Walther PDP Compact Steel Frame Pistol Review: Double-Duty

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While polymer-frame guns still own the lion’s share of the semiauto pistol market, consumers and gun companies have recognized that metal-frame guns offer real benefits. Walther was at the vanguard of this “back to the future” move toward metal, and its latest example is the PDP Compact Steel Frame.

Walther bills its PDP Steel Frame series, which includes 4.5- and five-inch models in addition to the Compact, as a sort of hybrid race/duty gun. That makes sense, since the weight results in a flat-shooting gun that will prove easy to shoot for a lot of folks.

The PDP Compact Steel Frame weighs just a shade over 40 ounces—on par with, say, a full-size steel 1911. Its four-inch barrel produces an overall length of 7.4 inches, and its 5.4-inch-high frame accepts 15-round magazines. The Compact ships with three magazines, which is pretty much in line with what you want in a duty gun and close to what you’d want for action competitions.

The slide has Walther’s SuperTerrain serrations fore and aft. They’re aggressive as all get-out and really effective for press checks and slide racking. The sights are polymer, and they’re white three-dot. The rear is fully adjustable—yay!—and a tool that fits the tiny adjustment screws is provided.

Optics Ready

The slide is cut for optics, and a plate is free with purchase, although you do have to order it from Walther. But the company is quick about it and offers plates for the most popular footprints—including the Trijicon RMR HD, which I mounted for testing, and even harder-to-find plates like the Aimpoint Acro. The polymer slide cover continues the SuperTerrain serrations, so you don’t lose traction with it on.

I own two Walthers and have shot several more, and in my opinion, nobody makes a better production striker-fired trigger. The Dynamic Performance Trigger on the sample PDP Compact Steel Frame broke at three pounds, 10 ounces and was incredibly consistent—which is part of what makes an outstanding trigger. You’ve got just under 3/8 inch of take-up followed by an ultra-clean break and a short, sharp reset.

Walther striker-fired guns are among the few pistols on which I’ll consistently use the slide stop as a slide release because it’s got a long thumb-contact surface and a long overall length that provides excellent leverage.

The magazine button is oversize and checkered, although I can’t quite reach it without shifting the gun from a firing grip. The takedown lever is a rotating teardrop.

Large Grips

The grips are wraparounds with the Performance Duty texture, consisting of pointed polygons that provide great traction and control. This is enhanced by a frontstrap that’s checkered at 20 lines per inch.

I find the grip a bit overly large for my medium-size hands, and if you find that to be the case, companies like Lok Grips offer thinner replacements for the PDP Compact Steel Frame. If you go that route, be sure you order the grips designed specifically for the Compact. I bought Lok thin grips for my Q5 Steel Frame Match, and they made all the difference. Plus you can add a bit of bling if basic black is not your thing.

The bottom of the pistol’s grip has a little “toe” at the front—Walther’s “red dot ergonomics.” This feature lets you apply more pinky pressure at the base of the grip, which will help keep the muzzle down and is a big aid in picking up a red dot quickly, especially on the draw.

With a Trijicon RMR HD aboard, the gun was accurate from the bench, although for some reason it didn’t like the usually accurate Hornady Critical Defense. The pistol excelled on drills, especially speed-oriented exercises where the gun’s weight made fast follow-up shots a cinch.

Draw Times

While I’m usually slower with red dots from the holster, my draw times with this gun were comparable with my iron sight times—likely helped by the red dot ergonomic frame feature. Note that PDP Steel Frames do not work with holsters designed for the polymer-frame PDPs because of the different takedown lever.

The two words that best describe the shooting experience are “fast” and “soft.” The PDP Compact Steel Frame truly is an alliance of race gun and duty gun. Would I carry it concealed? Probably not, as it’s bigger and heavier than what I would choose for that.

But if I were a law enforcement officer I’d take a close look at this gun, and it would make a fantastic home-defense gun. The slide does take some strength to operate, so it’s not for everyone, but just about anyone should be able to shoot this gun really well thanks to its soft nature and its fantastic trigger. It’s a great addition to Walther’s PDP lineup.

Walther PDP Compact Steel Frame Specs

• Type: striker-fired semiauto centerfire
• Caliber: 9mm Luger
• Capacity: 15+1; 3 mags included
• Barrel: 4 in.
• OAL/Height/Width: 7.4/5.4/1.1 in.
• Weight: 40.4 oz.
• Construction: steel slide, frame
• Grips: Performance Duty Texture wraparound
• Trigger: Dynamic Performance, 3 lb. 10 oz. pull (measured)
• Sights: white three-dot polymer; fully adjustable rear; slide cut for optics
• Safeties: trigger lever, two internal
• MSRP: $1,699
• Manufacturer: Walther, WaltherArms.com

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