Opinions on new Walther PPK/S sought...

[Stainz]

My wife saw some gun 'bling' yesterday that I couldn't say no to. It's a new PPK/S in .380 - SKU #150782 - with nicely carved wood grips and some machine carving on the SS pistol. She is correct - it really looks good - and that's from a revolver guy who normally doesn't like engraving, either. It came with the usual two different mags, papers, lock, shot case, and a nice locking mahogany display case & key. It was new - and I made it OTD for $719 (new). No time to bicker - I was sunk anyway - she announced she had to have it. The trigger is far better than I recall for any of the PPK series I've shot before - I have to wonder if it had some kind of trigger 'enhancement'. Anyone have one of these - or any more info on it?

Some background - I am a revolver guy - my wife has bottomfeeders - a LWS .32 CCW, Walther P22 plinker, and - a 2" 10 - HD. I bought her some PMC 90gr FMJ (RN). What is a typically reliable feeder for a PPK/s? Any experiences with one would be welcome - and thanks!

Stainz

 

[fasttheo]

In regards to what feeds well, here's what I've found with my S&W PPK/S:

Hollow Points:
Hornady XTP - I've fired 100 rounds of this ammo with no issues whatsoever, it's accurate and it seems to be a pretty clean ammo as well.

Remington Golden Saber: Fired about 75 rounds, again no issues at all. It's the heaviest JHP in .380, and in most internet 'tests' seems to expand very well.

Federal Hydra-Shok: Fired 20 rounds, one failure to battery, but this was probably based on user error. A lot of people like this round, but I don't have much experience with it.

Remington 88gr JHP: 100 rounds, no issues. It looks small compared to the JHP's marketed as defense rounds, but by all accounts is a very reliable feeder.

Ball Ammo:

Remington UMC: My gun HATES this ammo! Fired about 150 rounds with more failures to feed and failure to battery than I can count. Your mileage may vary, as other PPK and PPK/S shooters use it all the time.

Winchester White Box: Over 200 rounds, absolutely no issues with this ammo. It's inexpensive at Wal-Mart and, along with S&B, it's been the most reliable ball ammo I've found.

Sellier & Bellot: 100 rounds fired, no issues with feeding. I've heard that S&B ammo is a little hotter than advertised, and it does feel that way when compared to the Winchester. I would also recommend this ammo for practice; I prefer Winchester simply because it's a few dollars cheaper.

Speer Lawman: 50 rounds, one or two faliures to feed, but this was when I first got the gun, so I'll chalk it up to user error. It's designed to be a clean ammo for use indoors, so if your wife will be using an indoor range it may warrant a closer look.

Independence: 50 rounds, half of which didn't go to fully to battery. I can't recommend this ammo.


Sorry for the long post, but hopefully this will give you an idea on where to start. PPK and PPK/S are known to be picky with ammo, so my advice is to try several different brands until you find a good fit. Based on personal experience, I'd try WWB or S&B for practice ammo first. The PPK family has somewhat of a reputation for being unreliable, and when I was first shooting with Remington UMC I thought that as well...but once I found the ammo that it liked, it became a fun, reliable, and very accurate gun. I carry it every single day and I know that I can count on it if I ever need it.

 

[MICHAEL T]

The S&W seem to be hit and miss . Remember a year or so they had to recall all they had made . I find they have to many sharp edges and the S&W just changed to much. I hope yours runs good and if not S&W will fix it for you . They do have great warranty.
I have a old Interarms PPK/S that has always worked fine So I won't be trading any time soon.

Here a good place for info.

http://www.waltherforums.com/forum/pp-tp-series/