Walter PK 380 owners . . .

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Prof Young

New member
Walter PK 380 owners:

I just got one. Will give full range report after couple hundred more rounds down range. But I have a query. The slide on this gun is more loose than any other semi auto I've owned (Sig, Browning, Beretta, Hi-point) and I am wondering if I have a lemon or if a loose slide is normal for these guns. By lose I mean it rattles if you shake the gun. You can rock it side to side by probably about 1/32 of an inch. I was going to call them (the walter people) today and ask about it but didn't get it on my todo list. So, I'm asking here too . . . is this lose slide thing normal for these guns?

Live well, be safe
Prof Young
 
Is it a S&W Mfg, for Walther stainless PPK/s .380?
I have a S&W Mfg. for Walther PPK/s .380 and it seems pretty tight with very slight movement side to side of the slide to frame.
I might warn you to not try to eject a live round from chamber,with a fully loaded Mag. in the handgun. As it will cause a locked slide needing three hands to press the Mag. drop button, and pull slide back to unjam it.:eek:
 
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Before you get all upset with loose pistols, try this:

Unload the gun. Dry fire it, BUT, as you drop the hammer, do not release the trigger. Hold it completely to the rear.

Now take your other hand and try wiggling the slide. Also take your finger and try to wiggle the muzzle.

I bet you will find it doesn't wiggle so much when locked into battery.

Semi-pistols are made this way for reliability purposes. My PPK is the same way, but you'll notice it "seems" a lot worse in USGI 1911a1s.

Everyone complains about the rattily government 1911s but I don't believe its the gun per se as much as the itty bitty sights on the 1911s that make them hard to shoot.

Same with the PPKs, their sights suck, but they aren't target pistols, You get huge target sights and it defeats the purpose of being concealable.

I have all the tooling to tighten up the slides, links and bushings on 1911s. Yeah I can make them shoot better, but they arnt as reliable. Which is fine in Bulls Eye Matches because you get alibies.

No alibies in a gun fight.

My USGI 1911a1 and my PPK wont shoot as well as my Colt Series 70 Cold Cup Bullseye Pistol. But I can keep all the rounds in the A section of USPSA targets at 15 yards.

I want rattling in a defense pistol, Like the 1911 I carried in SE Asia, I want a gun a can shake the big chunks of mud off and shoot it without worrying about malfunction.
 
No matter if there is a larger clearance in slide to frame, S&W is not Mfg.ing them for Walther anymore, and is not repairing them today.
Walther is just getting back into the Mfg. of the PPK not sure if the .380 is being made yet.
So getting any real help from Walther Arkansas, might be a tough act.:rolleyes:
 
Yes and thanks . . .

Yes it is a PK 380 not ppk/s 380.

Kraigwy -I'll give it a try.

Will give fuller report when I get couple hundred more rounds through it.

Live well, be safe
Prof Young
 
Just so folks know... for the PPK, PP and PPK/S the slide to frame fit is not a factor in accuracy here as the guns have fixed barrels.

But the op is asking about the PK 380.

tipoc
 
Walther, Umarex, S&W

I bought a Walther PK380 several years ago. At that time it was labelled Walther, and manufactured by Umarex (airgun company and parent of Walther).
In US the Walther PK380 was distributed and marketed by Smith and Wesson.
I returned the PK380 to LGS after a week of gun malfunction and remorse. Bought a Bersa Thunder 380 and was totally satisfied with purchase.
 
My first gun several years ago was a PK380 - it felt good in the hand, the price was right and it was a Walther (well sort of). From what I know now I just didn't know any better and should have bought that Sig P232 (dumb, dumb %^$#*). 20 guns later (including a nickel PK380 so I must have liked it back then) I have to say the gun DOES rattle (both of them) more than any other gun I have - budget guns up to my 1911s and 92FS. But although it feels cheap it has been a good shooter with no real failures that I can remember (mostly WWB) And it still fits my hand better than any other gun I have tried. The only really downside issues are the overly complicated disassembly/assembly, the size is a little big for an 8+1 380acp pistol (but that's okay considering how well it shoots compared to the little pocket 380s) and it has the stiffest DA trigger of any of my guns. I'm not sure i'd buy one now (except it still says Walther and is reasonable inexpensive) but I still like to take it out occasionaly and shoot it. So if yours rattles, no, you didn't get a lemon its just the way the PK380 is.
 
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How I learned to love the rattle.

Or at least how I learned to not get too worried about it.

The most slide-rattling pistol I've run across (of the new-in-box variety, no old GI .45s in this story) is the SIG P2022. Every one I've held, including the one I owned, has such a loose slide it can be used by a latin band for some sort of rhythm instrument. Not that I think that is a good idea . . .

But I found that gun plenty accurate. The nice trigger, and good sights on the slide, which locks up tight with the barrel, seem to be all that matters for accuracy.

So if the PK380 locks up tight the looseness of the slide on the rails should not matter much. If anything it may add to reliability in horribly dirty conditions. Which may be one reason the French military and semi-military national police have adopted the 2022.

Bart Noir
 
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