SAR 20#2

Given the compact platform and
creepy trigger I really had not expected
the CCP to be any great shakes on the
range. However, much to my surprise
I dumped the first twenty rounds easily
into a pie plate at 20 meters without
a flyer. The gun shot quite well. Recoil
is remarkably similar to a comparably
framed .380 while the effort required to
jack the slide is a marked improvement
over comparable full-framed heaters.
The gun feels about like my .380 PPK/S
during the recoil stroke while launching
a commensurately spunkier round. We
ran half a dozen brands of ammunition
through the gun without failures. As always,
however, autoloading handguns
are potentially sensitive mechanisms
and deserve regular cleaning and maintenance
if carried daily.
Disassembly of the CCP requires
either an included tool or the tip of a
screwdriver. The gun is a bit tougher
to strip than your Glock but once you
get the hang of it the details are not a
challenge. The pure unfiltered brilliance
of the reversed gas operating system is
simply inspired.
Parting Shots
In a crowded field of self defense
handguns the Walther CCP is a legitimate
mechanical innovation. Combining
most of the commonly-accepted
features we demand of more conventional
defensive iron with its revolutionary
reverse gas piston system, the
CCP is easy to carry, easy to shoot,
and equipped with enough downrange
thump to take the uncertainty out of a
social exchange of gunfire. In addition,
the CCP is also surprisingly reasonably
priced. With the CCP, Walther
has rewritten the book on concealable
handgun design and in so doing taken
pocket pistols to an entirely new
level of performance.
www.waltherarms.com
www.winchester.com
www.crossbreedholsters.com
WWW.SMALLARMSREVIEW.COM 75 SAR Vol. 20, No. 2