TEXAS TACTICAL

THE WALTHER PPS M2 RMSC is proof that pistol mounted red dot sights are not a fading fad.

I’ve had a Trijicon RMR mounted on my S&W M&P 9mm for years now. It’s one of my favorite handguns, primarily because of the sight. The red dots enable me to hit fourinch targets consistently at 50 yards giving me extreme confidence in a defensive situation.

I’ve also been a fan of the Walther handguns for years because of their ergonomics and excellent factory triggers. Combining a decent trigger with a crisp red dot is a recipe for accuracy. Sure enough, the PPS didn’t disappoint.

Using HSM’s plated 147-grain 9mm I was consistently getting sub one-inch, five-shot groups excluding an occasional flyer freestanding at 15 yards. I could even connect consistently on eight-inch plates from 50 yards away—impressive accuracy for a compact defensive handgun.

With a slim grip, the PPS M2 is very ergonomic having small swells and finger grips that actually fit larger hands. Unlike with other pistols, you don’t want to sand them.

The grip can be a bit short if you use only the six-round magazines. However the sevenround mag is a good compromise, allowing a resting place for your ring finger without adding too much grip to conceal.

The M2 design retired the European paddle-style magazine release and replaced it with the push button we Americans are more used to. The trigger breaks at just above six pounds without too much over travel and has about a quarter of an inch of reset.

It’s not as crisp and short as its big brother PPQ, but it’s enough for this trigger snob to not go looking for an aftermarket fix.

There is no rail on the dust cover so don’t expect to slap a light or laser on this compact handgun. However, Crimson Trace does offer a laser that clamps onto the front of the trigger guard. Walther even offers it as a combination package—but then you won’t get the Shield Red dot.

The Shield RMSc is the compact and slim version of Shield’s Reflex Mini Sight, which allows for mounting on slim frames. This sight is available in four MOA and eight MOA dots, and the PPS is available with the 4MOA. This is also my preference for precision.

The Walther PPS M2 with RMSc was shown to be very accurate as proved by these small groups shot from 15 yards freestanding with HMS 147 grain 9mm ammo.

The Walther PPS M2 with RMSc was shown to be very accurate as proved by these small groups shot from 15 yards freestanding with HMS 147 grain 9mm ammo.

The battery is supposed to last up to three years, so you shouldn’t have to worry too often about removing the sight to replace the battery. It automatically adjusts to ambient brightness and stays lit full time.

You have no locking screws to worry about when making adjustments with the small hex wrench and included mini-dial. Some in the industry say it’s not near as rugged as Trijicon’s RMR.

It does co-witness the physical sights so you always have backup. However I did notice that when I drifted the rear sights to match my dot’s zero the Shield’s base groove was so narrow it doesn’t allow a full view through the rear gap.

My only other problem with the Shield RMSc is the quality of the lens. It’s a clear polymer, so on one hand it’s more shock resistant, but it scratches very easily.

With other sights I’m used to being able to blow dust off the lens then wipe the residue away. But treating the RMSc like this resulted in a scratched lens after about only a month or two of use.

I contacted Shield about this issue and they said they are coming out with a more scratch resistant lens in the near future. Also, I have a “Lens for Life” program where for $50 they will replace your lens as many times as needed.

That’s not ideal for a defensive pistol. It’s still usable. Yet, I’m afraid that with a year or two, it will need service. I’ll have to keep you posted.

The Walther PPS M2 RMSc package can be found around $675. Compare that to the RMSc that sells for $399 plus the milling cost and a bare PPS M2 would cost at least another $399. You can find out more at www.waltherfirearms.com and watch for my video review on YouTube.

Email Dustin Ellermann at ContactUs@fi shgame.com