The Walther Q5 Match Steel Frame. (Photo: Walther)
Walther Arms is breaking into new ground with their latest striker-fired 9mm handgun, the Q5 Match Steel Frame. Based on their popular Q5 Match pistol, the Steel Frame model does away with polymers – a rare sight for striker-fired handguns.
The Q5 Match Steel Frame is built for competitive shooting, though a lot of these improvements make the gun more than adequate for self-defense and home protection as well. It’s a highly featured handgun with a lot of tweaks not common to factory service pistols.
The biggest change is the very heart of the gun. Instead of a molded polymer frame, the new Q5 has a machined steel frame. While the two models work the same and have the same action, the frame difference makes them fundamentally different shooters.
Frame material affects felt recoil in different ways. Polymers are lighter weight, but also flex while cycling. Alloy frames are rigid but have more mass to reduce muzzle flip.
The MSRP of the Q5 Match Steel Frame is $1,499. (Photo: Walther)
“Walther’s goal was to take our existing high-performance PPQ, the Q5 Match, and push the boundaries of performance further than anything offered on the market,” said Walther director Bret Vorhees. “The Q5 Match Steel Frame exceeds all expectations in terms of performance, quality, and attention to detail. This new product line shows what Walther is really capable of, and it’s just the beginning.”
The steel frame has an extended accessory rail which puts a little more weight up front and gives shooters more options for installing lights and laser sights. At the other end is an extended, contoured beavertail for the highest grip possible. And the grip panels have deep checkering for superior traction.
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The rest of the features will be familiar to Walther fans. It’s a full-size handgun with a 5-inch barrel with a lightened slide. The slide is cut for mini red dot sights and comes with LPA-style iron sights. The front is fiber optic and the rear is a fully adjustable target sight.
Multiple mounting plates are available for mini red dot sights. (Photo: Walther)
The Q5 Match Steel Frame comes with a set of mounting plates to accommodate the bulk of mini red dot sights. It uses the same next-generation PPQ Quick Defense Trigger set at 5.6 pounds.
Walther is offering the Q5 Match Steel frame will in two models from the get-go, the standard model with three 15-round magazines and a PRO model with a low-profile magwell and aluminum mag extensions that raise magazine capacity to 17 rounds.
The MSRP starts at $1,499 and buyers should expect lower real-world pricing. Still, there is almost nothing else on the market like the new Q5 Match Steel Frame, and that can keep pricing, along with demand, high.
Walther says this is just the beginning. It will be very interesting to see what they have in the works in the months to come. For more information visit WaltherArms.com.