GUN TESTS GRADE: A (BEST BUY)
$649
The PPS M2 is one of the newer creations from Carl Walther in Germany and is imported by Walther Arms, Inc. in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. As the designer and manufacturer of the famous PPK, Walther knows a thing or two about concealment pistols. This latest iteration is also small and sleek, but a far cry from the look of the iconic pistol carried by Sean Connery in the early James Bond movies. The PPS M2 was released in 2016 as an update to the PPS. We noted several interesting changes. First, no Picatinny rail, which probably isn’t that big a deal on a pistol truly designed for concealment. Second, no more extended slide stop. Last, and hallelujah, they got rid of the paddle-style magazine release and adopted a true, American-style release located behind the trigger. The Walther comes with a flush-fit six-round magazine and an extended seven-round mag. The molded-in grip texture is not as aggressive as we like, but that is a personal preference. The grip frame had a slight curve to the back strap and pointed well for us.
Action Type | Semi auto, striker fired |
Overall Length | 6.31 in. |
Overall Height | 4.81 in. with red-dot sight |
Maximum Width | 1.04 in. |
Weight Unloaded (no magazine) | 18.9 oz. w/red-dot sight |
Weight Loaded (8 rounds) | 24.7 oz. |
Slide Material | Steel, Tenifer coated |
Slide Retraction Effort | 19.1 lbs. |
Receiver Material | Polymer |
Finish | Black |
Front Strap Height | 1.5 in. |
Back Strap Height | 2.75 in. |
Barrel Length | 3.2 in. |
Grip Thickness (Maximum) | 1.04 in. |
Grip Circumference | 5.3 in. |
Magazine | (1) 6-round flush-fit magazine & (1) 7-round extended |
Rear Sight | Steel with white dots, drift adjustable |
Front Sight | Steel with white dot |
Sight Radius | 5.4 in. |
Trigger Pull Weight | 4.9 lbs. |
Trigger Span | 2.8 in. |
Safety | Trigger blade, hammer block |
Warranty | Limited lifetime |
Telephone | (479) 242-8500 |
Website | WaltherArms.com |
Made In | Germany |
Without the red dot we have on our sample, we would liken the pistol most closely to a Glock 43, and the Glock influence is very obvious. The trigger has the same look, feel, and blade-type safety of a Glock. If you are familiar with the internals of a Glock and look at the trigger components of the PPS M2, you are going to feel right at home. The pistol disassembles using the same twin tabs on either side of the slide. There is a difference in the takedown versus the Glock in that while the trigger has to be pressed before the slide comes off, that action is taken after the tabs have been pulled down and the slide has started forward. Another big difference is the steel insert inside the frame. Most polymer-framed pistols seem to have minimal contact between the slide and the metal frame. The slide frequently rides on small tabs located fore and aft as well as on either side of the frame. The rails on the PPS M2 occupy the entire right side of the steel frame along with two approximately 1-inch-long rails on the left side. Old 1911 shooters preach solid slide-to-rail contact. Walther says it improves accuracy. We checked it out for you.
The slide and metal parts are Tenifer treated, which is a ferritic nitrocarburizing process also used on Glock pistols. There are cocking serrations located front and rear. They were sharp enough to be useful without being so sharp as to cut up our hands. There is a cocking indicator located in the rear of the slide, which puzzles us a bit. When uncocked, the indicator is forward, inside the slide. When the slide is operated, partially cocking the striker, the indicator comes flush with the rear of the slide. As the trigger is compressed, thus fully cocking the trigger prior to sear release, the indicator extends from the rear of the slide. We would like to see the indicator protrude far enough out from the rear of the slide to allow a tactile check without having to compress the trigger further. The pistol has steel front and rear sights, showing the familiar three-dot pattern. The rear sight is drift adjustable for windage. The front sight has a mounting screw, and the manual says that various-height sights are available as an accessory from Walther. They should be very easy to swap out and change vertical point of impact. The slide is milled for the Shield sight, which is held in place by two solid screws. The sight’s location on the slide allowed the rear sights to stay on the pistol when the red dot was mounted, and we really liked that.
Our Team Said: The Walther PPS M2 functioned perfectly through all tests and drills. The PPS wound up in second place in our accuracy tests, losing on average group size by a mere .03 inch. Maybe those long rails really do matter.
Written and photographed by Joe Woolley, using evaluations from Gun Tests team testers.
Value Guide: 9MM Luger Handgun Rankings
GUN NAME | ISSUE | GRADE | COMMENTS |
---|---|---|---|
Arex Rex Delta REXDELTA-01 9mm Luger, $425 | Feb. 2020 | A | Best Buy. Reliability and practical accuracy are good, and the pistol is the right size for concealed carry. |
Stoeger Industries STR-9 31721 9mm Luger, $350 | Feb. 2020 | B | If you like the Glock 17, you will like the STR-9. Worth the money, but it is not our favorite. |
Ruger Security-9 Compact Model 3818 9mm Luger, $309 | Feb. 2020 | B | The pistol is adequate for the task and will not break the bank. |
SIG P365 Nitron Micro-Compact 9mm Luger, $465 | Feb. 2020 | B | The SIG costs more than the Ruger Security-9 without overwhelming advantages. |
S&W M2.0 PC Shield 11787 9mm Luger, $430 | Jan. 2020 | A | Best Buy. Smooth and accurate, great sights and trigger. Costs a lot less than the SIG. |
SIG Sauer P365XL P365XL-9-BXR3 9mm Luger, $580 | Jan. 2020 | A | Our Pick. The SIG P365XL was the most accurate of the four pistols tested. |
Springfield Armory XDE9 XDE9389B 9mm Luger, $460 | Jan. 2020 | A | Slide is easier to retract, hammer-fired, DA/SA trigger set the XDE apart in this test. |
Springfield Hellcat Micro-Compact 9mm Luger, $500 | Jan. 2020 | F/A | Hellcat #1 failed when the trigger wouldn’t reset (F). Hellcat #2 worked perfectly (A). Best accuracy. |
Glock 43X Ameriglo Night Sights PX435SL301AB 9mm Luger, $542 | July 2019 | A | Our Pick. Firing grip is superior to the G43 and allows better shooting with little compromise. |
Glock 48 PA485SL301AB 9mm Luger, $488 | July 2019 | A | Best-shooting pistol in the test and the most powerful. Minimally more difficult to conceal. |
Mossberg MC1sc 89001 9mm Luger, $365 | July 2019 | A- | Best Buy. The Mossberg 9mm gave up little to the Glock designs. Reliability was never a question. |
Springfield XD(M) 4.5 9mm Luger XDMT9459FDEHCE TB, $505 | Apr. 2019 | A | Our Pick as a personal-defense, home-defense, and tactical pistol. |
Glock G34 Gen5 MOS PA3430103MOS 9mm Luger, $710 | Apr. 2019 | A | The Gen5 guns are the best yet, with superior accuracy and features over earlier Glocks. |
CZ-USA CZ P0-9 91620 9mm Luger, $402 | Apr. 2019 | B | Best Buy. CZ has managed to pack a lot of value into the P0-9. 19-round magazine. |
FNH FNS-9L Longslide 66725 9mm Luger, $570 | Apr. 2019 | B | Heavier trigger than the other pistols. Accuracy wasn’t as good. |
Glock 45 9mm Luger, $546 | Jan. 2019 | A | Fast from concealed carry. The action allows a trained shooter to make fast hits. Reliable. |
Beretta APX Compact JAXC921 9mm Luger, $449 | Jan. 2019 | B | Magazines were difficult to load. Slide was difficult to rack. Takedown button too tight. |
SIG P320-M17 320F-9-M17-MS 9mm Luger, $770 | Jan. 2019 | B | The grip fits most hands well and the sights are excellent. The DAO trigger was too heavy. |
Beretta 92 FS JS92F300M 9mm Luger, $562 | Jan. 2019 | B | Shows the age of its design with a slide-mounted decocker and long DA trigger pull. |
Taurus G2S 1-G2S931 9mm Luger, $204 | Nov. 2018 | A | Best Buy. The Taurus pistol was reliable and controllable in rapid fire. |
Smith & Wesson M&P9 Shield SW180021BW 9mm Luger, $400 | Nov. 2018 | A | The Battleworn Shield is reliable, accurate enough, and compact enough for EDC. |
Bersa BP9MCC 9mm Luger, $295 | Nov. 2018 | A- | Reliable, feels good in the hand, and offers excellent handling in fast-paced drills. |
Honor Defense Honor Guard HG9SCF FIST 9mm Luger, $400 | Nov. 2018 | A- | The FIST option is viable. We tested it against barricades with excellent results. |
Ruger EC9s 3283 9mm Luger, $231 | Nov. 2018 | B- | Most accurate handgun of the test, despite its light weight. |
Smith & Wesson M&P9 M2.0 Compact 11686 9mm Luger, $476 | June 2018 | A | Pleasing trigger action, good gripping surface, a rail, and grip inserts. |
Glock G19X G5 PX1950703 9mm Luger, $594 | June 2018 | A- | Has many of the good features of the Gen5s. Fast from leather, fast on target, reliable. |
Ruger SR1911 L’wt Commander 6722 9mm Luger, $739 | June 2018 | B | For those who like the single-action 1911 cocked-and-locked, this is a good choice. |
SIG Sauer P225-A1 Nitron 225A-9-BSS-C 9mm Luger, $880 | June 2018 | B- | Slim grip appeals to shooters with small hands. No rail and low magazine capacity. |
Glock 17 Gen5 9mm Luger, $545 | Mar. 2018 | B- | A credible firearm, but the sum of its parts is not a great leap forward. |
CZ-USA CZ P-10 C 91520 9mm Luger, $480 | Feb. 2018 | A- | Best Buy. Well-designed sights, decent trigger, ambi slide lock and magazine catch. |
Lipsey’s Glock 17RTF2 Vickers FDE 9mm Luger, $630 | Feb. 2018 | A- | Our Pick. Includes Vickers Tactical sights, a mag guide, and mag basepads. |
Beretta 92FS W/Wilson Combat Upgrades 9mm Luger, $550 | Feb. 2018 | B | Smooth, well finished, and the most accurate handgun tested. Grip did not fit all shooters. |
Arex Rex Zero 1 Standard FDE 9mm Luger, $634 | Feb. 2018 | B | Fit, finish, and an absence of internal tool marks show high build standards. |
Smith & Wesson M&P9 M2.0 11537 9mm Luger, $599 | Dec. 2017 | A | A refined striker-fire pistol with a crisp trigger, excellent grips, and good accuracy. |
Springfield Armory XD MOD.2 4-In. Service 9mm Luger, $565 | Dec. 2017 | A- | Easy to shoot due to the fiber-optic front sight, textured grip, and consistent trigger. |
Ruger American Pro Duty 8605 9mm Luger, $579 | Dec. 2017 | B+ | The American is capable and ran well with good accuracy. Grip inserts gave trouble. |
Kimber Micro 9 Desert Tan (LG) 3300168 9mm Luger, $659 | Oct. 2017 | A | The laser grip complements the large sights on this micro pistol. |
SIG Sauer P938 Emperor Scorpion 9mm Luger, $639 | Oct. 2017 | A | With large sights, a crisp trigger and toothy grips, this was easy to shoot and control. |
Springfield Armory XD-E 3.3 XDE9339BE 9mm Luger, $519 | Oct. 2017 | B | Trigger geometry took some getting used to. Decocker was hard to manipulate. |
Walther PPS M2 2805961 9mm Luger, $451 | Sept. 2017 | A | The Walther PPS M2 is a class act. It was the most expensive pistol tested this month. |
Smith & Wesson M&P9 Shield 180021 9mm Luger, $394 | Sept. 2017 | A | Best Buy. Well designed grip checkering, good sights, and a decent trigger action. |
Glock 43 Subcompact Slimline G43 PI4350201 9mm Luger, $445 | Sept. 2017 | B | Accurate enough for personal defense, reliable, and fast handling. |
Honor Defense Honor Guard Sub-Comp. HG9SC 9mm Luger, $449 | Sept. 2017 | B | The only defect was the problematic slide lock, which was too heavy to operate quickly. |
Taurus 709 Slim 1-709031FS 9mm Luger, $198 | Aug. 2017 | A | Best Buy. We would buy this gun, and we would carry it for personal defense. |
Kel-Tec PF-9 9mm Luger, $257 | Aug. 2017 | A- | The Taurus outshot the Kel-Tec, but that doesn’t mean the PF-9 is out of the running. |
SIG Sauer P938 Micro-Compact 938-9-ESR 9mm Luger, $730 | Aug. 2017 | B | The pistol had enough break-in glitches to be rated down a full grade. |
Remington R51 96430 9mm Luger, $400 | Aug. 2017 | D | It simply refused to function with one type of ammunition. The trigger was poor. |
Ruger American Compact 8633 9mm Luger, $579 | July 2017 | D- | We could not complete our tests without reseating the recoil assembly multiple times. |
Honor Defense Honor Guard HG9CLE 9mm Luger, $499 | July 2017 | B+ | Admirably fills the role of a highly concealable fighting gun that’s inexpensive and fun. |
Springfield Armory 1911 EMP PI9229L 9mm Luger, $1220 | July 2017 | A | The EMP delivered accuracy and ergonomics on par with more expensive custom guns. |
CZ-USA 75D PCR Compact 91194 9mm Luger, $546 | July 2017 | A | We like everything about the 75D except the absence of a light rail. |
Tristar Canik 55 C-100 9mm Luger, $365 | July 2017 | C | |
CZ-USA 75 P-01 9mm Luger, $576 | July 2017 | A |