The last couple of years several pistol manufacturers have been going head to head for customer concealed carry dollars with several variations on the easy-to-carry single-stack 9mm pistol. Ruger may have started the recent ruckus with their LC9 pistol, and Remington just got on board with their retro-styled R51. Now Walther Arms is getting off of the bench with the launch of their new CCP 9mm pistol. But rather than making another hard-kicking , blow back operated pocket pistol, the company has developed an unusual reverse piston gas system they’re calling SoftCoil Gas Technology.
When the pistol is fired, the slide moves backwards against a barrel-mounted recoil spring, just like other semi-auto pistol slides. But a portion of the propellant gas is siphoned off to actuate a piston located under the barrel. The piston presses forward against the slide, acting like a break to slow it down in its reward movement. According to Walther, the Soft Coil system not only reduces felt recoil, but it allows for a lighter recoil spring so that the slide is easier to cycle manually. This pistol has an 8+1 shot capacity, weighs just over 22-ounces unloaded, has a very comfortable grip, and it has an affordable suggested retail price starting at $469. We are looking forward to seeing how the new Walther CCP performs in the field.
