I’m a Walther fan. Believe it or not, I’m not a PPK or PPK/S fan, but a fan of Walther Arms P99, PPQ, and now the PDP series. I think Walther doesn’t get the credit it deserves when it comes to handguns, and they are seemingly always willing to do something a little different. The company’s newest handgun, the PDP, takes cues from the PPQ but is the first handgun I’m aware of that’s built specifically with a red dot in mind.
The grip has been redesigned to make finding your red dot easy and simple. It’s ergonomic changes benefit shooters new to the red dot world. The PDP series is the first of Walther’s many modern firearms to acquire several American police contracts. While the Walther series saw success overseas with various firearms, the PDP has attracted local and state police contracts in the United States.
Why? Why has the PDP succeeded where the P99 and PPQ barely made headway? I reached out to Walther and simply asked.
Walther Arms PDP and New Priorities
I was told by Cody Osborn, Walther’s head honcho of marketing, that Walther now has a domestic law enforcement sales team. Law enforcement agencies don’t just go to a gun store and poke around until they find something they like. They often put out invitations to bid, and law enforcement sales teams often respond by sending pistols to the Department to test and evaluate or even sending someone to give a presentation.
Having a team actively seeking out police contracts will increase your chances of getting sales, but you still have to have a solid gun. Walther is put up against SIG and Glock, both dominating the law enforcement field and having dug themselves in. Not to mention they likely have a more experienced law enforcement sales team as a whole.
So, why has the PDP succeeded? According to Cody Osborn, it’s down to performance. Whenever law enforcement agencies test the Walter PDP against other guns, the PDP always delivers the best performance in the hands of police officers. I’d imagine that the price point might be a stickler, but I can’t confirm.
The Red Dot World
I think a big reason why the PDP succeeds is the movement of police forces towards red dots. The PDP isn’t just red dot ready, it’s designed to be used with red dots. If you’re new to red dots, the PDP makes it easier to find the dot on the draw. I attended a training course conducted by Hogg Tactical that Walther and Safariland sponsored.
We used PDPs with Aimpoint ACROs. I was the only civilian on the course and was one of the few who had used a red dot on a handgun before. Still, each officer was able to quickly and confidently find the dot and got used to shooting with the dot on the first drill. Finding the dot and not looking for irons is the first challenge you have to overcome when transitioning to a red dot.
More Options
Walther also produces the PDP in various configurations. Most companies do, but the PDP allows the user to mix and match slides and frames to create the gun they want. Another benefit is things like the F series. The F series was built for those with smaller hands, specifically women, but anyone with smaller hands can benefit from the F series.
Gabby Franco was teaching police officers and noticed how many female officers had trouble reaching the trigger. This helped inspire the production of the PDP-F series.
Most duty guns aren’t made for smaller hands, and the PDP offers an alternative to the larger grips of most guns. The Pennsylvania State Police adopted the PDP and gave their officers a choice between the standard PDP and the F series.
The first graduating class of the Pennsylvania State Police had zero failures at the range. They had swapped from the SIG P227, a massive metal frame .45 ACP, to the slim and trim PDP. It undoubtedly makes a significant difference. Half of the class had chosen the F Series.
The Rising Tide of the PDP
The Pennsylvania State Police adopted the PDP, as mentioned. So did the Brevard County Sheriff’s Department in Florida. Another state police agency, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, also adopted the Walther PDP for its police forces.
Overseas, the PDP has been chosen by various forces, including German Special Operations units. The gun appears to have a bright future ahead of it. I don’t have any stake in Walther succeeding, but I like seeing companies I like get ahead.
For more information, please visit WaltherArms.com.
