Pink Walther P22

The .22 LR has also seen limited usage by police and military snipers. Its main advantage in this role is its low noise, but it is usually limited to urban operations because of its short range. One study suggests a single head/torso shot suffices, more often than not. See summary table of results from Greg Ellifritz’s Stopping Power study.

The .22 long rifle round was originally loaded with black powder. The first smokeless powder loads were intended to match the standard velocity of the original black-powder rounds. Smokeless powder is more efficient than black powder, and the cartridge cases could hold more powder. Smokeless powder loads, called “high speed” or “high velocity”, were offered by the major ammunition makers, giving a typical velocity increase of 8% (1,200 feet per second (370 m/s) to 1,300 feet per second (400 m/s)) while still using the standard 40 gr (2.6 g) solid or 36 gr (2.3 g) hollow-point lead bullet.The CCI Velocitor hyper-velocity round uses the standard long rifle case size and a standard weight 40 gr (2.6 g) bullet of proprietary hollow-point design to augment expansion and trauma. This cartridge has a muzzle velocity of 1,435 ft/s (437 m/s) and matches the overall length of the standard long rifle cartridge.

The .22 LR is effective to 150 yd (140 m), though practical ranges tend to be less. After 150 yd, the ballistics of the round are such that it will be difficult to compensate for the large “drop”. The relatively short effective range, low report, and light recoil have made it a favorite for use as a target-practice cartridge. The accuracy of the cartridge is good, but not exceptional; various cartridges are capable of the same or better accuracy. A contributing factor in rifles is the transition of even a high-velocity cartridge projectile from supersonic to subsonic within 100 yd (91 m). As the bullet slows, the shock wave caused by supersonic travel overtakes the bullet and can disrupt its flight path, causing minor but measurable inaccuracies. The Israeli military used a suppressed .22 LR rifle in the 1990s for riot control and to “eliminate disturbing dogs prior to operations”, though it is now used less often as it has been shown to be more lethal than previously suspected. Some other examples include the use of suppressed High Standard HDM pistols by the American OSS, which was the predecessor organization of the CIA. Francis Gary Powers was issued a suppressed High Standard for the flight in which he was shot down. Suppressed Ruger MK II pistols were used by the US Navy SEALs in the 1990s. Because a .22 LR bullet is less powerful than larger cartridges, its danger to humans is often underestimated. In fact, a .22 LR bullet is easily capable of killing or injuring humans. Even after flying 400 yards (370 m), a .22 bullet is still traveling at about 500 ft/s (150 m/s). Ricochets are more common in .22 LR projectiles than for more powerful cartridges as the combination of unjacketed lead and moderate velocities allows the projectile to deflect – not penetrate or disintegrate – when hitting hard objects at a glancing angle. A .22 LR bullet can ricochet off the surface of water at a low angle of aim. Severe injury may result to a person or object in the line of fire on the opposite shore, several hundred yards away. A .22 LR bullet is capable of traveling 2,000 yards (1,800 m), which is more than 1 mile (1.6 km).Subsonic rounds are favored by some shooters due to slightly superior accuracy and reduction in noise. Supersonic rounds produce a loud crack which can scare away animals when hunting. Accuracy is reportedly improved with subsonic rounds because a supersonic bullet (or projectile) that slows from supersonic to subsonic speed undergoes drastic aerodynamic changes in this transonic zone that might adversely affect the stability and accuracy of the bullet.The tiny case of the .22 LR and the subsonic velocities (when using subsonic ammunition) make it well suited for use with a firearm suppressor (also known as silencers or sound moderators). The low volume of powder gases means that .22 LR suppressors are often no larger than a bull barrel; the Ruger 10/22 and Ruger MK II are common choices, because of their reliability and low cost, and the resulting product is often nearly indistinguishable from a bull barrel model (although weighing far less). Where firearm suppressors are only minimally restricted, a .22 LR firearm with a suppressor is often favored for plinking, as it does not require hearing protection or disturb the neighbors. Local government agencies sometimes use suppressed rimfire weapons for animal control, since dangerous animals or pests can be dispatched in populated areas without causing undue alarm.As a hunting cartridge, rimfires are mainly used to kill small game up to the size of coyotes. Although proper shot placement can kill larger animals such as deer or hog, it is not recommended because its low power may not guarantee a humane kill. In 2013, an elephant was killed by multiple shots from a .22 LR rifle.

Subsonic rounds have a muzzle velocity of less than the speed of sound (about 1,080 ft/s or 330 m/s). These rounds are sometimes equipped with extra-heavy bullets of 46–61-grain (3.0–4.0 g) to improve the terminal ballistics of the slower projectile. Conversely, these rounds may contain little more than a primer and an extra-light bullet.

The .22 Long Rifle or simply .22 LR or 22 (metric designation: 5.6×15mmR) is a long-established variety of .22 caliber rimfire ammunition originating from the United States. It is used in a wide range of rifles, pistols, revolvers, smoothbore shotguns, and submachine guns.Various combinations of subsonic rounds and semiautomatic .22 LR firearms result in unreliable cycling of the firearms’ actions, as the result of insufficient recoil energy. Some subsonic rounds use heavier bullets (achieving lower velocities) to ensure, as a result of increased bullet mass, that enough energy is produced to cycle common blow-back actions. As an example, the Aguila .22 LR SSS “Sniper SubSonic” round, has a 60 gr (3.9 g) bullet on a .22 short case, providing the cartridge the same overall dimensions as a .22 long rifle round. However, other problems may be encountered: the heavier and longer bullet of the Aguila cartridge requires a faster barrel twist (by the Greenhill formula) to ensure the bullet remains stable in flight.

Most semi-automatic rifles firing .22 LR cartridges will often only work properly when firing standard or high velocity rimfire ammunition, as the low recoil of subsonic rounds is insufficient to cycle the weapon’s action. Rifles with manual actions do not have this problem. Due to the low bolt thrust of the .22 LR cartridge, most self-loading firearms chambered for the cartridge use the direct blowback operation system.

Two performance classes of .22 rimfire subsonic rounds exist. Some subsonic rounds, such as various .22 short and .22 long “CB” rounds, give about 700 ft/s (210 m/s) velocity with a 29 gr (1.9 g) bullet providing relatively low impact energy (41 J at muzzle). These may not use any, or only small amounts of gunpowder, and have the characteristics of rounds intended only for indoor training or target practice rather than hunting. Where these are in .22 LR form, it is only to aid feeding in firearms designed for the cartridge, rather than older .22 CB shooting gallery rifles. The Aguila SSS gives about 950 ft/s (290 m/s) velocity with a 60-gr bullet offering energy (163 Joules) equivalent to many high velocity .22 long rifle rounds using standard 40-gr bullets. Other heavy-bullet subsonic rounds give similar performance, and are intended for hunting of small game, or control of dangerous animals, while avoiding excessive noise.A wide variety of .22 LR ammunition is available commercially, and the available ammunition varies widely both in price and performance. Bullet weights among commercially available ammunition range from 20 to 60 grains (1.3 to 3.9 g), and velocities vary from 575 to 1,750 ft/s (175 to 533 m/s). .22 LR is the least costly cartridge ammunition available. Promotional loads for plinking can be purchased in bulk for significantly less cost than precision target rounds. The low cost of ammunition has a substantial effect on the popularity of the .22 LR. For this reason, rimfire cartridges are commonly used for target practice.

Note: actual velocities are dependent on many factors, such as barrel length of a given firearm and manufacturer of a given batch of ammunition, and will vary widely in practice. The above velocities are typical.

The velocity of standard-velocity .22 LR rounds varies between manufacturers. Some standard velocity ammo may be slightly supersonic-around 1,125 ft/s (343 m/s), other ammo such as CCI Standard Velocity .22 LR ammunition is rated at 1,070 ft/s (330 m/s). Most standard velocity ammo has a bullet weight of 40 gr (2.6 g). Standard-velocity cartridges generate near or slightly supersonic velocities. These rounds generally do not develop these velocities in handguns because their short barrels do not take full advantage of the slower burning powder.

Special .22 LR caliber shot cartridges, usually loaded with No. 12 shot, have also been made. These are often called “snake shot,” “bird shot” and “rat-shot” due to their use in very short range pest control. Such rounds have either a longer brass case that is crimped closed, or a translucent plastic “bullet” that contains the shot and shatters upon firing. In specially made .22-bore shotguns, the shot shells can be used for short-range skeet shooting and trap shooting at special, scaled-down, clay targets.

The .22 LR uses a straight-walled case. Depending upon the type and the feed mechanism employed, a firearm that is chambered for .22 LR may also be able to safely chamber and fire the following shorter rimfire cartridges:

The first type specifies standard or target velocity .22 LR while the second is common high velocity commercial ammo. While these soft lead round nose bullet types were suitable for training or target practice, they are not legal for use in a war zone. Since .22 LR air crew survival weapons would probably be used in a war zone and could be used for defense, the M24 round is loaded with a hard lead-antimony alloy core bullet with a gilding metal jacket.

Today, rimfire rounds are mainly used for hunting small pests, for sports shooting, for plinking, and for inexpensive training. The .22 LR is the choice for several shooting events: biathlon, bullseye, plus divisions of benchrest shooting, metallic silhouette and pin shooting, most high school, collegiate, Boy Scouts of America, Project Appleseed, 4H shooting events, and many others. It is also used in the precision Rifle and Pistol shooting events at the Olympic Games. Good quality rimfire ammunition can be quite accurate. The main advantages are low cost, low recoil, low noise and high accuracy-to-cost ratio. The main disadvantage is its low power; it is better suited for use on small game and other small animals.

Because the speed of sound in air at 68 °F (20 °C) is about 1,115 ft/s (340 m/s), the subsonic round’s muzzle velocity is slightly below the speed of sound under many hunting conditions. However, under cold air conditions at 32 °F (0 °C), the speed of sound drops to 1,088 ft/s (332 m/s), approximately muzzle velocity. Hence, a “subsonic” round used below this temperature may be supersonic, and during the transition from supersonic to subsonic velocity, it may become unstable, reducing accuracy. To counteract this, some cartridge manufacturers have lowered the speed of their subsonic ammunition to 1,030 ft/s (310 m/s) or less. Available for this round are AR-15 upper receivers and M1911 slide assemblies. Many handgun manufacturers have an upper pistol conversion kit to make it shoot .22 LR ammunition. These conversions allow shooters to practice inexpensively while retaining the handling characteristics of their chosen firearms (with reduced recoil and muzzle blast). Additionally, .22 LR cartridge conversion kits allow practice at indoor ranges which prohibit high-power firearms. Owners of guns that use gas systems, such as AR-15 sport style rifles, normally avoid firing non-plated .22 LR cartridge ammunition, as the use of non-plated ammunition may cause lead-fouling of the gas-port inside the barrel and costly gunsmithing procedures. This can usually be mitigated by swapping the conversion kit for the standard bolt carrier group, and firing several full-powered rounds to clear the gas port and tube of any accumulated lead fouling. While not 100% effective, the extremely hot incandescent gasses produced by centerfire rifle ammunition will help to clear any lead fouling from the .22 LR ammunition. When zeroed for 100 yards (91 m), the arc-trajectory of the standard high-velocity .22 LR with a 40 gr (2.6 g) bullet has a 2.7-inch (69 mm) rise at 50 yards (46 m), and a 10.8-inch (27 cm) drop at 150 yards (140 m). A .22 LR rifle needs to be zeroed for 75 yards (69 m) to avoid overshooting small animals like squirrels at intermediate distances.

Later hyper-velocity rounds were introduced by other makers, based on the long rifle case with lighter bullets in the 30-gr weight range and slow-burning rifle powder loadings. The overall length of many of these cartridges was less than the overall length of the standard 40-gr bullet long rifle cartridge. One example is the Remington Viper; another is the Federal Spitfire.Because the .22 long rifle round commonly uses a heeled lead or lightly plated bullet, the nominal bullet diameter is larger than the nominal bore diameter to prevent excessive lead fouling that can occur when shooting lead bullets that are the same or slightly smaller than the groove diameter. SAAMI specifies a nominal bullet diameter of 0.2255 with a tolerance of -0.004, while the specified bore diameter is 0.222. In practice, 0.224 or slightly larger bullets are common, with barrel groove diameters commonly around 0.223.

In terms of units sold it is by far the most common ammunition in the world today. Common uses include hunting and shooting sports. Ammunition produced in .22 Long Rifle is effective at short ranges, has little recoil, and is cheap to purchase, making it ideal for training.The .22 LR cartridge is popular with both novice shooters and experts. Its minimal recoil and relatively low noise make it an ideal cartridge for recreational shooting, small-game hunting, and pest control. .22 LR cadet rifles are commonly used by military cadets and others for basic firearms and marksmanship training. It is used by the Boy Scouts of America for the rifle shooting merit badge. The low recoil of the cartridge makes it ideal for introductory firearms courses. Novice shooters can be surprised or frightened by the noise and recoil of more powerful rounds. Beginners shooting firearms beyond their comfort level frequently develop a habit of flinching in an attempt to counter anticipated recoil. The resulting habit impedes correct posture and follow-through at the most critical phase of the shot and is difficult to correct. With high recoil eliminated, other errors in marksmanship technique are easier to identify and correct. In later cartridges including the .22 WRF and .22 WMR rimfires and modern centerfires, the bullet body is a uniform diameter and the bearing surface is inserted completely within the neck of the cartridge case, held in place by tension from the case neck around the bullet bearing surface (in some cartridges the case mouth may also be crimped into a cannelure (groove) in the bullet). The heeled bullet cartridge is considered weaker than the uniform diameter bullet cartridge which encloses the bearing surface of the bullet within the cartridge neck. Overall reliability of heeled bullet rimfire ammunition is high, but it is lower than the reliability of most centerfire ammunition.Rimfire bullets are generally either plain lead with a wax coating (for standard-velocity loads) or plated with copper or gilding metal (for high-velocity or hyper-velocity loads). The thin copper layer on plated bullet functions as a lubricant reducing friction between the bullet and the barrel, thus reducing barrel wear. Plating also prevents oxidation of the lead bullet. Lead tends to oxidize if stored for long periods. On a plain lead bullet, oxide on the bullet’s surface can increase its diameter enough to either prevent insertion of the cartridge into the chamber, or – with high velocity rounds – cause dangerously high pressures in the barrel, potentially rupturing the cartridge case and injuring the shooter; for that reason, standard and subsonic cartridges usually use a wax lubricant on lead bullets.As a defensive cartridge, it is considered inadequate by many, though the small size allows very lightweight, easily concealable handguns which can be carried in circumstances where anything larger would be impractical. Despite their limitations, people can use .22 LR pistols and rifles for defense, and they are common simply because they are prevalent, inexpensive, and widely available.

During World War II, a full metal jacket bullet version of the .22 LR was developed as the T-42 for the suppressed High Standard HDM pistol. The US Army Air Corps procured the Savage Model 24 .22 LR/.410 combination gun as an air crew survival weapon included in the E series of survival and sustenance kits, primarily to forage for game for food. The .22 LR full metal jacket bullet ammunition was issued with these firearms for military use to comply with treaty restrictions on expanding bullets.It definitely can be! More repetitions are more repetitions, and it’s an excellent way to work on fundamentals like sight alignment and trigger control, up to a point. However, it can also work against you if a .22 trainer pistol isn’t used intelligently.

FNH recently released the FN 502 Tactical, a single-action pistol in .22 with a threaded barrel (somewhat similar to the FNX and FN 509 pistols) and optics-ready slides. For those that carry this firearm, Alien Gear Holsters just released a series of holsters for the FN 502 that will assist in practicing your draw from a concealed carry holster in your position of choice. Then you have the Glock 44, the Taurus TX 22, the Smith & Wesson M&P 22, Browning 1911-22s, Beretta makes several 92 models in .22 caliber and so on.

If you’re a new shooter or looking for a gun to teach a new shooter, a .22 pistol is a great choice. There’s little recoil, ammo is cheap, and you can put in a lot of practice to develop the fundamentals of marksmanship.

Grip and trigger control are grip and trigger control. If what you’re working on is learning to or practicing gripping a pistol for accuracy, and trigger control to just learn or practice how to control a trigger for accuracy, then by gosh it doesn’t matter.That’s a good thing. Since a Beretta 92FS .22 will fit in a Beretta 92 holster and so on, so you can get in practice reps for cheaper and with less recoil.In other words, a .22 pistol that more or less replicates a pistol of a larger caliber can be used to practice certain aspects of shooting when all things are equal. However, when things aren’t equal…

You can’t learn to control recoil if there isn’t any. 9mm has some, .22 barely has any. How are you supposed to know how to grip the gun and how hard to grip the gun if you aren’t actually experiencing the recoil you’ll experience?A .22 pistol is an excellent tool for the total novice shooter, since the fundamentals of grip, sight alignment and trigger control are all involved in shooting a .22 just as they are required for shooting a larger caliber.

You, as the shooter, have to understand things for what they are and act accordingly. Meaningful repetitions are repetitions doing things that are actually meaningful, and shooting a .22 plinker won’t make you any better at something that requires you to actually run your 9mm, .45 (or whatever caliber it is) CCW or service pistol.A .22 pistol may have a much different trigger press, depending on the .22 pistol you’re using relative to the larger-caliber pistol you carry. Your goal might be to develop trigger control, but what you don’t want to do is develop training scars from not practicing on the trigger you need to control when it matters.In short, while a .22 pistol can be good way to practice your shooting, it might not be depending on circumstances. When you end up developing skill at something that isn’t what you actually want to get better at then it is totally counterproductive.One of the reasons a lot of people get interested in this idea or topic is a growing number of guns from major manufacturers chambered in .22 LR that mirror their 9mm (or other caliber) pistols.Born in southeastern Washington State, Sam Hoober graduated in 2011 from Eastern Washington University. He resides in the great Inland Northwest, with his wife and child. His varied interests and hobbies include camping, fishing, hunting, and spending time at the gun range as often as possible.

By way of metaphor, an Olympic champion weightlifter was once asked by a novice how to improve his shoulder press, to which he replied “son, if you want to improve your press…press.”So yes, shooting a .22 pistol as a training supplement can be beneficial, so long as it actually is beneficial. However, you as the shooter have to be able to know when it isn’t and act accordingly.

The P22 may be fired double action at about 11 pounds-force (49 N), and operates as a single action with slightly more than 4 pounds-force (18 N). The P22 operates by blowback where pressure generated by a firing cartridge is countered by a combination of the inertial weight of the slide assembly and the force of the recoil spring. The action will not open until the projectile has left the barrel and the pressures have dropped to safe levels. The gun will not cycle efficiently unless high velocity .22 (5.6 mm) rounds are used.The P22 is a semi-automatic pistol chambered for .22 LR (5.6 mm) rimfire ammunition. Manufactured by Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen, it was introduced in 2002. The ergonomics of the PPQ are one way that it stands out from the Glock 19. It has a unique grip texture that is especially comfortable on your hand. There are three interchangeable backstraps, so you can adjust the grip based on your hand size. The magazine and slide releases are ambidextrous for any user. The slide is serrated so you can easily grip to pull it back. The comfort added to the firearm also added to the styling and appearance of the firearm. I must admit that it is a fresh change from the plain Jane looks of the Glock 19. Join 212,000 avid gun enthusiasts and claim your print-at-home shooting drills. Receive exclusive gun deals once a week and all our great reviews right in your inbox.The G19 is a true utility pistol. It is big enough to be used as a full service pistol, but small enough that you can wear it as a conceal-and-carry firearm. It is a bit bulky for tight clothing, but still covers the needs of most users. The versatility of the firearm is unmatched. It will take virtually any ammo that fits, and it will take magazines from several other Glock models. This gun is rough and tough, and does not even have to be cleaned that often.

The biggest complaints of the Glock 19 are the sights and the appearance. The Glock rear sight is a wide rectangle that leaves the front sight floating is a sea of uncertainty. How is your eye supposed to adapt to that? You have to be able to focus in on a specific point, but the wide rear sight does not allow it. As for the appearance, it is simplistic. The Glock is also called the “block” because it has very few features to make it more attractive. Are these major issues? No, not really.When comparing the 9mm handguns available, two models that always top the discussion are the Walther PPQ and the Glock 19. They are both quality handguns, but their makers have taken two very different approaches to the designs. While Glock is a master of simplicity and reliability, Walther has gone for a more elaborate design. In the end, both are fine choices to consider. However, we must make a comparison between the Walther PPQ versus the Glock 19.

I’m going to make this short and sweet. The Walther PPQ is a better pistol then the Glock 19 by a significant margin. Anyone who disagrees is an fanboy idiot and has no idea what they’re talking about. A simple Google search will reveal over dozens of comparison videos/reviews in a lot of cases by professional shooters and they all agree that the PPQ is better.Walther is a German manufacturer, and the PPQ is a revised version of the popular P99. It has quickly gained a reputation for being a fast and ergonomically focused firearm. It has a much more attractive appearance, and a grip that cannot be topped. The PPQ has a light trigger pull which allows for quicker and more accurate follow up shots. These are all reason why it could become a good alternative to the Glock 19.

However, it is worth considering new innovations. There is the possibility of Walther coming up with a better option. To determine if they have accomplished this, we must look at the few weaknesses of the Glock and the few advantages of the Walther. These are minor details, so remember that either of these handguns could be an excellent choice.

Hi! I’m Mike, one of the oldest writer of Sniper Country! If you have any feedback or question about my articles, please submit it here, it’s always appreciated!You cannot deny that the Glock 19 has established itself as the standard for the industry. However, you have to be open to other options. Not everybody is going to fall in love with the Glock. I think the biggest advantage that the Glock has is that hundreds of thousands of military, police, and personal owners have proven its effectiveness. It is very hard to argue with experience. Many people swear by the Glock brand and would never buy another handgun.

I own both the Glock 19 and the Walther PPQ. I have to give the edge to the PPQ. The trigger is a dream. Second shots are quick and o target with a tight pattern. Target acquisition is also much quicker than the Glock. Both are fine weapons but I prefer the PPQ.

The trigger pull is one of the nicest features of the PPQ. It has a light, smooth trigger at only 5.6 pounds. The trigger travels .4 inches with a .1 inch rest, so the recovery is quite fast. The recoil is light and there is very little muzzle movement, so your follow up shots should typically be on line. The light trigger also helps with the accuracy of your initial shot.

I am a Law Enforcement Officer in northern Indiana, have been through multiple firearms trainings and shooting classes as both a LEO and civilian, and have owned/shot both of these guns in this review. I currently do not have a 19 but rather a 23 (which is the brother to the 19 and nearly identical in every way except caliber). I will say that Mike is spot-on here, and I’d like to reinforce what he has said. The Glock isn’t winning a beauty contest but it has an impressive reputation and I can personally attest to their toughness. When off duty, I carry a gun nearly anytime I leave my back door. This includes going running, changing the oil on the car, cleaning the gutters, going camping, etc. This means my carry gun gets covered in salty sweat, dusted with dirt/crud while outside, layed on top of while on the garage floor, you name it. The Glock stood up to this for years, and I have yet to find rust or significant wear on it. Embarrassingly, one time I had the gun apart for cleaning and actually dropped the slide from chest level directly onto painted concrete in my basement. I picked it up and was able to wipe off the spot where it hit, leaving only a faint scuff. No chipped coating, and the spot is something I struggle to locate now, even if I look for it.

The main benefits of the PPQ are the sharp appearance and ergonomic design. The criticisms of the Walther PPQ are the placement of the slide release and an occasional user having issues with groupings. The slide release issue makes sense to me, but I cannot understand the accuracy issue. Every aspect of the PPQ says that it should be more accurate. The sights are better, it is light on recoil, and the trigger pull is light and smooth. However, some users shooting both guns and comparing the Walther PPQ versus the Glock 19 say that groupings are tighter with the Glock. That makes no sense to me unless users are just more experienced with the Glock because it has been around so long.One of the only complaints about the Glock is the sights. Both the front sight and the rear sight are made of plastic. This means that any time you drop the gun you risk permanently damaging the sight picture. It also means that simple wear and tear from pulling the gun from your holster could wear down the sights. In addition, the rear sight is a wide rectangle that confuses the eye. When drawing your firearm, you have a small front sight floating in a large rear sight rectangle. It makes target acquisition very difficult and can make follow up shots even tougher.

The last point I would like to add for people to be aware of is the grip angle difference. Glock grip angle is about 22 degrees off square, and the Walther is closer to 18 or 19 degrees off square. Is that a big deal if you use your sights correctly for every shot? No…probably not. How about if you have trained with and carried a Sig for years, or do a lot of quick draw and night shooting where the sights don’t always get used because muzzle flash blinds you or there simply isn’t time to use sights? One of the drills we do at the range involves shooting from the hip immediately after your gun clears leather. This simulates the situation of a bad guy shooting at you and you need rounds downrange ASAP before you even bring the gun up to eye level to aim. This is all instinct shooting, no using the sights. That 4 degrees offset now becomes a big deal if you are used to one platform and switch to the other without re-training. Being that I am used to a Sig, that was a big factor in switching to the PPQ from the Glock 19/23. I believe this contributed to my boost in scoring at the range, as the PPQ resembles a Sig in grip design/angle, etc.The Glock 19 is the reigning champ when it comes to firearms in this class. It was released in 1988 and has been one of the most widely sold handguns ever since. One fact that should be noted is that there are three primary versions of the Glock 19 available. There is the original release, the Gen 3, and the Gen 4. The newer generations add features like an accessory rail which allows for tac-light accessories, different grip textures, and interchangeable backstraps for larger handed owners. However, newer generations have been criticized as having issues with reliability. If I had to pick a Glock 19, it would be the original version.

I am not going to present an opinion here on the G19 vs PPQ because I think they both have their place, but I just wanted to share some of my experiences. I hope that helps anyone else who is seriously debating the G19/ PPQ platforms, as I was for a long time! (Hint, the correct answer is to buy both!)The Glock 19 is inexpensive, easy to find ammo for, and has a plethora of accessories and modifications available. While it is not the prettiest gun in the world, there really have not been any complaints about the firearm since its release. It took other manufacturers several attempts before developing a gun of this size and caliber that could potentially compete against the Glock 19. However, the PPQ holds its own in the debate on the Glock 19 vs Walther PPQ.

While the Glock 19 is a good gun to me there is no comparison to a Walther PPQ or P99 to take it further my Canik TP9sfx Sar 9 Ruger SR9 cost less than a Glock but to me they perform better and all mentioned have been reliable accurate comfortable to shoot with triggers better or the same as the Glock wouldn’t trade one of them for a Glock but I’m not bad mouthing Glock it’s just my opinion

In the world of service pistols, one of the marques that doesn’t seem to get its due is Walther. The guns from Walther are popular with European police and foreign militaries, but their success in these overseas markets hasn’t translated into a similar interest here in America. That’s a shame because the Walther pistols are excellent guns ‒ probably the best service pistols you’ve never fired.On the range, the gun shot like a laser beam. With all that weight, muzzle rise from the 9mm cartridges was negligible, and I was able to rip off rapid-fire strings of 3-4 rounds that grouped tightly since the gun didn’t track around, and stayed locked on target. Just for kicks, I shot the longer and heavier Q5 Match Steel Frame as a comparison, and I was surprised to find there was no perceptible difference in recoil ‒ the 4” carry gun shot like the 5” match gun. At this year’s SHOT Show Media Day Walther was highlighting two exciting new designs that should interest the Police1 audience. These two guns occupy opposite ends of the size and weight spectrum and are worth a quick look, here. Walther markets the Q4 Steel Frame as a gun that’s suitable for defensive or law enforcement carry, and you would certainly be well-armed with this steel pistol at your side. However, it’s a lot heavier than the guns typically carried by law enforcement or armed citizens these days. At 39.7 ounces, it’s in the neighborhood of a 5” Government Model 1911, or a 4” S&W Model 686 revolver. This is a chunk of steel, and if you currently carry a 24-ounce Glock 17, it’s going to take some getting used to.The Q4 steel frame shares the best-in-class, striker-fired trigger of the other Walthers, as well as their perfectly located controls. The ambidextrous slide release is slightly recessed, and the beavertail is slightly extended. The rear sight is a fixed blade on the non-optic version, and on the optics-ready version, it’s adjustable.

I’ve shot Walthers for decades, and have followed the growth of Walther Arms, Inc. with great interest over its eight-year history. I’ve been fortunate to shoot most of the pistols in the current Walther catalog at SHOT Show events, and have been impressed by them. I’m personally glad to see the American market is waking up to this “sleeper” of a company, and discovering that there’s something special going on down in Fort Smith.Since its inception in 2012, Walther Arms, Inc. has stepped up its marketing game too. It is aggressively pursuing the American market with a well-coordinated advertising campaign, and ‒ in a move that’s very important to the Police1 audience ‒ the company has introduced a robust Individual Officer Purchase Program that offers a significant discount to law enforcement officers who want to purchase a Walther. The generous savings are available to officers who complete a simple application and will enable more officers to get their hands on these excellent guns.

The Q4 TAC M2 (and the PPQ it is derived from) has exceptional ergonomics and (in my opinion) the best striker-fired, production trigger on the market. Its polymer frame keeps the weight down to 25 ounces, which is right in the target zone for this class of gun (the comparable Gen 5 Glock 19 MOS is slightly lighter at 23.81 ounces and the comparable FN 509 Tactical is slightly heavier at 27.9 ounces).By submitting your information, you agree to be contacted by the selected vendor(s) and that the data you submit is exempt from Do Not Sell My Personal Information requests. View our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. The resulting Q4 Steel Frame can be purchased with or without a slide cut for optics. I spent most of my time at SHOT Show 2020 with the plain slide version and found it to be one of the best shooting pistols I’ve ever handled. The more recent Walther designs also suffered from being overshadowed by the legendary guns that wore the same banner. Mention “Walther” to the American gun buyer, and they’ll immediately think of the 1930s and 1940s-era guns that were popularized by novelists, filmmakers and returning war vets. Famous guns like the PPK and P38 were the first Walther firearms most Americans had ever seen, and they defined the brand for many decades.

However, when I first hefted the Q4 Steel Frame this week, I forgot all about the PPQ M2. At 39.7 ounces, the Q4 Steel Frame weighs 15.2 ounces more than its polymer-framed cousin, and the extra weight gave it a reassuring balance and heft that the lighter gun lacked. If you can imagine making a fist around a lump of steel modeling clay, that’s how the pistol felt in my hand.Police1 is revolutionizing the way the law enforcement community finds relevant news, identifies important training information, interacts online and researches product purchases and manufacturers. It’s the most comprehensive and trusted online destination for law enforcement agencies and police departments worldwide.

The CCP was initially introduced in 9mm a few years ago, and while the gun’s excellent ergonomics, trigger and Softcoil system make it easy to shoot and manipulate, the 9mm was still a little too much cartridge in this small gun for some shooters. So, Walther Arms has chambered this excellent carry gun for the milder .380 ACP, and based on my short introduction to this gun on the range at SHOT Show 2020, it’s a winner. The CCP M2 .380 retains the excellent feel, trigger (5.5 pounds, short travel) and controls (including the “M2” push-button magazine release) of the 9mm version, but recoils softer, and allows you to have better control of the gun. This means you can make fast, accurate, follow-up hits on target.Lastly, Walther struggled to establish a toe hold in the American market. The brand rotated through a host of importers in the post-war years (including some who were more interested in promoting their own brands, than Walther’s), and struggled to achieve continuity with any of them. The supply chain was intermittent (for new guns and parts), and the lack of a robust marketing, sales, distribution and warranty network doomed the brand’s chances of gaining traction.