Walther Arms has been a great success! The PPQ lineup so far has been nothing but amazing. Walther has released a PPQ with a 4 inch, 4.6 inch, 5 inch, and now a subcompact (SC), with a 3.5-inch barrel. The PPQ (full-size), is also available in 9mm,.45ACP, and.22LR. The Walther PPQSC LE Sub-Compact. In case you aren’t familiar, PPQ stands to “PolizeiPistole Quick Defence” or “Police Pistol Quick Defense”. With such a wide range of pistols, they are making a real impact on the market. It feels great in the hand thanks to its ergonomic design. The PPQ family also has one of the most reliable factory triggers for plastic striker-fired pistols. You can find out this much by just looking at a few dry fires in our store. We’ll get to that in a moment. There are more options Walther now has two versions of the new PPQ compact, the PPQ SC w/ XS Night Sights and the PPQ SC L (Law Enforcement). The PPQSC LE model was the one I received for testing. It was factory-equipped with three dot (metal) phosphoric “night sights” (white/green, not-tritium). After being briefly “charged”, phosphorous “night sights” glow in the dark when they are exposed to an external light source. It also comes with three magazines. Three magazines are included: one flush-fitting 10-rounder and one 10-rounder with pinky extension. One 15-rounder has sleeve extension and better grip. The PPQ subcompact (SC), comes from the factory with the Tenifer coating in the slide, barrel and “inside action parts”. I have had previous experiences with full-size PPQs and can confirm how well the slide has held up to holster wear. It can take a lot of abuse. The Germans know how to make a weapon that will last many, many moons. QC Proof Marking Have any of you ever looked at a Walther, HK or other model and wondered what the strange cross-and-antlers type marking was? It’s actually a proof marking and a staghorn. This exact mark indicates that it was QC tested and passed at Ulm’s proofing house. To find the year your PPQSC was made, you can actually decode the markings of the slide. Go to Walther Arms website, and click on the support tab. You will find a link that will show you how to decode the markings of the slide and determine your PPQSC’s “born date”. This test was done in Germany (DE), in 2018 (BI). The Germans are meticulous about record keeping. They don’t leave any detail out. Impressive Features: The full-size PPQ has the ambidextrous controls for the slide stop/magazine launch. Walther actually includes a right-side mag release in the box for all you “southpaws”. Everything else is the same as PPQ’s big brother, but in a smaller package. Did I mention how great this trigger is? The trigger on the SC is identical to its big brother, the PPQ. It’s surprising to see the specs, as it doesn’t feel like a trigger pull of 5.6 pounds. The PPQSC trigger feels more like a smooth, two-stage target trigger for a pistol than a compact carry pistol trigger. The 0.4-inch trigger travel is felt and the reset of 0.1 inches are both noticeable. It’s quite useful, especially in a defensive situation. It’s easy to feel the flow and pinpoint the sweet spot. It is a wonderful thing to be able to feel the travel and know exactly where it is. My Wheeler trigger pull gauge showed me that the trigger pull for this PPQSC was just over 5.5 pounds. It’s within the manufacturer’s specifications. The PPQ SC Le Slide is easy to handle and manipulate. A nice feature of the PPQ SC slide is the front and back serrations. For press checks, the front serrations on the slide are very useful. A 1913 rail can be used to attach a light, laser or homemade bayonet. If you prefer serrations on your triggerguard, there are also serrations at the front. Like its big brothers, the PPQ SC has a “nonslip, cross-directional grip” surface that felt very comfortable in my hands. For those with smaller hands, an additional backstrap was included in the box. These can also be changed by the user. Range Impressions The PPQSC is a blast, no pun intended. Straight out of the box, it was extremely accurate. I did not have to make any adjustments to the rear sight. My daughter took it for a long test drive and it performed flawlessly for her. This is not surprising considering the pistol is a serious workhorse. It’s not surprising that the Germans use the PPQ for duty pistols, as I have seen with the full-size PPQ. It deserves to be on a copper’s shoulder in our great country. If I were still active, I would not have any problem carrying the PPQSC as a backup or off-duty gun. In fact, I believe the PPQSC will find a home on my hip for everyday carry. It was a great experience to take the PPQSC to the range. If you use the full-size magazine, it shoots similar to its brother, PPQ SC. I had to wrap my pinky under the flush-fit magazine when I was using it. The pinky extension helped me control the PPQSC under recoil quite a bit. It’s not too heavy for this small prize. Although it does make a loud sound, it is manageable even when you are pressing the trigger to blow through a mag. Overall, the PPQSC impressed me greatly. My buddy Paddy O’Fernature deserves a special thank you for the range photos. Recommendations The bad news is that very few firearms I have encountered have passed without some modifications or updates. This model has only two problems (PPQSC LE). These are the magazines and the sights. Surprised to see non-Tritium illuminated sights in a “law enforcement model”, As a police officer, I have often done “wounded officer drills” using only one hand. This also means that I have to use one hand to pull the slide off my belt, my boot and the face of the bad guy. It was nice to see the metal sights on this model. This is essential for a LE pistol. Tritium-illuminated sights are best for this model. These sights were glowing like a pair of angry green eyes after a quick 15 second flash from my flashlight. As I sit here and write, it’s been about 20 minutes since they started glowing again. It’s not recommended to use standard-sized PPQ mags inside the SC. This was also something I found strange. There is no cross-compatibility. Walther Arms informed me that this was due to a different spring used in the PPQ SC full size magazines. I don’t have a full-size PPQ magazine to compare it to at the moment, so I’ll trust Walther. Enhancing the Walther PPQSC LE You can also offer the LE model with standard night sights for the base option. It would be a good idea to make full-size magazines compatible with the SC model. If someone wanted to carry a full size PPQ and theSC as a backup or off-duty, they could use the same full-size magazines in both models. To make things even easier, the user can simply attach the sleeves to a full-size mag to use with the SC. Night sights can be purchased for the PPQSC at an additional cost. It’s easy to remove the SC sight. Simply screw in the front sight, then drift on a new back, and you are done. It’s simple unlike other manufacturers where you need a strong sight press, Superman-like strength and a dump truck-load of patience. It’s easy to swap sights on the PPQSC. They are available not only from Walther, but also from the aftermarket. Walther Arms also supports the Walther P99 sight system. You can also purchase spare magazines online at Walther Arms or from several aftermarket retailers. Bottom line: You can purchase the PPQ subcompact with confidence. It’s a solid heater, which feels great in your hand. Based on its performance during testing, the Walther PPQSC has impressed me greatly. From personal defense loads to ball (range) ammunition, to the American Eagle Total Synthetic Jacket ammunition. Everything I fed the PPQ SC was eaten by it. In just over 700 rounds, there was not one malfunction. It was straight out of the box. I did not give it any lubricant or clean it during testing. It is a formidable weapon that should be considered when you are looking for an EDC handgun or a range gun. If you do decide to add the Walther PPQSC to your collection, I am sure you will be impressed. The Walther PPQ pistol is a great pistol to own and keep. WaltherArms.com has more information. Walther PPQSC Subcompact LE Edition Specs Caliber 9mm
Barrel: 3.5 inches
Overall Length: 6.8 inches
Weight: 21.2 ounces (empty).
Grip: Polymer
Sights: Three dots phosphorous night sights
Action: Striker-fired
Finish: Tenifer Coating (Black).
Capacity: 10+1/15+1
MSRP: $699. This article was originally published by Personal Defense World in the April/May 2022 issue. Subscription is available in print and digital editions at OutdoorGroupStore.com. Or call 1-800-284-5668, or email [email protected]. Continue Reading Search The post LE Workhorse – Shooting the Walther SC LE Sub-Compact appeared originally on Personal Defense World.
