Any PPK fans out there?

[3S16]

Last month I went to my granddaughters' wedding. It was a "Black Tie Affair" at a very ritzy venue. I'm not exactly a tuxedo kinda guy, but it was for my granddaughter. While I was being fitted for a rental Tux, I was feeling a little bit like James Bond. Unfortunately, I don't have a Walther PPK to complete my ensemble. The wedding was beautiful. The Sig P238 was comforting, but just not a PPK.
Flash back to the early 70's. I was a young Patrol Deputy fresh out of the obligatory 3 years tour in the CountyJail. A relative gave me a PPK as a gift. It became my backup gun. I carried it for years. For some long forgotten reason I sold it.
After the wedding, I decided I "Needed" a PPK. The search commenced for a reasonably priced PPK (No easy task in California)! It took a while to find one, and I'm not really sure I got it for a reasonable price either, but I did find one and bought it.
Very nice condition. It was made at the Fort Smith, Arkansas plant so it's pretty recent production. It came with the original case and two magazines. I'm not a fan of black plastic grips, so I got a set of Turkish walnut aftermarket grips. Pretty happy with this blast from my past - Plus, I have three more granddaughters and three more weddings.
Now I have to find a shoulder holster to go under my (rental) tuxedo!

 

[geeollie]

Bond, at least in one of the early books of the series, carried a .32 ACP PPK. I used to have .380 Walther PPK back in the 1980's. I think it was during the Interarms days, long before Smith got it.

It was nice. Only "con" was that I got cut by the slide if I was not careful.

 

[hardknocks]

PPK

Good reason/excuse to buy a gun.
I have the new PPK In 32 acp. I read the grips from older models do not fit properly on the Fort Smith guns ?
How do you like the Turkish grips ? They look crooked in your picture. I want some wood grips myself.
Thanks

 

[2152hq]

Always a fan of the PP and PPk models. I had quite a number of them over the yrs but down to only one now.
A 1937 PPk in 32acp.
Nazi Police marked E/c and with holster and 2 magazines.

I bought that one in a local GShop in the 90's, IIRC for $225.
Great shooter and very accurate. It gets a range day every once in a while.
I've never had the slde cutting/hand problem with them that many people have. Must just be the shooters hand size and the way different people hold the pistol.

One I really regret not being able to snag was a pre-War PPk in .25acp.
I was just a little to late on the reach accross the table on that one.
Truely a rare one.

I carried a '66 mfg PPk in .22lr for about 30yrs as a CCW. It turned into a Marlin Model 97 Deluxe lever action rifle one day.

 

[Valmet]

I’m on the cusp of buying my first one. I’m not a .32 or .380 guy, nor am I really a James Bond fan but I often see like new/used examples at reasonable enough prices that one of these days I’ll likely snag one.

 

[mikeruns]

I once had a PPK .380, and while it was a neat novelty, it was impractical for me to keep and so I sold it off. Kind of neat but the novelty ran out. Cheers and enjoy

 

[dsf]

I have a PP in 32 ACP that was used by West German PD, then imported with a few hundred others over the years.



Not too keen on it without the high polish finish. It is easier to shoot than the 380 ACP though.

The 22 lr version PPk/s is the best though. Pleasant as heck and cheap on the ammo. This is an Interarms made prior to GCA68.



FWIW, I always thought the Mauser HSC was at least equally "Bond-worthy" -

 

[Rudi]

Many moons ago I had a beat up old WWII PP in .32acp. It ran well and was accurate. Traded it off.

 

[.455_Hunter]

Yup- I love my '61 blued 7.65mm PPK (you can't get more James Bond than that) and my late production stainless S&W .32 PPK. Both are outstanding, put hits on target way further than they are supposed to according to the interwebs experts, and are completely reliable when fed warm Euro ball. The only exception is the older gun sometimes needs a second hit on hard-primered S&B ammo. The new gun has no issues, and they both love the "Made in Italy" Fiocchi product. I can carry either with confidence, something I won't say for the current trendy sub-compact polystrikers.

 

[Echo40]

The Walther PPK/S is one of my all-time favorite pistol designs, so I own two of them, one chambered in .22LR, the other in .380 ACP.

 

[wyo-man]

I occasionally carry my Interarms .380 ACP PPK.

wyo-man

 

[BAM-BAM]

A .380 PPK was my suit gun for about a decade until replaced by a 3913NL with a flush fit 7rd mag.

Carried it in a Sparks Summer Special IWB

Still have it and carry it to every Bond movie since 1986

 

[4T5GUY]

I’ve never carried my PPK but it’s fun to shoot and look at. I think they are historically important.

My .32 PP was the only option I had when I first got my Concealed Carry Permit years ago. The blueing held up great but I retired it for carry. I have a few different options now.

The .22 dispatched many ptarmigan and spruce chickens but honestly a stick would have worked on ptarmigans.

Jim

 

[K Frame Keith]

Owned three over the years. Two PPK/s .380 from Interarms and one German police import .32 PPK. Sold them all over the years, so of course I’m in the market for one now.

 

[max]

I am a big Bond fan and was thrilled when I got an Interarms PPK's in .380. However, I do not find it reliable. Later on, I got a pre-war PP in .22 and it is bigger, but reliable. Several years ago, an elderly neighbor and former co-worker gave me a post-war police PP in .32.

The .32 is the best of the bunch. It is much easier to shoot than the .380 and I carried it for several years until I got a Sig 365.

 

[Alpo]

I agree that the "hand cutting" has a lot to do with the size of your hand. And that's the nice thing about getting one of the stainless guns.



The cocking serrations on the slide work just like a hacksaw. But you take the slide off and you take a file to them teeth, and it quits cutting you. If this was a blue gun you're leaving a spot for rust. But with a stainless gun - no problem.

 

[collectordude]

I have a stainless 380 ACP ppk, 32 acp manchurin pp, and a ppks.

I get slide bite from the ppk and it's a snappy little thing. Pp much more pleasing to shoot.

I saw they recently brought back the pp in 380 auto and 32acp

 

[dsf]

Some threads - they make you want to go out and buy the gun.

 

[The Preacher]

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83wO_d4Jp9M[/ame]

 

[robvious]

been a Bond fan for as long as I can remember... but could never justify the cost of one... substituted a FEG PA-63... then got a new Umarex 22lr... that works for my level of Bond..