Size matters! Reviewing the Walther PDP F-Series
My Walther PDP F-Series 3.5” with a Streamlight TLR-7X
Why handguns specially designed for women make sense
As an avid reader of gracefulinsights.space you might know that women are not as good respectively as accurate as men when shooting handguns. You then might also know that all the research strongly suggests that the reason being is not that women are less skilled shooters than men but that the gear respectively the handguns are not adapted to the female physique.
Women’s average grip strength is around 30 kg while men’s grip strength is around 50 kg. The average male hand is 19.4 cm long, 8.9 cm wide and has a circumference of 21.8 cm, the average female hand is 17.1 cm long, 7.8 cm wide and has a circumference of about 17.8 cm. One of the most notable differences between men and women in this context is that men typically have shorter and thicker fingers relative to their palm breadth, while women tend to have slightly longer thinner fingers in comparison to their palm width.
A Glock 48 (top) next to a Walther PDP F-Series 3.5” and SIG SAUER P365 XL Rose 9mm.
It is important to note that a woman's palm breadth will not match that of a man's, regardless of finger length. So female hands are quite different from male hands. Handguns usually are designed and developed for the average male hand, since shooting used to be a typical male sport. However, weapon manufacturers discovered women as a target group (no pun intended) in the last few years. SIG SAUER Inc. with their P365 XL Rose and Walther Arms Inc. with their PDP F-Series developed and released handguns made for the female physique.
While I could test the SIG SAUER P365 XL Rose at the Swiss Shooting Range (and enjoyed it very much), I personally own and shoot a Walther PDP F-Series. When I bought a Schmeisser AR15, the PDP F-Series was freshly released in Europe, and I had the chance to hold it at the gun store where I bought the AR15. It was love at first sight! It felt really good in my hands. I had the chance to shoot both the 3.5” and the 4” and eventually opted for the 3.5” version. I spontaneously purchased the Walther PDP F-Series 3.5” on the same permit as the Schmeisser AR-15, because I loved it so much.
Why size matters
The grip of the Walther PDP F-Series is still a bit big for my small hands, however, I can comfortably reach the trigger.
Walther realized that there are no duty pistols adapted to the different hand sizes and shapes of women. Thanks to their experience in Olympic shooting, they had a lot of data about hand size and hand shape which they put at good use designing the gun, ergonomically adapting it to the female hand. Interestingly enough, the first handgun I ever shot was a Walther PDP Full Size. I never shot a pistol before so I could not really compare it to any other gun. I did a basic training course at the Swiss Shooting Range with the Walther PDP Full Size and was struggling with everything, holding the gun properly, reaching the trigger, ejecting the magazine, racking the slide, you name it. It was extremely frustrating, although I loved shooting. Since I am a very ambitious person, I booked a three-hour private training course. The instructor brought a SIG (I do not remember which one) and a Glock 19. I could choose and I opted for the Glock 19 which was smaller than the Walther PDP Full Size. Gamechanger! I finally could reach the trigger, I was able to hold the gun properly and I finally felt like improving. I realized that the gun was the problem, not me. Now I own a Walther PDP, not the Full Size but the F-Series 3.5”.
Women have less meat on their hands than men. I realized it when instructors kept telling me to move my hand up on the pistol grip, closer to the backstrap. The webbing between your thumb and index finger should be as high on the backstrap of the gun as possible, which helps to better manage recoil. The knuckle of my thumb was at the backstrap, but they kept telling me to move further up, which I could not because my knuckle was already there. However, there was still a gap between my thumb and my index finger because I have zero meat there that could go up to the backstrap, no matter how high I tried to grip the pistol. If I went higher up, my palm would not touch the grip anymore and I would end up holding the pistol mainly with my thumb and index finger and not the whole hand.
Walther took this into consideration when developing and designing the Walther PDP F-Serie’s grip. They angled the grip differently so that women can go higher up on the grip and therefore better manage recoil and muzzle flip, which will allow you to shoot faster. At the same time, the grip circumference is reduced so that the trigger and the magazine release can be reached comfortably with shorter fingers and smaller palm, without having to adjust the grip to manipulate the gun. The handgun comes with two different grip options so that it can be adapted to even smaller hands or shorter fingers. I must say – however – the grip is still a bit too large for me. I really do have small hands and even the Glock 48 I have is kind of too big for my super tiny hands.
The perfect trigger
The feature I love the most about the Walther PPD F-Series and the reason why I like it more than the SIG SAUER P365 XL Rose is the performance duty trigger. I just love it! The new ‘PDT’ performance duty trigger is Walther’s new and improved trigger system which has been achieved by shortening the length of travel and increasing the tactile definition of the trigger break. The incredible result is a highly distinct, recognizable feel for repeatable accuracy. The trigger break is so crisp, and the length of travel is rather short, it surprises me every time I shoot. Plus, I prefer round triggers over straight triggers. It just feels better. In combination with the reduced trigger reach, I can perfectly place my finger on the trigger. Proper trigger finger placement is a key to accurate shooting and trigger control. With every other handgun, my trigger finger gets tired after shooting for a while. It never does when shooting the PDP F-Series.
Reduced slide racking force
Another feature of the Walther PDP F-Series is the rackability of the slide: I remember struggling to rack the slide after shooting for a while. My hands would hurt from all the racking. Walther has developed a brand-new operating system that results in a 20% reduction in slide racking force. I must admit that I do not really feel that the slide of the Walther is easier to rack, even when directly comparing it to other handguns. But on the other hand, I never struggled to rack the Walther’s slide, not a single time. I did struggle with my Glock 48, especially at the beginning when it was brand-new. So, there must be something to it. I cannot feel it but it definitely is there.
For women by women, but not only!
Often, designers just go by “shrink it and pink it” when creating products for women. However, Walther really put some thought into their F-Series. Serious women gun owners don’t want superficial gimmicks and pink colored guns that do not fit their hands. We want functionality and comfort. Firearms trainer Tatiana Whitlock and Olympic shooter and firearms instructor Gabby Franco both played a role in the development of the F-Series. Who knows what is best for women and what women need and want? Yeah, right! Women!
So, well done Walther, good job involving women into the development of the gun. “The fit is key”, says Whitlock regarding women purchasing handguns. "Some of the physical differences between men and women, particularly with handguns, is obviously hand size," continues Whitlock. "But most women are told that they have itty-bitty hands, when they're actually falling within a normal human average. The differences are typically only about a quarter of an inch in overall hand length and finger length, width, etc. Where we see a lot of changes, however, are in the span of the palm, the swell within the palm, and how much we're able to go from a full purchase grip to reaching the trigger. So, grip circumference is a really vital element in ensuring that a woman's hand can function a firearm in the same way that a gentleman can function a firearm."
The adjustments in size, angle and placement of the trigger and the buttons make this gun not only attractive for women but also for all persons with smaller and weaker hands – e.g. the elderly or persons with disabilities or suffering of disease like arthritis, youth shooters; they all can benefit from such a gun. Walther did not only create a handgun for women shooters with their PDP F-Series but also took a huge step towards more inclusivity in shooting sports.
Technical specifications
Caliber: 9mm Luger
Magazine capacity: 15 shots
Weight: 660 g
Barrel Length: 89 or 102 cm
L/H/W: 172/136/34 or 184/136/34
Trigger: Performance Duty Trigger
Trigger weight: 2500 g
Sigths: windage and elevation adjustable polymer sights, optics ready, co-witness ready
Would you like to compare handguns to each other? Then I have something for you: Check out HandgunHero where you can visually compare handguns by size, weight, capacitay and more.
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