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Walther PPQ 1,000 Round Update

1,000 Rounds, 0 Failures

Over the holidays, I was able to make it to the range multiple times with my Walther PPQ. During this time, my PPQ passed the 1,000 round mark, and I have yet to clean or lubricate the pistol since I bought it. During this time I have had 0 failures of any kind.

Mini Endurance Test

Since I continue to be incredibly impressed with the Walther PPQ, I thought that I would post an update after every 1,000 rounds fired.

Unless someone sends me a bunch of free ammo or I win the lottery (which won’t happen because I don’t play), I don’t expect this round count to get anywhere close to some of the other endurance tests you’ve probably seen, hence the name “mini” endurance test. Nevertheless, this will serve as a data point for anyone considering purchasing the Walther PPQ.

The trigger continues to be fantastic, and if possible is even smoother now that it has been broken in. Accuracy remains outstanding, and as I shoot with the pistol more and more, my groups continue to tighten up. The pistol is better than I am for sure.

I plan to shoot another 1,000 rounds, bringing the total to over 2,000 rounds, before I clean or lubricate it again. Stay tuned for updates!

Update 1/30/2012 – Check out our 2,000 Round Endurance Test Update!

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23 Responses to Walther PPQ 1,000 Round Update

  1. J.R. January 7, 2012 at 9:07 pm #

    Bought the 9mm for my wife and on the second mag through we had a misfeed jam. Never happened again in the next 500 rds. Last time at the range had a very odd thing happen- the pistol went full auto for three or four shots! Scared the hell out of my wife and I then fired off the rest of her mag just fine. One of the best out of the box triggers I have ever used but I am little concerned about the performance. Paid $635 new in GA about seven months ago when they were sorta new and the hype was growing. Lately I have found PPQ’s selling for as little as $500.

    • Brandon January 8, 2012 at 8:54 am #

      Wow, thanks for sharing. You definitely need to send your PPQ in to Walther to be fixed. Let us know what happens!

    • chris December 22, 2012 at 6:14 am #

      I had that happen as well took my mom shooting as she is looking for a 9m. I shot a full mag just fine. She fire one round to feel the firearm out see liked it so i loaded 5 more rounds and it fired full auto all five round scared her too. did you ever figure out why this happend

  2. TK January 8, 2012 at 1:42 pm #

    Mine has been perfect as well. Don’t know how many rounds…maybe 500 or so.

    • Brandon January 13, 2012 at 5:27 pm #

      Awesome…rapidly approaching 2,000 rounds on mine!

  3. Derek January 22, 2012 at 8:23 am #

    the “full auto” may have been a “bump fire”…with the short reset it is easy to do without realizing it.

    • Brandon January 22, 2012 at 12:14 pm #

      Good point Derek!

  4. James February 14, 2012 at 2:54 am #

    After much research I’m planning on picking a PPQ up tomorrow. Thanks for being constructive to my decision

    • Brandon February 14, 2012 at 7:51 am #

      You’ll love it!

  5. Rob February 26, 2012 at 9:53 pm #

    Just ordered one myself and am looking forward to getting some range time with it. Thanks for the great review and the endurance test. Wow, 2000 rounds without cleaning and still functioning ok? Amazing.

    • Brandon February 27, 2012 at 7:53 am #

      You’re going to love it man. I cleaned it at 2,000 rounds for the first time, now getting close to 3,000 rounds…another update coming soon!

  6. Frank April 6, 2012 at 11:18 am #

    I purchased one a week ago. Still waiting on the paper work to clear. This week is ppaaaaasssiinnnggggg bbyyyyy soooooo slllloooowwwwwww. Can’t wait to put a few thru it.

    • Brandon April 6, 2012 at 11:24 am #

      Ha – you’ll love it! 3k round update coming soon…

  7. Psydr May 16, 2012 at 3:33 am #

    I’ve had mine for two weeks at this point. Simply, it’s one of the best handgun purchases I’ve ever made. I’ve already put nearly 3,000 rounds through it without a SINGLE malfunction. Although, I clean my firearm after every use, so I’m not exactly endurance testing.

    I found this article because I am considering concealed carry of my PPQ. Thank you very much for the holster information and the article on appendix carry. Do you prefer the 4-5 o’clock over the appendix or vice versa? Which reveals less printing in your experience with the PPQ?

    • Brandon May 16, 2012 at 6:34 am #

      I think both positions are comfortable, but no question that it prints less in the appendix position for me. Word of caution: as you know, the PPQ has an excellent trigger that is very light. By definition, this makes accidental discharges easier, so be very careful when going in and out of the holster, particularly in the appendix position (AIWB). The PPQ is an amazing gun, and AIWB works extremely well, but it does have a pretty light trigger. You probably know all of this, but it’s worth reiterating in case someone else doesn’t.

      Thanks for commenting!

      • Psydr May 16, 2012 at 2:14 pm #

        I guess my only concern with the appendix position is discomfort while sitting. Have you found this to be an issue with your holster and PPQ combination?

        • Brandon May 16, 2012 at 2:40 pm #

          Some people find it uncomfortable when sitting, some do not. For me it’s fine. Not as comfortable as 3:00 OWB of course, but not bad either. It depends on your body and the way the gun rides next to your stomach, and if it digs into certain regions when you sit (haha). Everyone is different. You can also increase comfort by wearing an undershirt, so that the gun “slides” up when you sit as opposed to digging or sticking in your stomach area.

          Having said that, if I’m going to go on a long drive (more than an hour or so) I take the gun off and put it back on when I get there. Hope that helps!

        • Jon October 21, 2013 at 8:49 pm #

          solution: shoulder holster!

  8. Chris January 2, 2013 at 5:17 am #

    How’s the recoil? Compared to say an XD or SR9, Glock etc. (I know that felt recoil can be very subjective)

  9. Psydr October 21, 2013 at 10:40 pm #

    Just a follow up for anyone interested. The PPQ has been my EDC for 14 months now using a Phlster Skeleton IWB Kydex holster. I couldn’t be happier. And, no, I do not experience any discomfort in the sitting position. And the gun is completely concealable with only a tshirt. That’s how I carried the entire summer.

    Endurance wise, I now have over 16,000 rounds through the PPQ and have become quite proficient with it. I have not experienced a single failure to feed or extract. Not a single one. This seems impossible to me. Never the less, it is the truth. Although, at 16k rounds I’m probably about due for a new barrel. That said, the pistol is still as accurate as the day I purchased it.

    I am disappointed Walther has chosen to move the magazine release to an American-pleasing thumb button in the M2. Although, I hear they are returning to the trigger guard release in the next version. The European style trigger guard release is significantly more functional if you allow yourself to get used to it.

    The only grip I have with this firearm is that on occasion the slide does not lock back letting me know it is empty. This is NOT the firearm’s fault. It is mine. The hold I have on the firearm causes my thumb to cover the slide release which can apply a slight downward pressure. This downward pressure is the same as releasing the slide, so on occasion the slide does not lock back. I have adjusted my grip somewhat to alleviate this issue. However, I don’t believe I should have to do so.

    This pistol is the most natural pointer I have ever fired, and the trigger in amazing. In the beginning I experienced a few multiple round bursts. This is simply due to the trigger having such a short reset. Having now fired thousands and thousands of rounds through this firearm, the multi-fire issue is no longer. The PPQ and I are one. 🙂

    The only modifications I have made to this pistol are as follows:
    – Trijicon night sights. Not sure they’re worth the money.
    – Talon grips. Best mod EVER. These significantly increased grip over the already outstanding PPQ grip texture.
    – BT stainless steel guide rod. Probably absolutely unnecessary, but plastic guide rods just bug me.

    If any of you have any questions regarding my experiences with the PPQ, just ask. I’m happy to share.

  10. Psydr October 21, 2013 at 10:41 pm #

    Brandon, Do you use the PPQ any more? I feel like you’ve moved on to Glock… 🙂

  11. BigMac March 16, 2014 at 12:34 am #

    The Walther PPQ has been an absolute joy to buy, hold and most importantly, shoot. With large amounts of training I do in my private time, I try to stick with the 9mm for cost reasons and availability. After deciding I wanted to replace my Sig Sauer P229 9mm I debated, researched and fired the Walther PPQ 9mm, Walther P99 9mm, Beretta M9A1 9mm, Beretta PX4 9mm, Heckler and Koch P30L 9mm, Smith and Wesson M&P Pro 9mm, Springfield XM Tactical 9mm, Glock 17 9mm, Glock 34 9mm and Sig Sauer P226 9mm. All of these pistols were put on trial by me at a local gun range over the course of approximately a month and all pistols had the same manufactured 200 rounds of full metal jacket put through them. The Walther PPQ was the second to the last pistol I tried and it was fantastic. The ergonomics, the recoil, the handling, the superb trigger and the extremely good accuracy. Undoubtedly the Walther PPQ wasn’t at the top of my list for a possible replacement at first but after firing it this pistol is definitely what we call, “On time and on target”. To give a little more weight to my opinion I served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2001-2005, worked for private contractors through the D.o.D. in the Middle East from 2005-2008, and now I am a law enforcement officer in the State of Florida. In all that time I have shot and qualified and been an expert with numerous pistols and by far the Walther PPQ is the best weapon for me. Today, I put 1,000 rounds of Fiocchi 115 grain full metal jacket through my Walther PPQ without any cleaning during the course and it did spectacular. During the firing I didn’t experience one failure to feed, failure to fire, stovepipe, magazine problem or anything. My Walther PPQ now has 1,500 rounds fired through it without a single issue. This is something I cant even say about my duty issue Glock 22. 40S&W. With my brand new duty issued Glock 22 in September 2013 I fired 1,000 rounds through the same course with Federal 180 grain full metal jacket and experienced 1 stovepipe, 1 failure to feed and 1 failure to eject properly. This pistol is so good I have decided to assist my fiancé and family in getting their hands on one and I would never recommend something to them I didn’t absolutely trust with their lives and mine. If your considering getting a pistol, do yourself a favor and at least look and try one of these wonderful pistols.

  12. Christopher Trujillo January 2, 2015 at 8:29 pm #

    I carried the Glock 17 for six years on duty. I’ve owned the M&P for over two years. Now I own the PPQ. I can’t understand why most people are so narrow minded when it comes to any other brand of firearms other than Glock. It’s like they just keep going with what everyone else thinks is correct. The fact is that there are several brands out there that are great and if given the chance can also develope a good tract record like Glock. It isn’t the brand name that makes the gun, it is the shooter in my opinion. Practice is the key. With that said, PPQ is an excellent firearm to have that very well can compete with Glock.