Walther PPS 40

[Sharps40]

Here is a Review Number 2 from todays session.

Walther PPS 40: New, unfired. Again, break in was lightly lubed and with CCI Primed FMJ reloads. What an awesome get off me gun! 49 rounds with no mechanical failures at all. I did have one failure to reset trigger, contrary to the instructions, I used the slide release instead of racking. Rack it and it feeds and resets the trigger every time. The magazines are heck to get the last round in. I'll have to fill them up and let them sit a while. Accuracy, spot on at 15 meters and I can't believe nubby dot sights and a 3 odd inch barrel can do so well. Recoil was, suprizingly, not much more than the 9mm's I own. But I did note it flips higher than any 9mm, including my Keltec P11. The trigger is like a Glock and breaks clean and crisp, you can also stack this one and realign to let off. The magazine release takes a bit (about two trys) to get used to, but then you automatically find your trigger finger dropping the mag. Mags fall clear quite fast to. Opinion: I love it and as soon as I can sell some of the kids I'll buy a spare magazine or two.

Happy Independence Day. Stay Sober and pray for our Troops.

 

[Sharps40]

I got the free spare magazine (6 rounder) that was on the Smith/Walther site. The promotion was for those that purchased by 31 May 2010. There were lots of complaints about delays in receipt of the Walther magazines but mine was at the door in early July. Only about 6 weeks. Pretty good service and I think Smith has new promotional offers (mags or cash) on several other weapons now.

 

[Firewall]

Just got a PPS last night and I'm bored today so I typed this up. I'll update it when I get it to the range


The Walther PPS (Police Pistol Slim) is a polymer framed, striker fired semi automatic pistol that comes in 9mm or .40 caliber. Walther markets this gun as a successor to their popular PPK model.

Features

On the slide of the PPS you’ll find standard white three dot sights and a viewing window cut into the rear of the barrel to allow visual verification of a bullet in the chamber. Also, the back of the striker protrudes from the rear to indicate that the gun has been cocked.

The frame features an ambidextrous magazine release on the trigger guard in the same style as the Walther P99 or H&K pistols. Its length makes up more than half the bottom of the guard making it very easy to reach. The trigger itself has a Glock style trigger safety that prevents the trigger from moving to the rear unless properly pressed. The take down lever is also similar also to what is found on a Glock. The slide release has a easy to press shelf for quick reloading (if you use that method). There is also a raised area of the frame below the slide release to help prevent the user from accidently pushing the lever upwards during firing.

While the above features are all fairly common on other models a unique feature to the PPS is the removable back strap that doubles as a safety mechanism. On most guns interchangeable back straps are secured with a pin and once tailored to the user not meant to be removed on day to day basis. On the PPS, the back strap slides into place and then is further secured by the base plate of the magazine. When the back strap is removed, the striker is de-cocked and the gun is rendered unable to fire. Walther markets this as both as a safety for when the gun is in storage but also an alternative to pulling the trigger during field stripping.

Walther offers 3 different length magazines for the PPS. The shortest magazine sits nearly flush with the bottom of the frame, the mid length provides a pinky rest and the longest provides almost a full length grip. This results in a 6, 7 or 8 round capacity in the 9mm model and a 5, 6 or 7 round capacity in the .40 model.

Impressions

Via a trade on another forum I acquired a PPS in .40 S&W with one 6 round capacity magazine (which is mid length for the .40). My intended purpose for this gun was an all round carry gun, meaning something I could carry with me with out much hassle in any season. However I also wanted it to be reasonable for home defense and not too much of a handful at the range. The Walther should be very easily concealed with the 6 round magazine, and with the 7 round magazine and a mounted light will be sufficient for nightstand duty.

I found the gun to be quite comfortable in the hand with either back strap in place. However the previous owner had provided me with a Hogue slip on grip that I decided to continue using. Other than providing a better grip, some like to use the Hogue to help hold the back strap in place to make sure it does not accidently come loose and disable the weapon. While the extra redundancy is nice I did not get the feeling it was really needed. In fact I had some difficulty removing the back strap when changing them. I also have not heard of anyone actually having trouble with the back strap coming loose.

The sights are very easy to see and the gun points naturally for me which has been my experience with other Walthers I have owned.

While not a heavy gun by any stretch the PPS was heavier than I expected. I have seen some discussing carrying this gun with the smallest magazine in their pocket which I find surprising. My current pocket carry is a Smith and Wesson model 36 (steel J frame) which I would consider the upper limit of a pocket carry piece. The 36 weighs 19.5 oz while Walther’s website lists this gun as weighing slightly over 21 oz. Note however that Walther lists this weight as “With Magazine” with out specifying which of the 3 magazines was used when weighed. I would speculate Walther wants to list the lowest weight possible though and so this is with the flush fitting magazine.

Use as a potential pocket carry is the only time I see the weight being a negative though. It’s still a lightweight gun and the little bit of extra weight makes it feel very solid and helps to absorb some of the recoil.

Here are the weights of a few comparable guns:

KelTec PF9 – 18.2 oz loaded (Pistol 12.7, Magazine 5.5)
Kahr CW40 – 18.7 oz (Pistol 16.8, Magazine 1.9)
Glock 27 – 21.73 oz (Pistol 19.75, Magazine 1.98)
Sig P239 – 27.5 oz (Pistol 25.2, Magazine 2.3)

The trigger feels the same as the Glocks I have owned though slightly less "spongy". The face is smooth unlike the compact and sub-compact Glock models which I consider a positive (Yes I know that can be changed on the Glock).

As I mentioned before the magazine release is different than most pistol designs. This design requires me to press the magazine release with my trigger finger and not my thumb (I can't even reach it with my thumb). While difficult to get used to at first I actually prefer this method as it seems a little simpler to me and it prevents accidental release of the magazine while shooting or when the gun is holstered. Depending on what other guns are in your arsenal this could be a serious issue for you though.

Aftermarket

I expected the PPS to have a weak aftermarket but was surprised. Holsters are available from Don Hume, Desantis, Galco and Comptac which is enough for my needs. Night sights are available from the factory and Meprolight (and probably others).

While it didn’t matter to me, at this time Crimson Trace does not offer a laser for the PPS.

The biggest complaint I have about the relates to purchasing additional magazines. Most online stores and auctions place these between $40 and $50 + shipping. At the time of this writing CDNN and CheaperThanDirt do not carry magazines for this gun, and MidwayUSA is out of stock on most versions. The only reputable place I am able to find the full length .40 magazine is Walther’s website for $59 !

[Broken External Image]:

Above is the Walther PPS with the 6 round magazine and Hogue slip on grip installed.

[Broken External Image]:

Showing both the light rail and the magazine release in its downward position. Also note the Glock-like take down release and trigger safety.

[Broken External Image]:

While not as easy to photograph, the three dot sights are easy to see. The hole in the rear of the slide is there the tip of the striker would protrude if the gun were cocked

 

[Firewall]

I finally took the PPS to the range a couple of weeks ago. I shot 50 rounds of range ammo and 10 rounds of Winchester PDX ammo through it with no issues.

Accuracy was good, I'm still getting adjusted to the gun but I was easily able to get reasonable groupings at 10 yards. It has been a year or so since I shot .40 so I'm still re-adjusting to its snappiness, but recoil was not as harsh as suspected. The hogue grip no doubt helped a lot in this area by providing extra control and a small amount of rubber padding on the backstrap of the gun. The recoil was just slightly more than a Glock 23, which makes sense as the Glock 23 has a couple more ounces in weight. I don't think I'd have any problems putting 200 rounds through the gun in a single session.

Until I took the PPS to the range I had been considering trading or selling it for something a little bigger. I'm glad I shot it though, its a great shooting gun and very easily concealed even in a cheap Uncle Mikes IWB holster. Luckily instead of selling it I was able to pick up a brother for it, a Walther P99 .40 with QA trigger. The P99 beats the PPS in both comfort and capacity, but is obviously a little more difficult to conceal. The triggers feel very similar to me in terms of function. The PPS trigger is lighter to me but I prefer the P99 for its larger, smooth trigger face (there is not a safety on the P99 trigger). I also like that the QA has a decocker and wish this feature had been carried over to the PPS.

 

[Carmelfight]

I had a Walther PPS in .40s&w was my second gun I ever owned. I loved everything about the gun but NOT the recoil... Truth be told though it was my first .40s&w, but after i got rid of it, I fired all types of .40's ranging from Glocks, Sigs, hk's, and others. So I tried Walther P99 in .40..... I don't know if it's me or something but I just can't handle the recoil from Walthers. So I actually rented a G23 from the range and fired side by side with the Walther and sure enough the Walther has considerably more felt recoil than other .40's. I hear thought that their 9's are top notch!

 

[papadaca]

heres a litle secret the gun manufactures dont want you to know. they use the same recoil spring in the 9 and 40 and 357 sig.
buy a sprinco double action for your walther. Got one in mine makes a hell of a difference.

 

[papadaca]

I wouldnt say the p99 has a glock take down release. more unique and easier.
But comparing a walther p99 to a gen 2 glock. Walther blew the 90s glocks out of the water considering the p99 came out in 1996. the first company to offer inter changable back straps. Pictany rail for a laser or light. first ergonomic pistol. This is the gun that the S&W MP series got thier ergonomic and back strap ideas from. Glock copied thier finger grooves.