Any Walther PP, PPK or PPK/S fans out there?

[PALADIN85020]

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?

 

[OLDFED]

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

 

[FrankD45]

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

 

[g26s239]

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

 

[Sacerdote]

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.

 

[AirCommando]

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

 

[motorpat]

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 POS. 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.

 

[pred]

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

 

[2152hq]

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!!

 

[DCWilson]

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.

 

[perrazi]

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.

 

[max]

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.

 

[rags]

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

rags

 

[digi-shots]

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).

 

[Yahmo]

PPK Owner

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!

 

[Indycar]

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.

 

[Marshal Tom]

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 crap! 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.

 

[VonFatman]

Like this serial number?

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

 

[RABULL]

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.

 

[Qball]

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