Sub-Compact, Single Stack Alternative: The Walther CCP

When I earned my first Concealed Handgun License, I carried either a compact or a full size handgun. Pistols like a Glock 19 or a Smith & Wesson M&P were tucked in my waistband most often, and for the most part they worked. After one summer in the hot Texas sun, I started looking for a sub-compact, single stack pistol that could be concealed under the lightest of garments.

I wanted a 9mm, and I wanted an easy to shoot pistol. Sub-compact pistols are not the easiest to control, especially when compared to a larger handgun in the same caliber. Even though getting a Glock 26 and sharing magazines with the Glock 19 would make logistical sense, it is still a double stack pistol and I wanted something that was slimmer, and with a bit more flair.

At the time, the two major players in the sub-compact, single stack market were the Smith & Wesson Shield, and the Glock 43. Both pistols are excellent choices, but I wanted something just a little bit different. When I shot a friend’s Shield the grip felt weird to me and Glocks are, quite frankly, boring.

After careful deliberation that consisted of handling a few handguns in the local gun store and watching a handful of videos on YouTube, I settled on a relatively new competitor in a the single-stack sub-compact pistol market, the Walther CCP.

The pistol is, generally speaking, like a shrunken version of Walther’s fullsize/duty line of pistols, the PPQ. It fits well in my hand, and holds eight rounds in its single-stack magazines with attached pinky-finger baseplates. My example is a relatively early first generation model, an “M1,” with a stainless steel slide. The slide has serrations on the front and rear for ease of operation, and a set of polymer, three-dot sights on top. The sights work well and I’ve had no problem with mine so far.

The CCP, or “Concealed Carry Pistol,” is an interesting pistol for a couple reasons. The first is that it is a gas-piston delayed blow-back operated pistol, which is unique. Another notable example of this is another German gun, the H&K P7 series. Referred to by Walther as “Softcoil,” the piston driven system is quite similar to the H&K P7, and makes for a relatively soft shooting pistol despite its small size.

Another interesting component of the CCP is the manual thumb safety on the side of the pistol. Most striker fired pistols do not come with a manual safety, as there are several internal safeties instead. Some folks are more comfortable with a manual safety, and with some practice it is easy to get the hang of operating the safety on the draw and re-holster movements. If you have operated a 1911 in the past, the safety should be second nature in both position and operation on the CCP.

I have only two issues with the CCP so far. The first is that the trigger has an incredibly long reset, with very little tactile warning, and only a slightly audible “click”. After firing the pistol, the shooter has to allow the trigger to return almost the full way to the starting position to hear the reset “click.” This issue can be overcome with thorough practice both dry firing and with live ammunition to get the hang of it.

Additionally, the CCP M1 requires a tool to disassemble the pistol for cleaning, which is uncommon in modern semi-automatic pistols. It isn’t the biggest deal in the world, but it is annoying. My understanding is that the current generation, the CCP M2, does not require a tool for disassembly which is a good change on Walther’s part.

Overall, I really like this pistol, and I am happy with my choice to purchase it. Of its class, it is one of the only pistols that has a full accessory rail on the frame, which I have adorned with a Streamlight TLR-3 for night-time adventures. It might be slightly bigger and longer than a Smith & Wesson Shield or Glock 43, but I find that it is just about the perfect size for concealment and shoot-ability.

In fact, I like the CCP so much that when my Mom started looking for a pistol to buy my Dad for Christmas, it was at the top of my list of recommendations. My Dad seems to really like it as well, and he shoots it very well for a newbie.

Concealing the CCP is quite easy due to its size and design. I carry mine in a well-made kydex holster. Holster options for the CCP were limited for a time, but now with a bit of interwebz searching, you can find a good holster from reputable brands quite easily. Tucking the gun and holster into my belt under a light t-shirt is easy enough, and I never have had any worries about printing.

In addition to concealing well, the CCP shoots really well. The grip feels natural in my hand, and it points naturally as well. The pistol’s fixed barrel and balanced proportions mean that if the shooter does their part, the CCP is very accurate especially considering its size and intended purpose.

The Walther CCP is an almost constant range companion for me, and I found that right out of the box the pistol was more than capable of hitting reduced-size silhouette targets if I focused on my fundamentals. After a bit more practice, I was more than comfortable stretching the range out a bit more, to fifteen and twenty yards. After that distance, my marksmanship with the CCP falls apart a bit, but the little pistol is more than capable in a pinch.

In a more recent adventure to the range, Jenny took the little 9mm for a spin. She has some experience on larger pistols, like the Beretta M9. Larger, double stack pistols like that don’t fit her small hands very well, but she was easily able to control the smaller CCP. The recoil of the 9mm in such a small frame still jumps around quite a bit in her hands, but there is now a .380 ACP version of the CCP, and that would be just perfect for her, in my opinion.

All things considered, the Walther CCP is an excellent choice to the prospective buyer who wants something that is easy to shoot and easy to conceal. It is not the most famous of Walther’s handguns, and can sometimes be overlooked in a market that appears to be completely enamored with the Glock and Smith & Wesson offerings. This is a mistake, and I believe the Walther CCP is one of the best options for concealed carry out there.