S&W PPK vs. Interarms: could it be the magazine?

[Ignition Override]

With a First handgun being a WW2 Sauer 38H, this is just a plinking gun. But I am Really sold on Sig features and the triggers. The only handguns with strong appeal are the PPK/Sig 232 styles.

If I ever decide to "carry" a gun, it will probably be the newer Sig 230/232, but might consider a PPK.
With so many comparisons between the Interarms and S&W, if excluding "slide bite" (skinny hands), how do people know that their magazine springs or feed lips are not worn?

How can you determine that some comparisons were objective?

 

[Schlegel]

Well, the magazine design hasn't changed, so you can just get a new one if worried about that. Mec-Gar is the best to get, as they have been an OEM supplier to Walther, and make them right.

Slide bite problems are really individual. You can only try it yourself. People do say the S&W tang really reduces it, but I have not tried one. Personally, I get a small amount of slide bite from the original design, but not badly, just a little abrasion after 4 or 5 magazine's worth of shooting.

Even that could be reduced by rounding the corners of the bottom of the slide. I have been told that the stainless S&W guns have very sharp edges from the factory and benefit from some beveling. Often this is part of standard carry packages from smiths.

I do think the PP design series is an ergonomic high point of the 20th C. The PP is a great pointing, comfortable handgun.

 

[silicosys4]

S&W made some changes to the ppk in an attempt to improve the design. I believe these included changes to the feed ramp to allow hp's to feed reliably, and an extended beavertail to prevent slide bite. Unfortunately, at least some of the changes, particularly the feed ramp, actually made the guns more unreliable, and s&w recalled a large number of the ppk and ppk/s pistols they made, something like an entire 8 or 9 years of production, I think...

A lot of people are happy with their s&w ppk or ppk/s, but a lot of people had problems, and the general consensus among purists is that French or west German guns are the best for build quality and "euro cool" factor, the interarms guns are well built and true to the original design, and the s&w's are good guns if they don't have feed issues and you can't find one of the forementioned.


Just my $0.02

 

[Ignition Override]

Thanks. It might require a fair bit of looking around to determine whether a PPK was actually mfg. in Germany.

If so, the price must be quite a bit higher?

 

[Jack19]

German made PPK pistols say so on the slide or the frame.

Price for German and French (Manurhin) made pistols is generally higher but not significantly so over an Interarms (imported and Ranger made) or SWalther made weapons. It depends how much effort you're willing to put into the search, where you search, and how much you want to own one "Right Now!" My personal opine is that SWalther weapons are, well, different.

Wartime and rare pistols can cost you your first (and second or third) born. It all depends on the provenance. (And beware of fakes and reproduction parts if you decide you want a rare weapon. The guys over at Walther Forums are a wealth of knowledge.)

I've paid more for Interarms pistols, at times, than German made pistols. It all depends on what you want and how fast you want it. And, what the seller throws into the deal.

I will say that before you buy a PPK, make sure you can shoot a PPK. Meaning, you can get a good grip, not suffer from slide, or hammer, bite. (Most often this can be corrected by altering your grip.) Personally, the PPK is too small for me, but the extra 1/4" of the PPKS makes all the difference in the world.

Go here and read read read. http://www.waltherforums.com/forum/

Then, go here and check retail prices: http://www.simpsonltd.com/index.php?cPath=156_164

Then search around.

And I'm only going to ask this because I'm curious...and no offence meant...but what does "If I ever decide to "carry" a gun," mean?

 

[Ignition Override]

Jack19: Thanks very much for the info. Any questions are welcome (no sweat...). Reading about you guys'/gals' experience is always valuable and entertaining.
The plan is to acquire the TN CCW with this First handgun-the Sauer 38H-but I have no idea whether the decision will later be to "carry" in my clothing, or just in the car.

Retiring in about a year, and being very sold on both PP/PPK-styled guns and especially Sig-Sauer triggers (maybe a Sig 230/232), having this size might work for IWB carry if desired, but might seem inconvenient etc.
Being 5' 11" with skinny hands, slide bite should be minimal.

It's kind of hard to enjoy shooting the very nifty little Polish P-64 (original springs), which is carried by three friends, though ultra-reliable.

 

[AFDavis11]

The objectivity must come from you and your evaluation of others comments. I evaluate all the comments in aggregate. You are only talking about two guns, maybe three. Buy them all, one at a time, and decide for yourself.

 

[GaryP]

The Walther bite was pretty much eliminated with the S&W PPK and PPK/s models. S&W redesigned the top portion of the grip area to prevent the web of your hand from getting creased as the slide slams rearward. I have an Interarms SS PPK/s in .32acp made in 1998 and it will really bite if I forget to hold the grip a bit low. This is one difference between the S&W and Interarms models. There may be other differences. The Interarms models were built to original Walther specs. My Interarms PPK/s was manufactured in Alabama.

 

[SIGLBER]

PPK's have over the years been made by various makers (German Walther, French in the Walther plant, Interarms for Walther, Interarms in Virginia, and now S&W in the U.S.). The quality has varied greatly depending on who and where the guns were made. The PPK has earned a reputation for having a very heavy recoil in .380, ammo sensitive, heavy DA trigger pull, and slide bite. Also sexy looking, some well made, and very accurate.
With the S&W version the Tang was extended to stop the slide bite. Plus a few minor "improvements". Personally if I were going for a .380 like your looking at it would be the SIG. Can be had in steel or aluminum frames. Roughly the same size. Better trigger. IMHO. Know tooo many friends that have bought and sold PPK's after finding out the problems that can come with them.

 

[rodinal220]

A little history lesson is in order. The original Walther plant was located in
Zella-Mehlis,Germany from 1886-1945. WWII came along and the Walther folks found themselves in a Russian controlled section of Germany and fled with whatever technical data they could. Zella-Mehlis became trapped behind the Iron-Curtain and became East-Germany,the Walther plant was no more.

Walther reemerged in 1953 in Ulm,West Germany. Production of P-38/P-1 pistol began in Ulm in 1957. Walther used the French company Manurhin to manufacture the PP series pistols,final assembly was at Ulm. Manurhin made PP series pistols from 1952/3-1986.

If your Walther PP/PPK/PPKs says Made in W. Germany, most of it wasn't,the Manurhin firm made all the components,Walther did final assembly,all legal under W. German law. Walther licensed Manurhin PP series from 1952-1986. Manurhin marked guns with no Interarms marks came out in 1984.


Interarms(under Walther license) had the USA company Ranger Mfg make PPK/PPKs guns from 1978-1998. S&W was then given the license from Walther to make PP series guns in 2002.

If your gun was 100%German,it was a 1929-1945 made gun. Most post WWII PP series guns were French made with some work performed by Walther in Ulm. USA made guns say so.

 

[gym]

Look for guns made pre 1976, chances are it's made in Germany, and it does as mentioned say it on the slide, I carried one for 2 decades, but every few years the slide needed to be re fitted, it would start to have feeding problems.

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

A friend had a Interarms .380 that would not feed ball, but worked just fine with silvertips???

 

[MICHAEL T]

My old Interarms (ranger made) has never given me one bit of trouble. I never experience slide bite and the pistol has shot every brand of factory I have tried .I don't shoot Russian junk or reloads. I carry Corbon DPX or Bufflo Bore version . You couldn't give me a S&W PPK/S even after the only recall in history of PP series. Which started 1929. Thanks to S&W and over 20 mods to the working design. Their still to hit and miss. I would have that over size stick you in the side tang removed. This pistol was never made for a high hand hold and was designed to be shot 1 handed. That's how the world shot , till late 60's early 70's. When Cooper and Weaver started the preaching of 2 hand shooting .

 

[hAkron]

Just my opinion - my S&W PPK/s was expensive, and had problems out of the box. I sent it back and 9 weeks later it functioned, but the rails were galled up all to heck. I sold it out of frustration, but I do kinda wish I kept it.

It was heavy and bulky as a carry gun by today's standards. Has a low capacity, and the S&W modifications make a lot of PPK guys turn their noses up. Also it doesn't have the S&W lifetime warranty.

I wouldn't mind finding an Interarms PPK, blued in .32...if I could get it cheap.