The Quiet One You Should Watch: The Walther PPQ M2
Walther quietly makes some of the best striker pistols on the market, as we will attest to in this Walther PPQ M2 review. If you're starting to look outside Glock, Springfield and S&W for a polymer-framed, striker-fired slightly compact gun, the PPQ should be the top of your list because it's excellent.
It's not radically different than the top sellers in the segment, but certain details have been seen to that add up to a better overall pistol.
How so? Let's get into that.
Walther PPQ Specifications
Before we get into the review, let's go over Walther PPQ specifications. It's a not-quite-compact, not-quite-full-size pistol. It's marginally bigger than a Glock 19, but not by too much, so it's compact enough for daily carry though some folks will not agree.
Standard barrel length is 4 inches, and standard dimensions are 7.1 inches long, 5.3 inches tall and 1.3 inches wide. Empty weight is 24.05 ounces, and the standard carrying capacity is 15+1 rounds of 9x19mm.
The PPQ is also available with a 4.6-inch threaded barrel, and there are two longslide versions with a 5-inch barrel. The gun is also available in .40 S&W, though the barrels on the .40 vs 9mm models are increased to 4.2 inches.
The pistol features swappable palm swells, shipping with a small, medium and large backstrap. The grip has Walther's ergonomic appointments, including very slight finger groove bumps and their cross-directional stippling for a grippy surface that isn't too rough.
Controls are ambidextrous, with slide-release levers on both sides. The PPQ M2 differs from the first-gen (now PPQ Classic) in that it features a magazine eject button - which can be swapped for lefties - rather than European-style paddles. Take-down is done with a U-shaped pull tab; you just pull down and it releases the slide. A trigger pull is required to get the slide off, but the takedown tab is much easier to use than Glock's sliders.
The pistol features fore and aft slide serrations, and the dust cover of the frame has a Picatinny rail for mounting accessories. The sights are low-profile though easily visible. Standard units are white dots (3 of 'em) and night sights can be had for an upcharge. Both sights are windage adjustable.
The centerpiece, of course, is Walther's trigger, which is outstanding for this type of pistol. The trigger breaks at 5.6 lbs, with a short 0.4-in travel and short (0.1 inches!) reset, with an audible, tactile click.
Walther Offering 30 Day Test Drive Shoot It. Love It. Buy It. Program For A Limited Time
Walther Arms has announced a sort of 30 day "test drive" return policy for a limited time, which they call their "Shoot It. Love It. Buy It." program. There are two portions to it, one for all general sales and others through select Walther dealers.
That certainly sounds like a great return policy and warranty.
First is a 30-day return policy. If you buy a Walther PPQ, you can return the gun within the first 30 days of ownership. If you decide you want to send the pistol back, you have to contact Walther Arms but they'll give you a return label so you don't have to pay shipping. You send the gun back, they inspect it and cut you a check for the purchase price.
The Shoot It. Love It. Buy It. program also includes a 30 day "try before you buy" program. This, however, is a bit different. To enroll in the program, you have to contact Walther and enroll in the program.
You must provide a valid credit or debit card, which Walther will pre-authorize for a $1,000 charge. It is NOT - repeat, NOT - a hold on funds or a charge, just a pre-authorization.
Once that's complete, Walther will send you a voucher, which you take to the nearest participating Walther Arms dealer. You get to take a PPQ home for 30 days. You get to shoot it. You can carry it. You can call it "Susan." (Which would be weird.) Do whatever you want, but at the end of the 30-day trial period, you have to either send it back or pay for it.
A 30 Day Test Drive trial period...one wonders where they might have gotten the idea from. Sounds pretty awesome, if you ask us.
The Shoot It. Love It. Buy It. program starts basically now (as of the time of this writing) but both offers expire on 6/30/2019, so time is of the essence.
Walther PPQ M2 Review
Maybe the PPQ M2 isn't perfect...but as far as this Walther PPQ M2 review is concerned, this is about as good as pistols of this size and firing system get. Granted, there are a few things that could tilt a person away from it, but we'll get into that.
You aren't going to find a more ergonomic pistol in this segment, except maybe for the VP9. And as things go as far as the Walther PPQ vs H&K VP9, the two pistols are mind-bogglingly similar. The grip is basically the same. The rear of the slide looks darn near the same. The trigger is near as makes no difference as good on both pistols. The VP9 has the trick charging handles and some slightly cleaner machining and costs about $70 more in stores.
The shelf on the beavertail of the frame allows for very high, tight grip which makes for excellent shooting. Recoil is incredibly manageable and the pistol is very accurate. The trigger guard actually flares where it meets the grip, resting very comfortably atop the middle finger, and the palm swell sits perfectly in the lower bout of the palm.
The trigger is shockingly good. Short travel, with a clean, crisp break, with a short but audible and tactile reset. There may be no gun easier to ride the reset with.
There are a couple of niggles, however. Aftermarket support pales in comparison to Glock or M&P pistols. It lacks a manual safety, which some people do prefer to have, though it is arguably unnecessary with the 3 passive safety devices and using your grey matter.
The grip is a little long for a carry pistol, though not unmanageable at 5.3 inches. The PPQ Subcompact would be a little more manageable with an extended magazine for that purpose, but plenty of people carry this pistol and those of similar dimensions daily so it's hardly undoable.
Most stores price it just under $500. You may find it for as low as $450 new, but $500 is more like it which actually makes it quite competitive compared to a Glock. An M&P9 can be had for a lot less in many cases, but I - me, personally - would argue to save up and get one of these instead were I in the market for a full-size-ish striker pistol. The trigger and ergonomics are just too good.
If you told me I had to go get a striker gun...there are only a couple that I'd come home with. The Walther PPQ M2 is one of them.
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About The Author Born in southeastern Washington State, Sam Hoober graduated in 2011 from Eastern Washington University. He resides in the great Inland Northwest, with his wife and child. His varied interests and hobbies include camping, fishing, hunting, and spending time at the gun range as often as possible. |
