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  #1  
Old 01-07-2010, 01:44 AM
gunhammer gunhammer is offline
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Default S&W Walther PPK/S or Interarms PPK/S

I found a Walther imported by Interarms Virginia PPK/S ss 380 in box with 3 mags for 325.00 Hardly shot any it appears. I wonder why? I read alot about some being good others bad. I believe I could sell it if not pleased. Need cleaning but other than that. Opinions please.
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Old 01-07-2010, 02:21 AM
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I have a S&W PPK/S in .380 that I bought a little over a year ago; it works fine for me. But I read here and on the Walther forum that Interarms guns are more reliable and that S&W basically ruined a good design by tinkering with it once they took over production. I'm not actually sure what internal changes S&W may have made that make the guns unreliable in the eyes of others. Perhaps others know.
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Old 01-07-2010, 02:35 AM
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Shot it and enjoy it. If not sell it to me Kyle
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Old 01-07-2010, 02:35 AM
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If thats a German made Walther I'd buy it right now for that price, yesterday in fact.
I imagine the S&W ones can be fine, I believe they are backed by their lifetime warranty? I certainly wouldn't be afraid of one.
As to why the Interarms gun wasn't shot much hard to say. One possibility is simply that they aren't all that pleasant to shoot, particularly if you have fleshy hands. They kick harder and snappier than you might think due to the recoil operated system. they also aren't particulary cheap to shoot unless you reload it, which most don't.
Or maybe its like so many guns, the guy just plain didn't shoot much.
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Old 01-07-2010, 02:00 PM
wilshire1412 wilshire1412 is offline
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If it is stainless steel then it is not a European made Walther. Interarms had a license to produce a PPK/S in the US as early as 1978, the first stainless pistols came a few years later. I have owned a couple of the Interarms US made PPK pistols and they were good performers with good quality ammo, reloads would usually cause problems in mine.

In my opinion the PPK/S that you describe is a good deal for the price, I have noticed that these have started to go up in price when found around here. I think the increase is due to the rather poor performance with the current generation of S&W made PPK series, and the european made pistols are considerably more when found for sale.
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Old 01-08-2010, 02:42 AM
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It is not unusual to come across handguns that have been fired very little. Many folks purchase a handgun and shoot it only once, then put it away (frequently without a proper cleaning).

The PPK/s was developed as a way to get around US import limitations during the 1970's. Essentially, the PPK upper was put onto a PP lower and, voila, the PPK/s was born. Interarms was the importer, then started assembling pistols in the US using Walther-provided parts (again, due to US import restrictions). Finally, much of the manufacturing process was done in the US.

Not bad pistols but, as already noted, not user-friendly for people with fleshy hands. Unless you are careful about how you grip the weapon, the slide can cut the web of your hand pretty badly.

Just as the Dirty Harry movies pushed demand for the Model 29 revolvers, the early James Bond movies pushed demand for the PPK pistols. Huge demand back in the 1970's, and Interarms did everything they could to cash in on it.
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Old 01-11-2010, 12:43 AM
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Walther PPKS: American style; S&W's Version "1" of this distinguished design fixes some previous faults and raises the bar for Walther | American Handgunner | Find Articles at BNET

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Old 01-11-2010, 07:49 AM
5906fan 5906fan is offline
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I had a ppk/s that was accurate, reliable and good trigger but I have extra large hands and it would peel the hide off my thumb knuckle bad. I got a Makarov.
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Old 01-11-2010, 08:14 AM
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It is a good price.
Some have found that when shooting them they underside of the slide rubbed on their hand and made them bleed.
I am one of them and I have to shoot mine very carefully.
SO~ Some are rarely shot.
And it would sell for more than the price you said above,
It is a nice price for a potentially greaT GUN.
mine runs fine,
But I have heard os the newer S&W ones not having such good luck.
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Old 01-11-2010, 03:17 PM
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The ONLY Walthers i would EVER buy are the ones "made in West Germany". This topic is has been on many other forums. Bottom line is that ONLY German/West German ones are worthwhile.
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Old 01-11-2010, 03:26 PM
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For that price, you can't go wrong. Some people get decent accuracy out of them, and some don't. The double action trigger is pretty stiff.
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Old 01-15-2010, 02:21 AM
AKAOV1MAN AKAOV1MAN is offline
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I have and like the Inter Arms Walthers-and the German ones also. Currently I have a PPK, PPK/S, and a TPH (22LR) all Inter Arms models. They are shooters and do a great job, the bigger guns are .380 which is the only caliber I would buy one in (except the 22LR strictly for sport).
The DA pull is heavy and I have trained to cock the hammer on drawing, some folks don't like that but it works well for me. As an off duty gun they are heavy compared to some later guns, but I like the all steel feel. The TPH is a dynamite pocket gun(in the proper holster) but one has to put a few hundred rounds through a TPH before you can rely on it. My number was 500, but the ammo is very cheap. My preference for 22LR defense ammo is high speed solid point-for penetration. In the .380s I use Buffalo Bore hard cast 100 gr flat point, again for penetration. I would not buy a S&W Walther, how they managed to screw up a design that has been reliable since the early 1930s is beyond me.
I think you will like the Walther, and the trigger pull can be smoothed and lightened by Cylinder & Slide.
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Old 01-15-2010, 02:38 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fighter62 View Post
The ONLY Walthers i would EVER buy are the ones "made in West Germany". This topic is has been on many other forums. Bottom line is that ONLY German/West German ones are worthwhile.
I would disagree with that. I have two marked made by Manhurin, a PPK/s in .22 and one in .380. For those who don't know the story goes that after the war Manhurin actually made all of the Walthers, including the ones marked 'made in w. Germany'. They could do it because of a quirk in European law where the gun is marked as made where the final finish and proof firing is done.
In any case the Manhurins have as good of fit, finish and function as any "made in W, Germany" pistol i've ever seen.
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Old 01-16-2010, 03:35 AM
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The trigger on my S&W Walther PPK is worlds better than my old Interarms PPK/S.
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Old 01-16-2010, 11:27 AM
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Before you make a decision, go to the Walther Forum and read all the posts on S&W's efforts to produce the Walther and then make up your mind:

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