Walther PPQ M2 Review: German Police Pistol

Walther is a company that has earned one whale of a reputation in the firearms industry. This German-based company is responsible for some of the world’s great guns.

Here’s a Walther PPQ M2 review. We’ll also take a look at its specs, features, and review its shooting performance. Now, let’s begin.

Pros and Cons of the Walther PPQ M2

Quick History of Walther

Carl Walther founded the Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen company in 1886. (GmbH is the German equivalent of the U.S. designation LLC, limited liability corporation). This is the name of the parent company headquartered in both Ulm and Arnsberg, Germany.

The company was technically founded in 1886, but an ancestor of the future Walther business empire began working on guns in 1780. Matthias Conrad Pistor was the chief armorer of the Kassel Armory and oversaw the manufacture of pistols and other weapons.

A granddaughter of another Pistor married a Walther (to make the story a bit shorter) and settled in what is now Thuringia. They also made hunting and target rifles. Carl Walther was an apprentice in this factory. The factory began to make pistols, at the request of Fritz Walther (oldest son of Carl), in 1908.

Skipping ahead to more modern times (and guns), in 1929 the company began to make one of the all-time great guns — the PP (Polizeipistole, Police Pistol). This was a gun made for police agencies and followed soon afterward by the PPK (Polizeipistole Kriminalmodell, Police Pistol Detective model). Additionally, these guns were available in .32 ACP, .22 LR, .380 ACP, and a few in .25 ACP.

In 1938, Nazi Germany awarded Walther a contract to replace the older P-08 Luger with the new P-38 DA/ SA pistol.

The company continued production during the war. However, they lost basically everything at the end of that conflict due to the factory having been bombed out. In 1953, Carl Walther started over again in Ulm, West Germany where he continued building his P-38 (renamed P-1) for the West German Army, the Bundeswehr.

Fritz Walther died in 1966, so his son Karl-Heinz took over. The company concentrated on the sports sector and started another subsidiary, Umarex. This company concentrated on air guns.

The U.S. Connection

In 1999, Smith and Wesson became the importer for Walther’s guns and even manufactured some for them, if my memory is correct. I remember seeing S&W-made PPK pistols for sale. At any rate, the company formed an American subsidiary to import its guns in 2012.

The new U.S. facility was located in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Since 2018, PPK and PPK/s pistols have been made in that factory.

Enter the Walther PPQ M2

I won’t attempt to describe the history, or backstory, of the 25 pistols Walther is remembered for producing. Let’s just say the company made many different models for law enforcement and civilian use. The PPQ came about in 2011 as a possible replacement for the P99 and shares some of its design features with that popular pistol. One departure, though, is the trigger action.

Described as an “internal preset striker Quick Defense trigger”, the gun is basically always cocked. This gives the gun a let-off point and trigger pull identical from one shot to the next, unlike some striker-fired guns. Also, this gun is marketed in Germany to special-forces-type agencies, (not regular police) due to its different triggers.

Speaking of German police pistols, here is the 2008 specification for triggers on guns considered for adoption by agencies:

The Technical Specifications (TR) of the German Police (Technische Richtlinie Pistolen im Kaliber 9mm x 19, Revision January 2008) for obtaining a German Police duty pistol certification require a first shot trigger pull of greater than or equal to 30 N (6.7 lbf), a trigger travel of greater than or equal to10 mm (0.4 in) and a trigger reset of greater than or equal to 4 mm (0.2 in).

We will look at more design features below. For a fairly detailed look at the PPQ, here is an interesting article — it makes a decent read.

Walther PPQ M2 Review: Specs and Features

My friend, a deputy sheriff, lent me this rifle to review. As the finish wears, this is his carry. This gun is his “daily carry weapon.” He typically has a light on it, but for this write-up he removed it. Shooting the broken-in gun was exciting.

I am confident in its dependability because of how frequently it is used. The finish wear proves that this is a highly used carry gun (learn more about concealed carry insurance).

Now, let’s check the specs.

Caliber	9mm
Barrel Length/ Finish	4.0"; Black Tenifer-Coated; Stainless Steel
Sights/ Radius	Fixed; 3-Dot; Low-Profile; Polymer; Phosphorescent Markings; Non-Snag; Rear Adjustable for Windage; 6.1" Radius (factory night sights are available)
Weight	24.5 oz (empty mag)
Frame/ Finish	Matte Black Polymer
Slide Material	Tenifer Coated
Trigger	Striker-Fired Double Action Only; Pre-Cockede
Trigger Press	5.5 lb
Trigger Travel	0.4" Short; 0.1" Reset
Magazines Capacity	15 + 2
Height	5.3"
Width	1.3"
Length	7.1"
Safeties	No External Manual; Trigger Drop Safety; Firing Pin Block; Disconnector Safety; No Mag Safety
Grip	Polymer; Non-Slip; Cross-Directional Surface
Other	Picatinny Rail; Limited Lifetime Warranty

By way of comparison, let’s look at a few of the specs for the Gen 5 Glock 19 — arguably the most popular compact 9mm that others are compared with.

Length:	7.28"
Height:	5.04"
Width:	1.34"
Barrel:	4.02"
Weight (empty mag):	23.6 oz.
Magazine Capacity:	15, 3 included; higher-capacity mags will work

I am not trying to prove any points by including these specs. I thought I would just list them for ease of comparison for those of you out there who may be looking to buy a 15-or-greater round 9mm.

Here is a quick list of features that the Walther PPQ M2 enjoys, from the Walther website.

I especially like that last feature. My reloading bench took one for the team once upon a time when I pulled the trigger on an empty Taurus semi-auto .45 in order to take it down to clean it. Come on, ‘fess up — who out there has done the same thing? Anyway, I really like this gun’s takedown drill.

Materials and Build

Walther firearms are known for their quality, and the PPQ M2 is no exception. The frame is made from robust polymer, making it lightweight yet sturdy.

The slide and barrel are constructed from Tenifer-coated steel, which is highly resistant to corrosion and wear, ensuring longevity.

Design

The Walther PPQ M2 is a testament to excellent German engineering that combines aesthetic appeal and operational efficiency.

With a sleek look and innovative design, the PPQ M2 sets itself apart from many other handguns in its class. The firearm features a distinctively contoured slide and a smooth barrel that gives it a streamlined look.

Grip and Ergonomics

One of the first things that users notice about the Walther PPQ M2 is its ergonomic design. It features a uniquely sculpted grip with a non-slip, cross-directional surface that fits comfortably in the hand, enhancing the shooter’s control.

This design allows for better hand alignment, reducing fatigue and improving aim during prolonged use.

The grip also features interchangeable backstraps, allowing users to customize the firearm to fit their hand size perfectly, further enhancing control and shooting comfort.

Walther PPQ M2 Review: Photos

Let’s look at some photos before we go shooting.

Proof marks: (Here is a good article about proof marks)

Front sight has a matching dot.

Walther PPQ M2 Review: Taking the PPQ Apart

So, you’ve shot your PPQ and now want to clean it. Very admirable. How hard is it to get the thing into its component pieces for cleaning? Pretty simple, actually. Here are the steps:

1. Make sure gun is empty (double-check, trust me) and remove the mag.
2. Pull the trigger.
3. Retract the slide a half-inch or so and pull down on the takedown tabs directly above the trigger.
4. Slide the slide off the front of the frame.
5. Separate the barrel and recoil spring.
6. Clean everything and put it back together in reverse order.

That’s it. It took longer to type it out than it did to take the thing apart. I was also impressed by the flat-wound recoil spring and the ease with which the gun came apart and went back together.

Speaking of being impressed, here’s something that many Walthers and HKs have that I really appreciate: an ambidextrous slide release that actually works and is not just a right-side extension with little leverage.

Walther PPQ M2 Review: Lefty Considerations

If you look closely, you will notice the right-side slide release’s length. (It’s the same length on the left, as well). This longer lever adds to the leverage applied to the internal release, making it just a bit easier to drop the slide. I have always liked this feature on these guns.

As a lefty, I’ve found that Walthers and HKs are a bit easier to shoot for me due in part to this longer, ambi slide release. They are especially handy for me if they have the trigger guard magazine paddle release.

I know that many, many shooters don’t like that style release, but I sure do. You can get to it with either hand without having to move a button to the other side of the frame. Moreover, there’s nothing wrong with the button-behind-the-trigger-guard unless it’s there permanently and you’re a lefty.

I know, my left-handed brethren will say they just got used to pressing the mag release button with their trigger or second fingers, but why do that if you can get a gun that doesn’t require it? Why break your shooting grip if you don’t have to?

The first generation of this pistol (along with the first gen PPS) used a paddle release. So many shooters objected that Walther re-released them in their respective M2 versions.

Anyway, this is not a rant and there’s no soapbox handy, but it is an issue with me. At any rate, the mag release has zero effect on where the bullets go. Also, putting bullets downrange is the primary function of the gun, not releasing magazines. The paddle is just more convenient for me.

Shooting the Walther PPQ M2

I was really looking forward to shooting this gun. I’d owned a PPQ once, briefly as I mentioned above, and was impressed with it. At the time, I did wonder about the outward angle that the backstrap takes towards the bottom of the grip.

It looks like it sticks out pretty far, which would result in forcing the front sight higher as the hump in the grip pressed into your palm. But, it does not move the sight appreciably. Actually, the gun points naturally for me.

The hump was a non-issue when I owned one before, so I didn’t even think about it when shooting this one. I’m not sure why I traded my PPQ, but sometimes I think I like trading almost as much as shooting.

At any rate, I took this gun to my backyard range and tried three different loads. I almost feel the need to issue a disclaimer about not shooting a lot during any of my recent gun reviews due to the fact that you can’t find 9mm (or several other calibers) ammo anywhere.

I shot a few Winchester white box and Fiocchi loads, both 115-grain FMJ. Also, I shot my favorite 9mm do-all handload of a 124-grain Lee RN cast bullet over 4.8 grains of Long Shot. This load has proven to be accurate in several different 9mm pistols I’ve shot it in, and most always shoots close to the point of aim.

The two factory loads did alright, shot at 20 yards, but the handload was even better. All loads hit a bit low, which made my previous concern about the grip’s hump, causing the gun to shoot high moot.

Again, I feel like I almost have to apologize for not having 6 or 8 targets and a nice, neat Excel table listing loads arranged alphabetically with velocities, standard deviations, etc. but I just don’t have the ammo to do that with right now.

The reloader in me (the OCD part, anyway) would love to be able to do that. Suffice it to say that, in this particular gun’s defense, if it weren’t accurate my friend would not be carrying it. So went the shooting of the PPQ — I wish I had more ammo to put through it, but shooting what I could was fun. It’s a very easy-to-shoot 9mm.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Walther PPQ M2

Does the Walther PPQ M2 have a safety?

The trigger safety mechanism of Walther PPQ M2 handguns consists of a narrow, pivoting lever located in the middle of the face of the trigger, similar to that of other striker-fired, polymer pistols on the market. You can’t pull the trigger until the safety lever is all the way into the trigger slot.

What sights does the Walther PPQ M2 Have?

Both the steel and polymer sights of the Walther PPQ M2 are removable and interchangeable. The rear and front sights are also adjustable. The plastic sight features a screw that allows for click adjustments, with one click shifting the impact point by about .75 inch at 25 yards, while the rear steel sight is drifted left and right to make windage changes.

Also, different height steel and plastic front-sight blades are available for elevation variations. The plastic sights on the gun used the normal three-white-dot arrangement, and the rear notch felt larger than on previous pistols I’d handled.

Can the Walther PPQ M2 handle +P loads?

According to the Walther handbook, the Walther PPQ M2 can take +P loads. However, such loads will accelerate wear and require more regular maintenance. The handbook also states that you should not use +P ammo and you should clean the gun before firing for the first time.

Wrap Up: Is the Walther PPQ M2 a Good Gun?

What did I think overall of the PPQ? As I said above, I owned one for a good while and shot it a lot. Also, I am short and round, so I have trouble concealing full-size (or even some compact) guns. Additionally, the grip tends to print.

My friend who loaned me the gun is tall and thin, so he is a natural for guns like the PPQ, Glock 17, Springfield XD, S&W M&P, etc. His frame tends to hide guns better than mine. Also, he carries the gun in an IWB holster and you can’t tell there’s a gun there until he reaches for it.

So, if you are built in such a way that you can pull off toting a full-size pistol around, you might want to give the PPQ a look. It’s not expensive, and you get a real Walther. With the included two 15-round and an aftermarket 17-round magazine on your person, you’d be ready for just about anything that came your way.

Give the PPQ a try — you might be glad you did. If you own one, or a PPS or other Walther 9mm, let’s hear from you below. As always, keep ’em in the black and stay safe.

You might also like to read:

• The 4 Best Walther PPQ Holsters
• Walther PPQ vs Glock 19 – Comparison
• The Best 9mm Speed Loaders: The Complete Guide