By Chad Adams
If I was directing the next Bond film, this is the gun my villain would be wielding. A pair of them actually, pulled ridiculously cross-draw from shoulder holsters hidden beneath a classically-styled tuxedo. A pair of Bond-worthy blasters employed against our ever-suave hero. That’s what I would do, anyway, with the devilishly badass-looking Walther Black Tie.
Instead, if I ever get to keep one for real, I’ll just go shoot a match with it.
We’ve long been fans of the Walther Q5 Match Steel Frame around here. Summer season is shooting season, and few guns come any more match-ready than the capable Q5. This one, though, it hits a bit different. Special edition in name, but elegantly refined and stylish in all the right places in practice.
Walther Q5 Match Steel Frame Racer
Underneath the hood, so to speak, the barrel, slide and steel frame take the Black Tie name from the wicked Tenifer nitride finish. The resulting dueling tones of black and satin create a striking appearance. Treated and polished, it should prove resistant to your sweaty meat hooks out on summer range days or weekend-long matches. A Stinox coating leaves a uniuqe satin finish, only adding to the visual appeal.
A Dynamik Performance Trigger encourages avoiding that dreaded “low-left” problem when going too fast (for rightys). It’s a match-grade system that brings a seriously crispy break for an accuracy-promoting squeeze.
We can go on and on about the aluminum grip, 20-lpi checkering, phenomenal ergonomics and so forth. But this machine, despite its singular look, is pure Q5 racing at its heart. And on the range, that is just what she delivered.
A Black Tie Affair
I couldn’t quite keep my eyes off this pistolero. And in this case, the Walther folks explained it best:
“Our perceptible passion for excellence is paired with the courage to try something groundbreaking with the Black Tie model. With an understated look that leaves no questions about its quality, we have fused performance and high level aesthetic into a remarkable product,” said Bernhard Knöbel, CEO, Carl Walther GmbH.Features
This is one seriously filthy build, one I’d be happy to jam in a holster and hit the range for match day, with the boys, or anytime an elevated shooting experience was desired.
Price: MSRP of $2,999.
Pros: While subjective, few can argue against the striking appeal of this build. In the hand, you feel downright dangerous. I’ve shot the Q5 Steel Frame on multiple occasions; this build only added to my feeling on this platform as a capable race ride.
Cons: At the $3K mark, you can arguably do more elsewhere in terms of pure racing machine, especially in today’s world of 2011s. A 17-round mag is a little light for serious competition, taking on 23-rounders, for example.
