barrel makes it a serviceable target/plinking gun. it is surprisingly accurate considering the cost and quality. You can get the five inch barrel and another magazine with an extension for your pinky from Phoenix for about $75 bucks. Russ, Long Beach, California
Man I got one of these YEARS ago. Sold it, and got another one a couple years later. It's reliable but has some quirks with all the safety features that requires you to practice with this firearm to operate safely and properly. I recommend you get a second magazine, and keep it empty, so you can use it to unload a chambered round without having to rack the slide over and over again until your loaded magazine is empty.
Hi Mix! I swear if you make me buy another gun....again... well, you'll still be one of my favorite tubers... I've always been interested in this pistol as I've heard good things. Not an HK or Walther, but reliable and accurate for a low cost gun. The 60+ safeties are a bit much, but it's really just a plinker. The model that comes with 2 barrels looks interesting too.
Can't remember why I sold mine 10 plus years ago. Kinda miss it. Good little cheap kit gun. Seeing a lot of reviews recently and now I want 3 of them. Controls are quirky, but it's not like I would have it around as a primary carry. Lock one in every car/boat/RV. Cheap, easy to shoot, pest control, extra pew pew.
I bought one of these at my local feed store/ farm supply shop. It is a good little plinker. Reminds me of a Jennings J22 and an Erma .22 PPK wannabee. Mine has never not gone bang and being made out of a mixture of metals, i don't think it will rust..lol.
Thank you sir for a great video. I had one of these in the 90s. I shot the heck out of it. I sold it to a guy that needed a pistol for protection, but did not have much money. As far as I know he still has it.
Mixup98 I had bought one 10 years ago as the Range kit for about 200 $ quite the little outfit. Yes, way too many safeties. but that little pistol shot every time. I gave it to my grandson. He likes it . 👍🇺🇸🙏🏽✌🏻 I think I might have mentioned you run one of these.
I traded for one used. mag catch broke and would have light strikes. Replace the firing pin, firing pin spring, rear plate and mag catch. Now works just fine. Good little range pistol. Came with four mags and I bought the long barrel for it. just a fun gun
Thank you. I NEVER tell anyone what I have. But after shooting the first one, I got a second. One at the back door and one at the front, muscle memory. No safety's, my left handed wife just knows to pull the hammer back and fire. When on station, STINGERS. I also got the extra mags and the extended barrel, like the photo on the manual.
Hey, thanks for reviewing this classic pistol! I first looked at one THIRTY years ago and thought it was beautiful but did not want a single-action-only gun for personal defense. BUT, I do not remember that second firing pin manual safety! I think that is "new" and makes this an actually safe pistol to carry cocked single action, and slightly "Childproof." This makes it a horse of a different feather! TWO safeties are better than one! It used to be sold as a combo version with a second six-inch barrel and two magazines. Funny about brand new guns being sold without any lube at all, probably to keep the packaging clean. The YuuuToooob teen self-appointed gun experts have INVENTED a false principle that ALL guns should function perfectly with ANY ammo "right out of the box" with ZERO lubrication, because THEY SAY SO. So they have a lot of failures and blame it on the gun and not their own arrogance. Any "old timer" will know that ALL new guns "right out of the box" should be cleaned of factory dirt inside and lubed properly BEFORE firing............................elsullo
With all the safeties, I think they just made them less safe. For being Phoenix handguns, I think they're a whole lot better than their older models. I know they're not the best guns, but I hope to get one when I get a chance. I met a guy at the range that had one and let me shoot it and I was surprised at how well it shot. It's a Phoenix, so I was expecting it to be unreliable... but it perfectly reliable for both of us. I like the size and fit also... and it's not a bad looking gun all around. Just because a gun is cheap doesn't mean it has to look terrible.
I have had my phenix .22 for 30 years now and it functions fine. It's amazing the accuracy you get from such a small inexpensive handgun. My dad bought four or five of these and gave them out as Christmas presents 30 years ago. We had a store with an ffl and I think he bought a half dozen deal and got them for 50 dollars each. This handguns safety system is confusing to the point of being dangerous for some. I know some boys who were trying to get one to function and in the efforts the gun went off costing one of them 6 ft of small intestine and almost bleeding to death. I will say neither of them at that time were competent to be handling this arm but just a reminder that confusion in firearms can be very dangerous.
I think it's made of ZAMAK (zinc, aluminum, magnesium and kupfer aka copper) also used in Hot Wheels cars. I have a Beretta Tomcat made out of the same material and it's a tank. I like that this is made out of it.
I put a solid 4500 possibly 5000 rnds through mine. One of my favorite little plinkers. The only issues I ever had was dud ammo. The mag with the pinky extender makes it much more of a joy to shoot.
Seems to be a good little shooter and it looks like it sits nice in the hand. The odd safety controls and the reassembly instructions regarding the spring just seem like a lot of unneeded extras, especially for a rimfire pistol. It looks good and shot really well and the fact that you mentioned the customer service is excellent are important details as well. It's just one of those pistols that can't replace anything already in the safe. Thanks for the in-depth review, including the different ammo, you guys are the best.
Great video, as always! These are great pistols. Your method of disassembly/reassembly is MUCH better than the factory method with the recoil spring compressed. I have an HP-22 just like yours, along with the extended barrel, carrying case and factory cleaning kit. Be sure to shoot only standard velocity, as hotter .22 can crack the Zamac receiver. As you illustrated, one must properly orient the recoil spring so one end does not catch on the receiver. I only discovered both of these facts by calling Phoenix Arms. They're a small outfit and it was easy to talk to the shop foreman. I do recommend that you purchase the high capacity mag, as its grip extension makes shooting this little piece much easier. I would also recommend a snap cap for the last round. Lastly, parts are really inexpensive and available-John in Texas
I can't tell you the numerous times I have mulled over this little pistol. I have a fascination with 25ACP and you don't see as many offerings in that caliber anymore. The only thing (besides the odd safeties) that make me question such is the zamak frame, along with reports of the slide cracking. Hope all is well and best wishes to you and yours !
I have a friend with one. He loads a subsonic in the bottom of the mag so when he fires the last round, you can hear the difference and wont dry fire an empty chamber. I has no last round hold open.
Ive had one for years. Shot everything i ever put thru it. Cracked the slide after something like 2000rds. Shipped the slide to them in canada. They shipped a new slide and recoil spring. New spring was stiffer so put the old ond back in and it rens everything
I have two of them. I got the black one first and liked it so much that I bought the satin nickel one. When I got them I paid $140.00 each. Mine works great with the CCI standard velocity. I really have only had a handful of malfunctions between the two of them. It's a lot nicer than you would think for that price. The safety's are a pain. It will shoot the higher velocity ammo, but they have had issues with the frame's cracking with steady use of higher velocity ammo. Some people online say it's ok to use the higher velocity ammo but you should replace the recoil spring after so many rounds. I just stick with the CCI standard velocity since it's readily available.
I've had one of these for about 3 or 4 years and I really like it. It is pretty reliable if I put the right ammo through it but it is picky. CCI Mini Mags seem to be the best ammo I have used in it. I put maybe 400 rounds of CCI Mini Mags and only once did I have a malfunction and it was an empty casing that stuck in the chamber instead of exiting after a shot but I had not cleaned the gun in a couple hundred rounds before I shot it that day and got the malfunction. Really nice little shooter 🙂
Mine came in a plastic lock box, two barrels, cleaning kit and some oil that smells and looks like motor oil hahah. Now keep in mind , it needs cleaning or it will not fire some rounds and yes it does need oil. I keep it in my haversack when walking around woods note just a back up not main fire arm So it goes bang bang and better than my heritage pistol. Thanks and take care.
I bought one in the early’90s. It was on sale at the hardware store for like $90. It was a good little shooter. The only problem I had was that the feedlips on the mag were SHARP! I cut my fingers on them several times.
Hey Mix.I've had a HP22A for a long while and it's been awesome.I know about the safety overkill.But as far as being accurate and reliable,,I have no complaints.It works.Bulk ammo works just fine.Yea,it's confusing to most but this is a solid little pistol.
I Have to admit I really love these guns. I have 2 of them. You can buy extra mags with finger extension and a 5'' target barrel, extra parts and springs on their website. I'll tell you now if you plan to shoot a lot, buy an extra hammer. After thousands of rounds the hammer face wears down and will create lite primer strikes this is why they don't recommend Dry fire they use softer metals with these guns, their stock springs are weak, and need replaced IMHO way to fast. But it's a simple fix, also M*Carbo makes great Trigger kits and more powerful springs, I highly recommend them. But as factory these are still good plinking guns. If you are looking for a self-defense pistol. I would recommend other, but if you train you can/could use it.
Phoenix Arms, Jimenez, Jennings, Raven, Lorcin, Davis, Sundance Industries, and possibly other brand names are all from the same family owned business, which originally started producing the Raven .25acp pistol back in the late '60s. They have been made in .25acp and .22LR. They are made out of a zinc alloy, commonly known as pot metal. They hold a claim to fame as the original "Saturday Night Special". I own a late '60s or early '70s Raven .25acp pistol. It has a chrome like finish, with fake ivory grips made of a cheap plastic. I inherited it from my uncle over 40 years ago. I believe he bought it new. I have never tried to fire it. It feels much like those chrome plated zinc toy cap pistols sold back in the '50s and '60s. It appears to be cast, with no real machining. It's probably just as dangerous to shoot it as to be shot at with it. Since it says it is not supposed to be dry fired (which is normal for ANY rimfire gun) but the slide does not lock back after the last round, I wonder how long it will last until the firing pin or whatever it hits breaks. I found this on eBay tinyurl.com/4r95e7rv it is a replacement magazine follower which is supposed to hold the slide back after the last round. This is part of the description of the item "This 3 pack of magazine followers is a must-have for Phoenix Arms HP22/HP22A handgun owners. It is designed to keep the gun running efficiently by holding the slide open after last round, preventing firing pin damage from dry fire"
That company is a family owned/operated company that has been making guns together for around 32 years.They probably had a learning curve getting used to the machines & all ,for a little while after they bought out Raven arms in 92 ,but should be about 2nd nature to them by now. Injection molded Zamac,a zink alloy pistol (I have actually taken a few metallurgy classes back in the ol community college days,but it’s been years ago )not familiar with Zamac…but, pretty sure its a fancy word for melted beer cans and some other crap mixed in with it. Their “alloy”probably varies from batch to batch. Really like the way the some guns have messages and warnings engraved all over them. Looks Niiice. Those fine grip panels seem like a blank slate to me. The company should utilize that space for some sort of simple diagrams showing how to disable the pistols ..or something. It seems like a decent good shooting little $94 gun. Going to the website now and checking MSRPs,accessories ect. Right now. I believe that scene in the movie boondock saints where the father got out of prison and had the big shootout with the custom 10-12 gun chest holster getup,had at least one or two of those in his torso holster..Plum darn Keeler! With guns of such quality,I wouldn’t be surprised if Your great great great grandchildren are one day enjoying that pistol…When it comes full circle and is a beer can again for the 2nd-10th time.When they jam their pocket knife in the can and shotgun that beer and slam it on the ground,unless they are a psychic they won’t be saying “that’s for ol great grandpa mixup”.That’s unfortunate. But what you gona do. Thx & enjoy.
Norma Tac-22 is the best ammo for the range I've found. I've probably gone through 1000 rounds and haven't had any failures in the Ruger 10/22, Walther P22, and Ruger Wrangler.
The old Beretta 950 25ACP has a Pop Up Barrel. If you have no magazines for it, you can pop the barrel up, load a bullet, push the barrel back down, cock it and fire it.
I had one of these back in 2012 very reliable.The negative is the metal bar above the trigger will bend over time due to poor metal quality and is literally super glued in place.Ended up selling it to a co worker who wanted it.
I've had mine for ten years or so. The only real problem I've had is with the spring. The first time I went to clean it, I lost it. I still can't get mine apart without the spring taking off, so I it apart in a boot. As for reliability? It has never failed me. It's my back up pistol.
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Best customer service on the planet! Bar none! My HP-25 had a problem. I contacted Phoenix arms, and they said to send it in and they would give me a new pistol. I did and they did. I had the HP-25 and they replaced it with the 'newer' HP-25A. I got an upgraded pistol for zero dollars. Who else does that these days?
Henry will, Ruger will, Hi Point will, Diamondback will, and Taurus sometimes will....there's actually quite a few out there with fantastic warranty service.
@@homie3star That's good to hear.
Ruger gave me a free replacement pistol.
S&w will, many want the old ones. They'll fix back to 1986, but the new ones are still great. A lot feel that isnt the case but owning multiple the proof is in the revolver.
I’ll never know. Got my 25 in the 90’s, voided the warranty well over a decade ago. I simply couldn’t stand the safeties, especially when cleaning.
.25 was way cheaper back then.
It’s always been “meh”.
Looks like Phoenix Arms has risen from the ashes of the '90's. Seems like a cool little .22 pistol.
I think they're a far better pistols now too. The HP22A is probably their best gun by far. It holds 10rds too (in 22lr) and 9rds in .25. I really hope the .25acp and .32acp come back in popularity. They're both good self defense rounds and it would be nice for them to not be so expensive. (edit: I do hate the safeties though).
@@deucedeuce1572 These are great little guns. If you hate the safeties, there are ways to remove the more obnoxious ones and make the gun work more like a normal automatic (VERY simple mods).
@@joshtiscareno1312 Thanks. I'll have to check them out.
Always a good day when Mixup posts a video.
Agreed. His videos are top notch! I ALWAYS enjoy them even when its a gun I don't otherwise care about🤣🤠🇺🇸👍👍
I have one ...shoots first time everytime no matter what I put thru it ...very happy with it ...a little training overcomes safety issues ...some folks just don't like to train.
Boy if that ain't the truth, about the training.
After a few hundred rounds, you don't even notice the safeties anymore. It just becomes 2nd nature to drop the frame safety to remove the mag.
It even makes better sense to just do those safety modifications and train with it like “normal”pistols. Parts are cheap to make the mods and go back prior to selling if you do sell it.
Pretty soon you'll have to enter a username and password every time you want to rack the slide or remove the magazine. 🤪
TO AVOID DRY RIFING you have 3 options:
1. Count your rounds.
2. Use a snap cap as your last round.
3. Use a low-velocity 22lr as your last round so you know by the sound that it is your last round and it will probably not eject.
Excellent suggestion on the last round.
Do they still make 22lr tracer rounds?
I wonder if it's even a cause for concern. Someone who has one can probably look. My 10/22 has a notch cut into the breech so the firing pin doesn't hit against anything if it's empty. Does this have that or nah?
Good suggestions.
Good to see the two of you back in action,nice to see a reliable pocket rimfire
I own one great shooting little gun! I replaced my magazine followers and now have last round hold open which I love and don't have the issue of the firing pin getting damaged after last round is fired on empty chamber. This little pistol has been 100% reliable good value for the money.
What followers did you use???
@@jamesdietz6899I got mine on ebay a couple years ago. I think you get 3 for 20 bananas. Pretty clever, the back of the followers are squared off, instead of rounded. They work great!
Please tell us what follower you upgraded to.
@@austinfisheroutdoors ZD Craft comes in a 3pk 18.00 works great!
Shot over 4500 rounds through my first one until it was frame cracked and unsafe...bought that one used for $60, so $200 at the gun buyback was more than a full reimbursement on a "broken" pistol. My second one bought new for $115 went over 6000 rounds before it was unsafe. Frame was cracked on both side, slide was halfway cracked, and the feed ramp was separating from the barrel cracked....still reliable and functioned perfect all the way through. It is currently with Phoenix being replaced under lifetime warranty and I should have it back in a few weeks.
Are you shooting standard velocity LR?-John in Texas
Do you really keep up with round count or was that just guesstimate
Nope, 95% of it was Rem Golden Bullet and Thunderbolts. Nearly ALL 22lr is standard velocity in normal pistol-length barrels. It is only "high velocity" as printed on the box when used in a rifle-length barrel, as that is what is used from the factory for testing them for velocity.
I stopped counting after the respective numbers I poste above....they guns were just unsafe after.
EDIT: I also deactivated the lawyer safeties with a patch under the mag disconnect (fully revertable) and simply bought a spare manual safety (so fully swappable with the modified one)....my pistols worked like normal handguns. Frame safety was always left in the fire position.
No, all .22 LR is not the same. Much of it is hotter than standard velocity .22 LR, which can overstress tbe frame. Believe what you want, as most people do...
@@homie3star Just researched the Golden Bullet and Thunderbolt. The former is standard velocity but the latter is considered high velocity. If you talk to the factory foreman at Phoenix as I did, he will explain why the factory doesn't recommend high velocity .22 LR-John in Texas
Purchase my Phoenix HP22 back in the mid to late 80s, looks identical glad to know they're still around, The price back then was between $59.99 - $79.99.
Thanks for the feedback. This Phoenix pistol must be OK if it's been around since the late 80s.
I've seen many videos showing basic maintenance disassembly of this pistol and this was the best I've ever seen. It was very clear to see how everything works and how exactly to disassemble and reassemble.
By far the favorite handgun to shoot by any of newbies I have taken to the range.
Great review. I remembered when these were all over in the 1990s.
Yhup. They were huge sellers in my shop. Retail under $100 and $25 for the target barrel & spare mag combo. I couldn't keep them in stock.
I absolutely love Phoenix Arms pistols.
I got in the habit of cleaning and lubricating all guns before going to the range. It's really made a big difference on reliability and has saved a lot of time having to make multiple range trips to make sure they're running reliably (not that any excuse is a bad excuse to get more range time). I have severe chronic pain though, so I don't get to shoot often. If a gun malfunctions, because it wasn't cleaned or oiled, I'll then have to wait a long time before I can get out again to retest after cleaning and oiling. Some guns have some kind of coolant or lubricant/protectant on them from the factory and especially in the barrels that's really dark and sticky and hard to clean off... so cleaning and lubricating can make a big difference. I also clean and lubricate the magazines, hone and edges that may be sharp and also square up the spring coils if they need it. Magazines being unreliable can be a big problem too... so that's probably even more likely to be the cause of having such better luck with new guns their first time out. I've had some very dirty brand new mags in the past too... and when the springs on them aren't squared up it can cause a lot of friction and jamming problems.
I did the mods on mine and now I really like it.
Your way to reassemble is the way I do it.
Better than the factory way.
Fun little plinker.
👍😎
You guys do great reviews, thanks for the knowledge!!
Ah yes the good ole Ring of Fire family of manufacturers... My brother had a the Jennings 22 LR.... 😎
@@Soli_Deo_Gloria_. Ah, the "J-22". Takes me back to my favorite era....
Didn't the Dudley Do Rights want to ban the inexpensive lil handguns like those ?
Saturday Night Specials they dubbed them, no guns for the poor, no soup 🍲 either !
Glad to see you finally doing this review, Mixup. I recommended it to you a couple times. I currently have 2, and have had 3. They're great shooters. I'd have recommended the 5" barrel though, but they're only like $35 on Phoenix's website. With a 5" we easily plink golf balls out to 90-100 feet.
There are some cool tricks and tips, like for the magazine disconnect - simply remove the left grip panel, take one side of the brass fold over from a manila envelope and slide it under the disconnect bar... no harm, no foul, and you won't void your warranty. Now it runs like a regular gun. Push the safety up and lock the slide lock for barrel removal, remove the magazine, as you pull back on the barrel locking lug, slide your finger under the barrel to keep the spring from flying out or getting damaged. Barrel swap / replace is really simple and only takes a few seconds if done correctly. You're doing it the hard way in the video like I did when I got my first Phoenix.
I've been to the factory locally here in Ontario, Cali, and they're friendly people. At one point one of the guns we'd put over 10k rounds though got a crack in the slide when we forgot and ran some high velocity ammo one day. Phoenix just gave us a brand new gun. You definitely shouldn't run high velocity ammo through them.
BTW, and maybe you're aware, but Phoenix came out of Raven Arms of Saturday Night Special infamy. Their Costa Mesa factory burned to the ground and Phoenix Arms rose from the ashes.
Have enjoyed mine for many years. Only had to replace the spring. They're a California company which accounts for those safeties. Also, nice people to deal with.
Have owned a few of these over the years, and they have always run very well.
The eight million safeties make it a plinker, which is fine. I got one years ago to train my ex who has tiny hands, and I've used it since to let small handed folks try. I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn, so I got the long barrel and extended magazine-- made it a MILLION times better for me. Could actually hold the thing and can hit pretty well, so it's really fun for me now, especially shooting steel. Only issue I've had was that the feed ramp on the long barrel I got was rough, two minutes with a rubberized abrasive wheel and it's golden. It's a fun little trainer.
Got mine 4 or 5 years ago for 110 bananas. Didn't really expect too much out of it, but I got to say, it's been utterly reliable! Bought a couple extra mags. Then, a couple years ago, got a 3 pack of last round hold open followers on ebay. They work great! They even have them for the hp25.
Not 110 clams ala Flintstones ?
Do you drink cactus 🌵 juice too ?
@@carminemurray6624 😂 TH-cam doesn't like us actually saying the word "dollars", for some reason.
Excellent review. I bought one quite a few years ago with the idea to help my young kids to train to shoot. Always Used federal ammo. Never once gave me any issues. The safety’s are a pain but it is solid little pistol. Helped my kids a lot when I was training them.
You two are awesome! Your marksmanship is fantastic. I have a Phoenix Arms HP25a and was thinking of selling/trading it but after watching this video, I decided to keep it and retrain myself in all its safety eccentricities.
Hello Thomas. Thank you for the nice compliment and I also thank you for recently subscribing to my channel. I'm also glad to hear that you are keeping your HP25a.
A customer was asking me about this pistol. Now I know more about the next time I see him. Thanks
I bought mine about 15 years ago. I made two modifications. I modified the thumb safety, making it more of a conventional pistol. The other modification was to buy the extended magazines. I use CCI standard velocity ammunition and have never had a failure. I called the factory several times about the recoil springs and they were happy to send me springs with no charge.
I only buy firearms if Mixup 98 does a review on it. Few gun channels are as honest. Also, I dont buy "boutique" firearms, which is more than budget friendly.
Drives me nuts when someone does a review of a $1000 gun. After $400 the darn thing should be autonomous and do regular scans of the perimeter.
Your life is only worth 400 dollars to you? Interesting....
@@CharlesSalmondYou don't need $1,000 gun to protect your life when you can get a Glock for less than half and it's proven reliable. Expensive guns often times do little to nothing that warrants the price, they just know idiots will pay for it.
Kool little pistol. I bought a Taurus tx22 and my wife claimed it. I think it's the best 22 pistol I've ever owned, but it's about the same size as my 9mm G3, so it's not little
@@luketilley9137 mine jammed every second shot, the gun Dealers wouldn't buy it back. Even on a trade they said no.
@@Nippyou812 about a thousand rounds through this one and not a single malfunction.
That little gun runs circles around my Beretta 21 anyday, everyday.
The Beretta is a pretty paperweight that rarely makes it through a mag.
The target barrel and finger extension mag made it one of my favorite plinkers.
The original Ring of Fire manufacturers got sued out of existence due to malfunctioning safeties & a lack of a magazine safety, which would have saved lives. And, avoided lawyers suing them into bankruptcy.
Phoenix Arms learned these lessons. They have built a cheap gun, from Zamak, that work, which are lawyer proof. Here we are 30 years later. They're still in business
I've owned about a half-dozen of these little guns over time, they always went bang and they are surprisingly accurate. I always used HV ammo, mostly CCI. Disconnect extra safety and it's all good.
What half a dozen? Did they break ?
Have one , never fails. Paid less than one bone for it. Also added the 5 inch barrel and an extended magazine. Great little backyard pllinker. Perfect for the grandkids.
I have the 22hp it's great! Mines the black finish. I also have the 25 hp in satin finish, slightly more finicky than the 22 still dollar for a great little carry piece! Love Phoenix arms great little company, I bought some of their merchandise, and the service was great. The crazy safety thing is just something they did to keep from being pushed out of business in crazy California it's pretty easy to get used to. Mine needed a bit of lubrication when they were new, too, but that's an easy fix! Thanks for the video! It's awesome to see a gun tuber of your caliber do a review of this cool little gun!
I miss mine every day, after 6-8K rounds I had a frame crack on the inside of my frame, it wasn’t visible from the outside of the weapon. For the money, folks SLEEP on these. One of the best 22 pistols I've shot, I had the range kit & loved it and the exposed hammer. Didn’t love that it was heavy as hell tho, same weight as a full size 1911 lol. Once mine cracked, I sold it and got the keltec P17. Don’t sleep on Phoenix arms, their stuff is worth every penny!!!
Cool seeing dad and son out shooting.
Not a bad little firearm! Money well spent!
First handgun I owned was a Raven Arms 25 caliber. A little mouse gun that could pop balloons. That was about 40 years ago. What good thing can I say about it. It never blew up in my hands. I could disassemble and reassemble with my eyes closed. My stepdaughter has it now. That's all I can say.
It was probably a mistake to buy, I could have got a 38 special for just a bit more.
It’s my back up CCW for my Glock19. Taken it to the range many times. No misfires. The only thing I recommend is to change the hammer after about 3000 rounds.
Good to see you out and about MixUp. Love the test.
Thanks 👍
these are fun little plinkers at a cheap price. Thanks for always putting out honest reviews.
SW bodyguard 2 has been awesome. Thanks for the review.
i have owned one for several years. I really like it as a fun gun. However, it had problems at first. The build quality was so low that the trigger was (and still is) off center, the feed ramp had a big chunk of metal on the side left over from the casting process and the "nickel" plating started to rub off. But the trigger works fine even though not correctly aligned, I cleaned up the feed ramp with a file and some emery paper and is good to go, and I took off the flaking nickel plating with some emery paper which actually made it feel better in my hand. Now the gun is good.
I disconnected the third safety that won't let you pull back the slide unless the mag is inserted. There are several videos on TH-cam on how to do it and, in my opinion, it makes it safer because you can lock the slide open to show it is safe.
I run CCI mini mag 40 grain copper plated round nosed in the gun and it goes bang every time and runs flawlessly. However, it took some experimenting to find an ammo that worked consistently. I think that the fairly heavy return spring tension requires a good deal of force to reliably cycle the slide. The CCI 40 grain mini mags seems to have the mass and the velocity to consistently make that happen. But there were several kinds/brands of ammo (that came in bulk boxes) that didn't really have the pop to make it run consistently. I won't name them because they work fine in my other .22 pistols so the difficulty is with the pistol, not the ammo.
The HP22A is NOT a self defense gun. It is too heavy for its size, it can be inconsistent with various ammo, and there are too many safeties. And who would want to rely on .22 rimfire ammo if it absolutely has to fire to save your life. But it sure is fun to shoot. The 3" barrel makes it a great little James Bond spy gun, and the 5" barrel makes it a serviceable target/plinking gun. it is surprisingly accurate considering the cost and quality. You can get the five inch barrel and another magazine with an extension for your pinky from Phoenix for about $75 bucks.
Russ, Long Beach, California
I have had that exact model for several years and I love it. Great little plinker.
Man I got one of these YEARS ago. Sold it, and got another one a couple years later. It's reliable but has some quirks with all the safety features that requires you to practice with this firearm to operate safely and properly. I recommend you get a second magazine, and keep it empty, so you can use it to unload a chambered round without having to rack the slide over and over again until your loaded magazine is empty.
Hi Mix! I swear if you make me buy another gun....again... well, you'll still be one of my favorite tubers... I've always been interested in this pistol as I've heard good things. Not an HK or Walther, but reliable and accurate for a low cost gun. The 60+ safeties are a bit much, but it's really just a plinker. The model that comes with 2 barrels looks interesting too.
I'm thinking of purchasing this pistol so thanks for the review !
Can't remember why I sold mine 10 plus years ago. Kinda miss it. Good little cheap kit gun. Seeing a lot of reviews recently and now I want 3 of them. Controls are quirky, but it's not like I would have it around as a primary carry. Lock one in every car/boat/RV. Cheap, easy to shoot, pest control, extra pew pew.
Love this channel. Love that you guys are also from Nevada.
Much better finish than my Charter Arms Pit Bull.
That was pretty good. Excellent team work.
I bought one of these at my local feed store/ farm supply shop. It is a good little plinker. Reminds me of a Jennings J22 and an Erma .22 PPK wannabee.
Mine has never not gone bang and being made out of a mixture of metals, i don't think it will rust..lol.
Pot Metal Guns, 😂 weird alloys and Hi Point 😂
Thank you sir for a great video. I had one of these in the 90s. I shot the heck out of it. I sold it to a guy that needed a pistol for protection, but did not have much money. As far as I know he still has it.
👍 video.. thanks.. i have one I don't shoot it real often but it has been 100% reliable and i love the looks of it.. thanks for the review
A very good review . A good self defence weapon , hundreds of rounds fired , one misfire , probably due to the ammo .
Mixup98 I had bought one 10 years ago as the Range kit for about 200 $ quite the little outfit. Yes, way too many safeties. but that little pistol shot every time. I gave it to my grandson. He likes it . 👍🇺🇸🙏🏽✌🏻 I think I might have mentioned you run one of these.
I have one but mine is chambered in 25.acp, love it never had any problems. I even carry mine from time to time. 👍
There is decent argument that the safety modification makes the firearm safer to use.
Maybe and maybe not. The fact that the slide does not lock back on last round seems like a safety negative.
Love my HP22A! There are some "mods" that can relieve the safety burdens that are simple and work great. Great video! Thanks!
I traded for one used. mag catch broke and would have light strikes. Replace the firing pin, firing pin spring, rear plate and mag catch. Now works just fine. Good little range pistol. Came with four mags and I bought the long barrel for it. just a fun gun
Thank you. I NEVER tell anyone what I have. But after shooting the first one, I got a second. One at the back door and one at the front, muscle memory. No safety's, my left handed wife just knows to pull the hammer back and fire. When on station, STINGERS. I also got the extra mags and the extended barrel, like the photo on the manual.
Hey, thanks for reviewing this classic pistol! I first looked at one THIRTY years ago and thought it was beautiful but did not want a single-action-only gun for personal defense. BUT, I do not remember that second firing pin manual safety! I think that is "new" and makes this an actually safe pistol to carry cocked single action, and slightly "Childproof." This makes it a horse of a different feather! TWO safeties are better than one! It used to be sold as a combo version with a second six-inch barrel and two magazines.
Funny about brand new guns being sold without any lube at all, probably to keep the packaging clean. The YuuuToooob teen self-appointed gun experts have INVENTED a false principle that ALL guns should function perfectly with ANY ammo "right out of the box" with ZERO lubrication, because THEY SAY SO. So they have a lot of failures and blame it on the gun and not their own arrogance. Any "old timer" will know that ALL new guns "right out of the box" should be cleaned of factory dirt inside and lubed properly BEFORE firing............................elsullo
With all the safeties, I think they just made them less safe. For being Phoenix handguns, I think they're a whole lot better than their older models. I know they're not the best guns, but I hope to get one when I get a chance. I met a guy at the range that had one and let me shoot it and I was surprised at how well it shot. It's a Phoenix, so I was expecting it to be unreliable... but it perfectly reliable for both of us. I like the size and fit also... and it's not a bad looking gun all around. Just because a gun is cheap doesn't mean it has to look terrible.
Remember when cool guns were made in California?
Kinda wish Mexico made guns they have they would be soo wacky
No
We're dating ourselves, surprised he didn't bring one from the back shelf of the closet from the 80s to compare,he's done that before
I have had my phenix .22 for 30 years now and it functions fine. It's amazing the accuracy you get from such a small inexpensive handgun. My dad bought four or five of these and gave them out as Christmas presents 30 years ago. We had a store with an ffl and I think he bought a half dozen deal and got them for 50 dollars each. This handguns safety system is confusing to the point of being dangerous for some. I know some boys who were trying to get one to function and in the efforts the gun went off costing one of them 6 ft of small intestine and almost bleeding to death. I will say neither of them at that time were competent to be handling this arm but just a reminder that confusion in firearms can be very dangerous.
Hello Sir! Very thorough review. Yes for sure that little plinker is a tad complicated, but it's perfect for safety training. 👍
Thanks ericlee 👍
Excuse me, thanks for showing how to take down, nice pistol, thanks
I think it's made of ZAMAK (zinc, aluminum, magnesium and kupfer aka copper) also used in Hot Wheels cars. I have a Beretta Tomcat made out of the same material and it's a tank. I like that this is made out of it.
I put a solid 4500 possibly 5000 rnds through mine. One of my favorite little plinkers. The only issues I ever had was dud ammo. The mag with the pinky extender makes it much more of a joy to shoot.
Thanks , im getting one now . I have the Phoenix arms 25acp. That misfire, i blame on tbe cartridge. So great review
Seems to be a good little shooter and it looks like it sits nice in the hand. The odd safety controls and the reassembly instructions regarding the spring just seem like a lot of unneeded extras, especially for a rimfire pistol. It looks good and shot really well and the fact that you mentioned the customer service is excellent are important details as well. It's just one of those pistols that can't replace anything already in the safe. Thanks for the in-depth review, including the different ammo, you guys are the best.
Surprised me! WAY better than I thought.
I was actually surprised too. I really thought it would take a hundred rounds or so to break it in. I was pleasantly surprised.
Great video, as always! These are great pistols. Your method of disassembly/reassembly is MUCH better than the factory method with the recoil spring compressed. I have an HP-22 just like yours, along with the extended barrel, carrying case and factory cleaning kit. Be sure to shoot only standard velocity, as hotter .22 can crack the Zamac receiver. As you illustrated, one must properly orient the recoil spring so one end does not catch on the receiver. I only discovered both of these facts by calling Phoenix Arms. They're a small outfit and it was easy to talk to the shop foreman. I do recommend that you purchase the high capacity mag, as its grip extension makes shooting this little piece much easier. I would also recommend a snap cap for the last round. Lastly, parts are really inexpensive and available-John in Texas
I can't tell you the numerous times I have mulled over this little pistol. I have a fascination with 25ACP and you don't see as many offerings in that caliber anymore. The only thing (besides the odd safeties) that make me question such is the zamak frame, along with reports of the slide cracking.
Hope all is well and best wishes to you and yours !
I use mini mags in mine, I'm ordering the stiffer spring set up for both guns, no jams or mis fires.
I had an HP 25 about 20 years ago, I sold it and I miss it
I have a friend with one.
He loads a subsonic in the bottom of the mag so when he fires the last round, you can hear the difference and wont dry fire an empty chamber. I has no last round hold open.
Good idea.
Ive had one for years. Shot everything i ever put thru it. Cracked the slide after something like 2000rds. Shipped the slide to them in canada. They shipped a new slide and recoil spring. New spring was stiffer so put the old ond back in and it rens everything
It definitely has some differences that would require getting used to. The big one for me would be disassembling it with the magazine in.
I have two of them. I got the black one first and liked it so much that I bought the satin nickel one. When I got them I paid $140.00 each. Mine works great with the CCI standard velocity. I really have only had a handful of malfunctions between the two of them. It's a lot nicer than you would think for that price. The safety's are a pain. It will shoot the higher velocity ammo, but they have had issues with the frame's cracking with steady use of higher velocity ammo. Some people online say it's ok to use the higher velocity ammo but you should replace the recoil spring after so many rounds. I just stick with the CCI standard velocity since it's readily available.
I will also stick with the CCI standard velocity ammo. Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment on my video.
That safety stuff is what kept me from getting one. After watching the disassembly , I still don't want one. Thanks for the review
I did the saftey mods on mine, it now works just like a regular semi auto, easy to take blocks off the safteys
Great video nice little 22 hangun thanks for sharing mixup 98 and son
I've had one of these for about 3 or 4 years and I really like it. It is pretty reliable if I put the right ammo through it but it is picky. CCI Mini Mags seem to be the best ammo I have used in it. I put maybe 400 rounds of CCI Mini Mags and only once did I have a malfunction and it was an empty casing that stuck in the chamber instead of exiting after a shot but I had not cleaned the gun in a couple hundred rounds before I shot it that day and got the malfunction. Really nice little shooter 🙂
Mine came in a plastic lock box, two barrels, cleaning kit and some oil that smells and looks like motor oil hahah. Now keep in mind , it needs cleaning or it will not fire some rounds and yes it does need oil. I keep it in my haversack when walking around woods note just a back up not main fire arm
So it goes bang bang and better than my heritage pistol. Thanks and take care.
I bought one in the early’90s. It was on sale at the hardware store for like $90. It was a good little shooter. The only problem I had was that the feedlips on the mag were SHARP! I cut my fingers on them several times.
Hey Mix.I've had a HP22A for a long while and it's been awesome.I know about the safety overkill.But as far as being accurate and reliable,,I have no complaints.It works.Bulk ammo works just fine.Yea,it's confusing to most but this is a solid little pistol.
I Have to admit I really love these guns. I have 2 of them. You can buy extra mags with finger extension and a 5'' target barrel, extra parts and springs on their website. I'll tell you now if you plan to shoot a lot, buy an extra hammer. After thousands of rounds the hammer face wears down and will create lite primer strikes this is why they don't recommend Dry fire they use softer metals with these guns, their stock springs are weak, and need replaced IMHO way to fast. But it's a simple fix, also M*Carbo makes great Trigger kits and more powerful springs, I highly recommend them. But as factory these are still good plinking guns. If you are looking for a self-defense pistol. I would recommend other, but if you train you can/could use it.
Or, you can just buy the finger extensions. MCarbo springs do help.
@@jamesdietz6899 Yeah I bought 2 extra mags w extensions, and 2 finger extensions for the original mags.
Phoenix Arms, Jimenez, Jennings, Raven, Lorcin, Davis, Sundance Industries, and possibly other brand names are all from the same family owned business, which originally started producing the Raven .25acp pistol back in the late '60s. They have been made in .25acp and .22LR. They are made out of a zinc alloy, commonly known as pot metal. They hold a claim to fame as the original "Saturday Night Special". I own a late '60s or early '70s Raven .25acp pistol. It has a chrome like finish, with fake ivory grips made of a cheap plastic. I inherited it from my uncle over 40 years ago. I believe he bought it new. I have never tried to fire it. It feels much like those chrome plated zinc toy cap pistols sold back in the '50s and '60s. It appears to be cast, with no real machining. It's probably just as dangerous to shoot it as to be shot at with it.
Since it says it is not supposed to be dry fired (which is normal for ANY rimfire gun) but the slide does not lock back after the last round, I wonder how long it will last until the firing pin or whatever it hits breaks. I found this on eBay tinyurl.com/4r95e7rv it is a replacement magazine follower which is supposed to hold the slide back after the last round. This is part of the description of the item "This 3 pack of magazine followers is a must-have for Phoenix Arms HP22/HP22A handgun owners. It is designed to keep the gun running efficiently by holding the slide open after last round, preventing firing pin damage from dry fire"
That company is a family owned/operated company that has been making guns together for around 32 years.They probably had a learning curve getting used to the machines & all ,for a little while after they bought out Raven arms in 92 ,but should be about 2nd nature to them by now. Injection molded Zamac,a zink alloy pistol (I have actually taken a few metallurgy classes back in the ol community college days,but it’s been years ago )not familiar with Zamac…but, pretty sure its a fancy word for melted beer cans and some other crap mixed in with it. Their “alloy”probably varies from batch to batch. Really like the way the some guns have messages and warnings engraved all over them. Looks Niiice. Those fine grip panels seem like a blank slate to me. The company should utilize that space for some sort of simple diagrams showing how to disable the pistols ..or something. It seems like a decent good shooting little $94 gun.
Going to the website now and checking MSRPs,accessories ect. Right now. I believe that scene in the movie boondock saints where the father got out of prison and had the big shootout with the custom 10-12 gun chest holster getup,had at least one or two of those in his torso holster..Plum darn Keeler!
With guns of such quality,I wouldn’t be surprised if Your great great great grandchildren are one day enjoying that pistol…When it comes full circle and is a beer can again for the 2nd-10th time.When they jam their pocket knife in the can and shotgun that beer and slam it on the ground,unless they are a psychic they won’t be saying “that’s for ol great grandpa mixup”.That’s unfortunate. But what you gona do. Thx & enjoy.
Shoot! That thing is more reliable than my Walther PPK/s.
Norma Tac-22 is the best ammo for the range I've found. I've probably gone through 1000 rounds and haven't had any failures in the Ruger 10/22, Walther P22, and Ruger Wrangler.
I bought one years ago great little pistol the safety selector broke and won’t fire anymore. I really like the little joker
That’s a shame about the safety selector breaking, it’s a fun little gun.
The long barrel version of these looks cool to me.
You can order a long barrel from them.
Yeah you can order the extra Barrel. You can actually get it as a Target package with both.
Great video as always. I’ve had a couple of these. great little pistols always reliable. Have the target barrel on one surprisingly accurate.
I'm glad to see they do work I've had two both of them made a good paper weight
The old Beretta 950 25ACP has a Pop Up Barrel. If you have no magazines for it, you can pop the barrel up, load a bullet, push the barrel back down, cock it and fire it.
New Taurus tuc 22 looks sweet !!
Love mine , have the 6 inch barrol also , I deleted the mag lock its an easy process and plenty of vids on how to do it.
I had one of these back in 2012 very reliable.The negative is the metal bar above the trigger will bend over time due to poor metal quality and is literally super glued in place.Ended up selling it to a co worker who wanted it.
I've had mine for ten years or so. The only real problem I've had is with the spring. The first time I went to clean it, I lost it. I still can't get mine apart without the spring taking off, so I it apart in a boot. As for reliability? It has never failed me. It's my back up pistol.