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.

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