I Carry: Walther CCP in a DeSantis Inner Piece 2.0 Holster

Welcome to another episode of "I Carry," Shooting Illustrated's weekly video series covering the guns and gear needed to put together a potential everyday-carry kit. Today, we're using the Walther CCP M2 carried inside a DeSantis holster. We also have a Pachmayr EDC knife and a Browning keychain flashlight.

Walther CCP M2 ($399)

Comparing the Walther CCP M1 and M2, there really isn’t much, externally, that looks different. One thing you’ll notice is an improved loaded-chamber indicator at the rear of the slide, which is really just a quick way to determine the striker’s status, rather than whether or not there’s a round in the chamber—that should always be done with a press check. The second change is harder to see, but it’s a critical one. The original CCP required a special takedown tool to disassemble, due to the gun’s fixed-barrel, gas-piston construction.

This CCP requires no special tools for takedown, which is beneficial for the concealed carrier, because you do need to clean your gun. Even if you don’t shoot it as much as you like or ought to, it still needs to be cleaned. A handgun carried all day on your body will collect all kinds of dust, lint, oil and moisture, and every one of these can wreak havoc on your pistol if not addressed on a regular basis.

The reason for the initial difficulty in disassembly is due to the gun’s special construction, which actually won it a Shooting Illustrated Golden Bullseye award a few years back. See, one of the big problems for diminutive or weak-handed shooters is dealing with the stout recoil springs found in many of today’s carry guns. In order to compensate for the reduced mass in the slide of smaller guns, springs need to be strengthened to keep the slide from prematurely opening upon firing.

Since the Walther CCP features a gas-piston system that doesn’t require springs to hold the slide closed during firing, racking the slide requires much less effort than comparably sized nines, making this a solid option for you if you’ve got weaker hand strength.

DeSantis Inner Piece 2.0 ($39.99)

We’re carrying the CCP in a new-for-2019 holster from DeSantis. Constructed from padded ballistic nylon, the Inner Piece 2.0 features a holster pocket for both a firearm and a reload–critical components for a solid self-defense setup. The body-side of the holster features a padded cushion along with a raised sweat guard, protecting the gun's finish from moisture and oils from a wearer's body as well as making for a more-comfortable carry experience.

The gun and reload are positioned to provide users with immediate access to both their gun and their spare magazine, allowing for rapid drawing and reloading compared to holsters and magazine carriers mounted in traditional spots behind a wearer's strong-side and support-side hips. One of the other nice features on the Inner Piece is this tuckable C-clip, so you can wear this rig with a tucked-in shirt.

Pachmayr Blacktail ($23.98)

For one of our EDC accessories, we’re heading to Pachmayr, which expanded its product offerings in 2019 to include a nice lineup of imported carry knives. Unfortunately, Chinese-made gear has a connotation for being shoddy, and that’s not always the case, as evidenced by this option. It feels solid, thanks to its machined, aluminum handles, and the 8Cr13Mov steel blade, while not exactly high-end, is solid enough to get the job done for a daily carry knife and, as a bonus, sharpens up easily. You’ll also find an easy-open flipper tab on this knife, as well as an integrated, low-profile pocket clip that allows for tip-up carry.

Browning Flash ($17.99)

Finally, while we’re looking at inexpensive gear, we decided to check out this Browning Flash. Admittedly, it doesn’t have the most-impressive output, topping out at just 35 lumens, but it has a few other features going for it. At just 18 bucks, it’s an easy buy, and it’s incredibly small and lightweight, allowing you to have a ready-to-roll illumination tool right on your keychain. And here’s the thing about lumens—an enormous output of light can blind you, too, so having a low-output light isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

What’s also neat is that the Flash comes with this little plastic clip, which can be used to attach the light to the brim of your hat for hands-free illumination. In addition to high and low white-light modes, there’s also a low-output, green LED that won’t destroy your night vision while you’re out in the darkness.

All of this gear represents just one of an incredible number of combinations on the market today, and it’s important for everyone to find the EDC kit that works best for them. Looking for something different than what you see here? Stay tuned to “I Carry” to see more concealed-carry setups.