Walther Often Overlooked

[giggitygiggity]

My local gun shop had a 15% off everything sale on Mon and Tues. I perused Monday and a Walther PDP full size and compact caught my eye. Both were brand new and came with three mags each. With the discount, the out-the door price for the Walther PDPs was $511. I did not buy either on Monday, but knew that was a good price so I returned on later in the day on Tuesday and both were still available. I picked up the compact.

The employee told me that they just got the PDPs in and nobody bought any except for me.

The placed was busy both days and they apparently sold over 100 guns. I just found it odd how people overlook Walther. It seems like Glocks, SIGs, and S&Ws fly off the shelf and nearly every time I enter a shop I see people buying them.

I already own the PPQ and wanted the PDP for the optics mounting capability. My PPQ has been outstanding in terms of reliability, durability, and accuracy. Reviews of the PDP have been favorable and without having shot it, I can certify that the machining and overall quality appear to be sublime.

Perhaps people gravitate towards other brands because they market better or have more aftermarket support or are more common. It’s not like Walther is a new company or did something politely abhorrent or overcharges or produces substandard products. I can’t pinpoint the reason why Walther aren’t more common, but I find it rather interesting.

 

[Rule3]

If I "needed" another 9mm handgun I would buy a Walther. Their triggers are very good.

 

[herrwalther]

Yes they are often overlooked. Unlike other makers, Walther doesn't spend very much on advertising. They don't have to. They have been around long enough to know what works and how to move firearms out the factory door.

 

[Otto]

Personally, I don't care for their stepped chambers. As for USPSA production ....CZ, Tanfoglio, Sig, Glock and Beretta are more prevalent.

 

[NWcityguy2]

If Walther charged more, people would talk them up like H&K and Sig.

 

[.455_Hunter]

Unfortunately, Walther recently discontinued pretty much the only polystriker platform that I liked- the P99AS.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Their product line changes so often I gave up trying to follow all the PPDSQKR, etc. a while ago.

That said, I did shoot a 1st Gen PPS recently and was impressed. Not much for polystrikers, but I would probably grab one if the $$ were right.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

I like my Walthers very much. My PPX wouldn't cycle with a muzzle brake. I call Walther about it. They sent out a new recoil spring quickly too. The spring took care of the problem.

 

[md7]

Much respect to Walther. But I do prefer other quality makers that have more accessible aftermarket support.

Mags, parts, holsters availability and ease of acquisition ….. Those have always factored into my selections. It’s not a slight against Walther though. They’re a quality brand for sure.

 

[C0untZer0]

I think Steyr is overlooked. The Steyr A2 MF pistol is a great handgun, but you don't hear much about it.

https://www.steyr-arms.com/us/us/firearms/a2-mf-pistol

 

[CNobbe]

Have had the PDP compact 4" and 5" and both are great shooters. Still have the 4" compact, but am still not sure if I trust the optic mounting system. No reinforcement under the plate, so I keep it as is w/ night sights. It is a wonderful shooter and am half hoping they do a sub compact version at some point.

 

[cc-hangfire]

Their product line changes so often I gave up trying to follow all the PPDSQKR, etc. a while ago. …

Great firearms, reputation, and history. My personal take (& I know - no one asked me) is that Walther takes innovation too far.

We (the buying public) grasp Glock generations 1 thru 5 over a 35 year span, and we grasp Smith & Wesson M&P’s first gen and M2.0, etc. Even within those handgun lines there are minor tweaks. Solid, reliable, ergonomic designs that are stable enough to allow the aftermarket to develop the variations that shooters want.

Walther doesn’t develop the next generation; they discontine the model and release a completely different (admittedly excellent) model. Buyers and aftermarket support never catch up.

And don’t get me started on magazine availability, compatibility across gen’s, and cost. Magazines are a major issue in adopting a handgun for EDC use and widespread acceptance.

I love ‘em. I just can’t “marry” one for EDC.
(even though I own several models)

 

[Tallball]

I got this PPQ used for a very reasonable price. On some days it's my favorite 9mm pistol. It's competing against the 1911 and CZ75, so that's high praise.

IDC about aftermarket support and all of that. It came with a couple of magazines and it will have 50 rounds of range ammo put through it every few months whether it needs it or not.

I'm not young. It might or might not need another mainspring before I get too ancient to shoot it anymore, but that would probably be about it.

It's a fine pistol. I would doubtless enjoy a compact version, too. (It's better that I not start thinking about that.

The trigger is light and crisp, the sights are easy to see, it's been reliable, and it points well for me.

Walther PPQ M2

• Tallball
• Dec 21, 2018

 

[Jim Watson]

I got a chance to shoot a PDP and liked it less than the PPQ.
If you want to sponsor Team Mediocre, send a PPQ Q5 Match, NOT the SF.

 

[Hasaf]

Unfortunately, Walther recently discontinued pretty much the only polystriker platform that I liked- the P99AS.

Same here. By the time I realized what the P99AS was, it was nearly impossible to find in a compact. Then, when I decided I was willing to give in and get a full-sized one, they were discontinued in that too.

As it stands, my only Walther, and one that sees quite a dit of belt time, is my PK380. Frankly, it packs in a lot of features that I like. It is just so bothersome that it was so close to great.

Hits:

• It is a 380. This allows it to be very lite, easy to rack, and have low recoil.
• It has a DA/SA trigger. I know this is controversial, however, I never liked the Glock style "safe action" trigger.
• It has a paddle Magazine release. This is great when my arthritic thumb is bothering me and is overall a great design for a magazine release.

I say it just misses great, here are some of the places where it missed the mark.

• The need for a takedown tool instead of using a takedown lever. This isn't such a big one, many pistols needed some external tool. However, it is not a common thing to be lacking in any modern designs. I think it was a great idea to use a Schrader Valve tool, which made it easily replaceable. However, to many, who looked at it, it felt like "cheapness."
• The second was the lack of a slide release. Again, I understand the reasoning. First, it kept the frame clear of levers and protrusions. The second is that, with the light recoil spring, it did make more sense to chamber a round by pulling the slide fully to the rear and releasing.
• The third is that it was clearly first intended to be a double stack. A look at the magazine and Magazine well makes that obvious. However, it is a single stack and has a much lower capacity than its size would allow. I have two pet theories for what happened here. The first is that they may have had trouble getting a double stack to function reliably. I think the second is more likely, I suspect they wanted to get the sales in states that limit pistols to ten rounds or less.
• Then the final thing that it missed with, and I do consider this to be a big one. That is the decision to not include a de-cocker. The method they choose was a -just plan bad- approach. Why? I suspect that it was an attempt to keep the cost down.

Yes, I know that it sounds like I wanted it to be a small HK P30. That wouldn't be far from the mark. While I have, and frequently carry the PK380, it feels like they missed great due to marketing reasons, and the result was a pistol they couldn't market.

The PK 380 is by no means a small 380

While this is a look at a single product, I see that in the entire line. Frankly, if I had been more aware of the P99as and the P99ASc I probably would have gone that route instead of the P30. Walther makes some great products however, it seems that they have trouble gaining brand awareness. It isn't just the lack of advertising, it is the entirely dysfunctional approach to their US marketing.

 

[Skylerbone]

I blame YouTube. For every Walther video out there you’ll find 200 Glock counterparts with tips, tricks, testing, and modifications. It seems few people want what’s in the box they bought; they want a host for everything else. No slight to Walther, they seldom cross my radar.

 

[Rexster]

I would be very interested in a resurrected Walther P5, that I could buy new, with factory support. I would be willing to pay a “boutique” 1911 level of money, but probably not a Korth-ish price.

 

[Redcoat3340]

I gotta confess to being a big Walther fan: 2 P1s (German and French Manurhin); a P5, P4, PPS, 3 varients on the P99 (Magnum Research in 9mm, .40 SW99 in full-sizd and SW99 compact in 40) plus an FEG PP clone I had a Q and traded it for some reason I can't now recall (dum, dum, dum) and I seem to recall a PK380 spent some time in the safe as well..

I finally replaced the 380 with a Smith 380 EZ -- I like the easy slide rack plus the grip safety and the manual safety (and really dislike the glock style non-safety.) I'm sort of up in the air about the PDP; I don't need the optics and with a Sig 320 I don't think I need another striker-fired gun. But another Q keeps singing a siren's song and I wouldn't be surprised to be getting another one if I can find a good price.

 

[Ignition Override]

Instead of calling a handgun a " polystriker", do people mean a striker-fired action in DA/SA (or SA/SA: you decide....), i.e. my Walther P99 AS?

Mine was bought only to have a First striker-fired gun, as variety for my hammer-fired, all-metal handguns (each is DA/SA). Any gun which is approved for use by 100,000 German, "Dutch", Estonian etc LEOs might indicate high quality.

Sootch video: Walther P99 VS PPQ 9mm Pistols - YouTube
He sometimes compares them side-by-side. He racks the slide of the P99 AS, and at about 5:22, he pushes the decocker button to allow DA for the next shot.
Sootch could have left it in SA for each shot.

 

[Old Dog]

I can’t pinpoint the reason why Walther aren’t more common,

Fact is, for years Walther pistols were simply far more expensive than competing brands on the U.S. market. The "cool" Walthers - P5s, P88s, etc., were always way expensive compared to many other semi-auto pistols. Even the PPK/S when first imported by Interarms was overpriced.

Other makers simply got a head-start on the modern pistol market (anything not 1911). I think Walther is still playing catch-up and a lot of consumers still haven't been exposed to its more recent products, or simply will gravitate toward more well-known brands.

 

[PzGren]

As a few posters previously pointed out, Walther is changing models very frequently and the aftermarket support is poor but the biggest problem is, that Walther does not have any marketing in the U.S. that is worth mentioning.
Another factor that makes a firearm desirable is the acceptance of a firearm by a major law enforcement agency or military branch; Walther does not do well in the American law enforcement sector and the absence of their modern line of handguns in movies is making them even more obscure to all but a few informed firearms enthusiasts.
All that was very different with the Walther PP, PPk, P1/P38, and P5; they were charismatic guns that were adopted by police and military, manufactured for a long period and later sold in large numbers inexpensively as surplus weapons, and thus allowed the broad masses to buy a great value at a big discount.

 

[rust collector]

I am an old Walther fan, but since Umarex bought them I would agree that marketing has been fumbled. I am no Glock fan but when you compare marketing, support and the incremental change with the "revolutionary" changes of the primary Walther models, Glock is eating Walther's lunch. The P99 was a good platform, and the AS trigger was excellent, so they dropped it.

The PDP reminds me of the huge mud tires on trucks that are all about appearance. It may work fine, but too toothy and angular for my taste.

 

[Jimbo80]

Most Walther addicts prefer metal guns. There are a lot of us.

 

[CNobbe]

Fact is, for years Walther pistols were simply far more expensive than competing brands on the U.S. market. The "cool" Walthers - P5s, P88s, etc., were always way expensive compared to many other semi-auto pistols. Even the PPK/S when first imported by Interarms was overpriced.

^^^^^^ This. Absolutely true.

Also, look at the types of pistols people have been buying the most in recent years..concealed carry. Walther doesn't have a lot to offer in that department. Nothing really competitive anymore.

 

[.455_Hunter]

Also, look at the types of pistols people have been buying the most in recent years..concealed carry. Walther doesn't have a lot to offer in that department. Nothing really competitive anymore.

A P365ish sized platform with the AS system would be really cool and a key differentiator for Walther from the polystriker background noise.