If you’re a fan of the sublime and great ergonomics, then the new Walther Arms PDP Compact might be the perfect choice as your new carry pistol. The PDP Compact has a shorter frame that natively hosts 15-round magazines. It comes in two flavors, one with a 4-inch barrel and another with a 5-inch barrel that doesn’t…well, seem very compact to me. But what do I know? The review unit for this evaluation was the 4-inch version and it has everything you could want in a modern fighting pistol.
An optics-ready slide is standard for all PDP models as are the very aggressive SuperTerrain slide serrations. Other features include a Picatinny rail, a generously sized, American-style magazine release that is reversible for lefties (no, not liberal lefties), and an oversized triggerguard to accommodate gloved hands. Southpaws will also appreciate the ambidextrous slide-stop/release lever that operates just as well on either side. Some pistols with ambi slide releases don’t function as easily on the off side.
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The biggest selling points, however, are the PDP’s trigger and the phenomenal grip. The Performance Duty Trigger has a quarter-inch of pre-travel before it hits the wall. Then there’s an extra-crispy, highly satisfying break at an average of 3.75 pounds of pressure according to my Lyman digital gauge. That’s about as good as it gets for a striker-fired pistol. And the grip incorporates the contours from previous generations as well as the texturing from the Q4 SF and Q5 SF models. For me, it’s absolutely perfect, but I suppose it depends on the size of the individual shooter’s hands.
During the range trials, the PDP Compact got high marks for ergos, trigger control, ease of reloading, accuracy and reliability. One or two of the testers felt the pistol was a little flippy during recoil due to the extra mass of the slide, but that did not detract from user comfort or recoil absorption. The biggest ding on the PDP Compact was for the tiny, white-dot sights. Part of the reason for the smaller dots is to make the rear sight adjustable to dial in the user’s preferred load. But they were still small and not very quick to pick up when drawing down on the target.
The PDP Compact offers the complete package, from superior ergonomics to capacity to the ability to accessorize with optics and other accessories. An added bonus is that any PDP slide will fit on any size PDP frame. So, if Walther Arms doesn’t offer the configuration you want, you can build it for yourself.
