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New line of Walther pistols released, the PDP series.

This topic can be found at:
https://sigforum.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/430601935/m/6460086974

February 16, 2021, 07:11 PM
lenny
New line of Walther pistols released, the PDP series.
I'm very happy with my 1942 Walther P38.

I see no reason to buy a more modern Walther product !


February 16, 2021, 07:28 PM
Jimmo952
quote:
Originally posted by parabellum:
I'm as big a Walther fan as you'll find around here. Walther has made some missteps in the past few years, although tiny missteps: the first version of the CCP, which required a special tool to disassemble the pistol; the first version of the PPS with that idiotic and potentially dangerous "Quick Safe" backstrap system, to name a couple.

Regarding this latest "innovation", I agree this is driven by marketing. Are they so unnerved by the P250/P320 modular system that they had to try to mimick it to a degree?


It seems the modularity Walther is touting is simply the ability to use different length slides with different size grip frames. It is not modular in the way a 320 is.

I think this is more of a case of a marketing team gone wild than anything else.

My take is the PDP is an incrementally improved PPQ.

The optics mounting system is a bit better. The grip texture will be seen as improvement by most and the trigger is supposed to be a bit lighter and cleaner. Oh...and it has the same sight cuts as a Glock so it can use the aftermarket Glock sights already in the market place.

It should be a nice pistol.
February 16, 2021, 07:42 PM
1s1k
quote:
Originally posted by Jimmo952:
My take is the PDP is an incrementally improved PPQ.

The optics mounting system is a bit better. The grip texture will be seen as improvement by most and the trigger is supposed to be a bit lighter and cleaner. Oh...and it has the same sight cuts as a Glock so it can use the aftermarket Glock sights already in the market place.

It should be a nice pistol.

Better optics mounting, better grip texture and an even better trigger than the already excellent PPQ seem to be worthwhile upgrades. The deeper slide cuts are also welcome because when using an optic you typically don't have as much slide to grab.
February 16, 2021, 08:01 PM
Dwill104
quote:
Originally posted by Oaklane:
P99as was about the perfect striker pistol to me, never cared for anything later than that.


Have to agree about the excellence of the P99AS. Also have a PPQ M1, and it’s great, but still prefer the P99.
February 16, 2021, 08:03 PM
Jupiter
Does the PDP take the same magazine as the PPQ?

Nevermind. I see that it does.


Diligentia, Vis, Celeritas

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."
-- George Orwell

February 16, 2021, 08:45 PM
Jimmo952
quote:
Originally posted by 1s1k:
quote:
Originally posted by Jimmo952:
My take is the PDP is an incrementally improved PPQ.

The optics mounting system is a bit better. The grip texture will be seen as improvement by most and the trigger is supposed to be a bit lighter and cleaner. Oh...and it has the same sight cuts as a Glock so it can use the aftermarket Glock sights already in the market place.

It should be a nice pistol.

Better optics mounting, better grip texture and an even better trigger than the already excellent PPQ seem to be worthwhile upgrades. The deeper slide cuts are also welcome because when using an optic you typically don't have as much slide to grab.


Good point about the slide cuts. Thanks for bringing it up.
February 16, 2021, 11:49 PM
Nuclear
Not impressed, and I love my PPQ M1. I lightened the trigger (arthritis in index finger), got a threaded barrel, spare mags, custom holster & magazine holder. But the stupid bastards won’t sell me a milled slide, nor will they give me the depths of the cuts so I can get a local I trust to mill the slide for me. I need a red dot due to aging eyes and to be able to see over the silencer. Mounting a plate in the rear sight cut just doesn’t work.

So trying to sell me a “new and improved!” version of what I’ve been trying to get just about ever since I first bought my PPQ years ago won’t fly.
February 17, 2021, 01:47 AM
monoblok
Seems like an evolution of the PPQ M2 to me. The 'new' texture is a straight copy of the Q5 SF's texture only rendered in plastic. Considering that its acronym stands for Professional Duty Pistol, Walther is evidently hoping that this new design will do better at getting more of those elusive LE and military contracts that the PPQ in either generation has so far failed to achieve in any meaningful (i.e., profitable) quantity. These days those professional contracts seem to be dominated by Glock and SIG, which occasional crumbs going to the rest.


-MG
February 17, 2021, 05:30 AM
joatmonv
quote:
Originally posted by Oaklane:
P99as was about the perfect striker pistol to me, never cared for anything later than that.


Great pistol and I loved mine.
I have the Q4 Tac and I had an RMR on it. I eventually took it off and sold it. Still a good pistol.


I'd rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I'm not.
February 17, 2021, 06:42 AM
10round
I like it. Swapping slides is nice. When I wanted to try out an optic on my pistols I bought an optics cut slide for my P320 for $239.00, with steel ns. Couldn't do that with my Glocks, you can't purchase an OEM Glock slide and the aftermarket slides are almost as much as a new pistol. I want to try a PDP.


DPR
February 17, 2021, 06:53 AM
Lefty Sig
quote:
Originally posted by Nuclear:
Not impressed, and I love my PPQ M1. I lightened the trigger (arthritis in index finger), got a threaded barrel, spare mags, custom holster & magazine holder. But the stupid bastards won’t sell me a milled slide, nor will they give me the depths of the cuts so I can get a local I trust to mill the slide for me. I need a red dot due to aging eyes and to be able to see over the silencer. Mounting a plate in the rear sight cut just doesn’t work.

So trying to sell me a “new and improved!” version of what I’ve been trying to get just about ever since I first bought my PPQ years ago won’t fly.


I have a Q5 M1 - the only one I've ever seen at a store. The reason they won't support an aftermarket optic cut is because the optic cut exposes some of the guts of the striker. Remove the cover plate and you can see the working bits, which are then covered by the optic plate that has relief cuts underneath for the working bits. This is a result of trying to add optics to a slide that was designed before optics were even a viable option.

My issue with the PDP is I like paddle mag releases on German guns and it doesn't look like that will be an option.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Lefty Sig,
February 17, 2021, 06:54 AM
DaBigBR
Walther did a lot of things right with this launch as far as lining up some accessory stuff like sights and Safariland holsters. The frame is essentially a polymer SF frame, which some people may prefer over the PPQ frame. The optics mount seems like a plus in how low it is.

But, this reminds me a lot of what Beretta did with the APX launch and despite the APX also being a decent pistol, I don't think it's made its way into many police holsters even with Safariland involved on the ground floor. Will this do better that way? I guess time will tell.

I'm on the backorder list for them.
February 17, 2021, 08:19 AM
Jimmo952
quote:
Originally posted by DaBigBR:
Walther did a lot of things right with this launch as far as lining up some accessory stuff like sights and Safariland holsters. The frame is essentially a polymer SF frame, which some people may prefer over the PPQ frame. The optics mount seems like a plus in how low it is.

But, this reminds me a lot of what Beretta did with the APX launch and despite the APX also being a decent pistol, I don't think it's made its way into many police holsters even with Safariland involved on the ground floor. Will this do better that way? I guess time will tell.

I'm on the backorder list for them.


I agree mounting the RDS lower is better but there is another improvement I think is just as important.

The PDP allows using the rear sight with the optic mounted. That's a big deal on pistols intended for duty or civilian defensive needs.

Walther was smart to use the Glock sight cut as it opens up the possibility using the plethora of aftermarket Glock sights already on the market.

Walther has done some smart things with the PDP, addressing some weak spots of the PPQ as it relates to the most modern service pistols.

I understand it is not everyone's cup of tea. No pistol is, but this looks to be a very state of the art service pistol seemingly competitive with anything out there. Of course it has to work...and we and won't know that until more people start shooting it.
February 17, 2021, 08:56 AM
Lefty Sig
^^^ The design of rear sights being attached to the cover plate and losing them with an optic seems to have started with Sig or Walther with the X5 and Q5/Tac4, and then extended to the M17/M18, X-Series, CZ Shadow 2 OR, and I think a few others.

This is a terrible design in general. Trying to get BUIS on an M17 is a huge pain. The DPP is really tall so you need either the Leupold BUIS that fits the dovetail on the back of the DPP or the Dawson precision that also fits the dovetail. And you also need a stupid high front sight.

Walther recently released an RMR optic plate for the PPQ with a built in rear sight, and I have it on my Q5. And there are various options for plates with BUIS for Sig.

Sticking with a proper rear sight with a Glock pattern is very smart of Walther. If it could use Glock magazines it would be even better... Big Grin

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Lefty Sig,
February 17, 2021, 03:27 PM
grumpy1
A member at WF says he contacted Walther and asked if the 4 inch PDP slide will work on a a 4 inch PPQ M1 and was told it would.

That is good to hear. I won't be selling my PPQ M1 to buy a PDP and probably will not buy a PDP anyway but I might consider eventually getting a PDP 4 or 4.5 (assuming that would work too) inch slide if the price is right as in around $300 or less.

Honest Outlaw has a first impressions video on the PDP with a lot of shooting too.

https://waltherarms.com/2021/0...parts-compatibility/

This message has been edited. Last edited by: grumpy1,
February 17, 2021, 08:50 PM
BB61
I'm a PPQ M2 fan. Supposedly, the trigger on this one is better. Not lighter but a slightly different design. That being said, I can live with or without a red dot or the new trigger. I'll probably get a 2nd M2 in the near future (when available) as I expect prices will drop as the new line rolls out.


__________________________

February 18, 2021, 12:31 AM
Nuclear
quote:
Originally posted by grumpy1:
A member at WF says he contacted Walther and asked if the 4 inch PDP slide will work on a a 4 inch PPQ M1 and was told it would.

That is good to hear. I won't be selling my PPQ M1 to buy a PDP and probably will not buy a PDP anyway but I might consider eventually getting a PDP 4 or 4.5 (assuming that would work too) inch slide if the price is right as in around $300 or less.


Seeing as how Walter North America won’t sell the Q4 slide or the conversion kits, I’m guessing they won’t sell the PDP slide either.
February 18, 2021, 04:34 AM
Jimmo952
quote:
Originally posted by Nuclear:
quote:
Originally posted by grumpy1:
A member at WF says he contacted Walther and asked if the 4 inch PDP slide will work on a a 4 inch PPQ M1 and was told it would.

That is good to hear. I won't be selling my PPQ M1 to buy a PDP and probably will not buy a PDP anyway but I might consider eventually getting a PDP 4 or 4.5 (assuming that would work too) inch slide if the price is right as in around $300 or less.


Seeing as how Walter North America won’t sell the Q4 slide or the conversion kits, I’m guessing they won’t sell the PDP slide either.


Walther is saying they will sell the PDP slides separately.
February 19, 2021, 01:30 PM
parabellum
The slide cuts aren't deep enough. They need to come out the other side of the slide. Not enough of 'em, either. We need more of these gigantic slide cuts. All this time, I've been satisfied with these puny little serrations on the back half of a slide, but now I know better. They need to be BIG and DEEP and LOTS OF 'EM.

BTW, if Walther thinks this will win law enforcement contracts for them, they'd better think again. Glock and SIG seem to have the US police market sewn up. I don't even see Berettas any more in police holsters. I see tons of Glocks. I see SIG P320s. I see some classic alloy frame TDA SIG pistols now and again. I've never seen a Walther pistol in a police holster in the US. This is not to say that some US agency somewhere doesn't use Walther pistols, but they are a rare exception.


____________________________________________________

"I am your retribution." - Donald Trump, speech at CPAC, March 4, 2023
February 19, 2021, 01:54 PM
sox
Was kinda disappointed, as I was hoping they would redesign the original PPS into a 365 competitor, fix the backstraps, refresh grip and slide a tad, keep paddle mag release, Glock Sights are nice touch. Don’t mind optic ready, as long they leave standard sights on it.

Love my M1 Q, gonna try the dynamic trigger when it comes in. Might get a 4.5” to try?