Looking for some answers on a Walther PPK or PPK-S

[Cannon762]

I keep finding myself coming back to look at these nifty little guns, and I've been contemplating selling/trading some of my collection off for one, but i had a few questions about them.

First, if you have one, how do you like it? Did you have any issues *after* the break-in period? When did you buy it, and did it go through recall? Any feedback you have on them would be nice to read, but please keep it to first-hand accounts.

Secondly, call me crazy, but I like the 6+1 PPK better than the 7+1 PPK/S, but I would probably have my wife carry it and would want to invest in some sort of laser for it. Can you fit the Crimson Trace PPK/S laser grips on a PPK? Or are there better lasers you would recommend?

And last, what sort of ammo would you guys recommend for a .380 for defense? I've heard of people using all ball ammo, JHP's, and even a mix and match of both.

Thanks!

-Chris

 

[singlestacksig]

i have an interarms PPK/s , have not gotten to handle the s&w ones..
mine is built very tight, feeds just about any ammo but does not like to be dirty..

carry golden sabers in it..

 

[Mr. Habib]

I had one of the Interarms PPK/S. Never had any problems in terms of function. IMO, it was well built, but heavy for a small .380 ACP. The sights sucked, but that would be true of any pistol of that size. The main reason I got rid of mine though, was the nasty hammer bite. I could not shoot more than two mags worth of ammo without bleeding. For a gun that will be carried much and shot little that might not be a big deal. However, I couldn't practice with it enough to feel comfortable carrying it.

 

[BlueEagle]

As for ammunition, it appears to be a personal preference thing. My preference, for .380's, is to carry standard ball ammunition. My reasoning being that smaller guns in smaller calibers tend to be more finicky about ammunition and feeding reliably, and smaller calibers don't have as much penetration power as the larger ones. I'd rather not risk my gun jamming at the wrong time, or my hollow points not penetrating far enough for that stopping-shot I needed.

But again; personal preference. Some people prefer the larger wound cavity, (if the hollow point expands, which most modern ones do with good reliability,) and have tested their guns extensively with hollowpoints to prove that they work well.

 

[scottm]

After some looking and handling of various firearms my girlfriend decided on a Bersa 380 (PPK/S clone) and l was taken by surprise by how accurate it is, or maybe the range gods were smiling at me that day. I was using S and B ball, Fiocchi XTP and Fiocchi JHP's all with great results. My P3AT was glaring jealously at the Bersa. and I accomplished all of this with some highly fashionable pink wood grips.

 

[jbombelli]

I had one of the Interarms PPK/S. Never had any problems in terms of function. IMO, it was well built, but heavy for a small .380 ACP. The sights sucked, but that would be true of any pistol of that size. The main reason I got rid of mine though, was the nasty hammer bite. I could not shoot more than two mags worth of ammo without bleeding. For a gun that will be carried much and shot little that might not be a big deal. However, I couldn't practice with it enough to feel comfortable carrying it.

+1. A friend of mine has one. I'm not sure if it's a PPK or PPK/S... but it bites like a SOB. It's the ONLY pistol I've ever fired that did that to me. And when we were looking closely at it, we realized it's not actually the hammer biting us, it's the beavertail. It was extended from the original design, and the edges are sharp, not smooth and rounded like they SHOULD be. The edge of that beavertail was lined up exactly where we were getting bitten. He still loves the pistol and carries it; I just can't do that myself. I'll stick with my HiPowers and Berettas.

 

[Colt556]

I've owned and shot several PPKs and PPK/Ss over the years. Still own a couple. I like the PPK better because of it's smaller size and originality. The PPK with a flat bottom mag fits perfectly in the back pocket of my jeans. Both models seem to have long heavy triggers and are a bit snappy in the recoil department. I think the Pre 68 German PPKs are the best as far as quality and workmanship goes. On a side note I prefer the Sig 230/232 series for self defense carry. I think they have a better trigger and they just feel better to me. I carry a 230 IWB and can't even tell it's there. My 230 is also more accurate than any PPK variant I have shot.

 

[thoffman]

i just bought a smith and wesson ppk last weekend, brand new in box. i have not shot it yet but one thing smith and wesson did on their version over the interarms is put an extended beaver tail on it to stop the hammer and slide bite. having not shot it i can only tell you so much but as of right now i love it. the frame is somewhat sharp and i can definatly see that hurting my/ your hand after a few rounds. it is put together very tight and finish is excellent, the trigger on the im holding is very crisp. the DA is short and heavy, SA is a dream. this is just from dry firing a few times to see how it was though.

 

[Cannon762]

i just bought a smith and wesson ppk last weekend, brand new in box. i have not shot it yet but one thing smith and wesson did on their version over the interarms is put an extended beaver tail on it to stop the hammer and slide bite. having not shot it i can only tell you so much but as of right now i love it. the frame is somewhat sharp and i can definatly see that hurting my/ your hand after a few rounds. it is put together very tight and finish is excellent, the trigger on the im holding is very crisp. the DA is short and heavy, SA is a dream. this is just from dry firing a few times to see how it was though.

Is that the PPK or PPK/S? It looks fantastic! Kudos on getting the blued one, it seems like you never see them for some reason. Also I notice you're in Muncie, I wonder how much more you'd like a barely used AK over the PPK in a trade, hint hint, wink wink.

 

[thoffman]

Is that the PPK or PPK/S? It looks fantastic! Kudos on getting the blued one, it seems like you never see them for some reason. Also I notice you're in Muncie, I wonder how much more you'd like a barely used AK over the PPK in a trade, hint hint, wink wink.

haha ill stick with the ppk and yes its the regular PPK i think the blued ones look better than stainless, and yes i know it seems like everyone has a stainless version if they have a ppk. i figured 2 things one the blued looks better to me and it looks like james bond's gun, second if i ever have to draw this weapon on someone i think the blued version would be a better choice as its not flashy, and fancy looking it gets straight to the point; if you know what i mean

 

[Cannon762]

It looks awesome. Let me know how you like it once you get a chance to take it out! Maybe after I get mine we can have an Mi:6 shoot at Wilbur wright, lol.

 

[booey50]

i have shot an older ppk and liked it alot...I wonder how the news feel? Are they the same weight as the old ones???

 

[Kagnew]

+1. A friend of mine has one. I'm not sure if it's a PPK or PPK/S... but it bites like a SOB. It's the ONLY pistol I've ever fired that did that to me. And when we were looking closely at it, we realized it's not actually the hammer biting us, it's the beavertail. It was extended from the original design, and the edges are sharp, not smooth and rounded like they SHOULD be. The edge of that beavertail was lined up exactly where we were getting bitten. He still loves the pistol and carries it; I just can't do that myself. I'll stick with my HiPowers and Berettas.

I think you'll find that what "bites" (actually, more like "slices") the web between your thumb and trigger finger is neither the hammer nor the beavertail - it's the bottom edge of the slide. I had an Interarms PPK/S for one (and only one) trip to the range, and I've still got a scar from the d... thing. The extended beavertail on the Smith & Wesson PPK and PPK/S (and on the Bersa Thunder 380) prevents this, unless you have hams attached to your arms.

 

[Vanguard.45]

For the OP

I just bought an Interarms PPK/S in .32 ACP. I use ball ammo in mine. It has been flawless from day one. I bought it as-new and don't think it was ever shot prior to my owning it.

For Colt556 who wrote "I think the Pre 68 German PPKs are the best as far as quality and workmanship goes.":

I think you mean the Pre 68 FRENCH PPKs. There were no German built PPKs after WWII during that era. They were all being built by Manurhin in France and then sent to Germany for final proofmarking.

From the Wikipedia article ( Walther PP - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ):

"However, for several years following the war, the Allied powers forbade any manufacture of weapons in Germany. As a result, in 1952, Walther licensed production of the PP series pistols to a French company, Manufacture de Machines du Haut-Rhin, also known as Manurhin. The French company continued to manufacture the PP series until 1986. In fact, all postwar European-made PP series pistols manufactured until 1986 were manufactured by Manurhin, even though the pistol slide may bear the markings of the Walther factory in Ulm."

I always find it interesting to hear people speak so highly of the "German craftsmanship" when talking about their "Made in West Germany" PPKs and PPK/Ss as compared with the assumed inferior quality of the Manurhin "knockoffs". It was the French who were building both the German AND the French marked guns. Nothing German about them except the design and the markings.

Mine was built in Alabama in 1998. Shoots just like the German guns!

Vanguard.45

 

[RHorn]

I would send crimson trace an email about the grips fitting. They are usually quick to respond. As far as ammo goes it is a personal preference. Find a couple things that your gun shoots well and buy a couple boxes. For carry i would reccomend something with a little more penetration and a little less expansion during the colder months. 380 is a small round and in some of my tests i have seen greatly reduced penetration through heavy coats and clothing. For the summer JHP all the time.

 

[Silvertree]

I bought a new PPK/s last year. I have only shot it once but it bit the hell out of my hand.

 

[wrigleycub]

I inherited an Interarms PPK/S. It is about 25yrs old and only had one round through it when given to me. Thus far, i've shot about 500 rounds through it. Haven't had any problems, told by a good friend of mine who has extensive knowledge of PPK models and he told me they don't even start breaking in until 1500 rounds. As i'm not there yet, i guess i'll find out for myself. Extremely easy to conceal being single stack. I also like that I can get my whole hand on it even with the flat floor plate. I've blown all types of ammunition through it, no problems yet. Would recommend to anyone! Drawback=ammo price.

 

[88E30M50]

The first thing I did to my PPK when I bought it last summer was to take a fine file, some fine sand paper and polish and round those damned corners the thing has. I love the feel of it now. There are no sharp edges left and it polished out quite nicely. Even the laser etched S&W logo on the slide polished up and looks quite nice now. I took the ridges off of that logo with a fine stone, then polished them.

 

[Cannon762]

Well I got mine and gave it a good lubing with a little oil, but mostly Tetra grease as endorsed by Walther, gave the slide a rack about 200 times, then ran a couple mags through it. I had no jams, fte's, ftf's, nothing. I did learn that I SUCK at DA shooting, lol. SA shots were all spot on, DA shots...well not so much.

I didn't experience any slide/beavertail biting or discomfort, seemed great to me, though I only took about 20 shots, we'll see after a whole day. It may wind up being a safe queen though...the bluing makes every nick look 80 feet tall and I'm not ready to see it bashed up.

 

[thoffman]

Well I got mine and gave it a good lubing with a little oil, but mostly Tetra grease as endorsed by Walther, gave the slide a rack about 200 times, then ran a couple mags through it. I had no jams, fte's, ftf's, nothing. I did learn that I SUCK at DA shooting, lol. SA shots were all spot on, DA shots...well not so much.

I didn't experience any slide/beavertail biting or discomfort, seemed great to me, though I only took about 20 shots, we'll see after a whole day. It may wind up being a safe queen though...the bluing makes every nick look 80 feet tall and I'm not ready to see it bashed up.

yea i noticed the same thing i have had it for 2 weeks and it already looks like its been a police duty pistol with the amount of wear on the edge of the slide from the holster, and i have a soft nylon holster. im thinking stainless might have been a better option because the bluing on this gun is beautiful but not very durable.