Walther PPK .380 or Bersa .380?
- Thread starter Rod Farva
- Start date
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Got the S&W Walther PPK/S and couldn't be happier. I like the looks much better but it was the all-stainless construction that got me.
NO hammer bite on the new Walthers BTW, the tang has been re-desighed.
Workmanship is first-rate and the gun is beautiful, a work of art in my eyes.
NO malfunctions with Win. white box TC's.
I actually like the DA trigger. It's heavy to start it, but once it goes it rolls on through WITHOUT moving the gun off target! I couldn't believe it, accurate DA shots.
The SA trigger is to die for, about 3 lbs. and crisp, making fast follow-up shots very accruate and easy.
Accuracy is exceptional.
The sights are a total slap in the face. Why they re-designed the gun but left them is beyond me, it's the only flaw the gun has. The 1920's-era front site is just too small and short to pick up quickly, and to add insult to injury, the gun shoots high, meaning there was absolutely no reason whatsoever Smith couldn't have slapped on a taller combat site. I prefer instinctive point shooting for defense, so it doesn't make it any less useful, but still it would have been nice for paper-punching.
Recoil is not bad at all, very 9mm-ish to me, but not as loud. The gun fits my small hand perfectly. I rather like the .380 cartridge now after this experience.
I don't care what anyone says on here, NO ONE IS MAKING A 9MM COMPACT THIS SMALL. This gun is very slim and tiny, small enough to be carried comfortably in my front jeans pocket with a long shirt un-tucked. It's what I'll be using for CCW.
I am impressed enough with the gun's reliability, accuracy, and ease of shooting that I do not mind the weaker .380 ballistics. Put bluntly, if you want more power you are going to have to carry a much bigger, heavier gun, which I am not really able to do in my pockets.
Thanks for all your help guys.
NO hammer bite on the new Walthers BTW, the tang has been re-desighed.
Workmanship is first-rate and the gun is beautiful, a work of art in my eyes.
NO malfunctions with Win. white box TC's.
I actually like the DA trigger. It's heavy to start it, but once it goes it rolls on through WITHOUT moving the gun off target! I couldn't believe it, accurate DA shots.
The SA trigger is to die for, about 3 lbs. and crisp, making fast follow-up shots very accruate and easy.
Accuracy is exceptional.
The sights are a total slap in the face. Why they re-designed the gun but left them is beyond me, it's the only flaw the gun has. The 1920's-era front site is just too small and short to pick up quickly, and to add insult to injury, the gun shoots high, meaning there was absolutely no reason whatsoever Smith couldn't have slapped on a taller combat site. I prefer instinctive point shooting for defense, so it doesn't make it any less useful, but still it would have been nice for paper-punching.
Recoil is not bad at all, very 9mm-ish to me, but not as loud. The gun fits my small hand perfectly. I rather like the .380 cartridge now after this experience.
I don't care what anyone says on here, NO ONE IS MAKING A 9MM COMPACT THIS SMALL. This gun is very slim and tiny, small enough to be carried comfortably in my front jeans pocket with a long shirt un-tucked. It's what I'll be using for CCW.
I am impressed enough with the gun's reliability, accuracy, and ease of shooting that I do not mind the weaker .380 ballistics. Put bluntly, if you want more power you are going to have to carry a much bigger, heavier gun, which I am not really able to do in my pockets.
Thanks for all your help guys.
Actually I am considering getting another .380 on down the road as I like this one so much. I am going to be buying lots of .380 ammo to have on hand for the PPK, and my wife has a Mak in .380, so it just seems natural to start collecting them. I have kind of fallen in love with the cartridge for some weird reason.
I don't have enough guts to order the CZ-83 without ever handling one though.
As for the Beretta, I have been looking hard at the Browning BDA. I'd rather have the Beretta but the BDA is so much cheaper ...
I don't have enough guts to order the CZ-83 without ever handling one though.
As for the Beretta, I have been looking hard at the Browning BDA. I'd rather have the Beretta but the BDA is so much cheaper ...
Gunnutz13
Member
My 2 cents...
...the reason for the small sights is that this is not a target pistol...it's a belly gun...meant for up close and personal self defense. The caliber, length of the barrel and small frame dictate this. When I take my PPK/s ( .380 ), my Colt M1908 Hammerless ( .380 ), or my Makarov ( 9x18 ) out to the range, my target is no farther than 5 yards away...I not trying to hit a target at 25 yards. It's all about being able to present from concealment and point shoot. Nine times outta ten in a self defense shooting...the guns sights are not utilized. And at greater distances...I go for the AR.
...the reason for the small sights is that this is not a target pistol...it's a belly gun...meant for up close and personal self defense. The caliber, length of the barrel and small frame dictate this. When I take my PPK/s ( .380 ), my Colt M1908 Hammerless ( .380 ), or my Makarov ( 9x18 ) out to the range, my target is no farther than 5 yards away...I not trying to hit a target at 25 yards. It's all about being able to present from concealment and point shoot. Nine times outta ten in a self defense shooting...the guns sights are not utilized. And at greater distances...I go for the AR.
Gunnutz13
Member
The Bond movie...
is "The World is not Enough" ( 1999)...Electra King the oil heiress / kidnap victim and Renard the kidnapper / guy with bullet in head who feels no pain.
The ex-KGB agent with the caviar factory is Valentin Zukovsky...it is he who delivers the line posted above... reminding Bond that he still has a bullet is his leg from when Bond shot him.
And the movie title is Bond's family crest motto !
is "The World is not Enough" ( 1999)...Electra King the oil heiress / kidnap victim and Renard the kidnapper / guy with bullet in head who feels no pain.
The ex-KGB agent with the caviar factory is Valentin Zukovsky...it is he who delivers the line posted above... reminding Bond that he still has a bullet is his leg from when Bond shot him.
And the movie title is Bond's family crest motto !
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Tomac
Member
Another suggestion for the Makarov: Rugged, extremely reliable, surprisingly accurate, more powerful than the .380 (115gr JHP @ 1,000fps although you can rebarrel for .380 if you wish), mags/parts/ammo are inexpensive & plentiful & the all-steel Mak costs less than the PPK/S or Bersa.
Tomac
Tomac
The_Shootist
Member
Bersa All the Way!
Great gun! Easy to shoot/clean/conceal. Feeds everything (has about 1000 rds so far with another 200 set to go this weekend. Stffed with the Speer Gold Dot, its a viable self defense pistol.
However, just for fun was thinking about picking up a Mak - its just that they seem to be a bit too heavy for pocket carry.
Great gun! Easy to shoot/clean/conceal. Feeds everything (has about 1000 rds so far with another 200 set to go this weekend. Stffed with the Speer Gold Dot, its a viable self defense pistol.
However, just for fun was thinking about picking up a Mak - its just that they seem to be a bit too heavy for pocket carry.
Marshall
Member
Get this new Walthersa. Best of the Walther and Bersa.
PowderBurn
Member
I have a Bersa, and just bought a new stainless PPK. I second Rod Farva's impression: The PPK is a beautiful piece of work, and performs as good as it looks. Easy to shoot, no bite, ACCURATE! I don't mind the sights at all - they're an improvement over my S&W M60 snubby. And I prefer them to the Bersa three-dot system as well.
I'm still a Bersa fan, but I just don't drool over it like I do the PPK.
I'm still a Bersa fan, but I just don't drool over it like I do the PPK.
Oh, and someone suggested the Makarov. Nice choice but if you read my posts I mention I already have one in .380, which I like but not nearly as much as the PPK/S.
I can't for the life of me figure out why people advocate the Maks so much. It was half the price of the Walther, and frankly, it feels like it. It's bigger, uglier, kind of clunky, and has poor ergonomics for me.
Mine is in .380 as I see no point whatsoever in chasing down mail order 9x18mm when I could just buy .380's at Wal-Mart with my groceries. People on here are always saying how "plentiful" 9x18mm is - well, maybe in Russia, but not around here.
My wife liked the .380 Mak though so she bought it and it works for her, but I feel it's kinda big for a .380 that's a carry gun.
I can't for the life of me figure out why people advocate the Maks so much. It was half the price of the Walther, and frankly, it feels like it. It's bigger, uglier, kind of clunky, and has poor ergonomics for me.
Mine is in .380 as I see no point whatsoever in chasing down mail order 9x18mm when I could just buy .380's at Wal-Mart with my groceries. People on here are always saying how "plentiful" 9x18mm is - well, maybe in Russia, but not around here.
My wife liked the .380 Mak though so she bought it and it works for her, but I feel it's kinda big for a .380 that's a carry gun.
I'm suprised nobody has mentioned the Kel-Tec P-3AT. Teriffically small, great customer service, and having dry-fired one that's been broken in, that trigger is as smooth as glass. While the stuff I've read on the 'Net is mixed, I'd guess that everyone that's ever had a problem posts flames on the Kel-Tec boards; everyone I've talked to in person has loved theirs.
Hopefullly, I'm going to get to try one (specifically, that one I dry-fired) sometime this week.
Hopefullly, I'm going to get to try one (specifically, that one I dry-fired) sometime this week.
Fred Fuller
Moderator Emeritus
Was wondering if I was going to be the first to mention the P3AT. Guess not, but not by much.
It is a great little pistol. Tiny, so light it all but disappears in a pocket (with pocket holster of course), it is a true always gun and in a reasonable caliber to boot. Ours (wife and I) are factory hardchrome, maybe that contributes to the total reliability we've had, with a variety of ammo, or maybe we are just lucky. It is not an fun pistol to shoot a lot, but that really isn't what it's for (finger extensions on magazines really do help, the Bersa .380 extension goes right on with no mods). It really is a belly gun and it works well in that role for us. Just don't limp-wrist it, and for sure keep it clean and well lubed.
I read all the boards before buying, heard of all the problems, decided trying it was the only way to really know. Our experience with them has been completely good.
lpl/nc
It is a great little pistol. Tiny, so light it all but disappears in a pocket (with pocket holster of course), it is a true always gun and in a reasonable caliber to boot. Ours (wife and I) are factory hardchrome, maybe that contributes to the total reliability we've had, with a variety of ammo, or maybe we are just lucky. It is not an fun pistol to shoot a lot, but that really isn't what it's for (finger extensions on magazines really do help, the Bersa .380 extension goes right on with no mods). It really is a belly gun and it works well in that role for us. Just don't limp-wrist it, and for sure keep it clean and well lubed.
I read all the boards before buying, heard of all the problems, decided trying it was the only way to really know. Our experience with them has been completely good.
lpl/nc
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