Today, we are doing a two-for-one…specifically, we’re looking at two Walther pistols, the PPX, and the Creed.
Why are we doubling down?
Well, it’s mainly because the PPX and Creed series of pistols are very similar. They were both attempts by Walther to enter the budget pistol market.
I’m not exaggerating when I say the gun-buying public missed out on the PPX and Creed series of handguns.
Today we are going to cover the rise and fall of both pistols.
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Two Pistols, One Goal
Walther wanted to produce an affordable pistol to tap into a different target market. The company has a long history of making very nice, albeit very underrated, pistols.
However, guns like the PPS, the PPQ, and the P99 are often ignored by the American market regardless of how excellent they are. Walther decided to cast a wider net and look to secure a part of the market that purchases Taurus, SCCY, Canik, and other budget-minded pistols.
While Walther pistols aren’t particularly expensive guns, often in the same price range as offerings from Glock and Sig, the PPX and Creed would compete with much more affordable pistols.
Humble Beginnings with the PPX
The PPX came first and, by all accounts, was a fantastic pistol.
After reading dozens of reviews on the PPX, I decided to take the plunge. My local gun store had one for $250! Not only that, but Walther offered a mail-in rebate offer.
If you purchased a PPX, they would send you two extra magazines, a holster, and a dual mag pouch for free.
In 2013, I had just left the Marine Corps, and my funds were tight. Seeing that deal, I just had to pull the trigger!
I already had handguns, but they were budget 1911s and cheaper revolvers, neither of which were super reliable. After some consideration, I decided I wanted a modern 9mm for home defense with a double-stack magazine that had a rail and would be reliable.
My PPX performed admirably and was fun to shoot, but man, it was ugly. I got serious Hi-Point vibes from the PPX.
The bore axis was high, the grip lacked replaceable backstraps, and it used a unique barrel design that was completely new.
Walther labeled the PPX as double-action-only pistol, but only technically speaking. The gun mixes the Glock partially cocked design with a bobbed hammer to provide a very light and pleasant trigger.
Technically it finishes cocking the gun and fires, but it doesn’t offer true DAO double-strike capability. However, It worked and, honestly, was an awesome trigger. Despite these design features, the PPX proved to be an accurate and capable weapon.
The polymer frame and massive slide didn’t give you the slim, sleek, and sexy design of something like a Walther PPK, but it worked. Plus, at $250 to $300, it gave you a name-brand gun from a company with an excellent reputation.
You could get the PPX in a standard black or stainless finish, and an SD model with a threaded barrel was also available. Besides being a little ugly, it was hard not to love this gun.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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The New Creed
Despite being a solid gun, there were some complaints about the PPX, and Walther aimed to address them with the Creed.
Like the PPX, the Creed was a budget gun that used ingenuity to lower the price and provide a budget-friendly handgun.
The Creed made its debut at SHOT Show 2017. I made sure I took the time to check out their new offering. I remember Walther being quite proud of the design, and they pushed it heavily.
The PPX was discontinued soon after the premier of the Creed to make way for their new product.
Walther is known for having a conservative and limited marketing department, but with the Creed, they went all out.
Walther has always named their pistol using initials. We have the P99, PPQ, P22, PK380, PPK, P5, and more. The Creed was the first departure from the standard Walther naming strategy.
The company went hard in the paint when advertising the Creed. They made YouTube promos that were high quality. Unfortunately, Walther pulled these promos, and I can’t seem to find them anywhere.
Walther cut corners, but in a good way. They reduced the profile of the slide to round everything out, making the Creed look a little less Hi-Point and a little more Walther.
The gun used the same magazines and weird trigger design as the PPX.
This resulted in a pistol that looked better than the PPX while still retaining its best attributes and coming in around $350.
Despite their best efforts, the Creed disappeared quite quickly. It was discontinued in 2019, and on its way, you could find Creeds for around $300 new.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
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Which Was Better?
To be honest, they were basically the same gun with some external changes.
In my experience, the PPX trigger was superior, as the Creed trigger seemed heavier. The PPX also came with a threaded barrel option, for what’s it worth.
Overall, both guns provided an affordable, reliable option that outperformed most other budget guns. This one probably comes down to personal preference.
So What Happened?
Neither the PPX nor the Creed proved to be strong sellers for Walther. Why?
Well, Walther wasn’t known for budget guns before the PPX. They didn’t necessarily advertise the guns as budget-friendly either.
If you walked into a gun store looking for an affordable firearm, you likely asked about Ruger, Taurus, Rock Island Armory, or Hi-Point.
Their lack of targeted marketing was amplified by the fact that the American market had little exposure, and subsequently interest, beyond the Bond-Inspired love of the PPK.
People just didn’t know about the guns, which resulted in the failure of the Creed and PPX.
Final Thoughts
Honestly, I think they were the best budget guns of their era, but Walther’s old calling card of lackluster marketing killed these guns in the cradle.
Luckily, Walther seems to be gaining much-needed ground in the American market on the heels of the success of its PPQ and PDP pistols.
I believe that if Walther brought back a budget firearm with optics-ready capability, a threaded barrel, and PPQ/PDP magazine compatibility, they might have something.
What are your thoughts on the PPX and the Creed? Let us know in the comments below! Interested in other Walther pistols from the past? Check out our article on What Happened to the Walther P99.
13 Leave a Reply
I own a Walther creed , best gun i have ever shot the balance is great . It is my go to Gun for shooting fun.
Love the gun.
I own a Walther Creed and absolutely love it! The design, weight, accuracy are all excellent. Also, love the Creed stamped on the barrel. Walther never even mentions that gun for accessories or anything else or that matter.
I have one of each. They have fantastic triggers and are pleasure to shoot. I have not had any failures with factory ammo, just a few with my low power lead reloads.
No offense to anyone who liked the PPX, but I'm going to be blunt. I bought a PPX and it was the worst handgun I have ever owned. It felt great in the hand, but it just wouldn't work. The tolerances were terrible. Half the time it wouldn't feed and half the time when it did feed it wouldn't eject. I tried different ammo and different magazines. Cleaned it, lubed it, but nothing helped. I finally sold it to a pawnshop for $200. I bought my first revolver in 1975 and my first pistol in 1980, so I've owned a lot of guns and the PPX was the worst. It didn't work as well as a Raven .25ACP I once bought at Gibsons for $48 back in the day.
Agree, same experience. Felt great in the hand, shot it really well, but QC was absolutely horrible.
PPX going to be my first CCW gun. It didn't make the grade. Nearly forty FTF / FTE during a CCW course. Would have been more effective to unload, clear, and throw from seven yards at the target.
Disassembled striker casette to find it was full of metal shavings and had not been cleaned from the factory. Even after cleaning thoroughly, FTF / FTE continued. Traded for a Glock. Haven't looked back. When you make an unreliable gun, don't expect a follow-up purchase. I just couldn't bear to consider purchasing a Q5 or PDP after this experience.
I purchased the creed when they first came out. Having been into firearms since the late 80’s, I recognized it was something different from Walther and knew it wouldn’t last…and it didn’t so I’m glad I picked one up. It’s a great gun. Ergonomics are awesome, reliability is perfect and it was under $300. It’s not as slim and “attractive” as some others but I’m don’t purchase a firearm for looks. It’s a tool. Tools are for work and you purchase tools for quality and reliability and the history of the manufacturer. Walther is a name you can always trust for all those. I’ve always had a soft spot for Walther over the years and have never understood why more don’t give them a chance in their firearm lineup. More have perked up when the PPQ and now PDP surfaced and im glad because their firearms are highly overlooked. The Creed is an awesome firearm and was extremely excellent at the price they were offering when they came out. I need to add a PPQ in .45 to complete my lineup of Walther. My other Walther is a P99 in .40sw I found in a pawn shop in a small rural town. He wanted $325 and I snatched it up in less than a heartbeat lol.
I love the Creed I bought from CDNN a few years ago. It feels real good in the hand and shoots well. I would have bought another one but they discontinued them. That was a mistake because I believe Walther would have sold a lot of them with the current crime wave in our country.
Amen! I said the same thing. Walther discontinued the Creed right before the world went crazy. They could have easily cashed in with this great affordable pistol!
I own the Creed and love it. It shoots great, has a clean crisp trigger break and is accurate. Walther has a winner here, and dropped the ball right before the pandemic. They could have cashed in big time with this gun!
Wasn't the Creed a gas delayed blowback? I mean you have to give them credit for that point alone.
The PPX was a great gun. I got mine from CDNN for 270 with the extra mags, range holster and mag pouch.
Definitely a “Best Buy” at the time. I considered buying a Creed (249 from CDNN) but hesitated until the pandemic panic drove them to 379.
The S&W SD9 is probably next in line for value. Although the Ruger Security 9 is right there.
Right now the deal ay the new APX A1 Carry ( single stack) Beretta which is around 200 after the rebate.
I imagine the full size APXs wil hit 250-270 as peopl seem to be stayin away in droves. If that happens - I’ll pick one of those up.
I own both the Creed and the Security 9. Both solid guns for what you pay. The Ruger is very light and has a great feel in the hand due to its thin handle profile and good ergonomics. I upgraded a few things and it’s a blast to shoot! Love my Creed as well! Great trigger and also feels good in the hand. Can’t go wrong with either gun.
I have a Creed and this one is actually my second one after I sold the first one to a friend. I love the way it shoots and it was my EDC. When I was looking to replace my Creed after I had sold it, I found a PPQ and still have it. My wife loves to shoot it as she has not transitioned to shooting with red dots yet. My friend wants my current Creed and I was going sell it to him, though now that my wife is shooting it, he might have to wait until I can find another one at a gun show.
For me, it was very accurate right out of the box and I shot it extremally well. I liked the trigger action on it this gun.
I have never had an issue with ammo or feed or jam issues with any ammo that I threw at this gun.
This is my go-to gun if all my red dots were dead on my other Walthers.