I have small hands and struggle finding a duty sized pistol. I'm selling my VP9 and P320 because I can't get them to sit correctly in my hand and get good finger placement on the trigger. I handled a Walther PDP F and it seems to fit perfectly. I've got one on order and am curious about anybody's experience with it.

I personally have a PDP Pro and PDP Compact, a buddy has both and a PDP F. I have hands on the smaller side and the F is a great option. I've become a big Walther fan since acquiring the PDP Compact then the PDP Pro. I'm in the process of selling all of my P320's. Just out of curiosity have you handled a P365 Macro? That's my carry gun.

Well, the PDP is a lineal descendant of Walther's P99, so, much of the pistol's design is well-proven over more than 25 years.

I'm a big fan of the PPQ (the PDP's predecessor)- so much so, that I'm considering carrying one of mine, and from a dedicated Glock shooter, that's saying a lot.

The PDP F model differs from the standard PDP in the grip size, of course. Also, they supposedly require less force to retract the slide. The tops of the serrations on the slide have been rounded slightly. I'm sorry to say that Walther's superb Dynamic Performance Trigger does not fit the PDP F, but the stock trigger pull on all P99 descendants is probably the best of any Glock-style striker-fired pistols available.

Bottom line- I think if the F model fits your hand, you can't go wrong with it.

quote:

Originally posted by Ox190:
I personally have a PDP Pro and PDP Compact, a buddy has both and a PDP F. I have hands on the smaller side and the F is a great option. I've become a big Walther fan since acquiring the PDP Compact then the PDP Pro. I'm in the process of selling all of my P320's. Just out of curiosity have you handled a P365 Macro? That's my carry gun.

I haven't. I EDC a Shield Plus with a 4" barrel.

I have a Walther PDP Compact with a Leupold DP Pro on it and it's a tack driver! Great ergonomics as well! Trigger pull on mine averages out to 4lb 3oz.

You cannot go wrong. It's one of the best-in-the-hand feeling double-column designs out there. I only hope when they 2.0 it, that they can reduce th bulk, and 'sharp' corners off of the slide.

One thing I just realized- the F model is absent any of the usual German markings. The P99, PPQ and PDP models- all are German-made, but the PDP F appears to be made in the United States.

I'm certain the quality is the same, but, little by little we've lost the cachet of German-made pistols.

I question the initial marketing of the PDP "F" as a gun for females is/was a wise move.
No guy really wants to say they are carrying a chick-gun.

I thought the Q4 and Q5's were considered PPQ's but the website now doesn't advertise as so but they still have some actual PPQ in other flavors.
The PDP is a solid performer that is sure.
Add in an upgraded trigger like theirs or the Overwatch Precision as I have and it is really special.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
Add in an upgraded trigger like theirs or the Overwatch Precision as I have and it is really special.

Unfortunately, Walther's Dynamic Performance Trigger does not fit the F model, nor does it fit the discontinued PPQ SC.

If they had made a paddle release PPQ SC that accepted the Dynamic Perfomance Trigger- man oh man, what a sweet little pistol tat would have been.

Para, I agree totally with what you said about us little by little losing the cachet of German-made pistols. And, at least in the case of the Walther PDP F 3 1/2" bbl version, that looks to be true. Some time ago when that particular model made its debut, I seem to recall that the barrels and slides were still made in Germany, but the frames are made here. Maybe, and this is just speculation on my part, since Walther has the female market in mind with this model, they will sell almost all of the PDP F 3 1/2" pistols here in the USA where the most concealed carry permit holders are found, both male and female.

It would be interesting to know if the PDP F 3 1/2" pistol is offered for sale in Germany and other European countries.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
One thing I just realized- the F model is absent any of the usual German markings. The P99, PPQ and PDP models- all are German-made, but the PDP F appears to be made in the United States.

I'm certain the quality is the same, but, little by little we've lost the cachet of German-made pistols.

Probably an import points issue.

Overwatch Precision in AZ just announced it's PDP F trigger.

quote:

Originally posted by DaBigBR:
Probably an import points issue.

The P99C and the PPQ SC both are smaller than the F Model.

I think Walther is planning to move at least a portion of their pistol production to the United States.

Also a big fan of the PPQ and Walthers plus German pistols in general.


The PPQ 45 is my favorite pistol in that caliber, probably not for CC.

quote:

but, little by little we've lost the cachet of German-made pistols.

I like “proof marks” and even German made HK’s have moved the date stamping and proof to a laser engraved mark on the trigger guard and while the quality is still there that change bums me out a bit.

A Walther made in America would be similar to me.

Now all that said that is just the “gun geek” in me talking. There is nothing wrong with these guns from a practical useful standpoint, but like you say they have lost a bit of that “cachet”

P99AS > PPQ M1 > PPQ M2 > PDP

They lost me when they dropped the paddle mag release, so I stopped at the PPQ M1.

quote:

Originally posted by Z06:
Also a big fan of the PPQ and Walthers plus German pistols in general.

Don't get me started.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:

quote:

Originally posted by Z06:
Also a big fan of the PPQ and Walthers plus German pistols in general.

Don't get me started.

That is a beautiful pair of P38Ks. Wasn't this the model carried on the original "the Man from U.N.C.L.E." tv series?

quote:

Originally posted by randyman:
That is a beautiful pair of P38Ks. Wasn't this the model carried on the original "the Man from U.N.C.L.E." tv series?

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. TV series aired 1964 to 1968. The P38-K was prototyped in 1972, with serial production beginning in 1974/75 IIRC.

The pistols on the TV show were merely modified P38s. The P38-K differs from the P38 in more ways than just a shortened barrel. It's a common misconception that the P38-K was derived from the P4, bit if you look at the development timelines for the two pistols, you discover it's actually the other way around.

Not the PDP "F", but an earlier PDP Compact that I had an Overwatch Precision trigger installed in. This was done before the Walther competition triggers were available here. No reason to change it now, as the OP trigger gives me all the performance/accuracy I'd ever want.