First Impressions
I get about a dozen Instagram messages a week from women asking me to recommend a concealed carry pistol. Of course, this is a highly individualized choice, so I send them a list to try. I'm always on the lookout for guns to add to that list, so I picked up a CCP M2 from the Guns.com Certified Used section to take for a spin.
The first thing I noticed is the gun’s good looks. In a sea of blocky, polymer-framed guns, Walther's style is distinctive.
The second thing I noticed is that it feels nice in the hands. Finger grooves are polarizing in the gun community, but I generally like them. On the CCP M2, the grooves extend onto the sides of the grip, giving it an ergonomic feel. The size, weight, and grip all were comfortable to handle even with small hands, and I was excited to see how it shoots.
Features
The main feature that makes the Walther CCP M2 an attractive choice is the easy-to-rack slide. This seems perfect for new shooters who aren't used to manipulating firearms, as well as experienced shooters who are small or lack strength.
Walther used its SoftCoil gas operating system, which is a delayed-blowback design that uses a gas piston to assist slide operation. Gas from the fired round travels through a small port and drives the piston under the fixed barrel. As that pressure drops, the slide cycles. This technology, combined with a lighter recoil spring, means you can work the slide almost effortlessly.
The pivoting gas piston design also slows the movement of the slide, which results in less felt recoil. Because of this, the CCP M2 is the epitome of a soft and flat-shooting pistol.
I've never shot the original CCP, but I've heard it was a pain to take down. It required a tool that many people lost, so the M2 was upgraded to toolless takedown. I didn't have a manual of arms with this used test gun, so I did a quick search online to find the info I needed. Even without needing a tool, this pistol is somewhat finicky to disassemble and not as straightforward as most modern striker-fired pistols.
As I mentioned before, the gun feels good in my hands, and my husband agreed. We could both fit all three fingers on the gun comfortably. I have always liked Walther's Hi-Grip texturing and felt it kept my hands locked enough while shooting.
Controls
The front and rear slide serrations work well, even though you don't need much force to rack the slide. The slide lock lever is a little small, but I could manipulate it decently, and small is better for concealed carry.
This M2 version has a magazine release button instead of a paddle, and it's easy to reach and push. The three-dot white adjustable sights are okay, but if I kept this gun, I'd upgrade immediately.
As far as safety features go, you'll get a manual thumb safety as well as a firing block pin drop safety that is deactivated when the trigger is squeezed. The CCP M2 also includes a magazine disconnect safety, and it will not fire unless the magazine is fully seated. A red dot on the back of the pistol serves as a loaded-chamber indicator.
Specs
Here's a breakdown of the basic specs for the Walther CCP M2:
- Weight (Empty): 19.4 ounces
- Length: 6.41 inches
- Barrel Length: 3.54 inches
- Height: 5.12 inches
- Width: 1.18 inches
- Trigger Pull: 5.5 pounds
- Caliber: .380 ACP
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Capacity: 8 +1
Concealed Carry
At first glance, this handgun looks concealable and easy to carry in terms of size. The CCP M2 also comes in a 9mm variation in case .380 ACP isn't your jam.
I didn't have a holster to test concealed carry, but given its size, it should conceal well for most people. It is roughly the same size as my Glock 48 MOS, but the CCP M2 is shorter overall. At 5 feet tall with a short torso, I can conceal my G48 in fall and winter clothing, so I believe the CCP M2 would carry similarly.
A quick online search turns up several holster makers with options for the CCP M2. As usual, there aren’t as many choices as you'd have for a Glock, but I found several holsters that look promising.
Accuracy...
I'm always happy to shoot .380 ACP. With less recoil than 9mm, it makes for a fun and easygoing range visit. After handling and dry-firing the CCP M2, I had a feeling it would shoot softly, and I was correct. The size of this pistol combined with the caliber makes for an almost recoil-less experience.
I shot two magazines with my target at 5 yards to get the feel of the gun. I had a decent group, although I was pulling to the right a bit, which happens sometimes because I have short fingers. I cleared this up by the third magazine.
At 7 and 10 yards, I was able to easily maintain groups. My 15-yard groups improved, as I had gotten used to the pistol by then. That surprised me, because the stock sights were slightly difficult to pick up.
And Reliability
Trigger pull is advertised as 5.5 pounds, and although I didn't measure it myself, I would say it's at least that and maybe a bit more. The trigger isn't bad per se, but I expected a bit more given my experience with other Walthers. It has a lot of travel and what I can only describe as "squish" on the take-up. The reset is long and doesn't feel consistently predictable. You can see from the photos that I dropped one or two shots every couple of magazines.
That said, this pistol is easy to shoot and has virtually no recoil. The lack of muzzle flip helped with follow-up shots and keeping groups even out to 15 yards. I don't think I'd add one to my collection for target practice or training classes, but I wouldn't mind having a CCP M2 when I take new shooters to the range.
I fired 200 rounds of CCI Blazer Brass 95-grain and a couple boxes of DoubleTap 90-grain Bonded Defense rounds without issue. Typically, you can expect extra snappiness with defensive rounds even with .380 ACP, but the DoubleTap felt as soft-shooting as range ammo.
I did notice that the gun felt very hot after about 50 rounds, which seemed a little soon for that. It also had more carbon buildup than usual by the time I was finished.
Pros and Cons
