Full disclosure: I’m not a compact-gun person, primarily because I’d rather trust my accuracy with a full-size. That said, Walther has just sold me on the benefits of good things coming in small packages. The CCP M2 is one of the few carry guns I’ve ever used and been able to consistently hit a 4-inch-by-6-inch target at 10 feet reliably.
Walther has a good reputation within the industry, but its U.S. marketing efforts aren’t what they need to be if the company really wanted to make inroads into the customer base here. That said, with the CCP M2, they might consider pushing a good ad campaign, especially one that is geared toward shooters who are new to the every-day-carry world or new shooters in general.
One selling point of the CCP M2, especially for newcomers to shooting or carry, is that it incorporates a Softcoil gas-delayed blowback technology. The system directs gas pressure from the ignited cartridge through a barrel port as a way to slow down and delay the rearward motion of the slide. This works to minimize kick and lets you get back on target quickly, providing a shooter the opportunity to handle the defensive 9 mm Luger round almost as easily as a .22.
To be fair, that takes away a little bit from it being a great gun to shoot the tar out of at the range, because the gun heats up quickly. I took fewer than 100 rounds with me the first time, and had to take a couple of breaks during shooting to let the gun cool off. Not that it presented a problem with shootability, just that it was too hot to hold properly with a two-handed grip.
I used two types of ammunition—Lawman and Train + Protect—and both performed well in the gun, so it doesn’t seem to be as finicky as some comparably sized guns are.
The CCP M2 is not as narrow as some competitors, with a width of 1.18 inches, and it doesn’t offer all the bells and whistles of some guns in its class—I’m referencing things like high-end sights and the ability to rack the slide against a door jamb should you have to do it one-handed—but it’s worth a look.
The CCP M2’s reputation goes far beyond this writer’s day at the range. Its predecessor, introduced in 2014, won the NRA’s Golden Bullseye award in 2016 and placed second overall among female shooters in the American Rifleman Ladies Pistol Project.
The new iteration keeps the features that were greeted so well on the original, then it adds a few consumer-suggested changes, such as a tool-less takedown and a cocking indicator.
Walther’s reputation for reliability, the curve of the grip and the Softcoil system make it a solid recommendation.
The CCP M2 is offered in several variations: black with a Cerakote slide, black with a stainless slide, and there is an option to get one with a Viridian red laser attached to the front of the trigger guard. MSRP starts at $469.
