Walther Arms introduces the Creed semi-automatic pistol
For the US market, Walther Arms introduces the new Creed polymer-frame 9mm caliber semi-automatic pistol at the 2016 NASGW expo
Il modello Creed è la nuova pistola semi-automatica da difesa-servizio presentata dalla Walther Arms
Walther Arms first showcased the Creed pistol at the 2016 NASGW Expo
Every year, around October, the U.S. National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers holds its NASGW Expo, where new products are often announced ahead of the SHOT Show.
And indeed the 2016 NASGW Expo saw the Walther Arms company – a fully-owned, U.S.-based subsidiary of the legendary German Carl Walther GmbH gunmaker – introduce a brand new semi-automatic, polymer-frame pistol fit for range shooting, civilian personal and property protection, and duty issue for law enforcement and private security personnel: the Walther Creed model.
The Walther Creed model is a hammer-fired, light double action pistol
The Creed name could very well be questionable for a handgun, but the manufacturing company's website offers a perfect explaination of why that name was chosen:
« Creed: A set of fundamental beliefs. For Walther, those beliefs are superior ergonomics, excellence in trigger design, and unparalleled accuracy, quality and reliability. The new Walther Creed makes a statement in modern polymer-frame handguns that all of these features can be achieved with an economic price-tag. The Creed offers a reinforced polymer frame with signature ergonomics that shooters have come to expect from Walther.»
Left side of the 9mm Walther Creed polymer-frame pistol
The new Walther Creed pistol, seen from the right side
Walther's Creed pistol is 18.5 cm long overall and sports a 4" barrel
Built around a railed polymer frame with a rounded, snag-proof trigger guard and a PPQ-style ergonomic pistol grip, the Walther Creed pistol is chambered for the 9x19mm caliber and feeds through double-stack, 16-rounds metal magazines. Just like the previous Walther PPX model, the Walther Creed pistol is a hammer-fired design, and sports a pre-loaded, spurless concealed hammer.
Unlike the PPX, however, the Walther Creed pistol is uncospicuous and easily carried open or concealed; weighing just under 750 grams (27 oz.), the Walther Creed is less than 19 cm long (7.3"), 14,2 cm / 5.6" high and 3,3 cm / 1.3" wide. The 4-inch long, cold-hammer forged barrel and the precision-machined stainless steel slide both sport an outer, matte black Tenifer protective coating.
Walther's new Creed pistol, field-stripped
Among the features of the Walther Creed semi-automatic pistol are a reversible magazine release button and an ambidextrous hold-open release catch; dovetailed three-dot sights; a conspicuous takedown lever located on the left side of the frame, and a 304 Stainless Steel, captive flat-wire return spring for easier field-stripping; wide front and rear slide serration for easy handling in all conditions; a modified Browning tilting-barrel locking system, and a constant 2,94 kg / 6.5lb trigger pull. The Walther Creed pistol features no manual safety: two drop safeties and a firing pin block safety make the Creed safe to carry with a chambered round in all situations.
So far, the Walther Creed would seem to have the necessary features and quality to compete directly with the legendary Glock 19 – and quite successfully so. The manufacturer's suggested retail price for the Walther Creed pistol has been tentatively set at $399.00 on the U.S. market; that's roughly €366.00 at current change, but no information concerning vailability outside of the United States is available so far.