MontanaBighorn
Member
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2006
- Messages
- 71
history: i purchased a walther PPS first edition that sufferend a catastrophic failure after 20 rounds. CLICK HERE for the thread with pictures and explanation of the failure. i sent the weapon to walther for repairs and when i got it back the failure was repaired, but the weapon and case were beaten up. CLICK HERE for a description of the damages as well as pictures. i called "Larry" at walther america customer service who told me that he would make it right by sending me a new weapon.
update: i recieved my new PPS from walther america. initially i was a bit apprehensive when i saw damage on the cardboard box that it arrived in. obviously the hole had been punched in the box during shipping, and considering the luck i had thus far i opened the package expecting the worst.
i was pleasantly surprised to see that my gun case was actually packaged inside another box that was not damaged. i was also surprised to see a walther hat and patch included in the box. it was a nice gesture that is appreciated. funny how the little aspects of customer service can make such large differences. happy about the hat, but anxious to get my hands on my weapon i continued to dig.
the walther case was as perfect as the original. highly polished, and flawless. its impressive that walther went to such lengths to provide such a well built case. i own pistols costing literally three times as much as this weapon that came in cheap plastic cases.
considering the awful luck id had to this point, i was overly critical when i opened the box. as hard as i look however, i simply cannot find fault anywhere on this weapon.....not even machine or tooling marks.
this picture has nothing of substance to add, only that i thought it looked pretty cool. this is what the PPS looks like laying next to a 9 month old german shepherd.
range report: once satisfied with the condition of the weapon, it was time to see how it performed. i field stripped the weapon, cleaned and lubed it. i carefully inspected all mating surfaces, reassembled it, and headed to the range. my intention was to run at least 300 rounds of corbon 9mm +P with whatever combination of 115 grain and 125 grain loads i could find. after three stops i could only come up with 200 rounds of ammunition and i never pull from my cache (except for emergencies, which is why i cache ammunition to begin with) so i also picked up some WWB.
click image above to view video
the above featured video is not formal training, but simply an effort to become familiar with all aspects of my new weapon. im still experimenting with different stances for shooting from behind cover, trying to find a happy balance of comfort with agility. since nobody (i care to purchase from) makes a holster for the PPS at this time i could not begin each drill by drawing the weapon so i began each drill from holding the weapon angled down with my trigger finger in the ready position. my testing in the past has shown this to be pretty comparable to the time it takes to draw the weapon from an IWB holster under an untucked shirt.
what i like about the PPS:
- flawless peformance. not a single failure of any kind, no hint of hesitation. feeding is as smooth as anything ive ever fired.
- the trigger smoothed out quite nicely after about 100 rounds, and breaks clean at somewhere around 6 pounds.
- sized perfectly for deep concealment.
- POA/POI are consistant at typical defensive ranges. i didnt test beyond 7 yards because i purchased the weapon for CQC.
- recoil is very controllable, followup shots, controlled pairs, and even "double taps" were fast, consistant, and notably accurate.
- every aspect of the entire package is asthetically pleasing. certainly that is insignificant in combat weapons, but i do like it and felt its worth noting here.
what i dont like about the PPS:
- i wish the trigger reset point was a little more crisp and obvious, perhaps this will improve with my familiarity. it wasnt "bad" by any means, just not as crisp as the 1911s that have spoiled my trigger finger.
- 2 of the 300 ejected cases hit me in the forehead, one stuck between my safety glasses and my forehead giving me a nice burn. both were within the first 50 rounds so i think perhaps my extractor loosened up a little as it worked.
....and that pretty much sums up what i dont like about the PPS. i do wish there were more holster choices but this is the case with any new design.
bottom line: i can highly recommend this weapon with confidence to anyone seeking a small, truly compact 9mm capable of +P loads. the 3 different magazine choices allow you to choose between capacity and overall level of concealment. with the shorter 6 round magazine the weapon absolutely disappears most anywhere. i found the 7 round to be my best carry choice because it gives me a pinky rest resulting in slightly better control as well as 1 additional round. the 8 round magazine is the most comfortable and i will use the 8 round magazine once i find an IWB holster for the weapon. for now it slides in my front pocket nicely with the 7 round magazine. i do not yet carry this weapon but i definately will once it reaches with 500 round mark (using the type of ammunition i plan to carry) without failure.
despite the trouble i had initially, in the end it was well worth it. this weapon is as great as any other walther ive ever owned or fired.
Glad s&w made it right, I think they have some of the best customer service I've ever had in any industry.
