Walther PPS M2

Walther brought the PPS to market about 8 years ago.  I reviewed it in 2008 and found it's accuracy to be passable but I did not care for the trigger, grip angle, contour, or texture.  Last year Walther brought out the CCP which had better accuracy and a fantastic grip but had a pretty bad trigger and was a pain to disassemble and put back together.  Now this year Walther gives us the PPS M2.  The trigger is much better than the M1 or what Walther is now referring to as the PPS "Classic".  It give us the better grip of the CCP but in a size proportional to the PPS frame. The M2 is also more accurate than the PPS Classic.

Before we dig deeper into what the M2 has, lets go over the differences between the M2 and the Classic model.

The most notable change is the grip it has a more natural curvature to the back strap which improves the point-ability  and accuracy of the pistol.  The grips are also rounded with palm swells instead of the flat grips on the Classic model and the palm swells improves the feel of the grips which assists in accuracy.  Walther utilizes a cross directional grip pattern that provides a non-slip surface without the overly-aggressive grips found on many other small pistols.

The M2 also incorporates the the US button-style magazine release as opposed to the European ambidextrous paddle releases on the Classic version.  

Another much needed touch is the contoured trigger guard which is generously undercut to prevent the shooter from contracting the dreaded condition most commonly referred to as "Glock knuckle".

The dust cover on the M2 dispenses with the accessory rail and reshapes the dust cover to give a sleeker appearance.  The M2 also provides front cocking serrations.

Lastly Walther supplies the M2 with 3-dot sights made of actual steel for superior ruggedness.

There's a lot to like in this pistol and that includes the accuracy.  All shooting was conducted from a standing two-handed hold.

This 3-inch bulls eye shows us the first 8 rounds fired at 21 feet.

This 8-inch target was rolled out to 40 feet and shot with 30 rounds.  This is excellent shooting for me at 40 feet and trust me...it's the gun, not me.

Lastly, here are three defensive rounds fired at 21 feet.  The top target is Federal's 105 grain Guard Dog ammunition.  The middle target is Winchester's 147 grain Train and Defend JHP ammo.  Lastly, the bottom target is Speer's excellent 124 Grain Gold Dot Hollow Point +P ammo.  While the Speer +P had a little more snap in its recoil it is very manageable and very accurate.

SPECIFICATIONS
Caliber	9mm
OAL	6.3 lbs.
Barrel Length	3.18 inches
Capacity	6/7/8
Height	4.4”/4.9”/5.3”
Width	1 inch
Weight	21 ounces

Bottom line on this pistol:  It is a keeper and is a constant companion.  Get one, you'll thank me later.

Paste this address into your web browser  to find this pistol at Arnzen Arms:

And tell 'em that Average Joe sent you.

Reintroduced SIG P225

The SIG P225 is one of my favorite SIG pistols but SIG dropped them from their US catalogue many years ago. The US demand for this pistol was still strong so in the latter part of the last decade SIG emptied their warehouses of all remaining 225s and moved them into our marketplace.  Thousands of these pistols flooded gun shops but when they were gone, they were gone...until now!  SIG has reintroduced the P225 as the P225 A-1.  I'll get to the differences between the original design and the new A-1 after we look at a little history on the original P225.

 Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (SIG) got into the pistol business with the .45 ACP Model 220 which was marketed in the US in the late 1970’s as the Browning BDA. I had one offered to me in 1977 but turned it down since it did not look like a Colt Model 1911…ah, the mistakes of youth. When the West German police went looking to replace their Walther .32 caliber pistols with something a little more potent (global terrorism raising its nasty head and the Soviet Union just a stone’s throw away) they put out the word that they were looking for a single stack 9mm pistol. They chose three: the Walther P5, the Sig P255 (or the P6 in its government designation), and the Heckler & Koch P7. All were fine quality pistols (sadly none are still in production) but the SIG P225 was the least expensive of the trio and as the German States were authorized to select from these three the SIG got the lion’s share of the business.
The SIG P225 is a scaled down version of the SIG P220 .45 ACP. It is slimmer and maintains the graceful lines and classic profile of the P220 with a slightly more pronounced curvature of the backstrap that most people find very accommodating.

The P225 was an instant hit and became the authorized sidearm for the Swiss and Swedish police forces as well as the Canadian Navy.

In 1995 the German police decided to look for a new pistol and began to take the P225 out of service. This has begun the boon for those in the U.S. who have always wanted one as the surplus handguns eventually made their way to our shores.

When the P225 was discontinued it looked like the days of the single stack pistols was dead.  At the time the handgun market was enamored with high capacity pistols utilizing wide double stack magazines.  However the market trend began to change several years later as customers with handgun permits wanted pistols that were slimmer and easier to conceal.  The reintroduction of the P225 as the P225 A-1 was eagerly awaited by those who were fans of the original pistol.

The New P225 A-1 does have some design changes from the original most obvious is the the rounded trigger guard and wider undercut where the guard meets the grip.  Additionally, the distance from the back-strap to the front-strap is shorter than the original 225.  The most notable operational change is the short reset trigger.  I don't know how SIG does it but each year it seems they are able to shave a few millimeters off the reset.  In comparing the original and the A-1 the difference is huge.  The original P225 was designed and manufactured before the development of the short reset trigger.  In comparison, the reset of the A-1 is near miraculous.  

Otherwise, as the chart below shows, there aren't many differences between the specifications of the two designs.  

Specification	Original P225	New P225-A1
Caliber	9mm	9mm
Operation	Double/Single Action	Double/Single Action
Overall Length	7.1 Inches	6.9 Inches
Height	5.2 Inches	5.2 Inches
Width	1.3 Inches	1.26 Inches
Barrel Length	3.9 Inches	3.6 Inches
Weight	26.1 Ounces	30.5 Ounces
Trigger Pull	DA 12 lbs/SA 4.5 lbs	DA 10 lbs/SA 4.4 lbs
Magazine Capacity	8 Rounds	8 Rounds
Grips	Black Plastic	Black G10 with Silver Medal
Frame	Black Alloy	Black Alloy
Slide	Black Steel	Black Stainless Steel
Accessory Rail	No	No

 The new P225 A-1 is available with standard three dot sights or SIGlite night sights.

The wrap-around grips on the A-1 are constructed from G-10 which makes them impervious to blood, oil, solvent, water, etc.  The grips are also nicely checkered and I greatly prefer them to the original P225's plastic handles.  (which is why I opted for after market wood grips as seen in the photo of the pistol comparisons).  I also like the silver SIG medallion centered in the middle of the grip.

All of the pistol's controls are located on the left side of the pistol which included the take-down lever, the de-cocker, slide stop and magazine release.  Obviously, this pistol is not set up for left-handed users.

At 21 feet the pistol shot low and left but provided an excellent grouping.  

At 40 feet and changing my point of aim to the 2 O'clock point on the orange circle moved my shots over but they are still low.

This is an excellent pistol but mine will require a shorter front sight and I will need to have the gunsmith move the rear sight to the right (if you've ever tried to drift adjust a SIG sight you know that it really needs a gunsmith with the proper equipment).  

I'm glad SIG brought back the P225 in their A-1 configuration.  It has few changes from the original but the changes made bring the design into the 21st Century.