Reprinted from Shooting Times/March 1989
Interarms' New Walther TPH .22
By J. Wayne Fears
Basically a scaled-down PPK, this compact .22 LR semiauto pistol packs a lot of performance into a small package.
For more than two years, American shooters have been hearing about a compact new Walther TPH .22 Long Rifle semiauto pistol that would be introduced by Interarms. The talk is over, and the new pistol is now available. The new American-made TPH is part of the Walther PP Series of high-quality, double-action auto pistols and joins larger cousins like the P38, P5, PP, and PPK in giving pistol fans a wide range of choices in reliable handgunning.
Under an exclusive licensing agreement with Walther of West Germany, Interarms is manufacturing the TPH (Taschen Pistole Mit Han[pocket pistol with hammer]) .22-caliber semiauto pistol in a stainless-steel version. According to John Cronin, vice president of marketing at Interarms, a blued TPH has been made for several years on a limited basis in West Germany and has been supplied in the U.S. only to law-enforcement agencies. Cronin says that the TPH has gained praise as a backup gun from professional lawmen and government agents worldwide.
The new stainless-steel version TPH is made in a plant where quality control is the norm. I visited the manufacturing facility in Gadsen, Alabama, when the line was being set up for the TPH. (This, by the way, is the same facility that produces the well-known PPK/s.) From the raw material coming in to the finished pistols being shipped out, all processes are under the watchful eyes of managers who are certified quality-control engineers. Each pistol is test fired by a gunsmith before it is packed for shipping. Three three-shot groups are fired at 15 meters and must average a three-inch group, or the pistol is rejected for shipping.
Most of the component parts of the TPH are made from 400 Series stainless steel. The firing pin is made from 420 stainless steel, and the hammer is made from 17-4 PH stainless, which, I am told, is the strongest stainless available. The sear is made from tool steel.
The first thing you notice about the TPH is its size. It is only 5.3 inches long and 3.7 inches high, making it very easy to conceal since its fits easily inside a man's hand. It weighs only 14.5 ounces and has a six-groove, 1:10-inch twist barrel that is 2.8 inches long. The engineers at Interarms told me the barrel is heat-treated for extra-long life.
The magazine holds six .22 LR rounds and has number ports, allowing the shooter to quickly see how many rounds are in the magazine. It also has an extension which, when inserted into the pistol, helps make the hand fit the small grip better. The serrated magazine release is located in the bottom of the grip just behind the magazine port. The release on the review gun I used worked easily, and I found magazines were quick and easy to change in the pistol.
On the left side near the rear of the slide is the safety, a PPK-type hammer-drop which blocks the firing pin. If the safety lever is turned "ON" when the hammer is uncocked, the hammer cannot thereafter be cocked either with the thumb or by pulling the trigger. The safety is easy to reach with the thumb when the right hand is gripping the pistol. Unlike the PPK, the TPH does not have a loaded-chamber indicator. As with the safety, the sights on the TPH are PPK type. The rear sight is fixed, and the front blade has a red dot.
I found the slide on my review gun was easy to work, a real plus for shooters with weak hands. According to the Interarms engineers, the slide spring pre-load strength is 3 1/2 pounds, and the compressed strength is 6 1/2 pounds. Many women have a hard time getting the slide back on auto pistols, but based on the TPH I shot, this one is quick and easy.
The grips on the pistol are black, glass-filled nylon and are checkered for a firm grip.
One very pleasing feature of the TPH I shot was the trigger. When fired in single-action mode, it had a four-pound pull without creep or slack. In double-action mode, the pull measured 14 pounds. I attribute the tight grips I fired with the pistol, in part, to the light single-action trigger pull.
Due to the simplicity of this pistol design, the slide doesn't remain open at the last shot. Since the slide is easy to work, I didn't find this to be much of a hindrance in sustained fire.
The TPH has an exposed hammer, like the hammer on the PPK, but it is designed so that it is not likely to hang on clothing or such if drawn quickly.
Disassembly of the TPH for cleaning is a snap. With the pistol unloaded, turn the safety lever "ON" and remove the magazine. Pull the trigger guard downward, push it sideways with the index finger, and allow it to rest on the underside of the frame. Hold the trigger guard in this position with the index finger. Pull the slide fully back, then lift it off and allow it to glide forward to clear the barrel. The pistol is dismantled into the barreled action, recoil spring, slide, and magazine. No further disassembly should be done.
Interarms cautions that the shooter should never allow the hammer to snap forward on the frame while the slide is off. Doing so may cause damage to internal parts.
To reassemble the TPH, simply cock the hammer, pull the trigger guard down, push it sideways to allow it to rest on the underside of the frame, and hold it in this position with the index finger. With the safety still "ON," place the muzzle of the barrel into its hole in the slide. Pull the slide back as far as it will go, compressing the recoil spring. Then press the slide down flat on the frame and gently let the slide return to its forward position. Pull the trigger guard down slightly and allow it to return to its normal position. Replace the magazine.
After you have disassembled and reassembled it a couple of times, you will be able to break the TPH down within a minute.
On the range, my first observation about the TPH was that the small pistol fit into my hand in such a fashion that if I weren't careful, the recoiling slide could cut the web between my thumb and index finger. Shooters with big hands will have to use some common sense when grasping the small pistol.
My review showed the TPH I shot to be very ammunition-sensitive. I started out shooting a magazine of ammo from many different brands, standard velocity to hypervelocity, just to see which rimfire ammo the TPH shot best. I found the review gun shot Remington high-velocity hollowpoints best, followed by Tiger Cat high velocity and Federal Lightening. As long as I stayed with this ammo, the TPH functioned fine. I found hypervelocity .22 ammo did not cycle the slide properly.
When I used the Remington high velocity ammo, the TPH gave 1.5-inch groups at 15 yards from a sandbag rest. Muzzle velocity was chronographed at 841 feet per second (fps). The Tiger Cat ammo gave 1.9-inch groups at 891 fps, and the Federal Lightening produced 2.1-inch groups at 905 fps. At 15 yards, these loads shot close to the point of aim, much closer than I expected from a fixed sight.
One concern I had for the small pistol was how much velocity would be lost due to the short barrel. I compared my data to previous results with the same ammo fired from the Smith & Wesson Model 63 with a four-inch barrel and found a difference of only 100 fps. The TPH gave the lowe number. This amounts to about a 10 percent loss in muzzle velocity, which I don't mind in a short-range pistol.
As I gave the TPH a thorough range workout, I conceived uses other thatn self-defense for this pistol. It would be a good semiautomatic kit gun for fishermen, backpackers, and even hunters. I alos give it high marks for plinking; it is a fun-to-shoot pistol with surprising accuracy.
In many ways, the Walther TPH is a scaled-down PPK and is made with the same quality. At $350, this pistol offers a lot of gun in a small package.