As a proud owner of the Walther PPQ M1, and a Walther fan in general, I was very intrigued when Walther released the PPQ Subcompact. We recently received a T&E pistol to make holster designs for the PPQ Subcompact, and I was presented with the opportunity to compare the PPQ Subcompact with my Walther PPQ M1. So, I went out to the range and this is what I found.
Differences
The main difference between these pistols is, of course, size. The PPQ Subcompact's barrel is 3.5-inches compared to the 4-inch barrel of the PPQ M1. In addition to different barrel lengths, they also have different mag releases. The PPQ M1 has a paddle release and the PPQ Subcompact has a button release. The PPQ Subcompact ships with the mag release installed on the left side of the pistol, but it also comes with a right-side mag release for southpaws.
Shooting
A little surprising to me, but I noticed better accuracy with the PPQ Subcompact. The trigger is the same as the M1 and it's a great trigger, in my opinion. I shot the PPQ Subcompact with both the 10-round mag and the 15-round mag. I preferred shooting with the 15-round mag. The length of the 15-round mag fit my hands better, but if you have smaller hands you may prefer the 10-round mag. Overall, the PPQ Subcompact is a smooth shooter. It has great ergonomics and the recoil of the 9mm round is easy to handle in this subcompact.
Little Bugs
A couple things stood out on the PPQ Subcompact that bugged a little.
First, the mag wiggles when seated. This did not affect the function or comfort of the pistol - I just prefer my mags to feel more secure in the mag well. This may not bother you at all.
Second, the mag sleeve on the 15-round mag slides up when loading. This is typical of mag sleeves, but it kept pinching my finger. The speed loader that came with the gun functioned as expected, but I typically load by hand. Again, not a huge deal. Just a little bug I thought was worth mentioning.
Concealability
If you decide to carry with the PPQ Subcompact with the 15-round mag, there's really no difference between concealing the full-size PPQ M1 and the PPQ Subcompact. However, if you opt to go with the 10-round mag that sits flush in the PPQ Subcompact, it will be much easier to avoid printing when carrying concealed. I'd recommend carrying with 10+1 loaded up in the pistol and the 15-round mag in a separate mag carrier.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the PPQ Subcompact is yet another great pistol from Walther. It has me really thinking about purchasing this pistol for an everyday carry. After comparing the PPQ Subcompact with the PPQ M1, they're very similar performance-wise - which is great since I really like how the PPQ M1 has performed for me. With the option of having the same accuracy and great trigger in a smaller package with the PPQ Subcompact, I have to consider it.
Our design team is currently working on holster designs for the Walther PPQ Subcompact.
Thank you for reading along! If you have any experience with these pistols let us know in the comments. Also, please let us know what pistols you would like us to compare in the future!