Little .380 Walther is something else!

[BB57]

I bought a PPK/s around 1969. Fiddled with it a while (yes I too got "bit"). I found a load in the Lyman manual of a 121 gr. cast bullet at 950+ so I bought a 2 cavity mold.

I had a G.I. 1911a1 and was amazed that even in factory loads the PPK kicked more than the .45!

Also the trigger was unusable in the DA mode. I was tinkering with guns at the time and tired to lighten the trigger but that resulted in light primer strikes - I returned it to the factory spec.

Heavy DA triggers are par for the course with the PP series pistol. They were the first successful DA/SA self defense and police semi auto pistol and the heavy DA trigger is just an artifact of the geometry used. There isn't really a fix for it, and as you discovered lightening the springs results in light strikes with center fire primers.

They are also a straight blow back design. The PP series were all originally designed for the 7.65 Browning / .32 ACP. The 9mm Browning / 9mm Kurz / 9mm x 17 / .380 ACP was an added after thought. In .32 ACP, they are all very pleasant pistols to shoot. However in .380 ACP, the recoil is notably sharp.

As a side note if the recoil starts to have a metallic feel to it, it's because the recoil spring is worn or weak. The trigger guard acts as a recoil buffer as it flexes slightly to absorb residual slide energy. It the square block on the end starts to impact the frame, you get that metallic feel and it's your cue to replace the recoil spring.

 

[TJm15.38]

I have one Interarms imported Walther PP in 7.65/.32 Auto that's a sweet shooter.

 

[Riposte1]

One other PPK story, I don't mean to give the idea I'm am really down on them. But our State Police issued a PPK/s in .380 as a BUG to state troopers.

Our S.O. inherited one of thore troopers when he reitired and he carried his KSP marked PPK/s as a BUG and his S&W 1076 as his duty gun.

I was in charge of training and qualification, and I insisted that all Members of Service, quilify with every gun that they might carry on or off duty. So this guy went to qualify with his PPK and he brought ball ammo to do it with - he had 4 malfunctions during our 24 round qual. He was a nifty guy, and he quit carrying it and went back to his old S&W M-60 for a BUG.

Our state police had so many problems with the guns they discontinued their use and went back to the M-60 as an issue bug until they finally adopted the Glock 27 (the still had the 1076 for a few years - those turned out to be pretty good guns, later they went to Glock 37s and were plagued with NDs for a while but I think they subsided after a year or so.

I should add, one of the best Sheriffs I worked for carried a PPK his brother brought back from WW-II in 7.65 as a 3rd gun - it worked well and he shot it well. He carried a 1911 with stag stocks (which the officers of the agency gave him) as a Prmary. He kept as S&W 25-2 as his second gun Shades of Walt Longmyer - except he knew to carry it cocked and locked

Just Ramblin'

Riposte

 

[javbike]

I love mine I will pick it up the end of the month I don’t know if I will shoot it . I just always wanted a James Bond gun

 

[Revelation]

Most folks here know that I'm a fan of the Walther PP Series pistols. I have carried a PPK or PPK/s in the past and would have no trouble doing it again.

Very nice collection Grayfox!

 

[Revelation]

I often test ammo on recently killed deer and antelope. By far the best test medium. I tested a Ruger 380 ACP LCP. I tested both Remington Golder Sabre's and Cor-Bon 80 grain copper hollow points in a doe antelope within 1 minute of her expiration from a 30-30 bullet. I angled the shots from the last rib, angled to the opposite front shoulder. All bullets recovered in off shoulder, all expanded picture-perfect mushrooms. The meat loss in opposite shoulder was nonexistent and was able to eat right up to the hole. I can text photos of the bullets if someone wants to see them. Mentioned in a previous thread, about using a Walther TPH and CCI Stingers on a mule deer to test penetration and expansion which were both excellent. With modern designed bullets, expansion with short barrels can be quite reliable.

I haven't performed any testing as you have, but I can say that since 1980, my Carl Walther Waffenfabrik Ulm/Do Modell TPH Cal, 22 l.r. has been consistently spittin' CCI Stingers better than most other 22 rounds that I've fired over the years. It's really a very fine and reliable pistol. Thanks for all of your information!