Walther PPS arrived!

[Husky44]

If you don't frequent the CW page, you might not know that I was shopping for a replacement for my CW40. Not dissing the gun at all, but it just didn't seem to fit my hand well, making it not the best at natural pointing for me.

I did some checking around, and landed on the Walther PPS 40. It arrived today (or rather, I finally got home from my world travels, and got to pick it up today). I resisted the urge to run to the range immediately, but here's the initial feedback (prior to firing).

1) Almost identical dimensions to the CW 40, although the trigger housing's bigger, so it doesn't fit as well in the same holsters (ie, De Santis Nemesis).

2) With the small backstrap, it's slightly, but noticeably larger in my hand than the CW40. With the large backstrap, it fits my hand nicely, and resolves the pointing issues (I had difficulty getting the same grip on the gun each time with the CW40, as it seemed to "float around" in my grip). It also seems to resolve my trigger finger issues... With the Kahr, I had difficulty keeping the pad of my finger on the face of the trigger; my trigger finger had to be canted away from the frame at a pretty unnatural angle to keep the pad on the trigger and a straight backwards pull. My tendency was to have my trigger finger sliding across the trigger toward the first joint, rather than pulling straight back.

3) Fit and finish seems excellent. Tight, well built, polymer seems strong, slide is smooth, recoil spring is easy to remove and install.

4) Trigger is smooth, not as long of a pull as my Kahr. Also has a definite trigger reset, which I could never detect on my Kahr (not sure there was supposed to be one on the Kahr?).

Overall, very impressed out of the box. Looking forward to getting to the range, hopefully before the weekend. I'll update with a range report at that time. I post this not to rag on Kahrs, but to share info on what I've found for those who might determine that their Kahr isn't the best choice for them.

[frank_drebin]

Had a PPS 40. Biggest disappointment ever. I hope you fare better. I will never own another.

http://kahrtalk.com/showthread.php?t=5617

[Bawanna]

Where have you been Frank. Did you bring a note explaining your very long absence? Hmmmmm?

[frank_drebin]

Where have you been Frank. Did you bring a note explaining your very long absence? Hmmmmm?

You see..... what had happened was......

[Bill K]

Hey, if there were a one gun fits all we'd all be owning Glock 26es. :behindsofa:

[frank_drebin]

Hey, if there were a one gun fits all we'd all be owning Glock 26es. :behindsofa:

fit = yes

reliability = no

[TriggerMan]

....
Overall, very impressed out of the box. Looking forward to getting to the range, hopefully before the weekend. I'll update with a range report at that time. I post this not to rag on Kahrs, but to share info on what I've found for those who might determine that their Kahr isn't the best choice for them.
Last June I shot 100 rounds thru one at my LGS range. Flawless. I was looking for a night stand gun and wanted something with a smaller than average grip. My sales guy pointed out the obvious. A full size gun will be easier to shoot and the M&P with its smallest backstrap could work. It did and I bought it instead. No regrets.

[Popeye]

Hey, if there were a one gun fits all we'd all be owning Glock 26es. :behindsofa:

Ya know if there was one smaller sized gun that I had to get down and dirty with the G26 would probably be it. Not my favorite gun but it is a beast. Have to give credit where credit is do. I was killing half sized silouette men the other day with mine at 25yds. Having said that though I have shot a friend of mines PPS9 and it was a very nice pistol also. Like my Pm9 it's a nice EDC pistol but I'm not sure if it could take the beating and abuse a Glock can. Good luck with your new gun,they are sweet shooters.

[Barth]

Ya know if there was one smaller sized gun that I had to get down and dirty with the G26 would probably be it. Not my favorite gun but it is a beast. Have to give credit where credit is do. I was killing half sized silouette men the other day with mine at 25yds. Having said that though I have shot a friend of mines PPS9 and it was a very nice pistol also. Like my Pm9 it's a nice EDC pistol but I'm not sure if it could take the beating and abuse a Glock can. Good luck with your new gun,they are sweet shooters.

Seven handguns of various types and sizes.
But on my own time, when I can carry what I want?
Usually my G27 with two G22/15 round mags loaded
with Speer GDHP duty ammo.
40 rounds of (1150 fps / 450 E) ammo and a gun that shoots anything
it's loaded with, dry, dirty whatever.
Say what you want, it's pretty amazing.

BTW I have a friend with the Walther and it's his favorite carry gun.

[Husky44]

Range report delayed... Single digit temps keep me from being motivated to go shoot... Maybe Friday.

Appreciate the comments all; I hear what you're saying about performance and others' experiences. Mine hasn't been the best with Kahr (my CW40 sounds similar to your PPS out of the box, Frank). Nonetheless, to each his own.

Not really a Glock fan here. Never fired one, but it didn't fit right in the store (that's what I started looking for). The ergos weren't right for me. My XDM is the perfect fitting gun, but a little chunky for EDC. When I'm not worried about showing, or am on my time and can wear untucked clothing, then the XDM is the go-to gun. Looking forward to getting the PPS qualified for EDC status.

[Popeye]

Seven handguns of various types and sizes.
But on my own time, when I can carry what I want?
Usually my G27 with two G22/15 round mags loaded
with Speer GDHP duty ammo.
40 rounds of (1150 fps / 450 E) ammo and a gun that shoots anything
it's loaded with, dry, dirty whatever.
Say what you want, it's pretty amazing.

BTW I have a friend with the Walther and it's his favorite carry gun.


Same here Barth I carry everything from a Pocket sized .380 to a full sized 1911 45. 5 pistols in all. Depends on where I'm going and what I'm going to be doing and the weather plays a part in it also. Most days though it's my PM9. My G26 was bought to be a tool only though that I got slightly used at a great price. I would have had to been a fool to walk away from that deal. I Like the gun and I shoot it pretty good I just don't love it because of it's grip angle. It just not a natural pointer for me. Like I said it's just a tool and like all mechanical tools it will get it's routine maintenance and cleaning but if it gets bumped or dinged along the way,Oh well that's just how things go in the tool world.

[JFootin]

Range report delayed... Single digit temps keep me from being motivated to go shoot... Maybe Friday.

Where do you live, Husky? Alaska? North of the Arctic Circle? :)

[Husky44]

Where do you live, Husky? Alaska? North of the Arctic Circle? :)

Alaska... It's been excessively cold, and way too much snow for this early in the winter. I'm thinking my state of residence may be changing soon...

[JFootin]

Alaska... It's been excessively cold, and way too much snow for this early in the winter. I'm thinking my state of residence may be changing soon...

LOL! I hear ya! :) I live in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Very old, forest covered mountains. Not too far from where Daniel Boone carved the inscription on a tree, "Danl Boone kil a bar on this tree." Also home to the Cherokee tribe. Mild summers, mild winters, a very nice area to live. Just minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Smoky Mountains National Park. And a few miles from the Biltmore Castle and Estate, America's premier castle. George Vanderbilt chose this area for its pleasant climate. And generations ago, back before air conditioning, rich folk were making their summer homes in places like Franklin and Cashiers near the Western tip of the state. I remember driving to that area in my late teens (the late 60s), and remarked how Rolls Royces and Bentleys were as common on the roads as Volkswagen Beetles were in my home town of Asheville! :)

[Husky44]

JFootin: Beautiful area you're from. I used to be stationed at FT Bragg, and made many trips past the Biltmore Castle on I40 headed home on leave. Carolina mountains are one of the places on our list, although we've been looking farther south.

[Husky44]

OK, I couldn't stand it anymore, and the boss let us off early today so I stopped at the range on the way home. Plus, the sun was still up, and it was a balmy +8 degrees! Great shooting weather.

Anyway, I loaded up the PPS, and started putting 180gr FMJ downrange. First reaction: This gun points well, and the rounds go where it points. Second reaction: It has a little more snap to it than my CW 40 did. Nothing uncomfortable, let alone unmanageable, but just different.

Second reaction: I love the trigger. Travel is a little longer than my XDM, but the reset is noticeable, and follow up rounds are very easy-one of my dislikes of the Kahr.

Third reaction: DANG IT'S COLD OUT HERE!!! Reloading magazines in the car, which I left running right behind the firing line, with the heater on. That's a GREAT idea when it's 8 degrees.:eek:

Summary: 200 rounds fired, 150 FMJ and 50 Golden Sabre 180s. Not a single hiccup. Gun runs like a sewing machine (one of those good ones that your wife wants to take out a car loan to buy). Shoots where I point it, double taps are tight. All this shooting with gloves on, shooting ranges between 10-25 yards. Shot two mags at 50 yards, all on target, with a spread of about 8". That's good enough for me, at least in the cold. Did some movement drills, pointing in was natural. Last mag, I decided to shoot the clay that was on the berm from 25 yards out. Took 2 to hit, but again, it was cold. :o

I know this is KahrTalk, and truth be told, I'm probably going to continue to hang out here some even after I sell the CW 40, but I wanted to pass on my experience, in case there's another person out there like me who's looking for a good single-stack, concealable 40, and wound up not satisfied with their Kahr. The PPS is a great alternative, in my (admittedly limited) experience.

Happy Thanksgiving, all! God bless!

[frank_drebin]

So glad to hear you didn't have an issue. Keep an eye on that extractor after every range trip. I think the extractor was my problem and have seen other instances now. Since I had issues with mine and posted it I get quite a few emails from other people having the same issue. Without fail it is a chipped extractor on a 40 Cal only pps. To date 14 people have contacted me with the same problem.

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