The PPS trigger is easy to use, but it was a bit spongy and sluggish initially. I am glad to report that after several hundred rounds the gun smoothed out and ended up with a surprisingly good trigger--not match grade but very useable for a defensive firearm.

Removing the interchangeable backstrap, accomplished by pushing a button located in a recess in the bottom, allows some customization of grip size and also disables the gun for fieldstripping.

The truth is, I did not like the PPS initially, but after shooting more than 400 rounds through the gun, it loosened up and ended up being a satisfying little pistol. This is not the first time I have seen this phenomenon in a semiauto. I have had a number of quality pistols over the years that have required a break-in period. The PPS just happened to be one of them.

Accuracy of the Walther was good from the beginning. I started my initial testing by shooting three-inch dots at 10 yards from an unsupported, two-hand stance. Both Hornady 124-grain XTP and Extreme Shock 115-grain Enhanced Penetration Rounds grouped nicely into these dots.

I was feeling pretty good about the PPS, so I moved back to 25 yards and attempted the same feat--but this time into the head and chest regions of a silhouette target. I was encouraged with the accuracy of the Extreme Shock rounds; I placed seven rounds into the head region, with five of the seven touching. The Hornady rounds also grouped well in a vertical line that was about three inches in length.

I was happy with these groups as the three-dot sights that are standard on the PPS are very low profile. What I believe helped was that the sights, which consist of a trim front sight combined with a wide rear window, allowed me to get more target information around the front sight. The rear sight is dovetailed in place while the front is held in place via a slotted screw that can be accessed once the slide and barrel are removed.

The PPS is equipped with an ambidextrous slide release lever instead of a single side button. The lever is nicely blended into the contours of the trigger guard, making it snag resistant, but I found it difficult to release the magazine regardless of whether I used my thumb or index finger. In the end, I had to use my middle finger as it offered me the leverage needed to release the magazine. Admittedly, I have very small hands, and those with normal to large hands will not have this problem.

Like the P99, the PPS has a rail on the dust cover for the mounting of short rail lights and lasers. The slide stop lever is located at the rear of the frame and has a ridge around it to keep from being inadvertently engaged.