I have had many PPK's and PPK/S guns....
Why many? Well after a house burgulary, my pre-68 was stolen from my bedroom. It was around 1978 and a PPK was no longer obtainable, so a PPK/S was bought. It was blue, and I got a carry permit. I decided to use as a carry gun and wanted a Stainless gun. Bought the stainless, and sold the blue. Some years later, the PPK was again available. You get the picture...
Here is MY take.....After proper "shooting-in", getting all the metal parts to fit with each other (I use 300 rounds as a minimum figure, especially if I am going to entrust my life with a gun), then I go for accuracy....meaning, "What ammo shoots the best group". Mind you, we are not shooting a target pistol, but if it shoots groups, and functions well, it generally means it likes that ammo (common sense interpretation). After break in, none of these guns malfunctioned. I consider them VERY reliable, they have to be! All of my guns have shot best with SuperVel (see the current thread) or CorBon 90gr.hp....no exception! I practice with my own handloads, but load with CorBon. I just got my dad's(he is 91) pre-68 PPK and it shoots great. Here is a photo of mine, with some dehorning and stippling....

Terry

I have had three Walther Pistols...2 PP's in .32, and one PPK/S in .380. The PPK/S was the US made version. One PP was Manurhin, the other West German.

I don't have any of them anymore. The PPK/s had to be sent back to S&W, and it was no fun to shoot. The PP's were better shooters, but not totally reliable.

You need to remember that these pistols were designed to fire the .32 ACP...the .380 was more of an afterthought for Walther.

...I don't miss them.

bluedsteel

Here is my Interarms imported 1973 W German made Walter PPK/S, circa 1973. I carried this gun a lot in the early 90's since there was just not that much in the way of a pocket semi-auto back then. While I like the gun for its heritage and for what it offered when nothing else did, I am not such a big fan anymore.

I do not like the trigger pull in double action and I am a victim of "Walther" bite when shooting it.

quote:

Originally posted by norfdet:
Here is my Interarms imported 1973 W German made Walter PPK/S, circa 1973. I carried this gun a lot in the early 90's since there was just not that much in the way of a pocket semi-auto back then. While I like the gun for its heritage and for what it offered when nothing else did, I am not such a big fan anymore.

I do not like the trigger pull in double action and I am a victim of "Walther" bite when shooting it.

Since I have yet to own, or shoot a Walther PPK, I MUST ask. What causes the dreaded hammer bite when shooting the pistols in the double-action mode? I own a Bersa 380 and have yet to suffer this malady. Is it the "beavertail" configuration? Is it the manner in which the right hand grasps the pistol?

Please tell us the source of this dreaded, yet widely cussed, (and discussed) phenomenon?

Scott

The hammer bite issue....
The factory grips on the PPK (Walther)are fairly thin and anyone with a BIG hand that grips it tightly, will have the flesh between the thumb and forefinger pinched by the long throw hammer in DA. I have used Hogue grips which are thicker and more hand filling to eliminate that tendency. Also, I had the sharp edges on the slide, which tend to cut the web in larger hands, dehorned . Problem solved.
Terry

I have a new S&W/Walther PPK. Fired a box of 50 of the Winchester White box FMJ ammo through it with no malfunctions at all. The Walther pocket pistols are known to be "ammo sensitive" and you have to experiment to find the ammo the gun likes. Especially true for HP ammo.
I have a completely different problem, though. Before I went to the range I cleaned and lubed the gun with Hoppe's #9 and Tetra gun oil and gun grease. This is SOP for ALL my guns. When I got home I cleaned and lubed the PPK and put it in the gun case. Last Saturday I openned the case to take the gun out to try in a new Fobus holster. I noticed the top of the grips looked weird...like they had been "corroded" or eaten away. I then noticed a crack in the right grip extending from the screw hole to the base of the grip. The left grip had two smaller cracks also extending from the grip mounting hole to the back base of the grip. I took the grips off
and there doesn't appear to be anything unusual on the inside of the grips. I'm certain it's not the lube or Hoppe's, sicne I've used that stuff on other PPK/S Interarms pistols with no problems as well as a ton of other guns. Ditto for the Tetra lube. So I will call S&W on Tuesday and try and find out what is going on. Smith has had a LOT of problems with their version of the Walthers and it's possible the grips may be farmed out to someone who isn't using the right formula of plastic. Good thing S&W has good warranty service.

Dep

A Walther PPK

I carried a blued .380 (Interarms) starting in the late 70s for maybe 5 years. Used WW Silvertips in it and don't remember ever having a failure of any kind. I carried it in a slick Bianchi vertical shoulder holster - or in a coat pocket. No hammer/slide bite problems but I traded it for a TPH (tiny Walther .22) and that one would cause the blood to flow freely. I liked my PPK/S - brings back lots of memories.

I am getting into a S/W PPKs and thinking about Crimson Trace grips. I have never used the grips, so id like to hear from anyone who has. good or bad? worth the money or not?

thanks