The 7 Best Walther Guns For Concealed Carry

The Best Walther Guns For CCW

Looking at Walther guns and wondering which would be best for concealed carry? They make some excellent carry guns as well as target and competition pistols, in fact some of the best.

Here at Alien Gear Holsters, we've had a number of Walther pistols through the office. We've shot a bunch of them, and a few of us here own one or two or three. All are good, but some Walther guns are quietly among the best in their class.

So what are the best Walther handguns for concealed carry? Here are 7 excellent choices.

Walther PPQ: The Standard Of Walther Guns

We didn't rank this list of Walther guns, but the Walther PPQ would top it if we had. You just aren't going to find a better factory gun of the polymer frame, striker-fired variety.

Ergonomics are second to none. The factory trigger is outstanding; best-in-class and only really rivaled by the H&K VP9. While a tad large for a carry gun, it's still a "Goldilocks" gun; just svelte and light enough (dimensions are broadly the same as a Glock 19) for easier daily carry.

The only real strike against it are the factory white dot sights, but they do offer a model with XS sights. Some people didn't care for the paddle magazine release levers on the M1 model, but the M2 model comes with a button release. It's as close to perfect as it gets.

Walther CCP M2 380: Newest Of Walther Guns Is A Slam-Dunk

Next is, without doubt, the best of the Walther guns in .380 - the Walther CCP M2 380. We shot this pistol at SHOT Show 2020 and were dumbstruck by the almost total absence of felt recoil.

The CCP series uses a piston-delayed blowback operating system, similar to the H&K P7, which is novel as only two handguns to our knowledge in current production do so. (The Walther CCP pistols and the Laguo Arms Alien.) The operating system plus the softer springs required for .380 (compared to 9mm) make the gun ridiculously easy to operate as well, perfect for shooters with weaker hands, much like the S&W M&P Shield 380 EZ.

The gun is literally the standard CCP with a .380 barrel and a different recoil spring; dimensions are exactly the same. While that makes it a bit large for a .380 pistol, the extra barrel length and ease of operating and shooting compared to micro pistols make it well worth looking at.

Walther P99: First Of The Modern Walther Guns

The first of the modern Walther guns was the Walther P99. It's still in production and it's still a very good pistol, with the outstanding ergonomics that Walther's modern pistols are known for.

The P99 has the same dimensions of the PPQ, so it's in that Goldilocks zone of "big enough to be a service gun, small enough to conceal." Again, basically the same size as a G19. The difference, of course, is the P99's double-action trigger and slide-mounted decocker. You can carry it in single-action mode, or decock the trigger for a double-action first shot, which is unique among striker-fired pistols.

The trigger system is unique among the poly-frame striker guns (or was until Canik copied it!) and the P99 is still an excellent pistol. The only drawbacks are the factory white dot sights (ugh) and the magazine release, which are ambi paddles that not everyone prefers...but shoot one and you'll overlook them in a hurry.

Walther P38

Just kidding. What are you, nuts? It makes a terrible concealed carry gun. One of the all-time great pistols, but come on.

Walther PPS M2: One Of The Best Walther Guns For Easy EDC

Among the Walther guns, there is a subcompact single-stack for those who prefer them, the Walther PPS, which is well into its second generation which is always dubbed the M2 in Walther's nomenclature.

Most people pretty much know the score with guns of this type. Capacity is 6+1 with a flush-fit magazine, and 7+1 with the extended magazine, and there is an 8+1 magazine with a longer extension. Barrel length is 3.2 inches, and overall dimensions are pretty much right in line with the S&W Shield, Glock 43, Springfield XDS Mod 2 and others.

What sets Walther's apart from all the others? Better ergonomics and a better trigger, which means in many respects it's a better gun.

Walther PPQ SC: The Walther Gun With The Best Of All Worlds?

If the PPQ and P99 seemed a bit too large for CCW purposes but aren't about that single-stack life, the choice among Walther guns is the Walther PPQ SC, the "subcompact" model.

Much like similar pistols before it (see also, Glock 26, M&P Compact/M&P M2.0 Subcompact, etc.) the PPQ SC is a PPQ with about 0.5 inches of barrel and 0.5 inches of grip cut off. Standard capacity is 10+1 with a flush-fit magazine, but the SC can accept standard 15+1 PPQ magazines with a grip sleeve.

Other than that, it retains everything that's great about the PPQ.

Walther PPK And PPK/s: The Walther Guns That Started It All

The first commercially successful Walther gun is still a viable carry gun - the Walther PPK and it's slightly larger variant, the PPK/s. Yes, it's James Bond's gun, but the PPK was made for use as a detective's or officer's pistol, and worked so well that it established the Walther brand. It's been in production almost continuously since 1929.

The PPK is a single-stack blowback-operated subcompact, today offered mostly in .380 ACP. The PPK is hammer-fired with a double/single action trigger system and a frame-mounted decocking safety, a design that was copied by Beretta, Smith and Wesson and others.

Granted, the PPK has some drawbacks by modern standards. The trigger guard is small and the trigger reach is short, which makes the DA trigger pull...let's say interesting. Those with larger hands typically find the standard PPK problematic, but the PPK/s longer grip makes it more tenable. It's also heavy for such a small gun, and only holds 6+1 (7+1 in the PPK/s) of .380. The sights...well, they exist.

That said, it's a classic for a reason. While not a bed of roses to shoot, they are reliable, reasonably accurate, and - let's face it - still the most stylish pistol...pretty much ever.

Walther CCP: Modern Classic Among Walther Guns?

While the CCP .380 is the newest among the Walther guns, the original Walther CCP - now in its second generation - is still a good choice.

The CCP is a single-stack compact, slightly larger than the PPS (about half an inch taller and half and inch longer) with Walther's Softcoil piston-delayed blowback system, which does attenuate some of the felt recoil. The M2 version has a different takedown method, as you no longer need a tool to take the slide off.

The CCP is known for being soft-shooting, reliable and accurate. Some people have criticized it for being a bit large for a pistol that only holds 8+1, as it's basically the same size as a Glock 43X but the magazine holds 2 fewer rounds than the 43X. The takedown of the M1 was, it must be said, almost universally loathed, though it's been changed on the M2 model. If you look past that, it's a soft-shooting, accurate, ergonomically excellent gun with Walther's outstanding trigger.