** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
Walther Arm's PPQ pistol, introduced in 2011, is the most modern iteration of the Walther personal-protection or duty pistol. A full-size, Ulm, Germany-made gun, the polymer-frame, striker-fired PPQ M2 has the take-down system and bilateral slide lock of the P99 combined with an articulated blade safety in the trigger and a new grip design with the magazine release behind the trigger guard on the frame. Originally offered in 9 mm or .40 S&W, a new version was brought into the line in early 2015—the PPQ M2, which has a longer slide and barrel that add a full inch to the overall length, improving its pointability, balance and overall handling. To see more of the pistol and watch Managing Editor Joe Kurtenbach take it down range, watch the above "Rifleman Review" segment from a recent episode of American Rifleman TV.
To learn more about Walther's history and its extensive pistol lineup, please enjoy the following articles:
Defensive gun use is defined by uncertainty. You don’t know when it will happen, how far away the threat will be, how many threats you will face or what position you will be in when it begins.
In 2025, Turkish manufacturer Derya Arms opened a new facility in Florida, enabling the company to produce a number of new products domestically, such as its new OBone suppressor.
The cycle of operation is the mechanical sequence of events that it takes to fire one shot out of a firearm. If one of those steps fails to take place as designed, there is an interruption in the cycle of operation and the gun stops firing.
The Colt Model 1911 pistol and its derivatives are among the most iconic military handguns ever made. But in 2026, does the M1911 still hold up as a quality defensive arm?