Walther Firearms
https://www.waltherarms.com/
In a field full of great striker fired polymer pistol it is very hard to stand out. Walther’s top of the line take on this type of duty gun is the PPQ, and we thought it was a fantastic gun last year when we reviewed the first version. This year Walther is no longer under the wing of Smith & Wesson and the PPQ will still be their flagship pistol, but they got rid of that trigger guard magazine release and installed an ambidextrous thumb button. H&K is the only other company with the trigger guard design and American’s haven’t taken to it the way the German’s thought they would. Truth is, the thing was hard to use without tilting the gun to the side. This new standard usability safety should make the PPQ more palatable, and hopefully it will get the recognition it deserves in the market.
Even bigger news is the PPX, a Walther under $500. We haven’t gotten a good look at it yet, but it appears to be an external hammer version of the PPS, with most of the same features. At first glance, at the booth, it appears that the PPX is going to be double action only, similar to a striker gun, with about a 6 pound trigger and no decocker or manual safety. At a street price probably well under $500 it should be extremely competitive in the market. Can’t wait to try one!
And last but surely not least is the famous PPK-S, in .22 LR. Ammo being as expensive as it is these days, everyone wants .22 LR version of their favorite guns, and Walther has answered the call with what is its most iconic gun, and one that continued into the wildly recent James Bond movie. Julie Mac, our host, is an avid handgun shooter and loved the feel of this gun. Walther is flying on their own again and it looks to be an exciting first year.
I carry a PPK/s in 380 and I love it. The one advantage I find of the PPK/s over the Sigs and Glocks is that I have an old style safety so I can load one round in the chamber yet feel comfortable conceal carrying it. The .22LR should be interesting. I hope they offer it in PPK size. I wonder if they’ll offer a threaded barrel on the .22LR model for us who use suppresors.
I have owned a PPK.380 by Interarms for many years. It is one of my favorite hand guns….
Can’t wait to get a PPK-S in .22 lr. Will take the 1st one I can find.
Love the mag release on my P22’s and PK380’s.
Yes, I think most of us here know that safety comes first but quit criticizing the people in the videos. These guns ALL have the firing pins removed and they are trying to show YOU the product so you can be informed. This is a trade show and there is not a single gun in those booths that has a firing pin or live ammunition. I guess you can’t please everyone, though. People love the opportunity to show off their “gun savvy” and correct someone else. good god, people!
thanks for these videos. much better than last year’s shot videos
Have carried a walther PP in 22lr and love it, if the ppk s is anything like it ah’m gonna buy the first one I find.
I realize the gun is probably unloaded, but would it kill the guy to exercise some muzzle control? I’d hate to lose that hostess!
another zombie
I’ve owned and fired a P99 in 9 mm when it first came out, and currently a PPS in 40 S&W. The P99 is one of the most reliable and accurate pistols outside of some HKs I’ve had. My PPS is almost as good with a bit more kick. I try too use only top grade ammo (Federal, Winchester, Hornady, etc.) and have no feeding/malfunction issues. Grip and magazine care are also critical to preventing jams, etc. My only gripe with the PPS is the trigger’s light pressure for safety. The newer model sounds better.
Glock, there is no substitute.
Any thing 22lr is hot right now with the cost of ammo. Having PP’s and PPK’s in .32 and .380 makes range time a lot more expensive these days. Having a PPK-S in 22lr for range practice makes sense. I am sure the 10,000’s of
PP and PPK owners will buy one ASAP.
As a long time P99 owner, one thing that is being overlooked by the change in magazine release from paddle to button is the compatibility of the already hard to find and often expensive magazines. The previous paddle release magazines had compatibility between the P99, SW99, PPQ, and MR9 Eagle. There were essentially no reliable aftermarket magazines as only the Mecgar made OEM ones were reliable. With the new button magazine release, the newly designed magazines are likely to be even more difficult and expensive to obtain.
I was super impressed when Walther came out with their PPS, solely because it was the slimmest single stack poly-framed compact gun on the market. I’m not seeing the selling point of the PPX. Its looks like another back attempt at remaking the Glock. Just with less capacity and a useless hammer rather than a striker. The PPK/S was never a good seller. It always was hit or miss on reliability, and the Sig P230 and P232 kinda gave customers a better option at the same price. As far as it being rimfire, I’m just not seeing the point.
I was really hoping that Walther would expand their PPS line and produce a slim 45acp like Springfield did with the XDS and Glock just introduced with the G36s.
I’d almost think they were trying to market to a non-existent european “style” market here in the US with their product line.
There are also quite a few P99 owners hoping one day they’ll give the PPS an AS style trigger option rather than just the Glock like one it currently has.
You will never see a 45 acp from Walther. It just will not happen and to be honest I hope it doesn’t. I don’t need Walther turning into Ron Cohens Sig Sauer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZFehir4lFc
Here is the announcement from Walther of the PPQ .45
I have a PPS 9mm never an issue with 3000 rounds and going strong?
I believe the “PPS” in the first paragraph should read “PPQ.” I was confused until I watched the vid.
Yes thanks it was fixed. The alphabet soup makes it hard to find mistakes, and we did review the PPS the same week as the PPQ.
The other “PPS” in the first paragraph (where it says “PPS will still be their flagship pistol”) should be PPQ too. Also, “standard usability safety” should be “standard thumb magazine release.”
And the PPX is closer in relation to the P99 and PK380 than to the PPS.
It’s kinda funny how every Walther in this article is a PPS until corrected by readers.
He means magazine release – not safety – doesn’t he? Both Walther and HK have the mag release on the trigger guard – but not the safety – the Walther PPS does not even have an external safety…………
Yes it was fixed.
The PPQ has never had a “trigger guard saftey,” that would be the magazine release!
oops
You talk about the ambidextrous paddle mag release (not a trigger guard safety, as you stated) being awkward and having to turn the gun to the side to operate it. Sure, if you are trying to operate it with your thumb! Duh! It is designed to be operated by your trigger finger, which can be done even with small hands (like mine) without changing grip on the gun. Not only so, but it eliminates the possibility of accidental mag release when holstering and carrying the gun, which I have had happen with several pistols with the side button release. Please learn how to use the feature (and correctly name it) from now on. HK doesn’t seem to have any problem selling their pricey guns with this feature. IMO, it is a superior design.
It is still awkward if you aren’t used to it.
I have to disagree. The first time I picked up an HK and the PPQ the mag release was almost natural feeling, far from awkward.
John,
Agree. I love the release on my PPQ. It’s a shame Walther is changing it.
I further agree. The paddle release is a great function and wish more guns implemented it. It will truly be a shame if Walther does away with it entirely.
i second that
I think the PPK/S in .22 LR is going to sell very well; as in, it will be difficult to find one in stock for a while.
On a side note, did any one else feel a little uneasy seeing the guns with the actions closed being pointed directly at the interviewer and Walther rep? (Yes, they kept their fingers off the trigger, and I know the guns were probably checked multiple times off camera.) Just thought starting each gun’s segment with an open action, closing it and going on from there would have been better.
Alan,
My very FIRST thought exactly!!! Just makes me uneasy as well!!!! With these videos getting so much air time and reach such a broad audience, actions should have been opened and muzzle management paramount!!!I’m with ya brother…..
zombies
If I remember correctly, the firing pins are removed on every gun on display at the Shot Show. Even though I agree that safe handling always needs to happen, I would think it would be extremely hard to do so when you are trying to show the features of a gun to an interviewer and the camera operator at the same time.
The PPK/S .22 LR is a great gun. I purchased two in the 1980’s . I have fired in excess of 25,000 rounds through one. It is still as reliable and as accurate as the day I first used it and it has never required any repairs. The second one is still in it’s original wrappings and box never having been fired.
Its a shame their guns are so damned ugly. I owned a PPS a few years bsck and it was just awful. The grip suckrd and it was a jam-o-matic. My buddy owns a p99 in the sub compact and he has had it in for service 4 times in 4 years because of various ftf and jamming issies and of course….with both of our guns…we were constantly having to bump the slide back into battery after a shot….these guns are not worth the price point. If im paying that kind of money i will find an H&K or Sig
I agree that the PPS sucked. Mine never malfunctioned, but the guy I sold it to said he had all sorts of problems with it, which I don’t understand. I know malfunctions with it were far more common than they should be.
As far as the P99, I’ve had 3 since they came out in 1997 and I have not had a single malfunction. The P99 is one of the most reliable pistols on the market. There are very rare exceptions, and it sounds like your buddy got one of them.
As rare as issues are with them, my Glocks haven’t been as reliable as my P99s. The P99 is also one of the most accurate guns on the market, straight out of the box. I would not hesitate to trust my life to a P99.
The PPS works perfectly and is an incredibly good gun. Maybe try some ammo that doesn’t say Tula on it?
Please learn to write pretty before you go speaking the ugliness and worthlessness of these, my favorite guns. BTW, do you know how to operate a Walther??