Clapp on Handguns: Walther CCP

by
posted on April 27, 2015
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **

I would like to draw your attention to a new pistol from Walther. It's been talked about for a couple of years but has only been on the market for a month or two. The gun is the Walther CCP, a concealable medium sized 9 mm auto.  In the ongoing development of defensive automatic pistols, this one is a milestone in several ways.  

For one thing, it is a pistol sporting a single-column magazine of eight rounds, which flies in the face of the established standard. Since the 1960s, 9 mm defensive pistols had to have at least 14- or 15-round magazines to be viable. In spite of the fact that the majority of close range attacks are resolved by two or three rounds, 9 mm pistols have many more—as many as 18. In doing so, the pistols have grown much thicker and much harder to use for shooters with smaller hands. It would seem that a single column gun with 8+1 capacity would be valuable. This reduction in capacity also permits a very slim and concealable pistol with a barrel nearly as long as the high capacity service guns. The new Walther CCP is a medium-sized auto with a decent capacity and first-rate ergonomics.  

It's also offers an interesting solution to the breech locking requirement. 9 mm pistols are almost invariably recoil-operated, as breech pressure almost demand that the barrel and slide be mechanically locked together for the first bit of recoil travel. The CCP taps off a bit of the propellant gas to hold the slide closed and pressure drops. This gas-delayed blowback system works to perfection. There will be a detailed article on this unique new gun (and its slick brother, the PPQ) in a forthcoming issue of the American Rifleman.

Latest

Rossi R95 Triple Black Pistols 01
Rossi R95 Triple Black Pistols 01

New For 2025: Rossi R95 Triple Black Pistols

Rossi downsized its Triple Black lever-action rifle into several pistol variants, creating large-format handguns that are sized for easy carry, vehicle storage or tight maneuvering in dense brush.

Preview: Stealth Cam Revolver 360

There’s nowhere for game to hide from Stealth Cam’s new Revolver 360 cellular trail camera, making it well suited for use in wide-open areas such as food plots or large fields.

Gun Of The Week: Rost Martin RM1S

We’re on the range with a concealable defensive pistol from one of the newest gunmakers in the firearm industry. This is the Rost Martin RM1S, and it’s an even smaller version of the company’s flagship design, the RM1C.

The Keefe Report: Remembering Frank Brownell

Frank Brownell, the patriarch of the Brownells family and a longtime leader in the firearm industry, passed away on Wednesday, June 18, at the age of 85.

The Armed Citizen® June 20, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Review: Lone Wolf Arms Timberwolf 19X

In its Timberwolf 19X, Lone Wolf Arms focused on incremental updates and tweaks to the seminal Glock design, resulting in a versatile "crossover" handgun design capable of fulfilling a variety of roles.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.