Asking opinion of Walther ppk/s .380

[RickR]

Hello to all. I am new to this site and from what I have read it seems to be exactly what I am looking for. My question is, I have a Walther ppk/s .380/9mm kurz, could someone tell me about its quality, reliability & power. It is my primary carry piece. I also have a N.A.A. .22 mag w/a 1 1\8" barrel which I carry when better concealment is required. I also own a .357 w/a 4" barrel, which I would like to carry but it's concealment is my biggest concern. My question is, the Walther .380 seems to be a very well made handgun but what is it's reliability, stopping power and finally ammo availability? I live north of Pittsburgh, Pa. and no dealers seem to have .380 ammo at this time also is 9mm kurz (short) an option and are they available? I do get to practice frequently and at 25' I can cover a clip of 7 with the palm of my hand. I do most of my practicing with a Ruger .22 mag Single Shot (excellent revolver and inexpensive to keep my firing eye).
So I guess I am asking, can I trust this pistol? I have read some Posts and I get the impression that there are not a lot of Walther fans out there. Personally I love the feel of it and it is quite comfortable to carry but like any other tool, if it is not trustworthy and efficient I will try to obtain a better handgun while it is still possible to obtain.
Do they sell 9mm kurz in the U.S. and if so is it better/the same as the .380 ACP ? I use Hornaday hollow point for ammo, is there a better more reliable ammo that you would recommend? I have only fired about 150 rounds from the .380, and it seems to be breaking in superbly.
Any advice from you very knowledgeable people would be appreciated. Thank you for your time and your willingness to share your knowledge with me. I would also like to know if anyone knows where I can stock up on ammo, it is very hard to find .380's, .357. or .38 cal. ammo. Is this a regional problem or a national problem?
Take Care !! And Thank You once again.

rick

BTW......GREAT FORUM!!

 

[2RCO]

9mm Kurz, 9mm short, is .380 ACP, you may also hear it called 9mm Browning. It's just different terminology for the same Ammunition. In the US it's most frequently referred to as .380.

.380 is hard to find everywhere right now largely due to the increased popularity as a Self Defense Round and panic ammo buying.

The PPK is a proven platform especially with the .380. It's a good gun for the most part and I would trust it with the exception Below.


The S&W made PPK/S have recently been recalled due to a problem with the decocker malfunctioning and causing a round to fire. Call S&W and get a tag to send it back for a repair. Check S&W's webpage for serial numbers in the recall. My PPK/S was in the list and I bought it about a year ago.

 

[RickR]

Hi 2RCO. I was aware of the recall prior to purchase. Needless to say, it was not on the recall list.
I guess my question in brief form is, can this pistol take a person out with a simple double tap or will I need to unload the weapon?
Thank you for your input. It is appreciated.

rick

 

[2RCO]

Rick the .380 stopping power debate is pretty much endless. I personally carry a .380 in warmer weather although it's not my Walther PPK/S but rather a Kel Tec P3AT just because of size and weight. I hope to never use it but it's the smallest caliber I would even consider carrying. In winter months or in more formal clothing (suit and tie with coat) I'll carry a .45 ACP 1911 variant I feel much less undergunned with the .45.

The main adavantage to 380 is that you are more likely to actually carry it. The gun on your person is much more effective in a SD event than the gun at home in the safe.

 

[maskedman504]

.380 is hard to find everywhere right now largely due to the increased popularity as a Self Defense Round and panic ammo buying.

It was my impression that the decrease of .380 was a reflection of manufacturers fulfilling increases in demand for other calibers; my evidence of this is anecdotal at best.

 

[TexasRifleman]

I guess my question in brief form is, can this pistol take a person out with a simple double tap or will I need to unload the weapon?

No caliber guarantees that. It's more about where the bullets land than anything else.

The .380 is a very acceptable self defense round. If you have to shoot, the conventional wisdom is shoot until the threat stops. Might be one round, might be all of them. But that is the same with anything you might carry.

Don't fall for the myth of this "one shot stop" stuff.

 

[EOD Guy in VA]

I've had both a German-made Walther PPK/S and the more recent S&W-made Walther PPK/S-1. Both jammed frequently... and I won't carry a pistol that isn't 100% reliable... so, I sold both. FYI, there is a current recall of some of the S&W-made models. Bottom line... you can't depend on it in my experience.

If your heart is set on a 380auto pistol, go with the SIG P232. I had one, and it was reliable.

 

[cdsdss]

I've had three S&W PPK/s pistols. The first was a jammatic that I could barely disassemble. It was pre-owned, though, so I can't tell if it came off the line that way or not. What I can say is that the next two I owned--both NIB--were a joy to shoot and never had any functionality problems with a variety of ammunition types.

 

[Mr.510]

I have an Interarms-era PPK/S that I carried 24/7/52 for 16+ years. After the first couple hundred rounds it sent more than 10k downrange without a single malfunction. That said, I carried Silvertips in the beginning and later switched to Cor Bons and I always practiced with American Eagle, at least as far back as I can remember. A PPK is kinda like a 1911 in that you need to find out what ammo it likes and then feed it lots of it! If you are one to buy whatever ammo is on sale a PPK will likely give you fits. I would put about 500 rounds of hardball through it followed by 200 rounds of Cor Bon (or whatever). I would not trust any weapon with my life until it had fired at least 500 rounds. I also wouldn't trust it until it fired 200 rounds of my carry ammo of choice without a single hiccup.

 

[jocko]

some should

look at the new kahr P380. IMO one of the finest pocket rockets handguns made. top quality allthrough, smaller than the lcp and kt (not by much) and oh yes dovetailed sites, that actually do some good Normal smoooth but loooong kahr trigger.

Super handgun..

 

[jackstinson]

I carry an old Interarms .380acp PPK/s and it has proven to be 100% reliable. Not a glitch nor hint of a hiccup....ever. Sure, there are more modern & lighter guns...I own a bunch of them myself...but the PPK/s fits my hand perfectly.
As was already said, find out what ammo it likes and stick with that. I got lucky in that mine digests everything I've tried in it.
As for getting .380acp ammo? The only way I keep it on hand is to always have some on back-order with at least 2 online vendors. Been doing that for several months now and have brought my supply up to a level where I can shoot my .380's weekly and not worry about running low on ammo.

 

[gbw]

Just another opinion. I would not buy it in .380. I have an older version of the PPK in stainless from Interarms. Ramp was cut off-center and I had to re-cut it to get the gun to feed reliabily, may want to watch for this.

The recoil spring and hammer springs are VERY stiff and hand cycling the action for anyone except a man with strong hands is problematic.

I also have original German Walther version of the gun in .32 (PP) and .22 (PPK and TPH). Love 'em all. The gun makes most sense to me in .32. Accurate, smooth, easy to operate.

 

[tuckerdog1]

I also had an Interarms PPK/S. Was a well made solid gun. But would not reliably feed anything but ball ammo. I also grew weary of the bloody hand after every shoot. So I sold it.

If yours proves reliable, and you don't mind the bite, I think they're a great size for carry.

Tuckerdog1

 

[Dougsboy]

I owned the Interarms version of the PPK/S for about 10 years. Beautiful to look at but a terror to shoot. Way too much recoil in a small package and way too heavy for cc (imo). Never had any issues with it other than these.

 

[RickR]

Thank you all so much. This is exactly the kind of information that I have been looking for.
You see, I have been disabled recently and I no longer feel physically able to defend myself. I was always able to defend myself but now I feel helpless.
Now I have my doubts about my .380. I wish I would have found this site earlier.
As I have said earlier, I have only shot a couple hundred rounds of American Eagle, I have yet to try Hornadays. In the beginning, I did have quite a few jams but after a couple of boxes she loosened up nicely and it proves to be an accurate pistol. While it is a rather heavy instrument, it feels comfortable to fire and to carry. I have no trouble breaking it down. When it was new it was very stiff though.
I too hope that it never leaves the holster but in case it should I want it to preform. Now I have my doubts. In my search for information I found that most weapons would be used in a 10' range. With this in mind, I purchased the .380, thinking it would surely be accurate at that distance. As it looks,from reading your Post's I may have to use it as a club.
I did not want to go through life having to dress differently in order to carry. Which was my reason for purchasing the NAA .22 mag, knowing that I would only be able to use it within an arms reach.
I guess now that I will have to carry the .357, I know what it is capable of, it's just going to be harder to conceal.
So until I can afford one, what do you recommend as a good carry piece?
Thank you all once more for your time and knowledge. It is much appreciated. It is a terrible feeling to know that you are a prime target, I never had that fear before.
Take Care !!

rick

BTW..... the reasons I listed some of my firearms was that these would be the ones that I would probably have questions about in the future. As you can see, they are all defensive weapons accept for the .22 mag rifle which I use for varmints. (I live in the sticks)

 

[PRM]

Over the years I have owned 3 Walther PP(s) and 1 PPK/S. The PPKS was a .380 German, and the 3 PP(s) have been Manurhin Walthers (French made). Two of the PP(s) have been .32 calibre. Just personal preference, but I really like the .32 better in the small gun. Easier to control and follow-up shots are quicker. Plus I have the capability of 8+1 (9 shots).

Lots of people like the .380. The two I had were great guns. They are great carry guns, conceal easy, and are very accurate.

No complaints from me on function. All of mine were great as far as reliability. The 32s are especially smooth in their operation and just plain fun to shoot.

 

[searcher451]

I own a dozen or so PPKs from various dates and manufacturers; some are safe queens, some I shoot regularly. I carry a .380 PPK/S daily (S&W-made) and trust it 100% of the time; it's as accurate as my hand allows, and I've never had a misfire or miscue in literally hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of rounds through it. I also regularly shoot an Interarms PPK/S in .32 caliber (also 100 reliable), a French-made Manurhin PPK/S in .380 (superb craftsmanship and 100 percent reliable), and a couple of German-made .380 models (the original design is the best of all, again 100% reliable 100% of the time). If you treat them well and find the right ammo for you particular gun (not all of them like everything that's out there), you'll never have a worry.

While I find that the .380 round is adequate for self-defense needs, others believe that bigger is mandatory. Lots of choices exist. One you might consider is Walther's update to the PPK, the PPS. It comes in 9mm and .40S&W and is easy to carry and conceal. I've got one of each, shoot them regularly (or at least as regularly as I can find ammo for them), and have been impressed thus far with the accuracy and reliability of the platform. To date, I continue to carry the PPK because I've been carrying one for years and years and know the gun inside and out. And that, IMO, is as important as anything else, including the size of the bullet the thing fires.

 

[mongo4567]

I owned a very nice, almost new PPK/S. It jammed a lot and would have failures to fully chamber. It needed to be perfectly clean, and then still was not reliable. I've had experience with a lot of tiny autos by Seecamp, Keltec, and Beretta. The PPK/S and Raven are the only ones that I wouldn't trust to protect me.

 

[alex9328]

Hello RickR
My boss has a PPK in a 380. He was having problems with it ejecting empties. I did a little cleaning and lubing on it and starting working better, but still did not want to cycle correctly with fresh factory loads.

I did a experiment and shoot it with some of my old hand loads I made in 1984, It shoot 50 round without a hitch. I cleaned and shoot factory load, again same problem poor cycle and feeding problems.

Cycled well with handloads and poorly with factory. I suspect factory load a little under powered.

Next problem with a month, two springs failed. The hammer followed the slide after shooting a round and pistol work only in double action mode. I had all the spring changed out.

My option on this pistol: Nice gun, shoots get, needs to be maintained, like all pistols.

I have been looking for one, but have been out of my price range. I would own one and carry one.

My previous CC was a beretta Tomcat 32acp, It's going in for service. I am use a Keltec 380 until it gets back. I have not decided which will be my everyday carry. I like the Keltec, but I would rather have an Older PPK (Interarms)

Thanks, Alex

 

[RickR]

Great advice from all of you. Thank you and keep your opinions coming . The more I read,the better decision I can make.
I paid close to $600.00 for this German made Walther. I am beginning to think I may have made a mistake. The salesman did push it rather hard. Trouble is though, I have not had any problems with it after a couple of boxes had been fired with it. It feels good in my hands and seems to hit what I aim at consistently. Admittedly, it certainly is not as accurate at distance as some of my other handguns. But then again, it is a defensive piece. I certainly would not go to war with it but I might bring it as a back-up piece.

rick

 

[mongo4567]

Great advice from all of you. Thank you and keep your opinions coming . The more I read,the better decision I can make.
I paid close to $600.00 for this German made Walther. I am beginning to think I may have made a mistake. The salesman did push it rather hard. Trouble is though, I have not had any problems with it after a couple of boxes had been fired with it. It feels good in my hands and seems to hit what I aim at consistently. Admittedly, it certainly is not as accurate at distance as some of my other handguns. But then again, it is a defensive piece. I certainly would not go to war with it but I might bring it as a back-up piece.

If your pistol is reliable, it should be great for your purposes. I never made it through a box of ammo without a problem.

 

[jackstinson]

Trouble is though, I have not had any problems with it after a couple of boxes had been fired with it. It feels good in my hands and seems to hit what I aim at consistently.

It doesn't matter what gun a person asks about on the net, you'll always get a rash of "mine was crap" and "mine was great".
The real question is; "How does yours function?". It sounds like you have already answered your own question: You haven't had any problems with it....It feels good in your hand....You hit what you aim at....Where is there a concern?
Run several more boxes through it and enjoy what appears to be a good functioning PPK/s.

 

[benderx4]

As with any other small auto-loader, the PPK can be very prone to limp-wristing. Mine also demanded quality ammo and did not perform very well with the "cheap" stuff. Given those assumptions, strong grip and good ammo, besides the occasional hand bite, it operated fine. It was not, however, fun to shoot as the felt recoil was quite high, IMHO.
Sure was a pretty gun, though. Nowadays, my "BUG" is a Seecamp - best one out there as far as I'm concerned.
(And I do think the 380 is a perfectly fine round for self defense. Would you like to be shot with one?)

 

[searcher451]

If you picked up a German-made Walther for $600 and you deicde to sell it because of someone's horror story on an internet forum, all I can tell you with certainty is that you'll be able to make a profit when you list it for sale. The going rate on German-made PPKs these days is a couple of hundred dollars or more north of what you paid, and folks will get in line to get a crack at it.

+1 to jackstinson's comment. All that matters is whether yours works. Be sure to wring it out at the range, testing a wide variety of ammo. My hunch is that you'll find a brand that functions perfectly and that you'll enjoy your Walther. They truly are top-notch firearms with a long and storied history behind them.

 

[RickR]

Thanks for your reassurance. I do like the gun. I just wanted advice from far more knowledgeable people than myself. All of your responses were read and I took them all as good advice.
As I have mentioned with my recent disability, I just do not feel that I can adequately defend myself any longer. And as Bob Dylan once said The Times They are a Changin'.
Thanks again,
rick

Now, if I could only find ammo !!