German Walther PPK and the Kahr PM 9

[MarkIV70]

I have both a 1968 PPK in 380 ACP and two PM9s. The Kahrs are better pistols than many
defense carry autos out there. They are STILL popular with agents and detectives. The magazine
retention spring could be a little stronger but that is a minor fault. They are still reliable and accurate
for a pistol of this size. Black diamond finish is A1.The original Walther PP and PPK pistols made in Germany/France were and are excellent.
They should be well broken in by range time and lots of field stripping. Mine benefited from advice long ago from
Jeff Cooper. The hammer strut and spring were polished and smoothed, and a coil removed...then tested. Like a new pistol in DA mode. As a retired agent, the PPK was carried then for real. 5th SFG/MACVSOG had silenced PPKs in Vietnam. I served as a 1st LT with SOG, so the Walthers were definitely around for special applications.

The PM9 has inherited the PPK mantle with a slightly more powerful cartridge.

( The PPK/S and later versions like S&W types are NOT the same pistols as the original PP/PPK.
If you note the recall notices at the beginning of this sub-forum, the S&W PPK/s is mentioned along with the Shield and a host of other also-rans
including the Gen4 Glocks. The original German PPK and the Kahrs made the cut and-are not recall mentioned. Enough said.)

 

[defjon]

Have you tried the fort smith models?

I got a ppks in 380 and I love it. It's running flat point fmj 100% so far.

 

[sgt127]

The only Walthers I have have left are two PPK’s. In .32. And two PP’s. Also in .32.

I had a PM9 I traded off. (Should have kept that) and currently own a K9.

For me, the PP series are at their best in .32. The Kahr K9 is almost a perfect gun for my hands. Literally. Like I sent them my hand and said “build a gun to fit that.”

The Kahr K9. A trigger too good for the NYPD should have been their marketing slogan.

 

[JERRY]

I had a ppk 380 in the 90s. Was only reliable with fmj and kicked more than it should have in my opinion. My pp 32 is a very nice gun but the sights on both were/are a joke.

In the early 2000s I had a K9 and mk9 elite. Great guns but heavy for comparatively limit ammo capacity of glocks, and that's what I traded them for.

Also had a pm45 and pm9. The pm9 was a great little gun but it was traded for a revolver. The pm45 was unsatisfying. It took 800 rounds and some kitchen table fluff and buffet to get it to fire two magazines in a row without a jam.

 

[dfariswheel]

Some times it's not possible to carry a more substantial pistol so I used a 1980's stainless Walther PPK/s.
It was 100% reliable even with lead bullet reloads and amazingly accurate for a small gun.

I kept hearing about the Kahr Arms K9 so I bought a stainless version to try.
I found it to be almost the same size as the Walther, was a full 9mm, had better sights and just fit me perfectly.
The trigger feels like a S&W revolver, and it's 100% reliable even with some horrible 1950's Egyptian corrosive 9mm ammo that wouldn't work in any other 9mm I tried it in.
Most of the reported problems with the Kahr are the polymer and .45 versions. You seldom ever hear of K9 with issues.

So, I sold the Walther and have daily carried the Kahr ever since.

 

[Gordon]

Hmmm Walther PPK suppressed in VN ? Well I snuck mine over in a shoulder holster I wore on the plane in 68 with an extra magazine and Fifty rounds Of RWS hard all in my duffle. I had plain clothes to authorized orders. Which meant un marked fatiques once you got there as it was a combat zone. The .380 West German PPK was because I was totally into James Bond since High school in 1964 . I shot the one I bought in Monterey Calif locally while at the language school there 84 weeks in after Counter Intelligence school at Arlington Hall Va. I had no other weapon while staying at the Continental hotel in Saigon waiting for orders after the TET 68 craziness. When I got to Camp Evans near Hue the fighting was still on and they issued me a 1911a1 with three mags and 100 rounds. I was assigned to HQ And HQ company. When the brass saw I was fluent with Vietnamese and had a top secret+ clearance I was assigned to courier between all the fire bases interesting projects reading captured documents and some getting involved in prisoner interaction after transferring documents. Most of the time it was me in the back seat of a Bell 500 LOACH armed with a mini gun and rockets. I kept the PPK in a shoulder holder I brought over with it and wore the 1911 in a issued belt holster . Soon , in a few months , a chopper pilot wanted to buy my Walther, as did many officers who saw it. But this one had a like new M3 grease gun with a shoulder bag full of magazines. He also wore his issued 1911 in a nice tanker holster with a couple extra mags in pouches. I traded him the PPK for his tanker holster and an extra mag pouch for my belt holster and the PPK and it's extra magazine and the 50 rounds of 9m kurz I brought over. When he picked up the extra mag and the ammo at my hootch he also gave me a bottle of Johnny Walker and a carton of Kools( even tho I didn't smoke). I carried the M3 and my 1911 with four extra mags in the tanker holster and when in the choppers slung the M3 and the shoulder bag of mags and wore LRRP canteen on my pistol belt with my Randall 8" #1 . I used all the weapons at Eagles Nest and Hamburger hill .
,

 

[Gordon]

Some times it's not possible to carry a more substantial pistol so I used a 1980's stainless Walther PPK/s.
It was 100% reliable even with lead bullet reloads and amazingly accurate for a small gun.

I kept hearing about the Kahr Arms K9 so I bought a stainless version to try.
I found it to be almost the same size as the Walther, was a full 9mm, had better sights and just fit me perfectly.
The trigger feels like a S&W revolver, and it's 100% reliable even with some horrible 1950's Egyptian corrosive 9mm ammo that wouldn't work in any other 9mm I tried it in.
Most of the reported problems with the Kahr are the polymer and .45 versions. You seldom ever hear of K9 with issues.

So, I sold the Walther and have daily carried the Kahr ever since.

Hello dfariswheel . Miss you and found and followed you in you Keltec KS7 Shotgun elsewhere !. I really learned under your information in about Colt Revolvers, Sir !

 

[dfariswheel]

Hello dfariswheel . Miss you and found and followed you in you Keltec KS7 Shotgun elsewhere !. I really learned under your information in about Colt Revolvers, Sir !

Howdy.