Walther’s 5-inch PPQ M2 in .40 S&W defies the blockiness of typical striker-fired pistols.
Last fall I acquired a Walther PPQ M2 with a 4-inch barrel in 9mm. It was one of those rare moments when you are handed a pistol, and as soon as you grip it, you know it’s going home with you. This immediately became my carry 9mm. Walther is now also producing the PPQ with a 5-inch barrel and as good as the 4-inch barreled model is, this one is even better.
The first thing you notice when you pick up a PPQ is the wonderful ergonomic feel of the pistol and the excellent trigger. The grip is slender with a width of 1.3 inches but still hand filling, and if for some reason it still doesn’t feel perfect, the gun comes supplied with three interchangeable backstrap inserts to fit a small, medium or large hand.
The texturing on the grip keeps the pistol from moving in the hand during recoil without imprinting an aggressive waffle pattern on your palm. The pull on my new pistol breaks at a very clean 5.4 pounds with a short take-up and a fast and prominent reset, all of which leads to excellent accuracy.
Even with the extra power of the .40 S&W cartridge, a shooter can still make fast, accurate follow-up shots without a problem. The top of the slide has been contoured with six weight reducing cutouts and a serrated top rib to break up potential glare on the sight plane. The frame also contains an accessory rail for those who wish to mount a light or laser device on the pistol.
Sights are enhanced with three white dots that seem to be pretty standard these days. The difference between the Walther and the rest of the pack is that the dot on the front is fairly large and easy to see. A nice touch is the windage adjustable rear sight. On the right side of the rear sight is a recessed adjustment screw allowing you to fine tune the sights in any direction.
Shots Fired
Using a standing two-hand hold in a modified Weaver stance the PPQ produced the following results. At 21 feet, eight rounds of Magtech 115-grain Full Metal Jacketed ammo grouped into 1.42 inches. Five of those rounds gave me a .77-inch cluster. Five rounds of Federal Premium 135-grain Guard Dog ammo came in at .75 inches. Five rounds of Winchester PDX1 180-grain Bonded Jacketed Hollow Point ammo produced four rounds in a .60-inch cluster with one flier opening up the group to still impressive 1.37 inches.
Five rounds of Dynamic Research Technologies 105-grain Hollow Point put four rounds into a .87-inch cluster with one flier opening the group up to 1.09 inches. At 35 feet, 12 rounds of the Magtech 115-grain ammunition came in at 2.7 inches with eight rounds giving me a 2-inch cluster. It didn’t really matter what I loaded the gun with. It shot tight groups and cycled all of the loads without fail.
The Winchester PDX1 ammunition had a little more kick than the other rounds, and I tend to think it would thump the bad guy pretty good. This is what I will carry in the PPQ. Due to its light weight and rounded grip, it is much easier to carry than a 5-inch barreled Government Model 1911, which is about a half-inch longer and a quarter pound heavier than the PPQ.
The accuracy is surprising, as I have never found the .40 S&W to be as precise as the 9mm and .45 ACP. While the PPQ M2 Long slide is a wonderful self-defense pistol, with its smooth trigger, it would also make a great competition gun for IDPA as well as Steel Challenge Matches for those who may be thinking along the competitive lines. Either way, you can’t go wrong with Walther’s PPQ M2 in .40 S&W. It’s a great handgun.
Walther PPQ M2 5-Inch
Caliber: .40 S&W
Capacity: 11 +1
Magazines: 2 11-round magazines
Barrel: 5 in.
Sights: 3-dot, rear adjustable for windage
Frame: Polymer, matte black finish
Slide: Tenifer coated, matte black finish
Length: 8.1 in.
Height: 5.3 in.
Width: 1.3 in.
Weight: 1.6 lbs.
Options: Mag loader, adjustable back strap panels,
gun lock. Metal self-illumination or metal
Tritium night sights also available.
SRP: $649
Website: waltherarms.com
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I wasn’t aware that Magtech made a 115-grain FMJ round in the .40 S&W caliber! It’s not available anywhere on the internet. Is it a new load? Where can we get it?
I’ll check it out, but “not blocky”?
Huh? A PPK is not blocky. A Makarov in not blocky. This new Walther is blocky with some 45° bevels on it. Come on.