Hey Im considering purchasing a Walther PPK/S and I just wanted to get some other opinions on the gun. I have not shot one before, but I have heard several different comments about the gun. I know people that love it and carry one, and then I know people that dislike the gun. Just wondering if someone on here has one or has past experience with one. Thanks again.
-
Please read the new forum rules! REQUIRED!
Click Here: https://www.gulfcoastgunforum.com/threads/general-forum-rules-code-of-conduct.70770/
-
New Reloading Sticky Thread for Trading, Swapping Gear, etc.
https://www.gulfcoastgunforum.com/threads/reloading-components-for-trade-item-value-and-photo.104847/
Walther PPK/S pros and cons
- Thread starter Rmalone
- Start date
The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Gulf Coast States
Member Benefits:
Fewer Ads! Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership Discuss anti-gun legislation Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses Discover free outdoor shooting areas View up to date on firearm-related events Share photos & video with other members ...and so much more!
Member Benefits:
flyandscuba
Master
Cons - 1.) it's a .380 2.) heavy 3.) prone to biting the hand that feeds it 4.) it's a .380...
Pros - (crickets chirping)
Pros - (crickets chirping)
Gravity3694
Expert
This.
My friend has one and while firing the extractor went missing. There's better .380s out there. The only reason to get one is the cool guy factor.
Mullet Hunter
Master
Pros: it is the best pointing pistol I have ever had. It is metal, small, and is very reliable, and shoots well. The most important factor for someone to buy ome is that james bond carrys one and apparently you can point it over your shoulder without looking, squeeze the trigger and 3 bad guys will fall dead. not to mention the cool factor. Also it's much more effective than a rock or pocket knife.
Cons: they went to shit after smith put their name on them "buy an interarms older one".
They have a safety.....
The fact that it is a .380 holds no weight, other than opinion. The fact is that besides wartime more people have been killed with a .22lr than any other caliber, .38spl is second on that list. Like I said earlier the bullet is moving way faster than you can throw a rock.....
Cons: they went to shit after smith put their name on them "buy an interarms older one".
They have a safety.....
The fact that it is a .380 holds no weight, other than opinion. The fact is that besides wartime more people have been killed with a .22lr than any other caliber, .38spl is second on that list. Like I said earlier the bullet is moving way faster than you can throw a rock.....
If that style pistol is a must, Sig executed it much better with the P230/232 series. The alloy version weighs only 17 oz. The stainless is 23 oz. they are reliable and don't have the PP series quirks. The Walther design originated in the 1930's and hasn't changed much.
Im not looking to buy it for the "cool guy" factor, ive always liked the way they looked though. Ive never shot one so I was curious about them and Im glad I asked. Doesn't sound like to many people are for them. Ill just keep looking around for something else then. Thanks
It's a heavy gun. It is not all that concealable, and to me it's not all that reliable. I've owned several in the past, and wound up getting rid of them because I just didn't like them all that much. One, the first time we shot it something flew off of it and the gun had to be sent in for repair. Didn't get five rounds though it before it had to be sent back. There are better guns out there.
I have & carry the PPK. One less round in the magazine. After I bought it, there was a recall from S&W. I sent it back and they polished the feed ramp, changed springs & whatever else they wanted to do. I had no trouble with it before or after the work.
It points & shoots very well. Mine is SS and heavy for it's size but there is no plastic in this pistol. The ammo costs more than I would like but I didn't buy this as a target pistol. This pistol fits my purpose. Anyone who tells you that "it's only a .380" is telling you that their inherent poor marksmanship has been overcome by a bigger bullet............
It points & shoots very well. Mine is SS and heavy for it's size but there is no plastic in this pistol. The ammo costs more than I would like but I didn't buy this as a target pistol. This pistol fits my purpose. Anyone who tells you that "it's only a .380" is telling you that their inherent poor marksmanship has been overcome by a bigger bullet............
zydeco
Shooter
I had quite a different experience with the recall. I had owned mine for 18 months before the recall and the pistol shot flawlessly. After the recall fix, I had 30-40% failure to fire due to light primer strikes when firing double action ie first shot. Sent it back to Smith. Talked to the plant manager who suspected a burr on the firing pin. I told him since they had not changed out the firing pin, I did not think that was the problem and suggested he spec out the new parts they had installed as the recall fix. They sent the pistol back after changing the firing pin. Same problem. When I called the plant manager, I found out he had only fired the pistol single action despite my very clear and well worded letter telling him to shoot it double action. Once again, got the pistol back. Same problem. Called the Chief Operating Officer at S&W who bought the pistol back. I have looked at the newer PPKs and it looks like Smith has made even more changes. CCW pistol that will not go bang every time is not something I want. Sorry, but I'll never trust a Smith PPK again. Love my Sig 232. It's a little larger and cost more, but I can depend on it without fail.
Urbanfuturistic
Marksman
PPK not reliable? Hold it like a man. Dont limp-wrist it and it shoots every time. Know what other gun was the same way? Tec-9. I borrowed one from a friend once and loaded up on ammo and took it to the range. I bought several different types of ammo and it ate all of it and begged for more. I learned my lesson with the PPK and didnt limp-wrist it, and lo and behold the thing fired flawlessly every time. I dont have problems, no matter what I feed my PPK, its not picky. Some guys go on and on and on about how the thing wont shoot this, wont shoot that, these bullets suck. No, your grip sucks. James Bonds doesnt FTF, FTL, FTE...and neither does mine.
Yeah, the slide will bite you, unless you have small hands like me. Its all stainless so it kicks good. But it is very concealable, just heavy. I wear one inside the pants sometimes. With a belt. I normally dont have to carry with a belt. My niece says she doesnt like it. It hurts her hands. But its perfect for her hands, until she gets bigger ones. She will learn to love it.
Its a .380. Yes, it is. Sure, its not a .45 or a .44 magnum (wont blow your head clean off) but lets face it. Id rather have a .380 than nothing at all. I have no doubt it will do the job. I certainly have no desire to be on the losing end of a .380 which some people must because of their certainty that the .380 is useless/less than lethal. Nutnfancy anyone?
And the Sig might be lighter, but it sure doesnt look as good. James Bond has one.
I have a model that was imported by Interarms, so I cannot speak to the S&W ones being bad.
I will caution you that sometimes when applying the safety it drops the hammer, and it can go off. I have yet to have this happen to me, but I make sure that when I do fire it at the range it is still pointing down range when I apply the safety and said hammer drops. No one wants to be "that guy".
And, James Bond...you get the idea.
Yeah, the slide will bite you, unless you have small hands like me. Its all stainless so it kicks good. But it is very concealable, just heavy. I wear one inside the pants sometimes. With a belt. I normally dont have to carry with a belt. My niece says she doesnt like it. It hurts her hands. But its perfect for her hands, until she gets bigger ones. She will learn to love it.
Its a .380. Yes, it is. Sure, its not a .45 or a .44 magnum (wont blow your head clean off) but lets face it. Id rather have a .380 than nothing at all. I have no doubt it will do the job. I certainly have no desire to be on the losing end of a .380 which some people must because of their certainty that the .380 is useless/less than lethal. Nutnfancy anyone?
And the Sig might be lighter, but it sure doesnt look as good. James Bond has one.
I have a model that was imported by Interarms, so I cannot speak to the S&W ones being bad.
I will caution you that sometimes when applying the safety it drops the hammer, and it can go off. I have yet to have this happen to me, but I make sure that when I do fire it at the range it is still pointing down range when I apply the safety and said hammer drops. No one wants to be "that guy".
And, James Bond...you get the idea.
Friend has one went to the range and slow fire did ok..however rapid fire it locked up about half way thru the second mag...the gun was designed for the 32acp cartridge the 380 overheats it too bad and will jam it up....ifr u want a 380 id recommend a Sig P238 or a Bersa have both and they run like clockwork
zydeco
Shooter
Not sure who your first paragraph is addressed to but try digesting this. First I did speak about a S&W PPK with experiences before and after the recall. Second, I clearly stated my PPK was totally reliable prior to the recall, so maybe I had some idea how to shoot it. Duh? Third you later state you have no experience with the Smith PPK.
You should also know that a gun that fires when you essentially de-cock it is a time bomb. I never had that problem with the several Walther and Manurin PPKs I owned over the years. The Smith recall was supposed to fix that problem with a particular production run. Smith made several internal design changes to supposedly fix that problem.
No, my grip does not suck. My problem as I clearly stated was with LIGHT PRIMER HITS. Please tell me how limp wristing when firing the first shot double action will cause the pistol to have light primer strikes? Did not have a problem with second and successive shots fired single actions.
Got news for you, I've been shooting since the early 60s and reloading since 1970. I have owned a sack full of PPKs and 1911s and learned long ago about a solid grip. I think I know how to hold a pistol and would be glad to meet you at ERGC any day. Bring lots of money to put on the table cause I'm going home with all you got. Likely I've been shooting since you were in diapers and even though I am older, I still have what it takes and the wisdom not to run my mouth when not in possession of facts and simple courtesy.
Urbanfuturistic
Marksman
While this is cute and all, my post was not directed at you. So pump the brakes, bro.
My above statements were to all the people who like to armchair about the PPK and .380s in general. Spewing how they only like certain types of ammo, how the .380 is the worst projectile of all time, or they are shitty quality because they do nothing but FTE, FTL, FTF, etc... Your problem sounds a lot different than not holding it correctly, now doesnt it? Because it does to me.
You just had the unfortunate pleasure of being the post right above my rant. Which, when I started crafting it, I hadnt even read page 2 so I was completely unaware of your particular gripe about the PPK. So back it up.
Bought one last year and it became a jam o matic. Thought I would just switch out between my P238 and the PPK/S. Ran several boxes of Federals through it and it continued to jam so I put it on Armslist and moved it on down the road.
zydeco
Shooter
Methinks you are the one trying to be cute here. First had you actually read the thread, you would have seen there are only a few negative comments about the PPK prior to my post and your rant. One commented on a broken extractor and one on an unreliable Smith PPK. Hardly fits your call for a need to address "all" of those comments bashing the PPK. You state that you only read page one of the thread. Well, my friend the overwhelming majority of the posts on page one were positive comments. Also, you might know that the only current production of the PPK is with Smith and you admitted you have no knowledge of the Smith product.
One of the neat things about these web sites is they have this little thing called "reply with quote" which allows you to address specific comments and gives you the opportunity to insure you are making productive and meaningful comments as opposed to an uninformed (you only read page one) rant. Plus you admit you know nothing about the Smith PPK. That admission makes your post seem even more uninformed. Lastly, you admit to owning and using a defective and dangerous firearm. Clearly something is wrong with your PPK and you are likely to encounter a situation one day when you have an ill fated AD with the weapon not pointed "down range". Does that mean after cleaning your broken PPK, you take it to the "range" and point it "down range" before you load again? Seems that a responsible gun owner would be reluctant to keep a pistol in that condition and have that problem corrected, and would surely not advertise that fact on the internet.
Finally, you might consider your own advice as in "pumping the brakes" or "back it up" before you post. You stated: "Your grip sucks". Excuse me, but how do you know that? What makes you think that other shooters are so stupid that you have to instruct them without even knowing them or being part of their experiences? The poster who spoke to a broken extractor was citing his actual experience and that problem was not due to a "limp wrist" grip. Approaching other shooters in this manner suggests you are convinced that folks who don't share your thoughts and have different experiences are just really stupid and incompetent.
There is an old saying that goes something like this: " Better to keep your mouth shut and let others think you are not credible rather than open you mouth and convince them you are not credible. " Note that I made a slight change here for the sake of civility. I'm really not interested in this back and forth with you and will be happy to have a meaningful dialogue with you when and if you choose to contribute something that is actually constructive.
Last edited:
Urbanfuturistic
Marksman
Lets take a closer look at this reply with quote function:
Where in there do I say that I A.) own and use a defective and dangerous gun, B.) that I myself have had the particular problem, C.) Imply that I would continue to use said firearm if there was such a problem? What exactly am I advertising on the internet again? Direct or indirect implication of any of these things, is indeed being guilty of the same things you accuse me of.
Also:
I am not interested in back and forth with you as well, but even after stating that I was not speaking directly to you or your specific problem, you kept it going. But if you really wish it, I can and will cite specific sources for my frustration that lead directly to this particular rant. But as it stands, the only issue I really want to pursue is where you get off accusing me of having some busted shit.
