Walther’s design language has become immediately recognizable in the past five or six years, with their distinctive grip, slide, and ejection port shapes gracing all of their modern pistols. The newest entry maintains that Walther look while enhancing the grip texture, slide serrations, and trigger pull for duty use and tweaking grip ergonomics specifically for shooting with a reflex sight or micro red dot optic.
For more information — lots of videos and feature descriptions — visit Walther’s PDP page HERE. MSRP for this optics-ready pistol is a very competitive $649, though when the current demand surge for handguns cools down a bit we can expect to see them available for even less at Brownells and elsewhere.
Walther’s press release follows:
Walther Launches the PDP (Performance Duty Pistol)
February 16, 2021
PRESS RELEASE
Walther, a company defined by over a century of engineering passion, precision workmanship and innovation, has entered a new era of manufacturing with its flagship elite handgun. The PDP, Performance Duty Pistol, has been designed by Walther to be READY, no matter the circumstance.
With revolutionary Red Dot Ergonomics engineered into the pistol, the PDP platform has been designed around making the switch to the popular red-dot sight system easier for the new RDS shooter and faster for the RDS veterans.
The SuperTerrain serrations are uniquely shaped to protrude above the surface of the slide allowing for quicker and more responsive hands-on engagement with the pistol. Walther’s brand new Performance Duty Trigger shortens the length of travel and increases the tactile definition of the trigger break making the best striker-fired trigger on the market even better. The PDP is the most modular and versatile pistol ever designed by Walther and every PDP model comes red dot READY.
Available in 9mm, the striking design provides supreme performance in any condition, making this the go-to choice for shooters as an ideal firearm in both concealed carry and conventional service situations. The PDP is launched in two distinctly different frame sizes – compact and full size – as well as three different slides lengths – 4” and 4.5” in compact models, and 4”, 4.5” and 5” in full size models.
The PDP is the next evolution in world-class ingenuity for polymer frame pistols. Packed with features, Walther’s PDP is specifically designed to maximize readiness no matter the circumstance. The Walther PDP is how to stay READY.
“At Walther, we believe it is our duty to engineer the best possible pistol for anything our customers may encounter. We want them to focus on being READY for anything and not thinking about how or if their pistol will perform, we have done our job, so they don’t have to worry about it.” Jens Krogh Vice President of Marketing and Product Development Walther Arms USA.
WALTHER PDP MSRP: $649.00
For more information on Walther Arms, visit waltherarms.com/PDP
Shitty time to release new pistols.
With the current ammo issues (which very likely will not soon abate) there are not going to be a lot of people going outside the “tried and tested” model or willing to deal with any sort of break-in period. Some nubs and fanbois maybe but that’s probably about it.
That and the possibility of bans.
Really strange how people can’t figure out that when it comes to laws, the Left is absolutely right.
I mean, morally and ethically they’re trash, but from a utilitarian point of view they’re completely correct.
Everyone else can be just as correct on that topic if they just grow a pair.
I am sure this has been in the pipeline for a while now, before the ammo craziness and such, at this point they might as well sell any they can. If the civilian market goes away (like it may in Canada) they can still sell this “police pistol” to the police.
Some people will be happy to be able to buy any pistol that’s in stock and isn’t a .22. I’m not one of them.
Ohhhh boy! Another high priced, plastic, striker fired pistol… yay.
Blind luck brilliance on Walther’s part. I was in a few local gun store recently and one was huge. Not a lot of pistol selection. Glocks 9MM – zero, HKs- zero, CZ – only Shadow pistols, Walther – zero, Beretta – zero, SIGs – only a couple P365s, S&W – decent selection.
I expect Walther will sell these about as fast as they can ship them. 9MM – check, standard capacity – check, brand recognition – check, price – not bad considering.
I have a PPQ 9MM and really like it and don’t see myself getting the new PDP BUT I read a post on Walther Forum where a member called Walther and asked if the 4 inch PDP slide would work on a 9MM PPQ M1 and was told it would. Hmm, now that is something I would consider if the slide assembly price was around the $300 or less range. I just got an email from LGS that the new Walthers are in stock so probably will make a trip out there in the next day or so to check it out.
Honest Outlaw did a first impressions review of the Walther PDP in two sizes and was impressed, especially with the accuracy of the 4.5 inch full size version.
https://youtu.be/BEtgQvxqJ38
I think the accuracy can more be attributed to running a gigantic red dot and being an excellent shot than any pistol features or differences between the 4″ and 4.5″
Man, those guns are ugly. UGLY in capital letters. Hideous. I can only assume that function beats form here, though, because all reports say that Walther pistols are excellent gunms.
If I shoot you with one are you going to be concerned about the aesthetics of the pistol?
I’ll go out on a limb and suggest that the answer is “probably not”.
gasping out his last breath he ask, “Was the HiPoint stippled?” aaagggghhhhh
😀
At least I care enough to shoot people with guns that look nice. And the best bullets I can buy, too.
lovelylumley once asked lurrie bell what year his (probably borrowed) guitar was. lurrie replied, “i don’t look at it all that much.”
Yes, very nice. When it comes to ergonomics, nobody beats Walther. But… I already have a P99, a PK380 and a P22. I’m good with those.
You don’t have a PPQ already, so there is some room in your lineup. It would be worse if you had just bought a new PPQ. Though for some it may be best to wait as they fill out the line of you prefer a long slide, Tactical/Navy model or such.
I had a PPQ. I traded it for the P99. I do want to get a PPK, though.
Still waiting for the Q4 SF i ordered 3 months ago. Maybe Walther needs to start shipping back ordered stuff with a higher profit margin before diluting their productivity with more stuff. Salty!
NEVER HAVE OWNED A WALTHER , NEED GO TO RANGE AN FIRE ONE UP .
Ain’t that nice.
Anymore I look at what ammos on the shelf before I buy the gunm. My local gunmshop has a nice HiPower reasonably cheap, and two boxes of 9mm FMJ’s, but I can only buy one box. As far as I know the gunms still there but I bet the bullets aint.
I got the chance to shoot a prototype of this pistol in a law enforcement demo. I was fairly impressed: good trigger, good sights, great ergonomics, and very good accuracy. My only gripe: noticeably more muzzle rise and flip on recoil than the several other 9mm pistols being tested.
looks like it has a single recoil spring rather than the dual that a lot of the competition are running.
They do have a relatively high bore axis and a lot of slide going on up there. I spent a lot of time behind the PPQ and, though I shot it very accurately and it was for sure a fast shooter, it no doubt had more muzzle flip than some of the comparable guns.
I bought one of the original CCPs on a whim while dreaming about the HK P7. Yeah, they’re kinda ugly, and some Walthers do have a high bore axis, but they do shoot mighty straight, and the CCP fits my hand better than everything else except my Contender. I don’t regret it one particle.
New…. and out of stock.
New Gun market is on par with gpu market.
Naturally, it’s not (and likely never will be) available for sale in the Socialist Republic of Kaliforniastan, thanks to their specious and absurd ‘safe’ handgun roster.
All of the concepts in Pistol and Firearm design were created in the last century. What we see now is these design concepts being refined into reliable and affordable firearms that are available from a host of makers. We live in the golden age of firearms.
Walther’s PDP is a further evolution of these concepts and apparently it is a fine pistol.
My wish would be for a firearm chambered in a new cartridge that was flatter shooting, with less recoil and more power against humans and body armor, able to be fired accurately and rapidly by most shooters. What I see, is the same cartridges being used from 1902, 1905 and the latest being the FN 5.7 and H&K 4.6, developed 20 years ago.
I have long given up n the promise of my jetpack and flying car, but I agree it would be nice to have something truly new and innovative. Guess we will have to hurry up and wait some more.
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