Walther's New PDP

[TGO David]

I am perhaps a little shocked that there is not already a thread about Walther's new PDP handgun, but at the same time I am also not entirely surprised as it generally feels like the whole community of gun owners-at-large is holding its collective breath during these first 60 days of the Biden Occupation.  That being said, let's get on to talking about a new blaster!

 

https://waltherarms.com/pdp/

 

The Walther PDP (Performance Duty Pistol) is positioned to be the successor to the Walther PPQ series.  It is Walther's new polymer frame, striker fired, 9mm pistol with a steel slide available in 4-inch and 4.5-inch lengths (a 5-inch is rumored to be coming).  The slide uses Glock pattern front and rear sights, features a beveled leading edge for easier re-holstering, raised Super Terrain™ front cocking serrations, and comes standard as an optics-ready platform.

The optics-ready aspects of the PDP are a centered around a deeply recessed mounting position that accepts a variety of Make/Model-Specific mounting plates that Walther partnered with C&H Precision Weapons (aka CHPWS) to produce.  CHPWS is renowned for manufacturing rugged and reliable metal mounting plates that address weak spots of OEM plates from companies like Glock and Smith & Wesson, and plates that adapt optics to platforms that were otherwise incompatible with them such as Sig Sauer, H&K, CZ and Staccato.  This decision by Walther is a damned good one, in my opinion, and will result in a lot of options for PDP owners moving forward.

One last note about the optics-ready nature of this gun is that the mounting pocket is so deeply recessed that an Trijicon RMR mounted to the gun provides a Lower 1/3 co-witness with standard height Glock sights.  Taller sights would only be needed if your particular optic and mounting plate combination dictate it.  Most mass-produced optics ready guns require taller sights for co-witnessing.  The only other one that I am aware of that doesn't is the Shadow Systems MR and DR family, and they lack the modularity of a mounting plate system.

 

The frame of the PDP uses a new Performance Duty Texture on the grip's side panels and modular back strap, paired with more traditional grooves on the front strap.  The Performance Duty Texture is geodesic in appearance and seems that it would offer good traction without being overly rough.

LAV does a good overview of the grip texture and back strap features here:

 

 

The PDP also continues the tradition of Walther providing what is arguably one of the best triggers in a polymer, striker-fired handgun.  The community has long raved about the excellent trigger in the PPQ series and the PDP thankfully does not divert away from a proven recipe.

The PDP also sticks with the PPQ M2's preference of a standard button-style mag release rather than going back to the original PPQ's paddle style.   As someone who has owned several and still owns one HK pistol with a paddle release, I can say that this does not make me angry in the least.  The paddle, while interesting, is weird in comparison to all of the other guns I've ever used and owned that use a button release.  I will forever instinctively move my thumb toward where the mag release button should be on any gun that has paddles.  So I am very thankful that the PDP does not have them and does have the button style release.

Your opinions and preferences might vary.  And if they do... you're weird and wrong. 

 

Once again here's LAV to explain to you why this trigger is pretty awesome and why you weirdos should try to conform a little more. 

 

 

Last but certainly not least, the pricing on the PDP seems like it should be reasonable once the initial hype dies down.   The retail industry has taken note of how quickly the first production runs are selling out, and they are doing what retailers are often wont to do:  They are putting them on GunBroker and letting people pay a premium to be among the first to own one.

Good retailers are keeping them in store and selling them at MSRP.  I love you good retailers who do this.  The GunBroker turds can count on me remembering who they were a year from now when gun sales are hurting. 

If you want one and don't want to pay a $50 - 150 premium, wait.  The supply chain will catch up.  You won't have to wait forever.

 

 

DO YOU HAVE ONE?

Let us know what you think about it!   I will pick one up sooner or later.  

 

[alingo2001]

Saw a couple at Bass Pro Shops this morning. Didn't touch one. Have one coming late this week or early next week.

[Erich]

There was a thread. But no one cared it would appear. Or at least it lacked the panache of your posts that get folks to respond

I picked a couple up, but I got the impression the folks here are more interested in PSA AR’s as more worthy of their time.

[Smith]

Picked mine up today. It's everything it was hyped to be. Trigger is fantastic. Short clean break, definitive short reset, and light but consistent pull. Grip/ergonomics are phenomenal. Basically it took a great PPQ platform and accentuated all the good parts and made them even better. Have a Holosun 407c to mount as soon as I get the mount plate. Can't wait to shoot it tomorrow!

Edited March 4, 2021 by Smith

[robin48]

It's definitely on my list but I'll wait for a bit. 

[Erik88]

I'm really interested in this one. Are all models optic ready?

[TGO David]

25 minutes ago, Erik88 said:

I'm really interested in this one. Are all models optic ready?

Yep!

 

22 hours ago, Smith said:

Picked mine up today. It's everything it was hyped to be. Trigger is fantastic. Short clean break, definitive short reset, and light but consistent pull. Grip/ergonomics are phenomenal. Basically it took a great PPQ platform and accentuated all the good parts and made them even better. Have a Holosun 407c to mount as soon as I get the mount plate. Can't wait to shoot it tomorrow!

Oh.  Lucky dog. 

 

[hipower]

22 hours ago, Smith said:

Picked mine up today. It's everything it was hyped to be. Trigger is fantastic. Short clean break, definitive short reset, and light but consistent pull. Grip/ergonomics are phenomenal. Basically it took a great PPQ platform and accentuated all the good parts and made them even better. Have a Holosun 407c to mount as soon as I get the mount plate. Can't wait to shoot it tomorrow!

Will it accept the PPQ mags?

[Smith]

3 minutes ago, hipower said:

Will it accept the PPQ mags?

PPQ M2 mags, not M1 mags

[hipower]

1 minute ago, Smith said:

PPQ M2 mags, not M1 mags

That's good to know. I have a few with my PPQ M2. lol You know how Tad and I were about mags.

[Smith]

Made it to the range today and it is a pleasure to shoot. Very consistent and grouped tight.

[Erik88]

I will say, Walther's guns won't win awards for looks but they are some of the most ergonomic made. I can't wait to get my hands on one of these.

@Smith did you have to order yours online or from a local gun store? 

[Smith]

33 minutes ago, Erik88 said:

I will say, Walther's guns won't win awards for looks but they are some of the most ergonomic made. I can't wait to get my hands on one of these.

@Smith did you have to order yours online or from a local gun store? 

I personally think the Walther's are some of the best looking polyguns out there.

Online. Its early in a gun rush, so they are hard to find and prices vary from $589 to over $800.  

[Possumslayer]

On 3/3/2021 at 7:26 PM, Erich said:

There was a thread. But no one cared it would appear. Or at least it lacked the panache of your posts that get folks to respond

I picked a couple up, but I got the impression the folks here are more interested in PSA AR’s as more worthy of their time.

I held the compact model yesterday, the texture and the ergos were perfect for me! The 800+ price tag scared me off.

when prices return to normal and a 5” barrel is in stock I’ll get one.

[TGO David]

Ugh. Well I just bought a Compact model from an online shop I’ve used before. I managed to get it without being gouged but now this means I’m going to have to shop for a holster and all that other stuff soon.
 

 

[Erich]

1 hour ago, Possumslayer said:

when prices return to normal and a 5” barrel is in stock I’ll get one.

Keep an eye at Bass Pro, they were selling them without markup. I got both of mine there. You’ll love it. I’ve got an Apex PPQ and Walther figured out a lot of tricks working with them.  
They don’t come in 5”, but 4.5 for the longer version. I’d offer you my full size, but I got the 4”  version 

[NickinTN]

My LGS got two in this week and I handled one yesterday. Felt great in hand, very much like a PPQ but with better texture/grip. Trigger was great, sights I didn't like but that's on me and not them. Overall a very nice gun. Doubt I'll buy once as I would still pick my P-10C over it but again that's just me. I'm not sure what the MSRP is but I think he had $679 on the tag. 

 

[ken_mays]

That's a pretty good price, I handled one with a $700 tag on it.

I'm a fan of the PPQ and I'll definitely pick a PDP up.   I've followed their other optic ready models but felt they were too expensive and not quite what I wanted.   The PDP fixes that. 

The trigger was, if anything, lighter than the PPQ.    The grip texture was better than the PPQ without being obnoxiously rough for a CCW.   It would have been nice for them to include RDS-ready high sights in the box, if not necessarily installed.

[TGO David]

7 hours ago, ken_mays said:

It would have been nice for them to include RDS-ready high sights in the box, if not necessarily installed.

The optic sits so low you don't need taller sights to cowitness with most.

[ken_mays]

 

On 3/6/2021 at 9:11 PM, TGO David said:

The optic sits so low you don't need taller sights to cowitness with most.

That's good; I wonder how it looks with a HS507 since those rise a little higher than RMRs. 

@NickinTN  Can I ask what LGS you saw the PDPs in?

[NickinTN]

PM sent. 

 

[TGO David]

I did a thing last week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Believe it or not, I haven't been able to make it to the range yet.  Which is just as well as I decided to switch optics and put a closed-emitter Holosun HE509T on it instead.  Thankfully I ordered both the mounting plate for the 509T as well as the RMR-footprint plate from C&H Precision Weapons a week or two before I had ordered the gun.  Now I am just waiting on the 509T to arrive.

No sense getting one red dot sighted in when I'm going to switch to another!  Wasting ammo like that is 2019 type of thinking; not 2020 thinking where you begin to consider whether you should reclaim your bullets and smash them back into shape as best you can after you shoot them at things. 

 

[Capbyrd]

On 3/3/2021 at 5:14 PM, TGO David said:

The only other one that I am aware of that doesn't is the Shadow Systems MR and DR family, and they lack the modularity of a mounting plate system.

 

Please expand on this.   I don't do red dots because the battery in my iron sights hasn't died yet.   So I don't fully understand all of the lingo.   But my understanding is that there isn't a dot on the market right now that won't work on a SS pistol.  Seems to me that the SS system of low and direct is always going to be better than lowish but you need a special plate that also costs you more money.   Maybe Walther could include a coupon in the box with each new pistol for one free plate that would at least make it a little more sensible. 

[Smith]

1 minute ago, Capbyrd said:

 

Please expand on this.   I don't do red dots because the battery in my iron sights hasn't died yet.   So I don't fully understand all of the lingo.   But my understanding is that there isn't a dot on the market right now that won't work on a SS pistol.  Seems to me that the SS system of low and direct is always going to be better than lowish but you need a special plate that also costs you more money.   Maybe Walther could include a coupon in the box with each new pistol for one free plate that would at least make it a little more sensible. 

They do.

[TGO David]

Guns are cool.  Guns with bright lights and red dot sights are even cooler.