Iver Johnson TP22

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DougB

New member
Due to some favorable comments I've read here about them, I'm thinking of making an offer on an Iver Johnson TP-22 (a very small .22LR pistol - kind of a poor man's Walther TPH). It is pretty well used, but if I could get it cheap ($75?) it might be fun.

One concern I have is that I see in my Gun Parts catalog that there were two versions. The one with a New Jersey importer apparently doesn't have the firing pin block (or something like that-I'm going from memory here) that the later ones have. The one I'm looking at is one of these. Apparently the slide and a few other parts are different.
Should I be concerned about this? Would it still be safe to carry with a round in the chamber and the hammer down? I will probably carry this in my fishing creel, etc., so there is a posibility of it being dropped. I could always carry with an empty chamber, but I'd rather not have to (kind of defeats he purpose of having a double-action auto). I'm hoping this is one of those modification to meet a legal requirement rather than to address a true safety problem. Any info will be appreciated.

Doug
 
I don't know where you got any favorable comments on this gun. I had one once and discovered it could slam fire with some brands of ammo. My one and only ND with the resulting hole in my bedroom wall was the price of that education.
Could have just been the one I had, but I'd suggest you really put it through the wringer before you trust it.
JMHO

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Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
 
Greyfox,
Thanks for the heads-up. Maybe that's why they added the firing pin block to the later models. When you say a "slam fire", I assume you mean it fired when you let the slide go forward to chamber a live round, correct? That makes me nervous.

Anyone else have problems (or good experiences) with these? Thanks.

Doug
 
I had several dozen of them and LOVED them all. They were all accurate, reliable and easy to carry. I bought most of them at about $80 and sold them at $170 to $200. It was always obvious to me that they were a $200 plus value.

I retained two of them until Interarms began making the Walther TPH and then I got the real thing. I far prefer the TPH as it is MORE accurate, smaller, lighter, flatter and more attractive to me. The TPHs however ALL needed to go back a time or two to get fixed as soon as I got them as the workmanship was horrible. Now there is nowhere to send a TPH as Interarms sold out to S&W and then S&W stopped making and fixing the TPH.

My favorite now is the TPH as all of mine, after a few trips back to get them done they way they should have been done in the first place, are RELIABLE, ACCURATE, and in all ways wonderful!!!!!!!!!1

I suggest you go ahead on the TP 22 as one of the two finest pocket .22s ever made!!!!! Once you find the right ammo for it (just like ALL .22s) you will find that you have a superior firearm and one that can always be with you.

AND if you decide not to get it; please e-mail me privately with the phone of the person selling it and I'll buy it as I have none left and would like to get one for my daughter as it kicks a little less and is easier on her little hand (she's only 9) than the lighter, thinner, lower TPH is.

JodyHudson@ce.net

Take care,
Jody

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Talk is cheap; Free Speech is NOT.
 
Doug,
That's exactly what I meant. I was loading the gun to go out, cycled the slide to load the chamber and BANG! Scared hell outta me.

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Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
 
I have had one for probably about 15 years. Looks terrible, very little blue left. Both of my sons starting shooting it at around age 7. I paid $75 for it new. I own quite a few handguns, but this one is one of the most fun to shoot. The extractor came out once right after I got it. I put it back in and altered the pivot pen to keep it from happening again. I bought a spare magazine. Other than that I have done nothing except shoot it and clean it. I would hate to guess the number of rounds it has fired. It has no firing pin block, and I have never experienced a slam fire. It is extremely reliable, until it gets very dirty (several hundred rounds), and then can be wiped out and oiled, and be back to 100%. On the other hand, I had a TPH that I won a few years ago that was pretty unreliable. I kept waiting for it to break in, and tried several magazines.... never got much better. I sold it rahter than try to alter it in any way to get it to "run". That doesn't mean one is better than the other...... that just speaks to two individual guns that I have / had. For what it is worth, I have several custom .45's, and others, and my oldest son (who is LE) has asked that I give him the TP22 when the I feel like letting it go. I'm sure he will take one of my Wilson's too, but he asked for the TP22! It's not a carry gun, but it sure has been a lot of fun, and will probably be the first pistol my grandson shoots in a few years. It has been one of those rare times when I got far more than I payed for. If you buy one, I hope it does as well for you.
 
The Iver Johnson TP-22 that my wife had stolen carried the IJ trademark, and was
manufactured in Jacksonville, Arkansas.
Great little gun, no jam's, no KA-BOOM'S.
Wish I still had it!!! :D

Regards,
Ala Dan, Life Member N.R.A.
 
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