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.32 or .380 ppk
- Thread starter trigger45
- Start date
I have a .380PPK that hurts my wifes hands.
It is fun to shoot but it is made by interarms and I think their guns are cheap investment casting...wouldn't buy another one.
I personally don't care for the .32 myself
My favorite PPK is chambered in .22lr and made in Germany...I shoot CCI stinger hollow points and It never jams or fails in any way.
My .22lr PPK's are very accurate and don't hurt your hands
Get a PPK made by Manurin or Walther-Germany.
I am thinking about buying another PPK from a friend..new in the box Manurin PPKs .22lr
for $400.00.
Love the way PPK shoots...
It is fun to shoot but it is made by interarms and I think their guns are cheap investment casting...wouldn't buy another one.
I personally don't care for the .32 myself
My favorite PPK is chambered in .22lr and made in Germany...I shoot CCI stinger hollow points and It never jams or fails in any way.
My .22lr PPK's are very accurate and don't hurt your hands
Get a PPK made by Manurin or Walther-Germany.
I am thinking about buying another PPK from a friend..new in the box Manurin PPKs .22lr
for $400.00.
Love the way PPK shoots...
Johnny Guest
Moderator in Memoriam
trigger45---
I looked at your list at end of your question, and checked your web site. Welcome to the wonderful world of "Concealed Carry" handguns. I trust you'll get replies expressing a variety of opinions so you'll have plenty of basis for making up your own mind.
The PPK about which you asked has magazine capacity of six rounds in .380 and seven in .32. The PPK/S holds one additional in each caliber.
These pistols were magnificent state of the art for decades--Solid, well built and dependable. The state of the art has passed them by. Historians, nostalgia buffs and students of firearms design still love them, much as they do the Colt Single Action Army, the Winchester 1873, the Luger P-08 and the Thompson Submachine Gun. Make no mistake, under certain circumstances, I think I could fight a pretty fair skirmish with any of these. They are simply no longer the number one choice for the job.
That said, the Walther PP series is still a good one--they are just a bit heavy for their power.
You asked about the calibers. The .32 ACP "standard load" is a .311 FMJ at about 825 fps. The .380 ACP is a .355 at perhaps 950. On the face of it, the .380 is a good deal more powerful. A larger diameter, heavier bullet going a good deal faster.
Some say the newest .32 loads are "equal to" or even "better than" the .380. The "stopping power" results may bear this out, IF you compare the Super Duper Whiz Bang over pressure loads with expanding bullets with the old .380 ball ammo. Compare apples to apples, though, and see what you get.
Due to the design of the PPK, the .380 can be a bit uncomfortable to shoot. This is a result of the shape of the grip area and tang. If shooter comfort is the only factor, the .32 might well be a better choice. If defensive use is the prime criterion, most people opt for the .380. There are several newer designs in more powerful calibers with equal or lighter weight, but you didn't ask about these. You can load a .32 PPK up with 60 gr SDWB JHP ammo and still not have a sidearm equal to a Kahr P9. But then, the Kahr is not the pistol that JamesBondAgentDubbleOhSeven packed in the later Ian Fleming novels. Just as our cowboy hee-roes didn't pack 1911s and Glocks and SiGs while taming the west.
Again, though, it is all about what YOU want and enjoy. Long ago but not so far away, I thought I was about to go visit exotic, scenic Southeast Asia, and one of my three personal gear choices was a brand new PPK .380. I never made that trip, but 34 years later I still have the Walther and the Randall knife.
Best wishes.
------------------
---The Second Amendment ensures the rest of the Bill of Rights---
I looked at your list at end of your question, and checked your web site. Welcome to the wonderful world of "Concealed Carry" handguns. I trust you'll get replies expressing a variety of opinions so you'll have plenty of basis for making up your own mind.
The PPK about which you asked has magazine capacity of six rounds in .380 and seven in .32. The PPK/S holds one additional in each caliber.
These pistols were magnificent state of the art for decades--Solid, well built and dependable. The state of the art has passed them by. Historians, nostalgia buffs and students of firearms design still love them, much as they do the Colt Single Action Army, the Winchester 1873, the Luger P-08 and the Thompson Submachine Gun. Make no mistake, under certain circumstances, I think I could fight a pretty fair skirmish with any of these. They are simply no longer the number one choice for the job.
That said, the Walther PP series is still a good one--they are just a bit heavy for their power.
You asked about the calibers. The .32 ACP "standard load" is a .311 FMJ at about 825 fps. The .380 ACP is a .355 at perhaps 950. On the face of it, the .380 is a good deal more powerful. A larger diameter, heavier bullet going a good deal faster.
Some say the newest .32 loads are "equal to" or even "better than" the .380. The "stopping power" results may bear this out, IF you compare the Super Duper Whiz Bang over pressure loads with expanding bullets with the old .380 ball ammo. Compare apples to apples, though, and see what you get.
Due to the design of the PPK, the .380 can be a bit uncomfortable to shoot. This is a result of the shape of the grip area and tang. If shooter comfort is the only factor, the .32 might well be a better choice. If defensive use is the prime criterion, most people opt for the .380. There are several newer designs in more powerful calibers with equal or lighter weight, but you didn't ask about these. You can load a .32 PPK up with 60 gr SDWB JHP ammo and still not have a sidearm equal to a Kahr P9. But then, the Kahr is not the pistol that JamesBondAgentDubbleOhSeven packed in the later Ian Fleming novels. Just as our cowboy hee-roes didn't pack 1911s and Glocks and SiGs while taming the west.
Again, though, it is all about what YOU want and enjoy. Long ago but not so far away, I thought I was about to go visit exotic, scenic Southeast Asia, and one of my three personal gear choices was a brand new PPK .380. I never made that trip, but 34 years later I still have the Walther and the Randall knife.
Best wishes.
------------------
---The Second Amendment ensures the rest of the Bill of Rights---
kstoneking
New member
I had a Walther PPK/S in .380 and it was accurate and reliable. However it inflicted upon me the "Walther bite", which is when the razor sharp edge of the slide connects with the web of your shooting hand. I still bear faint scars. When I tried the Walther PPK in .32 I suffered the same fate. I traded the PPK/S in on a Sig Sauer P230 in .380 and got the same accuracy and reliability with no blood loss. I feel that the .380 is the minimum caliber for self defense, for what that is worth. If you are truly set on a Walther PPK get a .380 and a thick shooting glove. If a glove is not to your liking, invest heavily in band-aids! Good luck and stay safe.
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"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence upon those who would do us harm."...George Orwell
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"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence upon those who would do us harm."...George Orwell
I bought a stainless PPK .380(Interarms)for the concealibility. To cure the "bite" use a file and stone and remove just enough to smoothe the beaver tail and the sharp edges of the slide. You can refinish with 600 grit sandpaper and emery cloth.
I have no more bites since this treatment and it is a joy to shoot and totally reliable. Just be sure to do a thorough cleaning and lube inside and out before going to the range. Very accurate!
I have no more bites since this treatment and it is a joy to shoot and totally reliable. Just be sure to do a thorough cleaning and lube inside and out before going to the range. Very accurate!
No one flamed me over the .22lr,whats up???
I like my PPK/s with 10 rounds of CCI stinger hollowpoint ammo..
If you check out ballistics you will see that this cartridge is pretty lethal..
I can group 3" at 7 yards everytime shooting 10 shots in less than 5 seconds!!
I know my HK .45 compact is a better choice but the PPK is nice and small.
Like the 1911, the PPK is still popular because of the great design,and it has with stood the test of time!!!
Some of the best shooters I know shoot so-called out dated guns!!!
------------------
ACCOUNT FOR EVERY SHOT
AND MAKE EVERY SHOT COUNT
I like my PPK/s with 10 rounds of CCI stinger hollowpoint ammo..
If you check out ballistics you will see that this cartridge is pretty lethal..
I can group 3" at 7 yards everytime shooting 10 shots in less than 5 seconds!!
I know my HK .45 compact is a better choice but the PPK is nice and small.
Like the 1911, the PPK is still popular because of the great design,and it has with stood the test of time!!!
Some of the best shooters I know shoot so-called out dated guns!!!
------------------
ACCOUNT FOR EVERY SHOT
AND MAKE EVERY SHOT COUNT
There are times when I cannot carry one of my .40s -- they do not conceal as well as a PPK or Sig 230/232. My experience with the .380s: have had 2 P230s and now a P232 -- utterly dependable and sufficiently accurate. Also have had one Interarms SS PPK that I returned once to Interarms, and then sold. Had a German PPKS that was flawless, but traded it in on a Walther P5C.
Nonetheless I really like the PPK design, accuracy, and smaller size compared to my 232; so last year I had the same choice -- .380 or 32; and I went with a 1968 German made PPK. It is extremely accurate and works 100% with ball ammo and JHP made by MAGTECH, 71 gr, from Brazil -- bought it thru Midway. Winchester S'tips do not work well with my 32 nor did the Federal JHPs.
Anyway, using the 32 on revolving steel targets I note they just do not seem to be full of energy; and I am once again in the market for another PPK in .380. Rather than spend the big bucks for another German made PPK (last year they were legally imported was 1968), I'm going to find one with WALTHER USA on the slide instead of INTERARMS. The same plant makes them in Alabama, but I'm hoping the quality control now is better.
I never experienced the bite, but would like to dress up the future PPK with wood grips and whatever is necessary to prevent the possible bite.
Nonetheless I really like the PPK design, accuracy, and smaller size compared to my 232; so last year I had the same choice -- .380 or 32; and I went with a 1968 German made PPK. It is extremely accurate and works 100% with ball ammo and JHP made by MAGTECH, 71 gr, from Brazil -- bought it thru Midway. Winchester S'tips do not work well with my 32 nor did the Federal JHPs.
Anyway, using the 32 on revolving steel targets I note they just do not seem to be full of energy; and I am once again in the market for another PPK in .380. Rather than spend the big bucks for another German made PPK (last year they were legally imported was 1968), I'm going to find one with WALTHER USA on the slide instead of INTERARMS. The same plant makes them in Alabama, but I'm hoping the quality control now is better.
I never experienced the bite, but would like to dress up the future PPK with wood grips and whatever is necessary to prevent the possible bite.
I can't imagine wanting a .32 the size of the PPK, when there are much better choices for deep concealment. I'd look at the Keltec P32 and the NAA Guardian to name two. For the .380, my favorite little gun is still the Colt Mustang Pocketlite, it's lighter and smaller than the PPK, but fires from a locked breech and has very mild recoil for the size. I liked my Pocketlite so much that I picked up a steel framed Mustang for practice to extend the life of my carry gun.