New Age "9" - American Cop

age180

The Walther PPS M2 9mm Is About To
Become More Popular In The New
“Americanized” Version

By Massad Ayoob
Photos By Gail Peppin

Back around 2007, Walther’s polymer frame, striker-fired pistol struck a responsive chord among America’s growing number of law-abiding concealed handgun carriers. A compact 9mm, it came with one 6-round magazine and an extended-bottom 7-rounder. Thin and flat, if a bit squarish to a traditionalist’s eye, it concealed discreetly and comfortably while still offering good hit potential in a “fighting caliber.” (Walther OK’s +P 9mm ammo, but not +P+.)

One feature of the wee Walther did, however, turn off a lot of American buyers: a magazine release system consisting of ambidextrous levers along the bottom edge of each side of the triggerguard. In a nation where a push-button mag release located to the rear of the trigger had been the standard since the iconic 1911, many found this to be a deal-breaker.

Walther had discovered the same reaction to the same feature on the original version of their PPQ service pistol and responded with the PPQ M2 with American-style push button mag drop—in the conventional location. By all accounts, sales of the “Americanized” PPQ skyrocketed.

Logically enough, they have taken a similar approach to the PPS M2 variation, and the push-button magazine release is not the only element of the M2 revamp. The dust cover has been streamlined with the previous rail for a mini-light accessory now absent, and the M2 has front slide grooves as well as the rear ones, like the earlier model. The M2’s grip-frame has also been updated and resembles the PPQ M2 in shape and texture. The holster company Green Force Tactical got a hold of a pre-release sample and shared their new holster with us.

Brass flies as IDPA Master John Strayer shows controllability of PPS M2.

Petite pistol champ Terri Strayer (above) strafes down a set of Bianchi plates
with PPS M2 9mm. The little gun is a shooter! The short trigger reach (below) is
ideal for smaller hands, and here in an average-size adult male’s hand, his distal
joint is at the high-leverage position at the center of the PPS M2’s trigger.

Bench Shooting

Accuracy testing was my usual protocol and included shooting from a Caldwell Matrix rest on a concrete bench at 25 yards. Each group was measured for all the shots in the traditional 5-shot group and again for the best 3, because the decades have shown me the “best three” measurement factors out human error unnoticed by the shooter to a degree roughly equaling what all 5 shots would have done from a machine rest (assuming no “called flyers”). It’s also a much easier, more convenient way for the reader to compare what his or her gun did to the one tested in the magazine.

Three different brands and the three most popular bullet weights were in the ammo selection criteria. We started with a popular training round for 9mm, the 115-grain full metal jacket with Federal’s American Eagle brand. Holding center on a Shoot-n-C bull, the rounds centered a little over 3.5 inches high, with all five forming a 3.0-inch group and the best three in 1.85.

For a 124-grain load, I used Nosler’s pricy but very accurate Match JHP. All five went into 4.25 inches, but the best three were under 2—1.95 inch to be exact (measured to the nearest 0.05.) A six o’clock hold still put the shots a bit high.

Our best group came with 147-grain subsonic. I used Winchester’s jacketed, truncated cone WinClean, the most accurate of the low-toxicity loads I’ve found in this caliber. The five shots formed a 2.85-inch group, and the best three were in 1.35 inches, the most accurate of the test in both round-count dimensions. A 6 o’clock hold centered them well.

The test gun went through approximately 475 rounds of assorted ball ammo and hollowpoints from several makers. There were no malfunctions of any kind, either mechanical or user-induced. (Short story: happy ending.)

When the PPS first came out, some of them brought into my training school occasionally malfunctioned. Time marched on and Walther apparently squared that problem away, because soon the PPS pistols carried by students and brought to class perked reliably for 500 rounds strong-hand-only, weak-hand-only and everything else without a problem. Walther does seem to be responsive to consumer feedback, which is a “A Good Thing.”

The original Walther PPS (left) didn’t sell well right away. Walther listened
to consumers and modified the new M2 version (right). The chief difference is
the way the magazine release works–most of the other differences are cosmetic.

Influence of the successfully redesigned PPQ M2 (above, top gun) is clearly evident
on new more compact PPS M2 (above, bottom gun). New and old Walther PPS magazines
will not interchange. The latest M2 (below, top magazine) uses the new button-style
magazine release. The original (below, bottom magazine) uses the paddle-style release.

Recoil is mild for a small 9mm. We had a bunch of accomplished competitive shooters run the gun on paper and steel. Six shots fired and 6 Bianchi plates down didn’t turn out to be hard, once the shooters got the feel of the pistol. Allowing for 6 o’clock hold, the PPS M2 “hit where it looked.”

The geometry of trigger was such that all pull measurements were taken from close to the toe. The average pull weight turned out to be 6.9 pounds. I could feel a light take-up, followed by a short consistent roll and then a clean let-off.

The PPS M2 comes with a short (for concealment) 6-round magazine, and a longer 7-rounder with a finger flange at the bottom to give you more to hang onto. Interestingly, none of our shooters expressed any particular preference for either. This speaks well of the ergonomics of the grip-frame. Weight is listed at 21.1 ounces unloaded.

Our testers unanimously like the stippling pattern and slight palm swell on the PPS M2’s grip-frame, which replaces a flat-sided shape with some little studs sticking out of it. The new format is, not surprisingly, similar to what is on the increasingly popular full-size Walther service pistol, the PPQ M2.

Let’s talk about the cardinal feature gun folk see distinguishing the PPS M2 from the original PPS: the magazine release system. The two IDPA Five-Gun Masters on our test team, who had worked with the original PPS and the new M2, both found they reloaded the PPS better with the earlier mag release system. “It’s so easy to just flip down the ambi lever on the bottom of the triggerguard with your finger,” noted state and regional champion shooter, John Strayer. “The way the mag release button is shrouded on the M2, it’s hard to reach. Fortunately, that button is reversible, and if I was carrying the PPS M2, I’d put the button on the right side because it’s easier for me as a right-handed shooter to come back with my trigger finger to hit it than it is to twist my hand around the gun to get to the shrouded mag release button when it’s on the left side.”

The new Walther was tested with three different brands and bullet weights
for accuracy at 25 yards. Winchester WinClean 147-grain FMJ gave the best
group well centered over a 6 o’clock hold. American Eagle 115-grain
FMJ shot higher, and the Nosler Match 124-grain JHP was well centered.

Perks ’n’ Quirks

About the worst quirk I can find in the PPS M2 is the one John addressed: having run both variations of this gun, I am also faster using the trigger finger to press down the paddle of the original PPS than reaching the side button release of the M2 with my right thumb.

Speaking just for myself, a subcompact gun like this one is something I’m more likely to carry as backup than primary, and being right-handed, I’ll generally carry it on my left-hand side. There are a whole lot of such semi-autos which, when your left thigh bumps into something, will cause the left-side release button on the pistol in your left-side trouser pocket to activate and drop the magazine, turning your 7- or 8-shot pistol into a single-shot when you need to draw and fire. That worries me, and it’s one reason why the trigger-paddle and downward-pressing mag release of the original PPS made a whole lot of sense to me for carrying on my left side.

That said, the PPS M2 worries me much less on this account for two reasons. One is the apparently reversible mag release button. The other is the button itself is shielded by the molding of the polymer grip-frame, with the obvious intent to keep unintentional mag drops from happening. The problem is, whatever makes it harder for you to do something unintentionally can make it harder for you to do intentionally.

In the same vein, the PPS seems to be immune to right-handed shooters with a straight-thumbs hold unintentionally bumping the slide stop upward and locking the gun open while it’s still supposed to be shooting. The reason: Walther engineers intentionally molded a shield around the slide stop lever to keep that from happening. The only bad news is it takes a bit of extra effort to manually lock the slide open when you want to, and makes it a bit slower to thumb down the same lever to close the slide on a reloaded magazine when you want to, in moments when time is of the essence.

The perks, however, outweigh the quirks. I expect it to sell well.

With the trigger at rest, the cocking indicator is retained inside the slide.

As pressure is applied to trigger, the cocking indicator
emerges from the rear of slide.

When holstering with your thumb on back of slide, it can be felt—a safety
hedge against accidental discharge. Holster by Green Force Tactical.

PPS M2
Maker: Carl Walther
Gmbh Sportwaffen
Donnerfeld 2, D-59757 Arnsberg, Germany

Importer: Walther USA
7700 Chad Colley Blvd
Fort Smith, AR 72916
(479) 242-8500
//gunsmagazine.com/company/walther-arms-inc/

Action type: Locked breech, semi-auto
Caliber: 9mm (tested), .40 S&W
Capacity: 6 (7 in extra mag)
Barrel length: 3.18 inches
Overall length: 6.3 inches
Height: 4.4 inches (6-round mag)
Weight: 21.1 ounces (empty)
Finish: Tenifer slide and barrel
Sights: 3-dot, fixed
Grips: Integral polymer
Price: $469

Federal Cartridge Co.
900 Ehlen Drive, Anoka
MN 55303
(800) 322-2342
//gunsmagazine.com/company/federal-premium-ammunition/

Green Force Tactical
P.O. Box 42
Florahome, FL 32140

Nosler
P.O. Box 671
Bend, Oregon 97709
(800) 285-3701
//gunsmagazine.com/company/nosler-inc/

Winchester Ammunition
600 Powder Mill Road
East Alton, IL 62024
(618) 258-2000
//gunsmagazine.com/company/winchester-ammunition-div-olin-corp/