Q5 Match SF is it worth it?

I know the fellow that did the Cerakote work for Walther for the show. Nice work. I don't have the nerve to do that to any new gun I buy. So far. :evil:

The brown 2-tone one is from the new Elite series, the dull silver is just bead blasted, and the Chrome one is polished bare metal.
 
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All I can do is shake my head at those who balk at the price. Some can't afford it and thats cool. But the gun itself is priced accordingly when compared to similar pistols. It is not a casual plinker. Stay with the PPQ plastic if that is what is desired or a Glock or S&W if price point is the deciding factor. This is designed from the ground up to be a competition ready pistol in its respective category.

With that in mind, it seems to meet those requirements and is considerably less money than other purpose designed competition pistols. I already have several competition pistols over 2G so I feel this is in the same league. I do hate myself for putting a deposit on a pre order. I swore I would never do that, but it might be the only way to get one before the IPSC Nationals. We'll see.

I think the gun priced appropriately for the segment. If it's reliable I think it's a better value than the Tangfo's that compete in production division. The Q5 SF is about 70% more than the polymer Q5, will it improve your shooting 70%? Probably not but I think to some it maybe worth it to get that edge. With more and more competition specific guns coming out aimed at production division will people have to buy $2000+ pistol to be competitive?
 
I think the gun priced appropriately for the segment. If it's reliable I think it's a better value than the Tangfo's that compete in production division. The Q5 SF is about 70% more than the polymer Q5, will it improve your shooting 70%? Probably not but I think to some it maybe worth it to get that edge. With more and more competition specific guns coming out aimed at production division will people have to buy $2000+ pistol to be competitive?

No they need talent to be competitive. I only know of one shooter personally that might be able to run this gun to the edge of its capabilities and he shoots the Shadow2 and not likely going to change even IF the gun were to give him a bit of an edge and I doubt it would.

The types who buy guns like the Shadow2 or the higher costing and perhaps "more" competitive guns are:

1. Really good and get paid to do so
2. Real good with talent and come close to those who are really good.
3. Those with some talent but are good
4. Those who can afford them and why not...
5. Those who just want to follow the trend (What wins on Sunday sells on Monday crowd). They are the ones who shout (Glock or Shadow2) when someone asks, "What should I buy for my first handgun". It seems to be a religious experience for them.

I fit (4) although I have a few other guns on my bucket list right now ahead of the PPQ SF. A SIG 320 Compact/Navy combo & a Remlin .357 Lever Carbine, will come before the PPQ Match SF. No logical reason but then buying firearms is seldom logical, mostly emotional and nearly always a fun experience.

Take Care

Bob
 
Skip the overpriced Q5 steel & buy the Shadow2.
The superior CZ Shadow2 not only kills the European trash, it creams most high end 1911's.
Believe it!

Where do you think Shadow2's are made but thanks for the heads up. Do the PPQ frames crack too or is that a design feature unique to the 2's?

Take Care

Bob
 
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190205/f55baa275063e9d92fdc5f99b224ee93.jpg

Apparently these were made up for Shot. One is Stainless the other is said to be chromed. I got the photos from the Walther forum. Apparently they have been discussed at some length on the Walther Group Facebook page.

From the Walther forum: "Danny, it’s stainless, they made one in a Satin and a bright chrome finish.

And we have had these posted since before Shot on the PPQ Facebook group... "

f55baa275063e9d92fdc5f99b224ee93.jpg


9f509837b6cdbbe7a4ed5cc232e7f784.jpg
 
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The shiny one is polished bare metal. I don't know about the engraved one, but I can't see them making a special run or one off to get engraved. Unless the gun is already stainless. Now I gotta check. Damm.
 
I believe the slides and frames are stainless. The engraving was done in Germany. Seems like a lot of work just to do it on a bare carbon steel frame.

The shiny one sure looks like it was chromed. The fellow who posted the pics claimed it was chromed. The guns were made for Shot some time ago.

Take Care

Bob
Take Care

Bob
 
But the gun itself is priced accordingly when compared to similar pistols. It is not a casual plinker. Stay with the PPQ plastic if that is what is desired or a Glock or S&W if price point is the deciding factor. This is designed from the ground up to be a competition ready pistol in its respective category.

Honest question - what is the SF competition? I feel like it’s designed to compete with all steel DA/SA guns, and depending on what school of thought you fall into with regards to striker fired vs DA/SA, it’s not ahead.. anywhere, really? CZ and Tanfo (disregard the stock III extreme or S2 orange) are coming in cheaper, with better mag & parts cost and availability. The double action first shot is nothing you can’t train in a few weeks of dry fire. As far as Production goes, I feel like the traditional steel pistols are still coming out ahead.

Where the Q5 SF pulls ahead in my eyes is an optic ready competition gun. But with slide milling of a 75 series, it’s a wash again.

I’m all for buying the gun you want to shoot, and would never tell anyone not to. I just don’t see the reasoning behind the price point for this. And I know the gun is the cheapest part of the equation in the long run.
 
IPSC allows for 3# trigger pulls now to shoot Production Division. The gun will compete with a less than 5# constant trigger. Will it be competitive with a 1/10th inch reset and lighter weight than the Shadow2? Who knows? It might and it also comes Optic ready as a bonus. If it runs faster with an Optic installed than the Optic ready Shadow2 who is to say what the top shooters will do with the gun. Kim came in 2nd in the US USPSA Nationals Production Division I believe with the polymer version of the gun.

For the dedicated competitor the cost of the gun is not an issue. The Tanfoglios run in the same ball park and they are bought by enthusiasts. I am sure I will see the gun in the US this summer shooting in SSP and the Optic Division in IDPA. It will find a niche.

Take Care

Bob
ps Ignoring the shooter for a minute I would suggest a factory tuned slide which the PPQ and XFive Sig have is going to run circles around a 75 with just a milled out regular slide with an Optic on it in the hands of a talented shooter. There is only so much you can do with springs.
 
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The same can be said for any Glock or M&P or 320 befitting from the new trigger rules. Hammer fired guns will as well, in theory there’s nothing stopping anyone from dumping a full CGW trigger overhaul and CZ comp hammer in.

Kim runs the Q5 extremely well, and his reports of the SF look great. He also gets paid to say that.

The IPSC AB Provincials were won with a stock P320, it’s almost always the Indian, not the bow.

I know there’s a niche for this gun, it just doesn’t click for me.
 
The shiny one is polished bare metal. I don't know about the engraved one, but I can't see them making a special run or one off to get engraved. Unless the gun is already stainless. Now I gotta check. Damm.

Check out the Walther Forum. Walther Arms has confirmed the one gun is stainless and the other a chromed gun. Both done by Walther or on behalf of Walther. The rep suggests Walther may come out with custom guns like these in the future but not soon. I hesitated to ask ...How Much?

Take Care

Bob
 
Well I'll admit I was not able to preform any metallurgical tests to determine the finish and its really a moot point, but I was repeating what the V.P. of Marketing for Walther told the Company that did the Cerakote for SHOT. Possibly more accurate than Internet forums but possibly he is more of a sales guy and not so much a tech guy. Its just trivia. I probably shouldn't even mention the accessories that are being developed unless I check my facts on Walther forums first.:evil:
 
You might be talking about two different guns. There is a picture out there that is a dull silver grey finish completely different than the high gloss chrome job.

Take Care

Bob
 
You might be talking about two different guns. There is a picture out there that is a dull silver grey finish completely different than the high gloss chrome job.

Take Care

Bob

Yes. Those are the one's I'm talking about. But really, this isn't one of those pointless IPSC arguments. I said what I know. I have nothing else to add. Cheers.
 
As I mentioned one of the pics from Shot was a SF with a dull grey finish. It looked more like the cerekote finish you mentioned earlier.

Take Care

Bob
 
As I mentioned one of the pics from Shot was a SF with a dull grey finish. It looked more like the cerekote finish you mentioned earlier.

Take Care

Bob

The Cerakoted one is Elite Earth and Elite Coyote Brown. The dull silver one is "supposed" to be bead/sandblasted bare metal according to the V.P. of Marketing. I did not touch it so Im merely a vessel for the information.
 
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