Best Walther Pistols - Called the Police Pistol Slim, the Walther PPS is a reliable self-defense tool for citizens and law enforcement officers. I've been lucky enough to have one for several months to evaluate, and I like it
The PPS has proven to be an outstanding performer, however, it has one significant enough flaw that I would not pick it for a self defense pistol.
Best Walther Pistols
However, I still recommend the pistol as long as you are aware of this issue. I recommend you read the entire review so you can understand why I like this pistol and why I wouldn't choose it for my defense needs.
Review: Walther Pdp
Special Note: This is a review of the original Walther PPS. If you are interested in an updated version of the pistol, check out my Walther PPS M2 review here.
While there has been a lot of news about the Glock 43 pistol lately, the truth is that Walther has been selling single-action 9mm pistols for nearly a decade. For some reason that I cannot fathom, the Walther brand is often overlooked by many shooters when defensive rifles are considered. As a result, the PPS never seems to get the same traction that other handguns, like the Smith & Wesson Shield, seem to get.
The Walther Company traces its roots back to the late 1800s and was responsible for the development and/or production of several iconic pistols such as the PPK and P38. Modern full-size pistols such as the PPQ and PPX are highly respected combat pistols. A gunsmithing heritage, combined with renowned German engineering, should result in a brand that American shooters love.
PPS is a polymer frame pistol only 0.9 inches wide. It has a very flat feel with a lot of texture in the grip area. The sled has the famous Tenifer treatment to harden the metal.
Meet The Walther Pps M2: The Best 9mm Gun For Concealed Carry?
One of the benefits of the polymer frame is the flexibility to change the fit of the gun to your hand. In this case, Walther includes two different sized back slings with the pistol.
To replace the belt, start by rotating the pistol only so that the slide is as close to the floor as possible and the magazine is pointing up. Press into the small bar attached to the backstrap. This releases the back strap, allowing you to remove it and grab a larger strap instead.
For 9mm pistols, magazines may come in 6-, 7-, and 8-round types. My pistol comes with 7 rounds and an 8 round magazine. Both magazines have an extended pad on them that helps hand fill when loaded.
The magazine is released by an ambidextrous lever that runs along the bottom of the trigger guard. This release will end up being the reason I won't pick up a gun for my survival needs. Skip to the Scope Evaluation section for the full story.
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Walther says the trigger pull is 6.1 lbs. Using my Lyman digital pressure gauge, I found that the weight was largely based on finger placement. If I put a pressure gauge in the bottom of the bottle, I get an average of 6 lbs 2 oz.
However, if I placed the gauge in the center of the trigger face, the pull measured an average of 8 pounds, 4 oz. Shooting the gun dry with a normal grip, I felt like I was putting weight on most shots. Skip to the phase section for more information on trigger pulls.
The Walther PPS has three white dots. While this is a compact pistol, there are still plenty of places to use it. However, they can be replaced if desired. Meprolight, Trijicon, and XS Sight Systems all offer upgrades for this rifle. Click here to see the full article summary on PPS visibility options.
Although the PPS is very small, Walther has equipped it with an auxiliary rail. This allows you to easily add white light, laser or hybrid units. I tested the PPS with the Streamlight TLR-4G (shown above). This combination worked well and I didn't encounter any problems.
James Bond's Other Handgun: Pps. Walther Pps.
The following specs are for the 9mm PPS I tested. Walther also manufactures the PPS chambered for the .40 S&W cartridge. The .40 S&W pistol has the same specifications, except for magazine sizes (5, 6, and 7 rounds).
I look forward to shooting PPS. I have shot other modern Walther pistols and they have all performed very well. So, I wanted to see if this little gun could hold its own against its bigger brothers.
I have fired hundreds of rounds through this gun on many trips. Also, two other people were shot. Here are some things I noticed.
If you read some gun forums on the internet, you'll probably see people arguing that Walther makes the best defensive rifle. While I won't go that far, I shot a few of their guns and found the bullets were good.
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PPS doesn't seem to have the same quality. There is a lot of zest in the bullet, which I don't care for in defensive handguns. However, after being picked up, the trigger has a significant amount of stacking about half through the remaining trigger pulls.
Rest is hard and I can't feel the journey too. The reset is jerky, requiring almost a full return to rest before it turns back on.
All of this is quite ineffective for rapid fire, self defense work. However, for accurate target shooting, the trigger is not suitable.
I should also note that emotional triggers won't stop me from purchasing a gun for its intended purpose. However, I believe it should be explained so that you can decide for yourself whether you want to further investigate this gun for your needs.
Range Report And Review: Walther Ppk
If there's one flaw to be found in the PPS, it's the issue of the magazine. Walther decided to use a lever action magazine release in this pistol.
I reviewed guns with general style for this magazine and liked every one I tried. However, I found the lever on this PPS difficult to manipulate and slowed down magazine changes considerably when using the shooting thumb.
To handle the magazine release with my thumb, I had to rotate the pistol more than 45° before I could push it down. People with very long thumbs may not have the same problem I did.
On one of my trips, my wife came with me to try out some new weapons. She is looking to get a new pistol for concealed carry and she is comparing M&P Shield, Glock 43 and PPS. Of the three, she likes the PPS shot the most. However, she found the magazine's exit unnecessarily difficult.
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With a little experimentation, I found that I could trigger the release with the middle finger of my shooting hand. Even though I got pretty quick with this technique, she required me to free my hands a lot on the gun, which I didn't think would be suitable in the face of self-defense.
Another problem with using this technique is that it goes against all the training I've done over the last 20+ years with handguns. In an emergency, my years of training will most likely kick in and prevent me from shifting gears.
Yes, I'm unlikely to have to change magazines in the unlikely event that I'm at a shooting range. However, with all the options on the market, why would I choose a tool that works against decades of training?
I also discovered while on the range that extended magazine baseplates can hang by the flesh of the hand during ejection. If I can release it with my thumb, the heel of the baseplate will stick into my hand. God is resolute, calling for me to reach out with my helping hand. Me and pull the magazine free.
Walther Pps M2: Shootable Everyday Carry
This is similar to the problem I experienced with both the Shield and Springfield XD-st using their extended magazine sleeves. There is now a fix for the Shield, but nothing for the other guns.
I have had no issues with magazines hanging up when using the optional magazine release method described above. This is mostly because my grip on the pistol is severely reduced during this reloading technique.
I'm lucky enough to have a gun in the house that allows me to set a chronograph and spend hours on one of their tracks. This gives me very consistent criteria for controlling bullet speed.
For this review, I ran 13 different loads through the gun. Blazer Brass FMJ ammunition is the most frequently fired ammo, but I have also run large bore points, exotics and other FMJ loads through the gun. Nine different manufacturers were represented.
Walther P22 22 Long Rifle 3.42in Black Pistol
Performance measurement with a Competition Electronics ProChrono digital chronograph at an approximate distance of 15′ from the muzzle of the gun. All measurements are
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