Ian Fleming equipped his fictional agent "007," James Bond, with a Walther PPK, and with good reason. The gun is small, slim, reliable, and very concealable.

Walther introduced the PP (for Polizei Pistole, or Police Pistol), way back in 1929. This was the first commercially viable double/single-action semiauto pistol. It was closely followed by the PPK (Polizei Pistole Kriminal), with a shortened frame and slide. This version was intended for undercover policemen, and was reportedly favored by Hitler's Gestapo, or secret police. The design has endured to this day.

The original factory was in Zella-Mehlis, Thuringia, Germany. It fell into the Russian zone after WWII, so post-war production moved to Ulm, where it remains today. Smith & Wesson secured the rights to produce these pistols in the U.S.

My personal example is this PPK/S, which is a combination of the larger PP frame with the PPK's shorter barrel and slide. It was conceived as a way to get around U.S. import restrictions. This particular one was made at the Walther factory in Ulm, West Germany, in 1977. It's chambered in .380 ACP (9mm Kurz).



Anyone else have one or more of these historic guns?

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

The very best PPK ever made was the one Herr Hitler used in April 1945. Too bad it wasn't in April 1935.

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Term limits!

Not as fortunate as you. Mine is one of the early Interarms PPK/S in blue. I do still have the original plastic box and all of the papers.

FrankD

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sona si latine loqueris .

Here is my 1962 32 auto with its 1998 commercial P5 brother.

Yup........some PPs in .32 and .22....PPKs in .380 German made, PPKs from Inter Arms.......blue and stainless NIB........and some shooters as well.......

Love them. Little works of art.

Here is my Danish Police PP, 7.65mm, 1972 vintage and my Interarms PPK/S in 9mm Kurz. Haven't been able to get a date on it yet.




AC

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SWCA 2082

IMHO S&W took a well known pistol with great reputation and ran it into the ground. I have contacted S&W to determine when the PPK and PPK/S will be available. I received an email and it stated they would be available in the near future. S&W should be ashamed of what they did to this pistol. I purchased a PPK/S made by S&W and it was a ***. I had owned one by Interarms years ago and it was reliable and accurate. Not bashing S&W because IMHO they make the best wheelguns of anyone else.

Not a real fan but I do have two of them.
First a 1966 PPK, Unfired still in box with goodies. in 380
German made.

Second is an Interarms one, Also in 380.
Still have the box and all papers on this one too,
But it has been fired just a bit, 50 rounds or so.

Peter

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Need 1/2 moon Chiefs special

Great pistols. Used to have a few and have sold all except one PPK .32 police marked made in 1937.
Never owned a PPK/S but they were very popular before the US manufacture of the PPK began again.

The one I really wish I hadn't passed on was a pre war PPK in 25acp that had been converted to 32acp for $300. Wasn't the greatest shape, but I know I could have saved it. Had an after market 32 magazine in it.
The original 25acp magazine,, as I found out later was originally a Walther Mod 8 inside of the PPK 32 mag body.
I hesitated because of the lack of a magazine and the breech face was opened up,,,and it was gone. But in hind sight it was all do-able.
I think they only made one or two thousand of them maybe less.

Gotta move fast!!

Well, there is a sad story here. I once had a wartime or even prewar PPK in seemingly unfired condition with holster and a wartime trophy letter signed by ETO General Everett C. Perlman, if I remember correctly. The gun was given to me about 1960 by the family physician, who no longer wanted it and knew I liked guns. Then about 15 years later, for reasons that seemed good at the time, I let it go. What a bad idea.

A year or so ago I bought a current-production PPK/S in .380 just to have something similar in the collection. I did the recall thing, and it worked fine when it came back. But the stainless one will never be the same as the one I let go.

Here's the new one. I never did take a photo of the old one.

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David Wilson

have 2. an older 1968 ppk in 380 that has been around the world with me and looks it, and a newer ppks in 22lr still in the brown alligator box. the older ppk has never missed a beat in all the years and all the places.

I have read that postwar production was moved to France (Manurhin). The pistols were manufactured there and then sent to Ulm for assembly. I have a Nazi marked .22 PP and an Interarms ppk/s.

I just have this 1983 PPK/S Interarms Model in .380



rags

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RIP Shipmate

I like them! I'd like to find an older one in .22 caliber.

This is my one and only... a 7.65mm from 1967. It's a model PPK-L or Dural (Lightweight aluminum or duraluminum).

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Linda
SWCA #1965, SWHF #245

I have the German-made PPK model that I bought from my ex-partner before he retired from L.E. Shoots great, but never really found that great ammo that you can rely on. I presently shoot .380 silver tips. So far, so good. I still have the paper box that it came in along with the original price written in it.....$76.50! WOW!

I've had 2. The first was a WWII PPK in 7.62 (32acp) with brown plastic stocks and Nazi waffenproofs. I got rid of it for????? The second I still kick myself 15 years later. A PPK in .22 LR. It was the perfect gun for woods walking, fishing, plinking. It was sooooo accurate with Minimags that it was scarry. I ordered a 2nd .22 magazine and it took 6 months and cost $50. Unfortunately I got in a bind and had to sell it. Four buddies later told me that they would have bought it from me and would have sold it back for the same price if I had let them know.

I have had several over the years. I once owned a German .22 PP and had an MMC adjustable sight put on it like Skeeter Skelton wrote about years ago. They are no longer made. I am trying to get it back from the person that I sold it to. I have also owned a couple of Interarms ppks's in .380 both in blue and stainless. The new ones from S&W are ****! They are a great little pistol but there are a number of other .380's that are more functional in my opinion. I am left handed and would have liked them better if they had had an ambi safety on them. They also have sharp edges and very stiff springs for woman to cycle for loading and to clear jams.

My wife's PPKS....she got it brand new with a box....380 ACP...



I'm not crazy about the feel of this gun in my hand. It's a bit snappy with factory ammo and for that reason it did not get much use. My father-in-law has it now...

When I found out he had a nice P-38 Walther WW2 bring-back with matching magazine as his "truck gun"...we offered up Karli's PPKS in exchange...he's happy, we're happy!

Bob

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"Onward thru the Fog"

I have an Interarms Walther PPK/S .380 from the 1980's that I still own. I purchased a German Walther TPH .22 LR (Blued) back in 1977-78 and carried it as a BUG on duty. This TPH was later stolen in a home burglary. I later had the opportunity to purchase a new Walther TPH .22 LR (Stainless) back in the late 1980's-early 1990's and still have this one also.

I do wish I could find a nice blued PPK in .380 also.

Got a nice little Walther from 1940.
Calibre is 7.65mm

I have one, a PPKS. (I'd like to find a nice PPK to go with it)

I carried one as a back up gun back in the 80's. Started carrying a Glock 23 and sold the PPK to my Sgt.. I figured 14 rounds of 40 S&W vs. 8 rounds of 380 with the same weight was a better option.

I wish I had not been so eager to swap and sell back in those days.

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I am a sheep dog!
1601 (ret)

This is sort of on topic...Did anyone see, "Night of the Generals", where Peter O'Toole, playing an SS general, drew hs PPK with a neat reverse draw when he shot Omar Sherif's character?

Good movie, and the only time that I've seen that draw in a film.

T-Star

I've carried a Interarms Walther PPK/S as a bug and off duty weapon for years. Mine is very realiable and very accurate, but the blowback operation with a .380 round does not allow it to be much fun to shoot more than 30 or 40 rounds a session unless I'm wearing gloves.

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- Change it back -

I've been a big fan of the Walther PP and PPK series every since I saw my first James Bond movie. I have large hands but the PPK fits me perfectly. Yes, the top of the web of my hand has been slightly cut at times when firing my PPK. But it doesn't bother me one little bit.

This one is a 60 degree safety K-suffix with Eagle over N proof marks. It has a little holster wear but is otherwise mechanically perfect with a mint bore. If only it could talk:



My 1966 .380 is in its original box:



When I became a police officer in 1988, I bought a new Interarms stainless PPK .380 and carried for 20 years. The last two years, I had it engraved by Michael Gouse. I stopped carrying it in favor of my new Ruger LCP with Crimson Trace laser:



I also have a 1967 Walther PP Sport .22 target version. It's a terrific shooter with its big sights, extended hammer and target stocks:

I have a PP made between 1940 and 1945 in 7.65. It is my fun shooter.

I have a PP in 32 caliber with Manurhin markings. Came in the box. I think they were used by the Berlin police. I like my HSc better.

Anybody have a nice PP or ppk in 22LR for sale
// Most people do not realize Walther never made a 22 LR PP or PPK or PPK/s in Germany after WWII. ALL were made by Manurhin in France for them. Even in 1985 when they began production of PP's in Ulm They did not produce it in 22 LR , 22LR remained exclusive to France. Most assume if it says 'Made in W Germany" that it was indeed a German product. Funny how the 'value of a NIB Manurhin PP any style, is less than that of any same pistol made in the same factory with Walther stamped. Interesting marketing and borderline 'misrepresentation'. I live in Alabama and we have had and still do have several prominent importers in the Birmingham area.So we hear first hand some of the lesser known info regarding imports. GSI Gun South importer for (used to) Steyr FN etc.. Bangers is here , HK U.S. here ,...was leasing space in Gun Souths building , now have their own place.The guy who started Gun South, used to own Aeromarine in town.They sold the Rifle to James Earl Ray that shot MLK see related link interesting read esp. regarding the process of the purchase/ first caliber chosen then changed etc..
James Earl Ray: The Man Who Killed Dr. Martin Luther King - Crime Library on truTV.com
I remember in the 1980's when the then new Stainless Steel PPK's were being built by Ranger in Rainbow City Alabama and obviously with no reference to Alabama manufacture, That would have reduced the perceived value of a Walther product,,,Yee Haw. At the time I had no idea the German ones were not German made, The Germans already had some very successful experience with the power of good tactical marketing, propaganda, use of symbolism , the value of how something was perceived by der Volks.
And now "That's all I have to say about Viet.....I mean Walther ...I'm not a very Smart man but,.. but I know what good marketing is. sorry guys i will stop, another Alabama related tie in there, Winston Groom's book.
J

Now you guys have gone and done it. Made me go get out one of my Walthers and put on the holster and all. I'm having a hard time selecting the right armband and when my wife ask me where I was going, I replied, "FRANCE".

Rule 303

What else would you carry when in formal attire?

Mine is a 1972 ULM proofed Interarms import marked. Not my daily but I've owned and carried it (on and off) for almost 20 years. No safe queen it shows the holster wear. It is slick, I mean slick, and never a hiccup. Exceptionally accurate as well.
I carry it with one in the pipe and full mag of HydraShocks. Spare is ball. Yeah I'm mostly a big bore carry fan but who can resist this svelte charmer.

I've handled several S&W copies, not even close. Like comparing silk to sand! S&W really screwed the pooch on this one!

Here's baby.........

Have a Interarms PPK/S , German made, early 70's, blue steel, .380. Never had a problem with it. Very accurate at 25yrds, however the POI is usually high - the front sight needs to be higher to be right on target. The gun feeds almost anything - but really likes S&W jhp ammo. Throat has been polished for even better feeding. Factory grips removed & Pachmayr grips installed - they make a set that covers the frame on front and back sides, gives excellent grip and control during recoil. Would really like a J frame adjustable sight on the slide. Another project for the future. Overall one of the best autos ever made.

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Martin Co,FLA(finally made it)

i am an amateur writer and i have used the walther ppk pistol chambered in .32 acp in 2 of my writing projects

I only have one, a ‘68 PPK in .32 acp.

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"I also cook."

si------------

Didn't Commander Bond start out with a Beretta .25? I don't care for the Nazi association. My father spent a few years between 1941 and 1945 killing those SOB's. I have had a couple of PPK's but dumped them when the Colt .380's and then the small 9mms, such the Kahr's, came along and the PP,PPK & PPK/s became obsolete for me. The DA trigger pulls were awful and the blowback operation system was unpleasant and required bulk that meant more weight to function. I can appreciate the engineering and history but they don't interest me as serious carry pistols.

I have a Walther PPK, made by Interarms, purchased new in early 1999. A very good gun.
Shortly after buying it, I was searching Ebay for accessories. Ran across a fully adjustable rear sight for the PPK, new in the package, made by MMC (Michigan Machine Co.).
I recalled that the late gun writer Skeeter Skelton wrote about this PPK adjustable rear sight in one of the 1970s Shooting Times magazines. Well, won the bid at $50. And when I got the sight, it had a $74.99 price tag on it!
It's been on my PPK since. A sturdy, machined steel adjustable sight that is not much bigger than the original and doesn't catch on clothing. A wonderful accessory.
I went with the PPK because I wanted a pistol for self defense that was proven to be utterly reliable. My PPK is, even with hollowpoints. I understand that the earlier PPKs are not so reliable with hollowpoints.
It remains my coat and jeans pocket gun when I go into town (I live in the remote desert).
About eight years ago my cousin so admired my PPK that he bought one himself. He proceeded, in the space of a few years, to put 8,000 rounds through it!
He retired it when some little piece broke off, he told me, but it didn't affect safety or reliability. Not sure what broke but it was nothing critical. It still shoots reliably, though it's not as accurate as it used to be, he tells me.
He works at the firing range of a major city, and fired a box or two every weekend for years, in case you're wondering how he managed to put so many rounds through it. His is an interarms too.
I absolutely love my PPK. I just wish someone made some soft rubber grips for it, like they do the PPK/S. Or better yet, soft rubber grips with laser sight.
Skeeter Skelton wrote of someone -- Safariland? Bianchi? -- who made an experimental batch of soft rubber grips for the PPK, and he scored a pair. He put these on a stainless steel PPK as I recall, with the adjustable MMC sight.
That is a winning combination. Love the adjustable rear sight on mine, though it requires a very small allen wrench to adjust it. It's been on my pistol for more than 8 years, and endured about 2,000 rounds, and never lost its setting.
Mine's just a blued model, with the standard black plastic grips, but it's a reliable, accurate and concealable lil' beast.
You can have your chopped-down 9mms, .40s and .45s -- their recoil and blast puts me off, plus I've been reading on the net for some years that the shorter, lighter slide and frame can make them unreliable.
The PPK is proven. It's been a reliable, tough, little devil for 75 years. That's good enough for me!

Not the Walther model called for by the OP, but the only one I own. I really enjoy shooting this one. It has such a sweet trigger that it makes hitting center target easy. I have large hands and it fills them perfectly. Sorry for the blurry picture.

Regards,

Jerry

i have a 32 ppk manurhin made ,here more were sold when the municipal police change side arms for revolver in the mid 90
i think manurhin cessed to product in 80
all i see have the brown plastic grips
we can find for fair price (200 euro) a gun which don't shoot more than
100
in the 70/80 this gun was sold (600) far more than a colt python or a 27
have a nice day
ANDRE

I had a 66 PPK....a friend of my dad's left it in his office and the cleaning lady shot it through the wall...the gun was taken by the police and the owner was not allowed to get it back...so he transfered it to my dad for 50 bucks and he in turn gave it to me...the cop who took it in scratched his initials on the slide so it had to be refinished....I eventually sold it for $400....I never really enjoyed shooting it and couldn't get it to be reliable even with ball ammo....still, a pretty gun as guns go...

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

An absolutely gorgeous gun-I've owned 4 of them and hated each one. They're HEAVY in the pocket, have a uncomfortable recoil and do not fit my hand very well-Other than that a beautiful gun with a wonderful history-it screams James Bond-I never tire of looking at them-beautiful lines and threads like this one make me want to buy another-but When I pick one up and heft it-the feeling passes-sorry

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Forum consigliere

Caj,

That is exactly what I think of the guns...my wife's gun is a dream to drool over...just no fun to shoot.

Bob

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"Onward thru the Fog"

West German ( circa 1972 )

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SHOOTER13

A pre war PP...

One of the best pictures made

One day I went to the gun shop and saw one of the smith walthers, stainless, .32ACP, bought it and then read all about the problems with the recall. I thought I had made an expensive mistake,but 500 rounds later I really like the pistol! I have had a few FTE during the first two sessions( towards the end),but it has smoothed out. I really like the "beaver tail" it is fun to shoot.it is accurate,I like the looks, I just added an aftermarket set of grips.IMOit is a good little gun, not really my first choice, but better than a sharp stick.

I have to agree with Caj on this one, too. I have fired a few, and they shoot OK, but they are heavy for what you get, and don't hold enough rounds for me to consider carrying a light caliber.

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Even older, even crankier....

I have owned several. Miss my Nazi one in 7.65mm. It was fun to shoot. The PP probably shoots better than all the rest, especially in
.380 caliber. I have the anniversary engraved PPK I bought for an investment, and a PPK/S, both in .380. I don't care for the recoil of the .380 in either. A Colt Mustang Plus II shoots a .380 better than any other one I own, and that includes a Beretta M84F Cheetah.

I'm partial to my CZ Vz.50 in 7.65. It looks a lot like the PPK, and fits the same holsters. It is very nicely made, and came a lot cheaper than a PPK.

I bought this Walther/Interarms PPK .380 from a Forum member. The flats are polished to a mirror finish and the Hogus grips are a little thicker than factory; makes it easy to hold.

Attached Images

	PPK-1.jpg (101.6 KB, 142 views)
	PPK-2.jpg (109.4 KB, 117 views)

I have a Walther USA PPK, blue, in a shoulder holster as we speak....