Fiocchi Covert X Ammo in Walther Pistols: A Perfect Match

One of the sad truths about carrying a compact pistol is that you lose a substantial amount of velocity with every inch of barrel you shave off. Compounding the problem, most ammunition is made for full-sized handguns, so “carrying what the cops carry” isn’t always the best choice for the civilian. As guns are getting smaller, ammo manufacturer Fiocchi decided to turn its attention to feeding them properly with its Covert X ammo.

The 2025 NSSF SHOT Show became their stage for a plethora of new products, among them being the Covert X.

This new family of pistol cartridges is aimed at pulling the most velocity possible out of dwarfed handguns, while delivering a projectile that will more readably expand at lower speeds.

A few months later, I would receive an invite to join them at The Site for a live demo, to which I eagerly accepted.

The Covert X Unveiling and Ballistic Gel Tests

Our time at this famed training institution of Northern Illinois was broken up into several segments, but we began by firing some of these new handgun loads into Clear Ballistics 10% FBI gel blocks.

Using guns with barrels sized for this product, I was impressed by the deep penetration coupled with expansion that mirrored the image on the box. Furthermore, the results were consistent, with each shot fired performing nearly identically to the last.

We went through the week with several firearms, including a pair of 4.5-inch Walther PDPs. Performance on paper was outstanding with these guns, but it had me wondering what I could expect from the smaller handguns that are more closely associated with the German manufacturer.

Generations of James Bond movies have tied Walther to the PPK in my mind, except for maybe some of its more modern offerings. With that, I took a sample “to go” to gather some velocity and accuracy results back on my home range.

Fiocchi Covert X .380 ACP with bullet in ballistic gel

How Covert X Ammo Is Different

Before we delve into why I was concerned with how well Covert X functioned in my Walthers, it pays to understand why I was interested in this project in the first place. In short, Covert X is different, and frankly, unique to most anything else on the market; at its core is a new approach to bullet design.

Skived, or pre-stressed jackets, have always been a means of creating reliable and predictable expansion; however, in Covert X, these jackets are combined with a lead core that has received the same treatment.

Fiocchi Covert X ammo at the range with ballistic gel

This ensures the bullets peel back when they meet a liquid medium, without leaving all of the heavy lifting on the copper portion alone. In turn, this gives the projectile better barrier penetration and even helps it stand up to additional speed if fired out of a longer weapon.

At the event, we got to watch a demonstration of the .380 ACP load shot from a 14.5-inch Rock River Arms carbine, boldly solidifying this claim.

The rest of the Covert X’s components are also created with concealed handguns in mind. Pushing the bullets is faster than usual powders, which burn more completely in shorter spaces, thus producing the speeds that other powders can’t in compact firearms.

anatomy of a Fiocchi Covert X projectile

Everything is contained in a nickel-plated case, which is inherently more corrosion-resistant and carries a natural lubricity for reliable feeding and extraction.

The shinier material is also easier to see in low-light environments, so if you need a chamber check in the dead of night, this is a good feature to have. As for the primers, there isn’t anything too special there; however, Fiocchi has always been one of the most reliable brands that I’ve ever used, so they just may be out of ways to improve in that area.

Range Test: Running Covert X in a Walther PPS M2 and Walther PD380

Fiocchi Covert X ammo with w Walther PPS M2

My test Walthers were ones that I am intimately familiar with. First, is my PPS M2, a gun that I’ve been carrying for close to a decade. The epitome of single-stack concealability, this is my go-to when I’m looking for something utterly slim. Housing a 3.2-inch barrel, it is certainly a good candidate for Fiocchi’s Covert X.

I paired it with a newer PD380, which is built with a 3.7-inch barrel, giving me the ability to test two different offerings in the new ammo line. Essentially a modernized PK 380, this compact pistol is small enough for most people to carry, yet large enough to fill the hand when training with it at the range.

I set targets out at 15 yards, which is a bit further than I would typically test handguns of this size, but I figured it would give me a better means of determining any errant shots.

Walther PPS

Up first was the PPS, shooting the 9mm Luger version of Covert X. Fiocchi went with a 124-grain pill for this load, a choice that I wholeheartedly agree with.

Many folks gravitate to 147-grain bullets for 9mm self-defense; however, pushing these up to a speed that rivals the smaller 124-grainers in energy typically takes a 4-inch barrel or better. Going lighter means getting there with less, and the Garmin Xero displaying 1092 Feet Per Second showed me what I already knew.

the walther in a holster with an ACRO red dot installed

Furthermore, the paltry standard deviation of 6.6 FPS tells the tale of tight tolerances and agreement with the guns that it was built for. Accuracy was also spot on, especially when you consider concessions were made to velocity, bullet design, and powder selection.

Five-shot groups measured around the two-inch mark, with my best one of the day coming in at 1.28 inches.

Walther PD380

Moving onto the PD380, I was reminded just how soft this chambering is to shoot, especially when it’s not in a pocket pistol. The Covert X in this cartridge employs a 95-grain projectile, which is closer to the heavy side for .380; however, the right powders are able to push it hard enough to expand.

This is one of the aspects that drew me to this ammo family—each cartridge was carefully researched and developed, individually, instead of building the whole set to a blanket of principles. The PD380 was able to move these at an average of 1016 FPS with an SD of 13, which is terrific performance for the little Kurz.

Crunching the numbers, this works out to 218 ft./lbs of punch, or 66% of the 9mm Luger load. That’s pretty good for a cartridge that some claim to be anemic, and a fair bit stronger than many .38 Special loads that I’ve tested.

Moreover, the accuracy was extraordinary, with five-shot groups routinely breaking the inch mark, and my best measuring a scant 0.79 inches. This says a lot about the ammo, but of course, without a quality firearm, you can’t expect to realize its performance.

Fiocchi Covert X ammo n 9mm and .380 Auto

Taking the remainder of the ammunition to the steel pit, I replicated a few different self-defense scenarios to include dealing with multiple attackers and applying the failure to stop drill. Each gave me an opportunity to gauge the recoil of the Covert X and to be reminded of the well-balanced nature of both of these pistols.

Settling back on the target instantly after being fired was instinctual, and I was able to dump controlled pairs into the Alpha in under .25 seconds with the 9mm and into the teens with the .380.

Fiocchi Covert X is a Winner

Wrapping things up, it was apparent that the Covert X is a winner in compact Walthers; something I believe in so deeply that I cycled out my aging carry ammo and replaced it with the leftovers from this project.

Advertised as being built explicitly for guns this size, my evaluation corroborated the company’s claims and left me with another worthy choice for personal protection. Aside from 9mm Luger and .380 ACP, Covert X is available in .45 ACP, .38 Special +P, and .357 Magnum.

Each of these is built with the same double-skived bullet and loaded with appropriate-sized firearms in mind. Fiocchi’s Covert X line represents a thoughtful response to a problem that’s long plagued those who carry compact pistols.

By engineering a family of cartridges specifically for shorter barrels, they’ve delivered a solution that ensures reliable expansion and maximized velocity where it's needed most.

After seeing it firsthand at The Site, and later putting it through even more compact pistols, it’s clear this ammo isn’t just marketing hype—it’s a real performance upgrade for Walther owners.

Range Results at 15 Yards

Cartridge	Muzzle Velocity	Smallest Group	Avg. Group
Fiocchi Covert X 9mm 124-grain JHP	1,092 fps	1.28 inches	2.14 inches
Fiocchi Covert X .380 ACP 95-grain JHP	1,016 fps	0.79 inches	1.08 inches

Muzzle velocity was measured over 10 shots wit a Garmin Xero C1 Pro chronograph placed 10 inches from the muzzle. Accuracy results for five consecutive, five-shot groups at 15 yards from a rest. Temperature: 85 degrees F. Humidity 70%.