Walther PDP

The Walther PDP (Performance Duty Pistol) is a 9×19mm Parabellum semi-automatic pistol designed in 2021 by Walther Arms as a replacement for the Walther PPQ.

History

The first pre-production PDPs were distributed in 2020, and the final design was released in February 2021.

The PDP has been designed to be more modular than previous Walther handguns, and has been described by Walther as their flagship handgun.

Design

The PDP is a striker-fired, recoil-operated semi-automatic pistol chambered in 9×19mm Parabellum, with a longer grip and larger magazine capacity than the previous Walther PPQ design.

The PDP grip uses a custom texture, which makes acquisition of the red dot easier, and improves handling of the pistol in adverse weather conditions.

The slide on the PDP is milled, allowing it to accept red dot sights without prior modification, and the slide contains serrations above the surface, making it easier to operate.

The three-dot iron sight line features the same mounting method that is used on Glock pistols, meaning the PDP can accept aftermarket Glock iron sight lines.

The trigger is cross-compatible with the PPQ, but is lighter due to a shortened takeup. It has a trigger pull of approximately .

Variants

The PDP was originally offered in full-size and compact grip frame variants.

In 2022, Walther released a new competition-oriented variant of the PDP at that year's SHOT Show, the PDP SD Pro, which includes a threaded barrel, reinforced optic cut, flared magwell extension, and an improved trigger.

In late 2022, Walther released the PDP F-Series which features “reduced trigger reach, reduced grip circumference, and reduced force necessary to operate the slide and you truly have the perfect tool for those with smaller hands.”

In December 2023, Walther released the PDP Match and PDP Match Steel Frame.

In May 2024, the PDP and its compact variants were adopted as the standard issue pistol for the German special forces, having won the ''"System Pistole Spezialkräfte"'' programme bid to supply up to 6,500 pistols to the Bundeswehr.

Users

*
:* Bundeswehr Special Forces - designated P14 (PDP Full-Size) and P14K (PDP Compact), replacing the P8, P9, and P12 variants by Heckler & Koch)
::*Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK) - Command Special Forces
::*Kommando Spezialkräfte Marine (KSM) - Marine Special Forces
::*Special Forces of the Military Police
*
:* Pennsylvania State Police.
:* Brevard County Sheriff's Office (FL.)
:* Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Reception

''American Rifleman'' called the PDP an "excellent addition to the market that will allow Walther to compete strongly against the established leaders", praising its "best-in-class trigger, excellent controls and exceptional accuracy."

The author said that it outperformed other striker-fired pistols he had used in the past, and went on to call the PDP his "current choice" for striker-fired pistols. ''Guns & Ammo'' described it as "the most modular and versatile pistol designed by Walther", also noting its accuracy and high quality trigger.

''Guns.com'' called the PDP's ergonomics "revolutionary", and named it as one of the best guns of the year.

References

External links

Official owner's manual

{{Walther

Weapons and ammunition introduced in 2021
Walther semi-automatic pistols
Semi-automatic pistols of Germany
9mm Parabellum semi-automatic pistols
9×21mm IMI semi-automatic pistols