WALTHER PPK/S--Your Thoughts

[SilentKnight]

As so many have said, there are much better options with more power and not so heavy. The Walther is a good pistol. I had one for a few months but it was not as good as other carry guns I owned with more power. A J frame is reliable, not as heavy and is cheaper to learn to shoot very well. People balk at only 5 rounds but if you need more, you are in serious trouble. End an encounter quickly and retreat at the first sign of trouble... if you can. If not, aim center of mass and do not miss. Carry a reload. Good luck.

 

[msinc]

I bought one of the S&W PPK/S guns years ago, I guess it was not long after S&W started making them under license. I still have it and it has worked flawless, is extremely very accurate and the fut and finish is excellent. One of my fellow co-workers, at the time, liked mine and saw the good luck I had with it so he bought himself one. It was identical, stainless and unlike me he doesn't reload so we really figured he wouldn't have any problems. First trip to the range, he just cant wait and bugs out of work early...comes back well after lunch and is real disappointed. He asked me if I wanted to buy the gun for about $200.00 less than he just paid for it he is so mad!!! Well, of course I go for it. I take it home and a few days later finds me at my range. I should back up, his problem was that the gun kept jamming. He said he couldn't get a full clip out of the gun without a jam. I figured he was limp wristing it...and I was wrong. When I fired it, first round, the extractor and all it's related parts fly right out of the slide and disperse in the gravel nearby. The case was still stuck in the chamber so home I go. I had to tap the case out and it was rough on the outer walls. It had a frosted appearance. I cleaned the bore real good and when I looked in the chamber I could see that it appeared to be really rough. I borescoped it and found severe machining chatter from when it was chambered at the factory. I sent it back to S&W and they sent it back to me and said there was nothing wrong....just like I heard when my MIL's Governor wouldn't fire because of excess headspace...just lik I heard when my 686 plus Classic Deluxe had a barrel indexed incorrectly and the front sight leaned to one side....ditto for my 629 Classic. Come on S&W get with the program.
Bottom line, I really love the one I have and love the platform. It's a neat little gun with some nice upgrades and I think you would be very happy if you could find a nice one that works like my first one. Not very happy with S&W these days though. Sad, they have been making handguns for how many years {past 100???} and cant get these simple things right yet????

 

[smutt]

I have the S&W PPK/S and never have had any function issues. Good sights and very accurate. All I have done is de-horn the sharp edges. Used as a backup to my Combat Commander.

 

[sarg1c]

I had the Interarms ppk and it was a great pistol but was a little heavy for pocket carry so let it go. Sometimes wish I had kept it but like my Colt pocketlite much better...and my Smith 637 is just as good for carry maybe a little better.

 

[Skeptic 9c]

I had a PPK/s from the Interarms days, it squirmed in my hands worse than a Colt CLW Commander in .45ACP!
But it was reliable. Traded it for a CZ clone called a Tz back in the day.
Traded that for something else.
Geoff
Who notes grips are more available and make the PPK a better choice.

 

[American1776]

I've owned 2 S&W PPK's and a W.German PPK/s in .32 auto. Here's my take on these guns.

In the 1930's until around the 1980's, if you wanted a reliable small auto, these guns were one of a few options. Today, there are better alternatives.

That said, if you really want one, GET ONE. My own experience with both the German made and the S&W made were all very favorable. If you get a S&W model, make sure it is a post-2009 model. They had a safety recall on the ones made prior to 2009. If you get a NIB German made PPK or PPK/s, you'll pay a hefty premium (~$1,500).

My own opinion is that this gun is most reliable and at its best in 7,65mm. When you go to the .380 auto, recoil gets snappy and the gun MAY start to have problems. My two .380 PPK's were good, though.

Here's something you need to consider. With this pistol, as far as I know, the gun needs to be carried with the safety engaged. The safety acts not only locks up the trigger, but more importantly, it seizes the firing pin so it will not move by inertia should it be dropped. There are documented cases of PPK's carried with the safety off, dropped on the ground, and people were either injured or killed when it had an inertial discharge. These were all LEO cases that I can remember.

All that said, it is an accurate and cool little pistol. It's about 24 ounces, so it is not light weight. It is all steel, so it needs to be run pretty wet. I personally like the PPK, but I have stopped carrying them due to the safety feature being opposite of my 1911, and precluding it from being carried in my off-side pocket.

 

[sheepdawg]

I had an Interarms PPK/S, it was jammed just a little too much to carry. Traded it for a 15-3 snubby. Though I got the better of that deal.

 

[Arik]

20+ ounces and 6/7 rounds. Old style small sights, mag release that requires the use of a second hand. 1.2 inches wide.....that's not thin by the way. To give an example Sig 226/228/220 are 1.5 inches wide and Glock 9mm are 1.18 inches wide. Incidentally the Glock 19 also weighs about 20+ oz. The only one i ever tried had a stupid heavy DA trigger. It has nothing going for it aside for some history. I can see collecting them but not carrying one with the options available today.

If you want a compact semi auto check out Walther PPS. It's under an inch thick, carries about the same amount of ammo but in a more powerful 9mm. Excellent quality in a conceal package

 

[mauser9]

Swapped my PPK/S for a CS-9 way back. No regrets.

 

[BAM-BAM]

Have had Walthers since the mid-80s....... my third (PP in .22lr and a PPK/s in380) a stainless Interarms PPK in 380 was my suit gun for about 10 years. It would and does feed hollow points and silvertips. Added checkered wood grips and a beaver tail to deal with the slide bite..... carried in a Sparks Summer Special.

Still have it and call it my "Tux Gun"...... better choices out there for sure.... as a daily carry the PPK was replaced by a 3913 in the early 90s.

Today I view them as more of a Collectible than a first line concealed carry gun. If I have to go to something small and light for "burgh" summer carry it's a Smith 337PD.

A Sig 230/232 with an alloy frame at 16oz is a better choice today IMO...if you can live w/ the European style mag release... on the bottom of the grip.

 

[Comrad]

I have a PPK/S in .22 LR and it's never been a problem but it's not a carry piece but it's a lot of fun at the range. Well made, DA is stout as already mentioned but not unmanageable. I might feel differently if it was a SD carry piece. Then again in a stressful situation I would imagine adrenalin would enable you to pull that heavy DA trigger with ease.

 

[KSDeputy]

I admit it. I love stainless steel Walthers. I have four. S&W PPK & PPK/S. Interarms PPK & TPH. I carry a CS 45, but sometimes carry a PPK as a backup. No problems with any of them, but they are ammunition sensitive. I had to find the ammo each liked.

 

[ken158]

The S&W / Walther guns had issues - get a German or Interarms if you just have to have one... Old technology now and trigger pull sucks - new striker fired guns are the,way to go. Get a Shield and don't look back!

 

[Stranglehold]

I have to side with those that feel there are far superior choices for a small concealed autoloader. I carried a blued Interarms PPK/s for a time, some 25 years ago, when it was impossible to conceal a 1911. Then, there were much fewer choices and the little Walthers did have quite an aura of "coolness" surrounding them.

My example did feed Silvertips, did have an unnecessarily heavy DA pull, and did bite the (web of) the hand that fed it on occassion. Being a blowback design, recoil is a bit heavier than it is with a locked breech pistol such as a Colt Mustang.

In today's market there are quite a few better choices. For that matter, there are now many ultra compact pistols no larger than the PPK (s) chambered for the undeniably more effective 9mm.

I see no reason to handicap oneself any further than necessary in the name of concealability.

Roe

 

[cochise]

I have a Interarms PPK, stainless steel. I had a couple FTF when I first got it many years ago. I learned to hold it firmly and it feeds reliably. I shoot Remington HP, fmj, Federal HP, and blue tip Glasers. No problems at all.

I think the Walther is an old classic, not obsolete by any means. It fits in my pocket very nicely when I am dressed up. My Sig, 1911 or even a j frame is not as compact.

 

[hoosierone]

Bought a PPK/S years ago. When I told the dealer I wanted one, he also showed me a SIG P 232 for comparison. Wish I bought the SIG instead of the Walther. I couldn't fire it without the slide chewing up my hand so I got rid of it and took a real bath on trading it in.

 

[sodacan]

They are really nice guns from a nostalgic standpoint, but there are many better choices in size and caliber for your intended purpose.

 

[CATI1835]

I have the Interarms PPK in 7.65 (.32ACP). Hard to find in that caliber. I really like it. It is in my EDC rotation. That said, there are some who do not care for the S&W versions of the PP, PPK, PPK/s. They feel they are not up to the old Walther standards. If you really want more info on them, go to the Walther forum. I am a member there too. You will find some VERY opinionated views on this very subject there.

 

[Wyo]

I have a S&W PPK in .380 that has been 100% reliable through about 1000 rounds. Feeds and functions fine with ball, hollow points of various types, Critical Defense, Hydra Shok, you name it. Accuracy is more than good enough. No complaints, no problems, and I carry it often.

 

[jj2am44]

I stopped in a Field and Stream today to see what they had and all the had was a PPK/S in .22. Which-by the way- was stamped Walther Arms-Ft. Smith, AR. You all have got me thinking (especially hoosierone) about getting the Sig 232. I have a 226 and sometimes it's easier to just drop a gun in a jacket pocket instead of a holster. Thanks to all.