Walther just released their PDP F-Series pistols and I am really surprised. Why? Because the “F”, which stands for female, is why. This alone allows a large number of men to “hard pass” on a gun like this. Because “it’s for women, after all.” Bravo Walther. You should add some language about the F-Series being a well-designed pistol. It addresses many concerns that shooters, not just women, have and may not be aware of. Because it does. The Walther PDP F-Series. We had a chance to see and shoot the F-Series prototype at the Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous, Victor, Idaho. The gun was loved by all rondy participants, men and women. Recently, I viewed the Walther PDP F video. Because I like product videos that tell a story more than a product video. They claim that the PDP F has a reduced grip circumference, and a shorter trigger reach. It also has an optimized grip angle to support female grip structures and a reduced slide force. What if I, a male, find these features attractive? These are great features, but should they be restricted to women? I don’t have a female grip system, whatever that may be. However, my hands are small and I would love a smaller grip. Many pistols have reduced grip circumference, but not necessarily because they are female-only. Nighthawk Custom may have released their Lady Hawk-framed pistols. They were a huge hit with men and ended up being their most popular product. They had to change the name in order to make people feel better about not owning a “lady” gun. I am being facetious. But I’m just trying to emphasize the fact that a pistol with excellent design enhancements will benefit many shooters, if it is not the majority of them. This is reinforced by the fact that subcompact pistols such as the P365 XL are being used more frequently for range and carry. The pistol dimensions are small enough to be useful and easy to use. But I digress. F-‘n Awesome. Where has a gun such as this been all my life?! The grip on the PDP F F is very small. It’s not in a bad way, but it’s just right. This brings me to a second thought. The grip is small but not square like many grips. Square? Really? Square grips are not for everyone, but you can live with them. The F has some of the finest stippling. The performance duty texture is the name of the stippling. The grip’s texture has a tetrahedron shape, which is non-abrasive. The grip angle seen from the side shows that the backstrap looks like 1911, regardless of whether or not it is. The F-Series comes with an additional backstrap. You can either have it installed as a small backstrap or change it to the medium one. The frame is made of polymer and has a generous undercut to the trigger. The mag release, which is a large round version of the grip, is narrowly shaped and has little guards beneath it to prevent accidental activation. The mag releases quickly when you press the mag release. After having had magazines that failed to launch, I have come to appreciate this trait. Manual mag extractions are not recommended. The Walther PDP F Series mags hold 15 9mm rounds. The PDP F-Series in Hand It is very long so gloves are not an issue. I find the shorter trigger reach to be a great thing. It makes it much easier to get my finger to the 90 degree mark. This is much more convenient than having to do it during trigger take-up. The take-up is average for a striker-fired pistol. The actual trigger press is quick and smooth. It feels highly automated, so the trigger press isn’t as crisp and smooth as it should be. Instead, it gives off a positive, confident feeling. I don’t want to see 1911-type triggers in my striker fired guns. The cocking serrations are one of the most distinctive features of the PDP F. They are substantial and meaty. They are called “super terrain serrations” and are built into the frame. Even with an optic, there is no way to avoid having a positive grip when charging the F. If necessary, I would say you could even jam the slide against a corner to accomplish this feat. It’s something I would like to try, but my mind says it’s abuse. We will see if I can manage to cause damage to OPP (other peoples’ property). If anyone is still interested in them, the sights are your standard three-dot type. They also have a windage adjustable rear, and a small front post. They are also made of polymer. Two sizes I received two PDP F series pistols: a 4-inch and a 3.5 inch. Outside of the differences in barrel lengths, the two pistols are identical. Although it may not seem like much, the half-inch is substantial in appearance and feel. The 3.5-inch instantly screams IWB to the user. The ruler is accurate, though it feels smaller in the hand. The PDP F-Series internal features a new operating system that reduces the force required to rack the slide. Walther claims that slide-racking force has been reduced by 20% Two-piece strikers are used to achieve this reduction. I was not convinced there was any difference between any other pistols until I took out a Q4SF and ran the slides side-by-side. The F-Series slides have a noticeable decrease in effort after the barrel unlocks during the racking process. This was the case for the 4-inch. It was not clear if this was true for the 3.5-inch. The F-Series slide is easy to track with the improved grip of the subterrain-cocking serrations and my good technique. I was overwhelmed by the F-Series’ incredible features and realized how amazing it is. I began to wonder if I was misinterpreting or missing something. Mariah Lynn, my friend, was able to help me check myself and reaffirm my faith in myself. Mariah Lynn is indeed a female shooter, gun enthusiast and competitor. Mariah’s Take When Sean invited me to shoot the Walther PDP F-Series at a local spot, I immediately said, “When and where?” I had never shot a Walther before. But I was eager to see if Walther’s excellent reputation would be a success. We set high expectations and got to work the next day shooting what we love most. When I received the gun, my first thoughts were “Wow, this feels good!” The fit and finish were excellent. The best thing about the gun was the way it fit me. The gun felt great in my hands, right from the point where my fingers met the grip. I also appreciated the extra space I had to rest the thumb on top of the slide. The best thing about it was that I could easily drop the magazine without losing my grip. Even for a woman, my hands are small. Sometimes it can be difficult to get the magazine release on larger guns. It was a huge bonus that I could drop it on the Walther with a stock magazine release. I knew that the grip circumference was something the ladies would love. When shopping for a firearm, one of the first things I tell women is how it feels in their hands. Is it possible to get into a proper form and feel comfortable? Is there enough to hold on to or too much? Can you easily drop the magazine and stack the slide? Both the 3.5-inch Walther PDP F series and the 4-inch Walther PDP F series ticked all the boxes. The PDP F-Series is easy to use From a female’s perspective, I loved how easy it was to rack the slide! I tried to rack the slide without proper form. This would have meant using force in opposite directions on the slide and grip. It was still very easy to use, which is something I appreciate as someone with less grip strength. The pistols fire striker-fired guns very smoothly, which I think the ladies will love. They aren’t snappy at any time. They are well balanced and have a nice grip. It also allows you to control the recoil through a comfortable grip. After shooting a few cases of ammo, and practicing some shooting drills, I fell in love the trigger. I can still remember thinking, “Wow, is that stock too?” I was astonished at the triggers on each Walther. They were striker-fired pistols. They are reliable, comfortable, steady, and have a smooth breaking. I think the curved trigger makes it so secure and comfortable. The Walther PDP F-Series guns are a great foundation for new shooters. Because of the outstanding stock components. It’s also an excellent gun for advanced shooters because it can be easily upgraded. The PDP F-Series, for example, is equipped with red dot and weapon lights. Two Sizes, Same Feel I wanted to compare the 3.5 inch and 4-inch models side-by side to get a better feel for shooting. To eliminate any subconscious biases we might have about recoil, I decided to give Sean and me a blind test. Sean is a more skilled shooter and correctly identified the model I gave him blindly. He said that he could see a slightly softer shot from the model of 4-inches. He said he could tell the difference if I paid him a million dollars, while I replied, “I couldn’t tell the difference. I’d recommend picking between the two models based on which model feels more comfortable in your hand. Because you won’t feel a significant difference in recoil. All other specs are the same. Both models hold 15 rounds of 9mm ammunition. Personally, I prefer the 3.5-inch model. To conceal and carry the gun, I would prefer to have half an inch less. Overall, I agree with Sean’s views on the Walther PDP F-Series. I am so thankful that he allowed me to have time to work on another great gun. I am always looking for new options to add to my personal list of guns that I can recommend to friends, both male and female, competitors or new shooters with confidence. I am so happy that the Walther guns met my high expectations. Final Notes Mariah and I had a great time at the range. She showed me some features and my likes and dislikings. It is extremely easy to shoot the pistol accurately at a faster pace. I will reiterate the fact that I was able to tell which pistol was the 4-inch model when she placed one in my hand while I was closed my eyes. It has a 15% smoother feel when recoiling. For accuracy, testing was done at 15 yards on the 4-inch version. The Hornady 115 grain FTX shot a sub-2 inch group at 15 yards standing on a sandbag with three loads. It was quite impressive. It’s too bad Walther has decided to keep the F-Series name. Although they are missing out, I think some guys won’t purchase it because of this. Perhaps they should have named it the A-series for all-round awesomeness for all shooters. It’s just an idea, and I’m not a marketing major. All jokes aside, the PDP F-Series by Walther is freakin’ amazing. Please, I’ll take one. WaltherArms.com has more information. Walther PDP F Series Specs Caliber 9mm
Barrel: 3.5 inches, 4 in
Overall Length: 7 inches, 6.5 inches
Weight: 23.7 to 24 ounces (empty).
Grips: Polymer
Sights: Three-dot rear windage adjustable
Action: Striker-fired
Finish in Black
Capacity: 15+1
MSRP: $699 Continue Reading. Didn’t find the answer you were looking for? Search The post Alpha Female Testing the Walther PDP F-Series Pistol appeared originally on Personal Defense World.
