New flagship model: Walther PDP Steel Frame Match FS in 9 mm Luger
“The unholy union of race gun and duty gun”: just one month after introducing the PD380, a .380 ACP compact carry pistol, Walther goes full size and drops the PDP Match Steel Fram FS (Full Size), a gun with a 5” polygonal-rifled barrel and featuring – you guessed it – a precision-machined steel frame. A firearm that “elevates the concept of excellence to unprecedented heights,” according to the claim.
Walther PDP Match Steel Frame video introduction
“The substantial weight of the steel frame is a game-changer, significantly taming recoil and delivering a level of smoothness in every shot that’s second to none,” they explain at Walther. The result: “Lightning-fast follow-up shots and laser-like accuracy”.
Who is the PDP Match Steel Frame pistol aimed to? Competitive sharpshooters or enthusiasts who demand “nothing but the best in terms of precision and durability”.
Speaking of accuracy, the latest striker-fired PDP model also features Walther's Dynamic Performance Trigger that provides a significant reduction in trigger weight, take up, and reset.
Being part of the PDP family, the Match Steel Frame variant comes optics ready, featuring a factory optics mounting cut. U.S. customers can request a free optic plate at https://waltherarms.com/choose-your-cut (a cover plate is included). Mounting plates can be ordered for all common Red Dots. Open sights are designed for co-witnessing. Moreover, here too we find the typical PDP protruding SuperTerrain slide serrations allowing for quicker and more responsive manipulation.
The performance duty grip texture is designed to enhance control and hold, and with its tetrahedron design, it is non-abrasive so there will be no irritation to the skin or clothing of the user.
Thanks to the wrap-around grip panel in particular, you can customize your pistol for a different grip feel and profile – factory and aftermarket grip panel options are available.
The pistol is in fact factory equipped with a magwell, which requires the use of the aluminum base pads. (Magazines with the standard polymer base pads will not seat in the magwell.)
Priced in the U.S: at $1,899, the Walther PDP Match Steel Frame comes with two 20-round and one 18-round magazines with aluminum base pads.
Also new: the 5-inch PDP Match but with a polymer grip
At the other end of the weight scale is the 5" polymer version of the Walther PDP, also as a match version (i.e. with cuts at the front of the slide), with an overall length of 216 mm – even a touch longer than the 5-inch steel frame version – but a whole pound lighter, at just 763 grams with an empty magazine. As with all previous polymer versions of the PDP, the pistol comes with interchangeable backstrap inserts to adjust the grip to the user's hand (size M is fitted, S and L are included).
Here too we find the Dynamic Performance Trigger and the magwell, so that the 18- or 20-round magazines can be quickly changed. In general, the magwell of both the steel and polymer match versions is slightly flared at the top.
This means that the little finger rests there with more pressure, which in turn raises the barrel slightly ("Red Dot Ergonomics" is what the marketing copywriters call it). At €1,199, this PDP match version can also be purchased immediately from specialist retailers.
The two all-steel variants of the Walther PDP Steel Frame Match: Full Size and Compact, with 20, 18 or 15-round magazines
The 5" Match version has two siblings with almost identical features: the 4.5" and 4" PDP SF (Steel Frame) models, with 114 mm and 101 mm barrel lengths respectively. The 4.5" pistol also has almost full-size dimensions in terms of width and grip, with only 12 mm missing from the overall length. It comes with three 18-round magazines.
The PDP Steel Frame Compact is a 4" pistol and feeds from 15-round magazines. However, both versions have the "Performance Duty Trigger" instead of the DPT trigger, which was also installed in the F version (not only for ladies), for example.
The Compact version naturally suggests that Walther has extended the potential customer base beyond competition fans to include service pistol carriers.
Of course, you can also perform "defense" tasks with the full-size 5-inch in the holster (all 15 PDPs available to date are located in this "Defense" product area on the Walther website anyway): after all, the acronym PDP also stands for "Performance Duty Pistol".
Specs and prices of the three Walther PDP Steel Frame and the Walther 5" PDP Match, all in 9mm Luger
| Manufacturer: | Carl
Walther | Carl
Walther |
| Model: | PDP Steel
Frame Match FS | PDP
Match Polymer |
| Caliber: | 9 mm
Luger | 9 mm
Luger |
| Magazine
capacity: | 18
rounds / 20 rounds / 15 rounds (Compact) | 18
rounds / 20 rounds |
| Frame: | Machined
from solid steel, one-piece aluminum grip | Glass
fiber reinforced polymer frame with steel inserts |
| Slide: | Milled
steel, black coated | Steel,
Tenifer coated |
| Barrel
Length: | 5"/127 mm (also available: 4.5"/114 mm and 4"/101 mm) | 5"/127 mm |
| Rear
Sight: | 3.7 mm
notch, fully adjustable with white non-luminescent outline | As
before |
| Front
Sight: | 3.7
mm, with white dot | As
before |
| Sight
Radius: | 188 mm
(176 mm for 4.5” model and 164 mm for 4” model) | 188 mm |
| Safety: | Trigger
safety, trigger-controlled firing pin safety and disconnector | As
before |
| Trigger
Type, Pull Weight: | Dynamic
Performance Trigger, 2,500 g (4.5” and 4” models with Performance Duty trigger to 2,500 g) | Dynamic
Performance Trigger, 2,500 g |
| Weight
(incl. Magazine): | 1,195
grams (1,145 g for 4.5” and 1,090 g for 4” models) | 763 g |
| Dimensions
(LxWxH): | 213x150x40
mm (4.5": 201x145x35 mm, 4.0": 188x137x36 mm) | 216x145x40
mm |
| Extras: | Hard
case, 3 magazines, tool, chamber safety flag | As
before, plus backstrap inserts (S, M, L) |
| Price: | 2,199
euro (5”), 1,899 euro (4.5” and 4”) | 1,199
euro |
