PPQ 22 M2 Background
Following the same frame design as the Walther PPQ series, the PPQ 22 brought Walther’s ergonomics to an affordable target shooting, plinking, and training platform that mirrored the looks and feel – though not the function – of its bigger brothers chambered in 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP.
It’s not to be confused with the smaller double-action/single-action .22 LR Walther P22 Q introduced in 2002 with an external hammer. The Walther PPQ 22 pistols are distinctly designed to mimic the size and feel of the full-size striker-fired PPQs, but the PPQ 22 does so with an internal hammer instead of a striker.
Updated in 2013, the PPQ M2 basically Americanized the older Walther PPQ, which itself has genes dating back to the Walther P99 released in 1997. This was done by swapping the traditional Walther paddle magazine release for a reversible button-style release. I generally liked the paddle release on the classic PPQ, but there’s no question that it breaks with American shooting norms. Hence, I was instantly drawn to the PPQ 22 M2 as a more training-friendly design for its size and familiar controls.
Alas, production of new PPQ pistols ended in 2021 when Walther introduced its new PDP handgun line. The PPQ 22 M2 managed to stick around, at least up to now, and is still listed on the company’s website.
Related: Walther PDP Review – Thick in Size, Superb in Performance
While the PPQ 22 M2 is still filling the sporting role for Walther’s .22 LR handguns, I personally wouldn’t expect many updates to the gun in the future. Walther already released a new PDP-like WMP pistol chambered for .22 WMR. A PDP chambered for .22 LR may well be on the way as well.
Specs & Function
The .22 LR chambering isn’t the only thing that sets the PPQ 22 M2 apart from its bigger-bore brothers. Your standard PPQ uses a short recoil-operated locked-breech action. It’s similar to many of the modern handguns chambered for 9mm you’ll see on the market today. Instead, the PPQ 22 M2 is a simple blowback design with a fixed barrel.
A recoil spring rides under the barrel along a removable guide rod and recoil buffer. The parts are not captured together as they are with the PPQ. Where the original PPQ used a striker mechanism inside the slide assembly, the PPQ 22 M2 uses an internal hammer. There's no double-action feature to this hammer, so you will always have the same single-action trigger pull.
Related: Walther PPQ M2 Review – Winter Carry
The barrel is threaded and capped for adding a suppressor adapter. You can also pick up a suppressor-ready Walther PPQ 22 M2 SD or extend your barrel length and upgrade your sights with the version that features a 5-inch barrel.
Here’s a quick rundown on the basic specs for your standard factory PPQ 22 M2:
- Weight: 1.27 pounds
- Length: 7.13 inches
- Barrel Length: 3.9 inches
- Sight Radius: 6.1 inches
- Height: 5.5 inches
- Width: 1.36 inches
- Capacity: 12+1
- Trigger Pull: 3.76 pounds
I’ve heard almost nothing but glowing comments about the original PPQ’s factory trigger. Its little brother doesn’t seem as refined, but I still found it to be far nicer than your average plinker. Here’s a quick video demonstrating how it performs.
The trigger pull on this used gun came in at an average of 3.76 pounds after 10 pulls on my scale. There’s a very light take-up of just 0.25 inches before the wall. Then there’s some minor creep to the wall, but the break is crisp. Many .22 semi-autos I’ve tested have a sluggish break. It was nice to see that Walther put some effort into this trigger. The reset is a bit light but still positive with a travel of 0.25 inches.
You can adjust the rear sight with a flathead screwdriver for elevation, and it’s drift-adjustable for windage. You will need an Allen wrench to loosen the retaining screw to drift the rear sight. Other than that, the sights are your standard white three-dot affair.
Walther kept things ambidextrous when it came to the PPQ 22 M2 upgrades. There’s an elongated slide release on both sides. The magazine release is large and easy to reach without adjusting your shooting-hand grip. You can reverse the release to the right side if you are a sinister-handed shooter. (My left-handed wife appreciates the feature but not my terminology.)
The 12-round magazine design has a window cut at the top. This allows the single-stack magazine to stagger the top rounds as they approach the breech and avoid binding inside the magazine.
Deep angled serrations adorn the front and back of the slide. Grip texture is limited – smartly – to below the thumb area on the pistol grip. This makes moving your shooting-hand thumb smooth while the ergonomic grip shape offers fantastic control with a great hand feel. The texture itself is very positive without creating a gritty feel to the grip or uncomfortably abrading your hand.
Range Testing
This gun feels dreamy in the hands. It's like it belongs there, and your hand is almost more comfortable holding it than being empty. That dreamy feel didn’t translate into my best shooting performance for a .22 handgun to date. Still, the gun has shooting chops.
I put well north of 500 rounds of mixed .22 LR target ammo through this used gun with the majority of that being 325 rounds of Federal .40-grain AutoMatch and a healthy portion of a bulk 40-grain range pack. Reliability was solid without any noted issues over several range trips. Cleaning the gun was also a cinch give the simple blowback design.
Here’s a breakdown of how the gun performed for me at three different distances:
It wasn’t quite up to the accuracy performance I saw with designated target pistols like the Smith & Wesson SW22 Victory, which is a fantastic budget target gun, by the way. Still, holding 1-inch groups at 25 feet without much effort is an appreciable feat. This version with the 3.9-inch barrel only has a sight radius of 6.1 inches. Compare that to the generous 8.25 inches on the long SW22.
Related: S&W SW22 Victory Review – Wallet-Friendly .22 LR Target Killer
The PPQ 22 M2 also has a far more tactical feel to it that would make it a decent training platform beyond just shooting bullseyes at the range. It has a nice weight just a few ounces shy of the 9mm PPQ M2. This leaves it with minimal recoil while still feeling like there is enough weight to have training value if you happen to own a PPQ.
Finally, the gun is clearly designed to load and shoot at speed. The magazine well has beveled guides to assist rapid reloading, and the trigger is light and crisp. My only complaint here is the trigger reset. I really like a strong, positive reset. It’s something Glocks generally do well without getting much credit. I would personally enjoy a stronger reset, but I still never had any issues with short-stroking the trigger.
Pros & Cons
Here’s my short list of the pros and cons:
Pros:
- Great ergonomics
- Reliable with budget ammo
- Affordable price
- Affordable to shoot
- Nice trigger
- Ambidextrous design
- Adjustable sights
- Low recoil
- Accurate
- Front and rear slide serrations
- Easy to maintain and clean
Cons:
- Not optics-ready
- Basic three-dot sights
-
Somewhat soft trigger reset
Final Thoughts
As far as fun plinkers and training firearms go, it’s hard to see a downside to the Walther PPQ 22 M2. The gun has great ergonomics with solid reliability at a reasonable price. I’m personally wrestling with the thought of sending this one back to the Guns.com Vault.
I don’t really have a need for another .22 LR pistol, but that hardly feels relevant when I’m enjoying a gun on the range. If you are in the market for an affordable, reliable, and very comfortable .22 LR plinker, the Walther PPQ 22 M2 is a great place to start. It’s not at the top of my personal list for the best bullseye target shooters, but it has plenty of shooting chops for the money.
