It has been a while since I took the Walther PPS out for some range time. I figured that I might as well give it a shot and see how I perform with it. While I was at it, I figured that it would be a good time to test other products like the Comfort Cling from Clinger Holsters and my preferred carry load, Remington 115 grain JHP. I had fun shooting the pistol, and I found some things that I think are very relevant to share. First thing I will cover is the holster I used. This holster is a clipless holster with a tacky outer skin that CLINGS to clothing and skin. This makes it so you don't have to worry about any clips and belt loops getting in the way. Heck, you don't even have to worry about wearing a belt for the most part. I have used this holster for a couple of other pistols and the PPS was the last one to try, so I gave it a shot. First thing to note is that the holster was a perfect fit for the holster. The rear sight was just outside the top of the holster. Inside the waistband and concealed, the holster doesn't move around much at all compared to other holsters that have clips. I really found it easy to get a consistent draw from any position and while moving. I cannot tell you how much of a big deal this kind of thing is. When the angle and position of the pistol does not move, you are not at as much of a risk of MISSING your gun when you need it most. During the entire range session the gun drew smoothly, but reholstering required two hands. The holster is semi-rigid, but it still requires help to make sure the pistol is inserted properly. The good news is that it is rigid enough to prevent any material from going into the trigger guard and setting the firearm off unintentionally. Helluva design. Next on the list is to talk about my experience with my carry load. Many people out there like to go with ammo that costs about a dollar per round. That is fine, but after testing I find it hard to justify that price when I can get an ammunition that is effective and costs little more than range ammo. The picture above is from my test out of a pistol of a similar barrel length. This is what happens when this bullet goes through bone. They aren't pretty, but the effect it had on target was. The penetration was deep and the expansion was consistent. The recoil on this round is very low, just like any other Remington 115 FMJ. Personally, I can't ask much more from a hollow point, and it doesn't cost a dollar per round to get this performance. My date with the Walther PPS started out smoothly with the first magazine, but the spare magazine started showing a weakness of this pistol. The pistol had not been lubricated, and in fact had been wiped dry. After the first magazine, I started having failures to eject/double feeds and in-line failures to eject. The situation just got worse and worse to the point that 7 out of 8 rounds I fired would have this problem. After about 50 rounds were forced through the pistol, it started functioning properly again. I did use my reloads for this but I know that it wasn't the cause for this because it eventually started working right with them. My theory is that it being dry caused it to hiccup because after some fouling, it started running like a top again. So with the bad part out of the way, let's talk about some other things. First thing I noticed when firing my reloads was how little snap I felt. My reloads are actually loaded pretty hot, so I expected more kick. I will admit that I did throw rounds left and right from having dramatic last minute attempts to control the recoil that never came. Embarrassing, but it is the way it is when you haven't shot a certain firearm in a while. Overall, my range session with the PPS was positive. It is very natural to point and shoot when under stress, and the wide open rear sight makes it easy to acquire front sight accountability. I am not necessarily going to use it as my preferred carry gun, but I like it as a backup option if the need arises. However, I am considering putting more rounds through this pistol in order to see the wear pattern and possibly carry it. Time will tell and I will keep you up to date on my carry guns and what I choose in the future.
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Do It RiteAlaska-Based Youtube Vlogger, Retired Marine, Firearm and Gear Tester. Archives
December 2023
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