Walther PK 380

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rhoggman

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Posted this in another thread, but thought it deserved its own.

The Walther PK .380 is 6.5 inches long which I think was a huge mistake. The 8+1 rounds is ok, but I think people will shy away from it because of the size.

Why buy it when you can get 9mm that is smaller? The P22 is "cool" and it is a good platform to learn on, but people don't want a P22 for self defense. If .380 ammo were cheap this would be a whole different story because the "cool" factor would kick in for the PK .380 like it did for the P22. In fact, they better introduce a PK .380 in pink to drive sales for the "I want a pink gun crowd". Men like me will in turn reluctantly purchase this firearm because we want our ladies to be happy and deadly at the same time.

I do have to give Walther credit for making good looking guns, but in this case I don't think looks will steal any market share from the existing and very viable hanguns in .380 with a much smaller footprint. Sometimes another gun is just another gun, and that is my take on the Walther PK .380.

Check out the picture: http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2...pk380-380-acp/
 
I'm not understanding this gun when my PPS can hold as many, and 9mm at that. I'd even have a hard time putting aside my PPK or PPKs for this one.

And, why is it that men always chose a .380 for women? The .380 is a stout round often with more snappy kick than 9mm.
 
Unfortunately some of us are men are tied together with women who cannot be easily be reasoned with. Sometimes the only reason you can give these women to protect themseleves is with a gun that looks cool.

Caliber, stopping power, reliability, and mechanics have nothing to do with emotions and therefore cannot be used as an argument for purchasing a handgun. I could not even convince my girlfriend she needed a gun until I took her to a gunshow where she gazed upon a pink P22. Even then I tried to trick her into the "Pink Lady", but there was no hope. I would rather her actually carry a gun than none at all, and I would rather her make her own decision than feel overwhelmed at my decision (I make most of them for her). Carrying a gun was something I wanted her to like, so this will be a long process. As for the .380 as a preferred round.... Not really, but the small footprint is good for her small hands, tight clothes, and little purses. I really don't care... I will buy her different guns until she makes her own "educated, logical, and reasonable decisions" about firearms.
 
The gun is generating a lot of positive buzz among Walther fans (check out the Walther Forums for a sampling). Despite its problems, the P22 has a lot of fans, and this version ups the ante caliber for those who like that gun's capabilities.

From my perspective, Walther had better make the PK380 out of something a heck of a lot stouter than pot metal. A .380 is no 9mm or .40 S&W or .45, all right -- but it'll still chew apart a zinc-made slide a lot faster than a .22 round.
 
I would rather her actually carry a gun than none at all, and I would rather her make her own decision than feel overwhelmed at my decision
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I understand that, but I have seen new women shooters shoot their .380 for the first time, almost drop the dang thing, and then shake their hand in pain from the recoil, walking away from the gun. It ends up being counter-productive. Heck, this isn't the case with all women, but I know that if I gave my wife a .380 to shoot for the first time it would be her last time. And then we have the polymer framed PK380 which is going to be very light, and if that slide is the same metal that they use on the P22 it will be like shooting a Grendel P10 (not a pleasant experience I can assure you).

Searcher, I have wanted to see what the buzz at the Walther Forum was, but the site has been down for days. I'm a Walther shooter and collector but this one leaves me cold. It's bad enough that the P22 has the Walther name on it, but to spread that abomination to yet another model is a nightmare. To me the PK380 makes no sense on any level. I may well end up being wrong on this, but when I see a P22 up-calibered it doesn't bode well.

BTW, the new SIG .380 looks to make a lot more sense to me.

Note: looks like my inability to get on the Walther Forum was an error with my computer.
 
BTW, Rhoggman, my comment about the .380 and women choosing it wasn't a slam on you. I've seen it dozens of times in gun shops over the years when new women shooters ignore all of the good advice in the world, be it from their significant other or gun shop employees, only to pick the worst gun possible base on some criteria that has nothing to do with anything. But, having been married for just shy of 25 years, I can understand exactly how that happens ;)

BTW, according to some at the Walther Forum the slide will be steel.
 
If it has the ergonomics of the P22, but actually works as well as a P99, then it should be a nice pistol. I'll certainly go fondle one when they appear in a gun store near me. The .380 acp is a very "hot" round this year, what with Kahr, Sig and Walther chasing it's users.
 
I'll certainly go fondle one when they appear in a gun store near me.
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Me also. If it has the quality of the P99 I'll probably end up with one. Similar to my comments above, I was really down on the PPS when it came out, and now owning one I think it's one of the finest pistols ever produced.

BTW, I do like that the PK 380 is hammer fired, but then again so is the Sig 238, which is looking incredible.
 
No thanks I'll keep my good old PPK/S Walthers has got into the ugly looking gun design I don't like any of their pistols from last several years.
 
I just purchased one at the gun show here in Birmingham...I picked it up due to the fact of the size and price, as well as the feel! I have the P22 as well, and it feels great, as well as looks good to me! I am slowly becoming more and more of a Walther fan...Haven't been able to shoot it, but will report upon doing so.
 
usp9 said:
If it has the ergonomics of the P22, but actually works as well as a P99, then it should be a nice pistol.
Click to expand...
it has an identical frame with a slightly different design on the backstrap. I own both a black 3.5" P22, duo-tone 5" P22, and a PK380. The 380 makes an excellent carry gun that leaves a 0% print when carried IWB. I bought it because it dosent look 'cheap' like the other plastic 9mm's in that price range.
 
The problem with most people who don't care for the PK380 is that they would not care for any 380. Personally I have and enjoy shooting a very large number of 380 pistols from my collection. This does not mean that I believe the 380 a great SD choice but rather just a fun round to shoot. I have a pretty nice collection of pistols in many calibers. I do not choose my pistols based on SD capability but rather styling and the way they feel when I am shooting them. Thank God in the US we still have the ability to have more than one pistol.
 
I bought a PK380 First Edition and am quite happy with it. I wanted the extra magazine and holster.

Everything works well and I really like how the pistol feels and balances with a full magazine. It conceals very easily. My wife likes the fact it fits her hand, too, and the slide is much easier for her to operate. She has a Browning BDA .380 and that was her one complaint about it.

I realize some say the .380 ACP is a marginal cartridge for SD use, but I figure nine rounds at typical SD ranges will do the trick. Plus, I have the spare magazine.

BTW: I did call Walther America about spare keys/takedown tools. They are expecting their first shipment of spare magazines next month (December) and are pretty sure a supply of the keys will be included.
 
I just bought a first addition one myself....picking it up Thursday and hope to shoot it that night....I will let you know....I own a P22 and love it so I have high hopes for this....
 
If you like the P22, you will love the PK380. If you think that the P22 is a toy on steroids, then you'll have a similar reaction to the PK380 as a toy on a double dose of steroids.
 
^^^ Seriously, I held one about a month ago that a Walther rep had brought in to my LGS, and it felt a pellet gun. Don't get me wrong, Walther is one of my favorite companies. My PPS is my favorite gun of it's class hands down, but that little PK380 just seems like something best left alone.
 
If you get a PK380 and don't get the First Edition with the embroidered holster, the pistol fits very nicely in a Blackhawk Size 7 or an Uncle Mike's Size 15. They'll do until somebody starts making holsters specifically for the PK380.
 
You can just as easily skip both, IMO -- and I'm a huge Walther fan. But truth be told, neither the P22 nor the PK380 are true Walther pistols; they are Umarex creations and have nothing in common with the PPS or P99, other than the Walther banner on the slide. Pity, too.
 
I actually saw one in a gun store a few days ago in the sub - 350 price range, and almost bought it.

I'll have to say it was a good looking pistol.... Can't figure out why they got rid of the slide stop/release though????

That was the major difference I could see first hand from the p22.
 
Well I shot it for the first time today and I like it a lot....Put 100 rounds through it without any hick-ups.......I wasn't shooting for accuracy but I was able to hit soda cans at 15-20 yards with ease.....The gun has very little felt recoil....Its very easy to get back on target when shooting rapidly.....I am impressed with this little gun....Also it conceals pretty easy for me....The only gripe I have is the stupid key for the takedown...Other than that I love the gun....
 
I, too, was impressed by the lack of felt recoil. It was a pleasant surprise, especially if you are used to shooting a PP or PPK from Walther. The big question is to whether it will hold up over time. But given its parentage (the lowly P22), it's a question worth pondering before pulling the trigger on purchasing one, IMO. Still, no question that it's an improvement over the P22.
 
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9mm has topped out around $17 per box in many places, and even with the Obama rush long behind us, prices are not going down much. In many places, 9mm is not longer as affordable as it once was; it sure isn't over here.

There simply isn't as much of a gap in price anymore.
 
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