And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Exact opposite for me. PK can take off a snake's head at 5 yds easy. Also one of the only double action semi pistols out there. It isn't easy to detail strip, but I've done it several times over the years.
I've had a few Walthers over the years. I found them reliable but not much use beyond 10 yards. The only pistol I ever pulled in anger back in the 1970s, in NYC of all places. Scared off two would be muggers.
I have a .32 modal with a Luftwaffe cartouche that was given to me by my uncle who was in Patton's 3rd Army. It has a heavy trigger, stiff spring to rack a round, and not very accurate beyond 10 yards. It is a safe queen.
I carried one as a back-up weapon for years. It's good in that role. Look at the Sig 365 SAS as an alternate to that. Instead of .380, you're shooting 9 mm, more modern design, no safety, no snags, fiberoptic sight.
It’s been a couple or three decades since had a Walther PPK, but IF I remember correctly when the gun is uncocked and hammer all the way forward, safety/decocking lever cannot be put safe position. When you rack the slide and cock it, the hammer is all the way back until you put the lever on safe, which point the hammer drop forward to a safety position. And the lever movement is backwards with respect to American design. You can’t “swipe” it off with your thumb, you have to push it forward with your phone to put it in firing mode. Which is not efficient.
not suitable for hand like hams. the sharp bits at the bottom of the slide will gouge grooves in the thumb and the web of the hand. puny gun for puny hands
Wife had one when we married. She had trouble racking the slide. Maybe a good choice for experienced shooters, which she wasn't. Replaced it with a revolver.
1. Hammer bite 2. I will leave out the long preamble and the tragicomic ending to the story, but the .380 will fire .32 ACP's. At least the one in question would.
I have had 2 of them over the years, both in 22lr. the first one got lost in the divorce. found a second one years ago used but in like new shape- closet queen it was made back in 68 or so. it has been accurate so far. again used as a back up weapon. I can empty the mag into a 10 inch paper plate at 25 yards with no problem. knew a few guys who had the 380 models and they talked of problems with them. haven't tried the "new ones" yet, but from what I read , I wouldn't like them. with any double action weapon the trigger pull is rough, on single action is much better and easier to shoot. one thing I have found is the quality of the old west German made ones is a lot better than any of the newer ones I have seen/handled. the big problem with the old 22lr ones is getting spare magazines, they are not cheap at all. like 100 bucks and up when you can find one !
The only one I ever fired was a PP in .32 ACP and I was astounded by the accuracy within 15 yards. It was right on the money and easy to shoot. I just don't have any use for any such thing. In the itty bitty pocket pistol category I use a Ruger LCP II .22 LR loaded with CCI Mini Mags. I can just drop in my shorts pocket in a pocket holster on my 5K slog every day. (not going to claim it's a run!). For EDC I use a Sig P938 Extreme or a Glock 19. In jacket weather I'll sometimes just go old school and carry my S&W 4" Model 19 in a shoulder holster. I find it to be more unequivocal than a German pocket pistol.
Have its slightly larger brother (PP) in .32acp. Fantastic little plinker but for self defense, it doesn't pass muster. My brother shot a feral hog in the head from less than 10 feet away (coup de grace) and the .71 gr. FMC bullet did not even penetrate the skull. You could see the base of the bullet sticking from hide.
But for a plinking pistol that does not have much recoil, nice. Like a precisions sewing machine is how the action works. Was a German Police surplus buy and the price was less than $300. Hard to see no to that.
I'd love a PPK, especially a rimfire .22lr but the price is too high for me to afford.
Picked one up in Germany in '66. At the time was a standard German Police weapon [they also carried Walthers]. As far as I know, most were in .380. The hard trigger and action were features, not bugs. The chances of a German PO ever using a weapon were extremely remote given the docile, law abiding population. As for reliability, in those days, LE used ball ammunition which improved functionality. Had the PP model. The PPK [Police Pistol Kriminal] version was for concealed carry and a couple of centimeters shorter. Was given to understand that shortening the weapon length added functional problems. In those days, German LE was more likely to employ a weapon against an American soldier or in the Port Districts than against a fellow citizen. V/R JWest
I carried 2 different PPKs in 380auto as my backup/off duty at different times. Trigger was heavy (by today’s standard) for double action but smooth with a good break, was accurate mostly due to the fixed barrel. Must have a strong wrist and not ‘limp wrist’ when shooting or will end up with a malfunction. On both of mine it was a stove pipe. Sights are small and on both of mine the front was fixed. With big hands the PPKs fit better with the hooked base plate on the magazine. On the PPK the grip is even shorter. The longer grip on the PPKs was because of the GCA of 68. They are heavy for the amount of ammo they hold (single stack only), They are now quite pricy.
Many, many years ago, "we" decided that Mrs. azlib needed her own handgun, and by "we", I mean 80% me and 20% her. Mistake #1. If she wants a gun, let her come to that all on her own.
So after "we'd" made that decision, I went out shopping for a gun for her. Mistake #2. Once she's decided she needs a gun, she needs to be part of the shopping.
So anyway, I ended up with a Walther PPK for her. I wanted something small-ish that wouldn't feel like a block of wood in her hands and I wanted it in stainless. My thinking there was that if she ever had to pull out the gun in anger, I wanted the bad guy to see the flash of the stainless, and think "Crap! She's gotta gun!". But for her uses, this is a gun somewhere between bad and horrible. Even in .380, she finds it to be a bit snappy, but the real drawback is that she can't operate the slide. Once it goes to slidelock, she's left with a brick in her hands. The gun does have some history behind it, and then there's the old-school James Bond cool factor, but for something that you'd actually carry and shoot, those aren't reason to buy one.
Fast forward in our marriage to 2020 when BLM/Antifa were showing us their "Summer of Love" (sic). In that environment, she decided that she wanted a gun that she might actually be able to use. She settled (on her own) on a S&W M&P9 Shield EZ. I wouldn't call her a "pistolera", but she does have a gun that she can actually operate.
I owned one in 380ACP for about 3 years which I sold about 25 years ago. Compact yet heavy, small sights reminiscent of a 1911A1, the recoil is snappy. It's a blowback pistol so the recoil spring is strong. IIRC it required more effort to rack the slide than my CZ85 or Para-Ordnance 1911. Mine was made in West Germany during the '60s, the machining and finish were excellent and I never had a malfunction (FMJ ball ammo) but there was one problem. The safety is backwards compared to a 1911 which was my IPSC gun, so I would often put the PPK on safe when I drew it, which de-cocks the pistol. Having to remove the safety and take the first shot in double-action, after first squeezing the trigger and having nothing happen, is embarrassing on the range and potentially fatal in a self-defence incident so I sold it. PPK is an acronym for Polizei Pistole Kurtz (Kurtz = short) as the barrel is 15mm (approx 0.6 inches) shorter than the PP. Al_in_Ottawa
Owned one for a while - like other said, too small for my hands, very awkward for me to shoot. Traded to my brother-in-law for a Ruger 22lr with a heavy barrel. We are both quite content with the trade. Works for him!
I bought a used one in .380 ACP many years ago and still have it. Never had a bit of trouble with it. Just don't get your hand too high. That slide will put a nasty bite on you.....
Yes, the PPK/S was the model sold after GCA '68. Longer grip (from PP parent) was allowed by the new dimensions to fit. A bad thing about PPK - if dropped, the grip bottom had a good chance of cracking and breaking, rendering the handgun useless. The large PP handgun had a full frame allowing it to continue to be used.
Yup, the slide can bite, and if you don't have a speed loader to assist you, getting that last round in the magazine (.380, anyway) can be a royal pain. I prefer Bond's other gun (in the movies) the P99. I picked up one used and am really happy with it. I just have to replace the tritium sights.
Carried a Pre'67 in .380 while in Berlin for 3 years back in 68-71 while in Military Intelligence. Fit in the small of the back real well and I even carried it when I had to make an emergency trip thru East Berlin to recover an Agent who was late getting back from Dresden.
I bought one of the newer "Made in Germany" (but Arkansas marked) Walther PPKS .22LR. It functions fine and is pretty accurate. Like most pocket pistols, the trigger pull is stout. Shooting in single action mode is much more accurate and the trigger is crisp and clean. My BIG beef with the piece is the finish. It is/was awful. The outside was some sort of a dull paint and the "steel" parts of the gun looks like "pot metal" after stripping. I am sure that is why it is painted and not blued. Most of the wartime, post war W. German, and even Menuhin's had beautiful bluing on them. I've stripped mine off and tried painting with different coatings. None that I like so far. It is bare again and am thinking about sending it to be Cerakoted. I ordered it without looking at an example first. I bought it at a great price as it was on sale and for the same price could have bought a Nickeled one and wish I had.
I purchased one a month ago. Always wanted it. I have found it to be as accurate as the shooter is good. I was getting consistent groupings with it. Since it will never be used for anything but putting holes in paper, I am very happy with it.
Got issued one in 1966, SF Dak To, it saved my bacon several times. Carry one just like it in a shoulder holster now. The old one was German made, reliable. The newer one is not, just as good. never had a problem with either.
Yes, hard to shoot accurately and unreliable.
ReplyDeleteExact opposite for me. PK can take off a snake's head at 5 yds easy. Also one of the only double action semi pistols out there. It isn't easy to detail strip, but I've done it several times over the years.
DeleteExtremely stiff recoil spring. Very hard to rac slide.
ReplyDeleteI've had a few Walthers over the years. I found them reliable but not much use beyond 10 yards. The only pistol I ever pulled in anger back in the 1970s, in NYC of all places. Scared off two would be muggers.
ReplyDeleteBond. James Bond. PPK, he did.
ReplyDeleteNot initially - M took away his preferred weapon and gave him the PPK, which Bond had strong negative opinions on.
DeleteYes, Bond originally carried a Beretta .25.
Deletehttps://youtu.be/qYMUgkD0ttk?t=175
DeleteI have a .32 modal with a Luftwaffe cartouche that was given to me by my uncle who was in Patton's 3rd Army. It has a heavy trigger, stiff spring to rack a round, and not very accurate beyond 10 yards. It is a safe queen.
ReplyDeleteI carried one as a back-up weapon for years. It's good in that role. Look at the Sig 365 SAS as an alternate to that. Instead of .380, you're shooting 9 mm, more modern design, no safety, no snags, fiberoptic sight.
ReplyDeleteRed is dead. Put the safety on nimrod.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, the ever present safety nag. It's a picture nimrod.
DeleteIt’s been a couple or three decades since had a Walther PPK, but IF I remember correctly when the gun is uncocked and hammer all the way forward, safety/decocking lever cannot be put safe position. When you rack the slide and cock it, the hammer is all the way back until you put the lever on safe, which point the hammer drop forward to a safety position. And the lever movement is backwards with respect to American design. You can’t “swipe” it off with your thumb, you have to push it forward with your phone to put it in firing mode. Which is not efficient.
DeleteBut it’s still a beautiful looking handgun
not suitable for hand like hams. the sharp bits at the bottom of the slide will gouge grooves in the thumb and the web of the hand. puny gun for puny hands
ReplyDeleteWife had one when we married. She had trouble racking the slide. Maybe a good choice for experienced shooters, which she wasn't. Replaced it with a revolver.
ReplyDeleteYeah, well it's a good looking weapon
ReplyDelete1. Hammer bite
ReplyDelete2. I will leave out the long preamble and the tragicomic ending to the story, but the .380 will fire .32 ACP's. At least the one in question would.
I have had 2 of them over the years, both in 22lr. the first one got lost in the divorce. found a second one years ago used but in like new shape- closet queen
ReplyDeleteit was made back in 68 or so. it has been accurate so far. again used as a back up weapon. I can empty the mag into a 10 inch paper plate at 25 yards with no problem. knew a few guys who had the 380 models and they talked of problems with them. haven't tried the "new ones" yet, but from what I read , I wouldn't like them. with any double action weapon the trigger pull is rough, on single action is much better and easier to shoot.
one thing I have found is the quality of the old west German made ones is a lot better than any of the newer ones I have seen/handled.
the big problem with the old 22lr ones is getting spare magazines, they are not cheap at all. like 100 bucks and up when you can find one !
Pretty gun. But considering it's of German origin the mechanicals and functionality are horrible. You'd think they could do better.
ReplyDeleteHorrible design and a well earned reputation as a hand biter. It is painful unless you have tiny Euro hands. Buy anything else.
ReplyDeleteThe only one I ever fired was a PP in .32 ACP and I was astounded by the accuracy within 15 yards. It was right on the money and easy to shoot. I just don't have any use for any such thing. In the itty bitty pocket pistol category I use a Ruger LCP II .22 LR loaded with CCI Mini Mags. I can just drop in my shorts pocket in a pocket holster on my 5K slog every day. (not going to claim it's a run!). For EDC I use a Sig P938 Extreme or a Glock 19. In jacket weather I'll sometimes just go old school and carry my S&W 4" Model 19 in a shoulder holster. I find it to be more unequivocal than a German pocket pistol.
ReplyDeleteHave its slightly larger brother (PP) in .32acp. Fantastic little plinker but for self defense, it doesn't pass muster. My brother shot a feral hog in the head from less than 10 feet away (coup de grace) and the .71 gr. FMC bullet did not even penetrate the skull. You could see the base of the bullet sticking from hide.
ReplyDeleteBut for a plinking pistol that does not have much recoil, nice. Like a precisions sewing machine is how the action works. Was a German Police surplus buy and the price was less than $300. Hard to see no to that.
I'd love a PPK, especially a rimfire .22lr but the price is too high for me to afford.
Picked one up in Germany in '66. At the time was a standard German Police weapon [they also carried Walthers]. As far as I know, most were in .380.
ReplyDeleteThe hard trigger and action were features, not bugs. The chances of a German PO ever using a weapon were extremely remote given the docile, law abiding population.
As for reliability, in those days, LE used ball ammunition which improved functionality.
Had the PP model. The PPK [Police Pistol Kriminal] version was for concealed carry and a couple of centimeters shorter. Was given to understand that shortening the weapon length added functional problems.
In those days, German LE was more likely to employ a weapon against an American soldier or in the Port Districts than against a fellow citizen.
V/R JWest
It's best feature is that it was the pistol that took out Hitler.
ReplyDeleteI carried 2 different PPKs in 380auto as my backup/off duty at different times. Trigger was heavy (by today’s standard) for double action but smooth with a good break, was accurate mostly due to the fixed barrel. Must have a strong wrist and not ‘limp wrist’ when shooting or will end up with a malfunction. On both of mine it was a stove pipe. Sights are small and on both of mine the front was fixed. With big hands the PPKs fit better with the hooked base plate on the magazine. On the PPK the grip is even shorter. The longer grip on the PPKs was because of the GCA of 68. They are heavy for the amount of ammo they hold (single stack only), They are now quite pricy.
ReplyDeleteMany, many years ago, "we" decided that Mrs. azlib needed her own handgun, and by "we", I mean 80% me and 20% her. Mistake #1. If she wants a gun, let her come to that all on her own.
ReplyDeleteSo after "we'd" made that decision, I went out shopping for a gun for her. Mistake #2. Once she's decided she needs a gun, she needs to be part of the shopping.
So anyway, I ended up with a Walther PPK for her. I wanted something small-ish that wouldn't feel like a block of wood in her hands and I wanted it in stainless. My thinking there was that if she ever had to pull out the gun in anger, I wanted the bad guy to see the flash of the stainless, and think "Crap! She's gotta gun!". But for her uses, this is a gun somewhere between bad and horrible. Even in .380, she finds it to be a bit snappy, but the real drawback is that she can't operate the slide. Once it goes to slidelock, she's left with a brick in her hands. The gun does have some history behind it, and then there's the old-school James Bond cool factor, but for something that you'd actually carry and shoot, those aren't reason to buy one.
Fast forward in our marriage to 2020 when BLM/Antifa were showing us their "Summer of Love" (sic). In that environment, she decided that she wanted a gun that she might actually be able to use. She settled (on her own) on a S&W M&P9 Shield EZ. I wouldn't call her a "pistolera", but she does have a gun that she can actually operate.
azlibertarian
Tried 3, my hands are too big and I get various cuts. Also trigger was way too stiff.
ReplyDeleteI owned one in 380ACP for about 3 years which I sold about 25 years ago. Compact yet heavy, small sights reminiscent of a 1911A1, the recoil is snappy. It's a blowback pistol so the recoil spring is strong. IIRC it required more effort to rack the slide than my CZ85 or Para-Ordnance 1911. Mine was made in West Germany during the '60s, the machining and finish were excellent and I never had a malfunction (FMJ ball ammo) but there was one problem. The safety is backwards compared to a 1911 which was my IPSC gun, so I would often put the PPK on safe when I drew it, which de-cocks the pistol. Having to remove the safety and take the first shot in double-action, after first squeezing the trigger and having nothing happen, is embarrassing on the range and potentially fatal in a self-defence incident so I sold it.
ReplyDeletePPK is an acronym for Polizei Pistole Kurtz (Kurtz = short) as the barrel is 15mm (approx 0.6 inches) shorter than the PP.
Al_in_Ottawa
Owned one for a while - like other said, too small for my hands, very awkward for me to shoot. Traded to my brother-in-law for a Ruger 22lr with a heavy barrel. We are both quite content with the trade. Works for him!
ReplyDeleteI have a Beretta Jetfire (.25) that's similar.
ReplyDeleteIt sucks except as a point blank shot.
Literally hurts my hand to shoot it too.
If you like the general look and want a .380, get a Sig P230. It’s an all around better gun.
ReplyDeleteI bought a used one in .380 ACP many years ago and still have it. Never had a bit of trouble with it. Just don't get your hand too high. That slide will put a nasty bite on you.....
ReplyDeleteYes, the PPK/S was the model sold after GCA '68. Longer grip (from PP parent) was allowed by the new dimensions to fit. A bad thing about PPK - if dropped, the grip bottom had a good chance of cracking and breaking, rendering the handgun useless. The large PP handgun had a full frame allowing it to continue to be used.
ReplyDeleteYup, the slide can bite, and if you don't have a speed loader to assist you, getting that last round in the magazine (.380, anyway) can be a royal pain. I prefer Bond's other gun (in the movies) the P99. I picked up one used and am really happy with it. I just have to replace the tritium sights.
ReplyDeleteFeels good in the hand, accuracy is ok but I find that you have to keep it lubed up...a lot.
ReplyDeleteI have the PPKs in 22lr. Never had any problems with it so far.
ReplyDeleteCarried a Pre'67 in .380 while in Berlin for 3 years back in 68-71 while in Military Intelligence. Fit in the small of the back real well and I even carried it when I had to make an emergency trip thru East Berlin to recover an Agent who was late getting back from Dresden.
ReplyDeleteI bought one of the newer "Made in Germany" (but Arkansas marked) Walther PPKS .22LR.
ReplyDeleteIt functions fine and is pretty accurate. Like most pocket pistols, the trigger pull is stout. Shooting in single action mode is much more accurate and the trigger is crisp and clean. My BIG beef with the piece is the finish. It is/was awful. The outside was some sort of a dull paint and the "steel" parts of the gun looks like "pot metal" after stripping. I am sure that is why it is painted and not blued. Most of the wartime, post war W. German, and even Menuhin's had beautiful bluing on them. I've stripped mine off and tried painting with different coatings. None that I like so far. It is bare again and am thinking about sending it to be Cerakoted. I ordered it without looking at an example first. I bought it at a great price as it was on sale and for the same price could have bought a Nickeled one and wish I had.
in .22, “Made in W Germany”
ReplyDeleteMy Employer rules:
ReplyDeleteSAFETIES ON !
SAFETIES OFF !
NO SAFETIES !
I purchased one a month ago. Always wanted it. I have found it to be as accurate as the shooter is good. I was getting consistent groupings with it. Since it will never be used for anything but putting holes in paper, I am very happy with it.
ReplyDeleteGot issued one in 1966, SF Dak To, it saved my bacon several times. Carry one just like it in a shoulder holster now. The old one was German made, reliable. The newer one is not, just as good. never had a problem with either.
ReplyDelete