Walther PPK/s: Daily Carry

[ScottDLS]

I've had my Texas CHL since 10/1996. Originally, I wanted it to car carry. At the time I only owned one handgun, a Taurus Mod 66 .357 w/4" bbl. This is a medium frame gun and pretty hard to conceal. I carried a few times in a backpack, but mainly car carried. Later I bought a Beretta 92FS for car carry.

Around '98 I bought a Walther PPK/S stainless .380ACP. I like the form factor of this gun and I pocket carried in jeans and casual pants every once in a while. However, every time I took it to the range it stovepipe jammed every 15-25 rounds. I ran different ammo through it and bought another factory mag. I was so upset at the reliability that in early 2001, I sold it to a dealer. So basically since then I've car carried. I bought a Ruger SP101 .357, but it just was too heavy, so I didn't carry on my person.

Last summer my roommate from college (in late 1980's) visited me from New York State. I took him shooting and he showed me his unrestricted NY carry permit. He said he carried a Walther PPK/S every day except at the college where he is a professor, he has to leave it in the car. I felt embarrassed that I live in a shall issue state and carry less than him. He said his firearms instructor in NY told him that you need to run about 5-boxes (250 rd) through a PPK/S to loosen it up.

So I finally got mad and today I dropped a few hundred at Cabela's and got another Walther (Smith and Wesson) PPK/S. I know there's a darn near WORLDWIDE shortage of .380ACP. I had a few hundred rounds left from when I had my other Walther. I'll get some more at outrageous price from Ammoman. Without starting a caliber war...I agree .380ACP is a little weak and would prefer 9mm... but this is the gun I am going to carry. I put the gun in my pocket shortly after I got home and promptly carried to the supermarket, fast food place, and quickie mart. More places than in the last two years with my other guns.

Any other Walther PPK fans out there?...other .380's with similar form factors? I saw a Bersa .380 that looked good. Any 9mm's you all would recommend? I just can't get comfortable carrying a full size and prefer a pocket gun or small IWB at 5 or 6 o'clock. Otherwise, I just leave it in the car.

[ELB]

I have a German WWII Walther that I inherited from my Dad, but not planning on carrying that one. Dad did sometimes, tho.

I would recommend shooting severalhundred trouble-free rounds thru your new Walther before depending on it. Just from reading the various forums, it seems to be one of those that some work well, some never quite get there reliability-wise. People I know who have a Bersa .380 seem to love them - -my impression is that they are pretty reliable.

Scrape up all the ammo you can find and go shoot that new pistol a bunch.

[Mastodon]

I don't own a Walther. My CZ's take some breaking in, but afterwards have been yrs and yrs of reliability. I carry a CZ RAMI 9mm. It took some rounds to break in and smooth out. Now, I certainly have zero reliability issues with it.

I'm glad you acquired the gun you like and will carry and will practice with.

Break that Walther in with a diet of various ammo, get comfy with its operation again, take care of it and it will take care of you.

Enjoy the pistol. Congrats on the purchase.

[karder]

I am a big Walther fan. The PPK is a great carry gun IMO. There are smaller and lighter options out there, but the Walther is just shaped right. Mine seems to prefer FMJ over JHP. That is okay, because I like the extra penetration given that the 380 is a bit on the small side. Still, it is a more than adequate caliber for self defense. Good purchase! No collection is complete without a PPK.

[joe817]

I love the PPk. Had a PPk/s in the late 70's. It digested every type of ammo I ran through it. It was an Interarms import from Germany.....not a S&W made Walther.

S&W had a LOT of problems with it. So much so they issued a recall on them a few years ago. I'd think the problems they had with them have been worked out by now. (can't comment on it and don't know the details)

I wish I had that PPk/s. I'd be carrying it now if I had it, instead of the one I'm carrying now(see sig line).

[frazzled]

I think your only issue with .380 right now is not .380 but with getting ammo. I don't really get the issue frankly. While not back to where they were previously, most other cartridges seem to have begun returning to pre Obama Bubble procies and availability. But you can't find .380 for squat.

[joe817]

I think your only issue with .380 right now is not .380 but with getting ammo. I don't really get the issue frankly. While not back to where they were previously, most other cartridges seem to have begun returning to pre Obama Bubble procies and availability. But you can't find .380 for squat.

Weellllll, not really. It's showing up at a few stores in Wally World. Academy Sports seems to be having a steady flow of .380 in their stores. The gun store I go to in Ft.Worth always seems to have a small, albeit super expensive, supply. Many online suppliers seem to have it in stock as well.

I think the shortage in .380 is not over yet, but the situation is certainly improving.

[frazzled]

I think your only issue with .380 right now is not .380 but with getting ammo. I don't really get the issue frankly. While not back to where they were previously, most other cartridges seem to have begun returning to pre Obama Bubble procies and availability. But you can't find .380 for squat.

Weellllll, not really. It's showing up at a few stores in Wally World. Academy Sports seems to be having a steady flow of .380 in their stores. The gun store I go to in Ft.Worth always seems to have a small, albeit super expensive, supply. Many online suppliers seem to have it in stock as well.

I think the shortage in .380 is not over yet, but the situation is certainly improving.

I've not seen any in Academies in Austin or Houston I frequent in a bit, but I could be missing the timing. I need US made/decent ammo as our Bersa is a bit finicky and SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED does not tolerate jams.

[tomc]

I have a Walther PPK and I love it. Rarely carry it, though. Mine is the older Interarms import. The S&W models had issues and I never looked at getting one, although they did address the problem with the older slide bite problem.

I have never had a problem with mine except with feed issues with Federal hollowpoint ammo. It always fed FMJ ammo which I believe is the preferred bullet for the weaker .380 caliber. I solved feed issues by polishing the feed ramp and lubricating it frequently.

[ScottDLS]

I have a Walther PPK and I love it. Rarely carry it, though. Mine is the older Interarms import. The S&W models had issues and I never looked at getting one, although they did address the problem with the older slide bite problem.

I have never had a problem with mine except with feed issues with Federal hollowpoint ammo. It always fed FMJ ammo which I believe is the preferred bullet for the weaker .380 caliber. I solved feed issues by polishing the feed ramp and lubricating it frequently.

Forgot about that slide bite, but then remembered from my '98 gun. I think the S&W guns are a little bigger, because I checked with the web of my hand in my normal firing position and it looked like no way for slide to hit.

I haven't shot my new (S&W) Walther PPK/S yet, but I did check the recall S/N's and I am 5000 (by s/n) guns past the recall issues, which were for firing pin blocking bar issues.

BTW everybody, thanks for all the comments on my OP.