I would like to know the general opinion of forum members before deciding whether to buy one of these. Gun Digest reviewed the P22 in 2006, after giving details of the earlier Walther pistols. The review was very favorable. I also like the PPK, but comments in another forum have put me off the S&W version.

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Kill it, cook it, eat it.

P22 is a real nice .22lr plinker, Mine has served me well in the past two years with nary a misfire,
The PPK will either be a new one in 380 acp, Or and older one in 380 or 32 acp.
The S&W ones I have heard of issues with them, I have an older interarms 380 and the thing will shoot rocks and bubble gum all day, I dont know why it's so dang reliable, But I got it NIB a year ago and it's 20+ years old and I Got lucky with a good one I guess...
What are you looking to shoot?
500 rounds for 20 bucks?
50 rounds for the same 20?
Peter

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Need 1/2 moon Chiefs special

Love mine and so does the wife, its great little plinker and ammo is cheap.Break in with cci mini mag for 300 rds. or so then shoots anything you feed with out a problem.Thinking of getting another one.

They're completely different guns for completely differently purposes. If you're looking for self defense then it's the PPK because the .22 is inadaquate. For almost anything else I would go with the P-22. It's a great little gun to have around and mine gets shot a lot around here. Check the prices on 380 ammo before you decide.

It depends on what you want it for? Plinking or a self defence gun.

I have both. The P22 is a "fun" gun to shoot and plink with. It gas a "cool" factor.For the price it is not very accurate. If you want a target 22 there are better choices for less money.

The PPK is is great gun, but heavy and and .380 ammo is expensive if you can even find it. Again there are better .380 self defense guns out there.JMO

You can have the best of both if you can find a reasonably priced German-made Walther PPH/s in .22 caliber. I've had one for 25 years and it is stone-cold reliable with any quality high-speed .22 ammunition. I don't know how many thousands of rounds I have shot through the Walther, but it is the best plinking handgun I have ever owned!

I hope you at least looked at the PPS in 9 or 40.

I had 2 PPK's at one time but sold them both. The slides kept "biting" my hand and I didn't shoot them particularly well. Not shooting them well could have been related to the other issue but anyway, off they went.

Bob

I'm not sure I (or anyone) understands the question. Is the question, as stated in the title, which one you should buy?

If you are looking for a plinker, the obvious choice is the P22.

If you are looking for a carry gun, buy the PPK in 380.

And then there is the Walther P380 which IMO, Walther should be embarrassed to have it's name on it. I feels like a PO junk. Kinda a beefier P22 with the worst feeling trigger.
Maybe it shoots good, I don't know but if I were to buy a gun that big it would be at least a full 9mm para.

Thanks for all the replies. As I live in France but return to England from time to time, a defence gun is out of the question. In England all handguns are banned and in France I can buy them but not carry. I can transport to the club. When does transporting become carrying?

My interest is, therefore, in the guns themselves. The P22 clearly is highly regarded for what it is. Original German PPKs as well as those made in France under licence by Manurin seem to be excellent, as do Interarms. But another company seems to have turned out total disasters. I was told that .32ACP is better than .38ACP but I suppose that depends on what the user wants. I would not rule out a .22, although I already have 22 guns made by other companies. Don't want larger calibre as my authorisations do not cover them, and at present I do not want to go throught the whole process of re-applying.

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Kill it, cook it, eat it.

Now I understand your problem! So you got a permit for an automatic pistol in a caliber < 9mm Parabellum? And you obviously would like a Walther.

Well, of course you'll end up buyng both, but it might be usefull to search for a better compromis. A PPK or even better a PP in .22 will give you the looks of the classic Walther and the shooting fun and economy of a plinker. They are difficult to find though.

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Si vis pacem para bellum.

I already have permits (in France they are called authorisations) for several handguns and already have a CZ 75B. I have now asked for "permits" for 2 other handguns of a different category which includes revolvers and small semi-automatics ie not semi-automatics of 9mm or 45 ACP calibre. If granted, which they will be, I want to know what to buy next. I may go for a SAA and a small pistol. You are probably right, Friedrich. I will probably finish up in due course with a P22 and a PPK. The pic shown by n4zov and his comments add weight to the PPK.
I don't have to decide until the permits come through, and in the meantime I am trawling the French internet for second hand PPKs. The P22 is so cheap in France (260*) it seems pointless buying second hand.

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Kill it, cook it, eat it.

Allyn,

Have you thought about getting a Heckler & Koch model HK4? They look very similar to the PPK and have interchangeable barrels and magazines in .22 - .25 - .32 - and .380. You get the benefit of ONE gun and 4 choices of ammo.

I had one a couple of years ago and unfortunately, sold it.

It may take you a while searching to find all 4 barrels and magazines. Once you get the gun you can take your time finding the various caliber barrels.

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Linda
SWCA #1965, SWHF #245

I am still a bit confused on what you want to do with the gun. You say you have 22's but are looking for a 22? So would the primary use be at the "club" you mention? For target shooting? Is 380 ACP ammo readily available in France?
How about one of the Beretta's?

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Still Running Against the Wind

I think it would take time to find the gun, never mind the various barrels. I had never heard of this gun until you mentioned it, but it seems it was made between 64 and 83. I Googled it in France and came up with nothing. Nothing for sale, that is.

Did you know that H&K was British owned for some time in the 90s. Just like your very own S&W. Not a lot of people know that!

Dealing with the point raised by OCD1, yes I have a .22 revolver and a .22 conversion for my CZ75B. I can have more, can't I?

I belong to 2 "clubs" where I shoot targets and people who ask silly questions (lol).

As for 380 ammo in France, don't know. But .32 ACP is available, and the PPK was made in both calibres, as well as .22.

I need to consider availability, price and desirability before deciding.

As for Berettas, I have looked at some which are nice, but they don't have the same charm as the PPK. There is a model 90 for sale in calibre .32 ACP which is quite nice and very cheap. Once I have considered what all of you guys have said, and searched the French websites, I will make a decision.

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Kill it, cook it, eat it.

Allyn,

I was only trying to determine exactly what you were looking for. Yes by all means have lots of 22's
If your primary reason is target shooting at a "club" I fear you might be disappointed with the accuracy of the P22. It is a fine plinker but no way is it a target gun.
The PPK (even the SW version) is much more accurate and IMO a better made gun. The P22 is no where what the old original Walther guns were. They were fine craftsmanship.
Here in the US, 380 is almost impossible to find and if you do it's very expensive. If you can get a 32 auto those are great to shoot. The HK 4 was a really nice gun, but very hard to get parts for now. They were imported for a while as a special run for Harrington Richards. I almost bought a mint one but it only had the 380 barrel and had a gold trigger and gold side emblem. To much bing for me. Too expensive also.

I do not think you can go wrong with the Walther PPK in either 32 or 380 it all depends on your ammo availability.

Here is my most favorite .380. Do not find many of these lying around. Sphinx 380 made in Switzerland. DA only. Double stack magazine. Built like their watches.

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Still Running Against the Wind

OCD1, thanks for your reply. I appreciate what you say about accuracy. I certainly prefer the PPK, but I have now found a PP for sale. I am trying to attach a copy because it certainly looks different. What on Earth is stuck on the end of it. Is it a compensator of some kind. Hope the pic comes through.
What have they done to it? It is apparently of Manurhin manufacture and is .22 but other than that I know nothing. Can't find out anything more about it until tomorrow. The price is very good, so I will make a call in the morning and reserve it.

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Kill it, cook it, eat it.

It would appear to be a "sport" version with a lengthened barrel which was introduced in 1955. It's the first one I have ever seen. Not as pretty as the standard barrel version.

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Kill it, cook it, eat it.

That should be a barrel weight, much like the target P22 uses. That looks like an interesting pistol. http://www.waltherforums.com/ good website for Walthers.

Allyn,

It does look like the PP you posted has a 'barrel extender' similar to those sold for the Walther P-22.

They're generally added just to extend the 'sight radius' of the gun and can be on or off the gun by user choice (fairly simple connect/disconnect).

I have a Walther P-22 and several other in my family do as well. We've had no problems and love to shoot them. I have fired several PPKs and have one on my wish list for future purchase.

Personally, I would stay away from used models (at least over here) since the early models had some reliability issues. Most of the problems were attributed to magazine defects.

You'll be happy with either a P-22 or a PPK. The PPK will more likely be somthing to pass to future generations (if you're allowed to do that) or retain its value for resale.

.

.

Do you like this PP 'sport'? If it's priced right, it should be a good investment. They're quite collectable!

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Si vis pacem para bellum.

Sadly, when I phoned the shop today they said it was sold last week.

On the bright side, I phoned a shop in Paris and they have between 5 and 10 PPs or PPKs. Guess where I'm hoping to go tomorrow.

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Kill it, cook it, eat it.

Allyn,

I'm very curious about what gun shops in France/Paris are like. Would you mind giving a quick description?

Ex. Are they dedicated gun shops? Depts within larger stores? What type of guns/accessories and how much selection?

Thanks.

I have never been to Paris, but was hoping to go today. Couldn't make it because I couln't find anyone to look after my dog at short notice, and it is a 2 1/2 hour train journey away. 5 hours on a train is no problem but it is the timing of the return that would leave my dog locked in the house for a total of 9 hours.

In my area there are 2 shops about 40 miles apart. One is hunting and fishing based. No hand guns. The other is split into 2 shops, one dealing with all kinds of guns and ammo including hand guns, and the other part devoted to fishing. I walked round a Walmart store in Fort Worth a few years ago that probably was not much bigger. So it is a fair sized shop. Gun shops are dedicated to hunting/shooting and fishing (including boots and outdoor clothing). Not part of a larger store. The range of rifles and shotguns is good, with a mix of European and American brands, new and second hand. These are all on display. The one that sells hand guns keeps them in a separate room that has a huge steel, strong room or safe type of door. When you go in to view guns, you are locked in. There is no public display. I couldn't comment on the range of hand guns they have because even in the secure room they are kept in drawers, and the assistant only takes out what you have asked to see and maybe a few alternatives. In that shop they also sell reloading presses and accessories. They also sell Stetsons. You see, the French are not really anti-American. In fact I have found them to be the nicest, most polite people I have ever met. That's why I still live here.

Ammo is on display in the main shop. You can help yourself to shotgun cartridges, but the rest are behind counters.

Visit this website to get an idea of what a larger shop may offer. I have never visited this one except online. http://www.armurerie-fiesinger.com/php/index.phtml

We got a bit off topic, but it's nice to chat.

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Kill it, cook it, eat it.

Thanks for the great explanation. It gives me a very clear sense of the differences here and there.

Hopefully others will appreciate the short detour as well.
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