Walther Ppk???

[supersonic]

Hey guys. I'm justthinking about what my next handgun purchase will be. The smallest caliber HG I've ever had is a 9mm. (I'm REALLY more of the "hand-cannon" kind of guy- 10MM/.357SIG/.45ACP) and then 2 things recently crawled into my already BRD'd/AGD'd(ALL guns diseased) brain. I want something for ultra-compactness, and since the 10MM is my favorite HG cartridge, I thought it was a "no-brainer":Glock 29. Then the "second" thing happened. On a whim, I checked out a PPK .380ACP (I think it was satin/stainless finish), and realized "I have NOTHINGin my collection like this - caliber-wise(never shot a .380, don't know much about it's ballistics yet), AND "fits-in the-palm-of-my-hand" type thing. I know Walther's rep is pretty great, maybe some feedback about the "little firecracker" from you guys would do me a solid!!!! Peace!
S.S.

[dfletcher]

I did pretty much the same thing and bought an Interarms blued PPk/s last week. No need for it, it's not really all that compact, but it is just a neat little gun. If you're in the Northern CA area Sacramento Armoury is closing down & (as of last Saturday) had quite a few stainless ones for about $340.00. Aside from the heavy DA trigger pull, I've heard they can be a bit picky on hollow points, but I plan on using FMJ as this is just a fun gun for me. I've fired a few from time to time and having large hands have to be careful of getting hammer bite.

[BossHog]

I used to own a stainless Interams PPK/S and it was a jam-o-matic POS even after a trip to a Smith for reliability work. In addition, it ate up the web of my hand after every range session (My Sig P232 did the same).

[chico.cm]

I have a 70's era PPK and it shoots pretty well with an FMJ but jams with HP.
I have never done rapid fire with it, so I don't know about that.
I think it just needed some throat/ramp work.
I am personally contemplating a S&W 642 for a hide-a-way gun.
It's a handful with hot loads, but it's a great little 5 yard ccw piece.

[WolfMansDad]

If you can get a ppk in .32 auto, it will be much more enjoyable to shoot than .380. The .380 does bite the hand, but the .32 is very pleasant. In a ppk, .32 is not as underpowered as you might think. Compared to a Seecamp or Beretta Tomcat, for example, the ppk has a much longer barrel, which produces much better ballistics.

Plus, it's hard to pass up a genuine James Bond gun! Ian Fleming had Bond carrying a ppk in .32, not .380. The line in the movie Dr. No, iirc, had M describing it as "[taking] a man down like a brick through a plate-glass window." A bit of an overstatement, perhaps, but it makes for good theater.

One thing you will find about the ppk is that it carries well. It is slim, and all the sharp edges have been rounded off.

[dfletcher]

Anyone know which actor first played James Bond? I presume the honor system works & no one will google the answer.

[mxndrnks]

Roger Moore?

[kmca]

David Niven?

[dfletcher]

Moore or Niven? English pantywaist wannabees. The 1st Bond did not have an accent ....

[chico.cm]

Connery

[COILSPRING]

Cool small somewhat heavy pistols...

I like Walthers. I have some German PP's and PPKS's all in .380. I like the 32 acp cartridge too. I remember back in the day B&B Sales were selling used German Police PPKS's in .32 acp for $139 if I remember correctly. Some were quite nice. As a shooter, I sort of prefer the Sig 230/232's. The blue ones are quite a bit lighter in weight and point really well... (PP's & PPKS's are a bit flatter though...) The Walthers have a old world feeling of quality, you really cannot go wrong with either one. For those aspiring 007's pick up a PPK in .32 acp & a Rolex Stainless Sub-Mariner and you're pretty much good to go... Tuxedo optional.

OK, here's another bit of James Bond trivia... Remember Quint the old fisherman guy from Jaws who had survived the sinking of the USS Indianapolis in the movie? His name is Robert Shaw. What 007 movie did he appear in and who was his character? Google if you must.

[dfletcher]

Don't know the part he played, but it was "From Russia With Love". And Barry Nelson was the first actor to play Bond.

FWIW - I notice the new Walthers have a slightly longer tang on them to prevent hammer bite.

[supersonic]

.

Remember Quint the old fisherman guy from Jaws who had survived the sinking of the USS Indianapolis in the movie? His name is Robert Shaw.

Don't G.A.S. about the 007 stuff....but his "death scene" when the GreatWhite chomps down on his midsection & blood is coming through the spaces between his teeth gave me nightmares as a kid. Great scene. Great actor. R.I.P. - but what was with the constant saltine nibbling throughout the "hunt?"
S.S.
p.s.-thanks everyone. I'm going w/ the G29.

[dfletcher]

That didn't bother me nearly as much as the chalkboard.

[COILSPRING]

Don't know the part he played, but it was "From Russia With Love". And Barry Nelson was the first actor to play Bond.

FWIW - I notice the new Walthers have a slightly longer tang on them to prevent hammer bite.

Red Grant, but I'll admit I had to look at the box... Generally refered to as the buff Russian guy.

The long tang is definitely pretty cool. I wonder if they function? I've read a few complants about the recent PPK's reliability. Timeless design, hopefully most work...