[JOJOBean81]

Hey everyone, this is my first time posting on the forum but certainly not my first time on here. I actually started getting on here and reading a lot post about 6 months ago prior to buying my PPS 9mm. I was looking for a new carry gun and had it narrowed down to a few and ultimately the PPS won. I will tell you this, I couldn’t be happier with this gun. It is such a tight, compact pistol, that carrying everyday is a joy compared to my previous carry. And the accuracy of this little gun, holy crap! I must say, I am impressed with Walther as this is my first Walther that I have personally owned.


Since I have had this gun, I have really put it through its paces and I wanted to post earlier about my experience with it but never got around to it. Recently I just completed a level 2 concealment course which is the second course I have completed since having this gun and I can’t say enough good things about it. In all, between the 2 classes, with 3 days total, I shot up about 1000+ rounds with ZERO issues. I also go to the range frequently and in total I have put well over 2000+ rounds through it and again, ZERO issue. I should also mention I bought this gun used. And Im not just plinking with it, I have really put it through a lot with the courses I took and do a lot of practical drills with it now at the range. I also started point shooting for the first time in my life and this gun is such a naturally pointing pistol, it makes it so easy to draw and put 2 round on target in no time with out the aid of sites.


The two courses I completed while using the PPS where the Defensive Handgun Condition Readiness-level 1, which was 2 days under the hot Florida sun, and the Advanced Concealed Carry-Level 2, which was a one day course. Both courses where through Bushido Tactical, out of Orlando Florida. And while this post is manly to discuss my overall happiness with this gun, I also want to express my overall happiness with Bushido Tactical as well. Wade Rorich, who is the Instructor and owner of Bushido Tactical, was extremely knowledgeable and I can’t say enough good things about him as well as Jenifer, who is with Bushido and a part of their shooting team and assists Wade in his courses. If anyone lives in the central Florida area, I highly recommend you look them up (bushidotactical.com).
Both courses where intensive and hard on the gun….or at least much harder on the gun than a typical range day. We did everything from timed draws, to zero meter drills, multiple target engagement, speed and tactical reloads and even EP (Executive Protection) drills.
In short and not to make this post to long, THIS GUN IS AWESOME. Although I did note a few things while doing the courses with the PPS, overall, I just couldn’t be happier. And, again, thanks to Wade and Bushido Tactical!


So, for anybody looking for a great carry gun that can run through extensive drills and training with no issues, well the PPS has my vote.



-Jesse

 

[PatAz]

Always glad to read about good results with the PPS.

 

[Dude22]

WOW!! Now that is impressive. Both you and the gun. Keep us posted!

 

[Whitebrad25]

Thank you for the write-up

 

[Dmars]

THIS GUN IS AWESOME. Although I did note a few things while doing the courses with the PPS, overall, I just couldn’t be happier.
-Jesse

Great report. I wish every CCW holder had the opportunity to run a few courses such as these. Could you please expand on the partial quote listed above. Thanks.

 

[JOJOBean81]

Great report. I wish every CCW holder had the opportunity to run a few courses such as these. Could you please expand on the partial quote listed above. Thanks.

Not a problem. Lol, after I posted this, I figured someone was going to ask, I guess I should have elaborated. I first want to say that they were situation specific things that I noted. I think everyone can agree that no single gun is the perfect weapon for ALL situations. The courses I took tends to expose things about your weapon you might not normally think about and trust me, it wasnt just me with my gun that realized this.

One example is this. One handed shooting, left handed while doing reloads and clearing drills. Some might think, "ok, so when would this ever happen?" but there are plenty of situations it could. You might actually be injured in a situation that leaves your right arm useless and your forced to use what you have got. Who knows, but most threats are NOT going to present their selves while standing comfortable with you gun already drawn and on target....things can be very crazy in a defensive situation.

When we fist did the left handed drills, we started with two hands and even with snap caps while practicing reloads for safety reasons. Good thing too, we all looked like, well, the term "a monkey &^*%^&$# a football" came to mind, lol. It was very un-natural and we all looked rather rediculous. If you have never tried shooting left handed (this is of course if you are a right handed shooter) let alone holding your gun left handed, try it. You will see what I mean. Anyways, we eventually got to clearing drills and doing it one handed, first with our right and then with our left. If you have only the use of your left hand and have a stove pipe our in our scenario, a double feed, try manipulating the slide stop/lock with you left hand on the PPS, without the use of your right hand mind you. There are means of racking the slide back one handed, which we practiced, but racking it back and locking the slide with your left hand proved to be virtually impossible, at least for me.

I know this is extreme, but these courses really opened my eyes to things like this and it helps you to come up with alternative means of doing the drills, if it can be done it all.

One of the other things was the lack of a loaded chamber indicated that can be felt in low light. But, we did learn "push check" drills to overcome this, so that is really not an issue. But it is things like this that will help me evaluate my next selection, which will be soon hopefully!

The PPS, like I said before, functioned flawlessly. It was the course its self that exposes limitations of not only the guns used but the shooters as well. I think this is one of the most import things you can get from courses like these. You can be the best shot at you local indoor range but if you dont apply practical situations that involve more that standing comfortably in front of your target while focusing on your breathing and trigger control, you are missing out.

One of the other things I came to a conclusion on though, is that I need to get night sight. Right now i have the standard three dot sight and with such a low profile, it can be difficult to sight in. But, I have begun to remedy that by working on my point shooting and ensuring proper skeletal alignment while shooting.

Still though, this gun rocks! lol.

 

[Dmars]

Excellent....thanks again for the report.

 

[JOJOBean81]

Not a problem at all. Im glad I could provide positive feedback on the PPS. Here is a video of one of the drills we ran during the Level 2 class with Bushido Tactical.

This was my buddies truck so I was trying not to move to fast and put a round through it.. And all shots where on target and center mass.

 

[Whitebrad25]

Very nice, what were the distances on those shots?

 

[JOJOBean81]

It was a multiple unknown distance drill. They ranged from 1 meter (out the window) to about 30 meter for the further ones. That was my second go on the drill. The first time I kind of got caught up in the moment and engaged all targets from the front of the truck. Wade, the instructor, would give pointers after your first run, like not staying in one place and paying attention to any exposed areas of the body. Trucks in particular are hard to use as cover because, like Wade mentioned, most are high enough where an aggressor could shoot under the truck and ricochet rounds into your lower legs and feet.

 

[surrealone]

Was your issue with one-handed clearing limited only to the operation of the slide lock? Remember: The PPS doesn't have a slide release -- only a slide lock. It's not designed to be a release, which means there should be no need to operate it as such. Thus, one-handed racking of the slide should be the only concern and there are a variety of ways to do that which aren't specific to the PPS.

Surreal

 

[JOJOBean81]

Was your issue with one-handed clearing limited only to the operation of the slide lock? Remember: The PPS doesn't have a slide release -- only a slide lock. It's not designed to be a release, which means there should be no need to operate it as such. Thus, one-handed racking of the slide should be the only concern and there are a variety of ways to do that which aren't specific to the PPS.

Surreal

Surreal,

I appreciate your interest and your post to this thread. Also, thanks for the advise about the slide lock, I will keep that in mind. With that being said, I feel you might have missunderstood what I had posted in response to Dmars.

What I had said was " There are means of racking the slide back one handed, which we practiced, but racking it back and locking the slide with your left hand proved to be virtually impossible, at least for me."

I was saying that to actually lock the slide back, using the slide lock, with your left hand is very difficult and it was impossible for me and my hands. When you hold the PPS with your left hand, your index finger is now on the slide lock and it proved impossible for me to manipulate the slide lock to lock the slide back with my left hand, index finger. With one handed, I understand there are means to rack the slide back, which I stated. But to rack it back and lock it back with the left hand didnt work and in the case of clearing drills for a double feed, this became evident.

This really wasnt anything negative towards the gun, someone with smaller hands might be able to operate the slide stop with their left index finger to lock back the slide.

Again, these courses push both the limits of the firearm and the shooter and I am greatful to have gained the knowledge and the confedence in both myself and my equipment.