Walther PPK/S .22 experiences/opinions?

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slevin011

Inactive
Like the title states - anyone have experience with this gun that they would like to share? I have the itch for a new gun and the PPK/S has been piquing my interest. Currently, I have a S&W 1911, S&W 686 6", Glock 17, and Glock 19. The 19 gets carried and everything else is essentially a range toy.

I tossed around the idea of a VP9 or a USPc, but decided I probably wouldn't carry them as much as my 19 (if at all - I have shot the VP9 btw and liked it, just not enough to replace the G19). Then I started thinking about "competition" guns. My LGS has a USP Expert 9mm that I have been eying, as well as a G34. However, then I realized...oh, right, I have never been involved in a shooting competition and can only get about 5/8 rounds from a 1911 onto a 6" target at 20 yards. Why do I need such a high end gun?

Anyway...since I've decided I'm happy with the G19 as my carry gun and don't see a reason to spend a ton on a target gun, I thought it might be fun to get something completely impractical, yet cool and fun to plink with at the range, which has led me back to the PPK/S .22. How can you not love the "Bond gun?"

Now that you've read through my mindless blabbering, my only real question is: is there any reason I shouldn't pick one of these up? Failures, problems, terrible trigger pull, etc...

Thanks!
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I have never owned a PPK or PPK/S in .22, but do own a couple of PP's in that caliber, and they are fun guns. Feeding and firing have been problem free. Both are very accurate and have excellent trigger pulls. I can see why they were favorites in Germany for anything short of Olympic style competition and why the PP was selected as the platform for the superb Walther Olympic.

I have fired .22 LR high speed in them, but I concur with the usual recommendation that only standard velocity be used in those guns. I don't know if the modern (post-WWII) guns have any limitations in that respect or not.


Jim
 
IMNHO, the only problem with the PPKs in any caliber is this ; IT IS NOT a PP. The WHY of the PPK/PPKs evades my stout Kraut appreciation of things mechanical. The change does nothing, is not easier to carry, is more fragile due to the plactic stock design, and does not point as well in my hands for dang sure.
My current PP 22 was bought for 400 bux NIB a few years back, has a trigger to die for, shoots dead on the sights, and when my wife shot the Walther P22 to pieces with a few thousand 22LR cartridges. I handed her the PP22 and in no time flat it seemed she had put 10M rounds through it without a single malf; Two cases of 22LR ammunition !!! WHATTA 22 pistol !!
IF the new PPKs 22LR is all steel.....maybe....
And so it goes...
 
I believe the new PPK's in .22LR are some king of alloy. I handled one several months and the double action pull must have been 20 lbs. I thought there was something wrong and was afraid I might break it, but I have heard they are all that way.
 
VTRich said:
I believe the new PPK's in .22LR are some king of alloy.
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...which brings me to an important point. :)

Slevin011, be aware that the currently available PPK/S is a Umarex lookalike that looks and feels somewhat like an original Walther or Manurhin (more about this below...), but it is NOT the same pistol internally. This can be argued to be a good thing OR a bad thing.

The Good is that the Umarexes seem to function OK, they're inexpensive, they're reasonably accurate by most reports (although I have NOT shot one), they come with a factory warranty, and mags are readily available; spare original Walther .22 mags are quite uncommon and sought-after, and the new ones do NOT interchange.

The Bad is that the new pistols do NOT display the level of fine craftsmanship that the Walther or Manurhin guns did. Notably, the "blue" finish is crap; it looks like something the Soviet military would have used, rather than the deep lustrous blue offered on the old guns. :( (Actually, IIRC Walther stops short of actually advertising it as a "blue" finish, so at least they're being honest to some degree. :rolleyes: ) IMHO it's also safe to assume that they will NOT be as collectible as the originals, at least not for a verrrry long time.

Re: the Walther and Manurhin connection... the vast majority of postwar PP-series pistols consist of parts produced by Manurhin in France and then assembled, finished, and proofed in West Germany, and some pistols were built entirely by the former company in France and labeled as Walthers. It's my understanding (AFAIK, YMMV) that many .22's continued to be French-made after centerfire assembly was moved pretty much exclusively to Germany in the mid 1960's. After Walther and Manurhin had a falling-out in the early 1980's, Manurhin imported and sold PP-series guns badged with its own name for a few years; these may be considered functionally and cosmetically equivalent to "real" Walthers.
 
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I agree with Carguy, I have one of these pistols and on the dark side the finish is a flat black something and double action should be pulled with the aid of a 1942 MB jeep. On the light side they have the weight of my PP's and mine shoots most of the thirty year old ammo I have been shooting lately. The sights are good, decocker works easy and positive and single action is very acceptable. The pistol holds and points like a PP should and has that special look about it. I use mine as a plinker which it does very well, I certainly would not plan to use it for a defensive weapon.
 
"The WHY of the PPK/PPKs evades my stout Kraut appreciation of things mechanical."

The PP was originally for uniformed police officers. While 7.65 Browning (.32 ACP) might not be our idea of a police caliber, it was pretty much the standard in Germany and most of Europe. "PP", of course, stands for Polizei-Pistole, or Police Pistol. But plain clothes police or detectives wanted a lighter and more concealable pistol, so Walther developed the PPK, or Polizei-Pistole Kriminal (the German word means "detective", not "criminal"). (The situation is analogous to Colt's downsizing their Police Positive Special to make the Detective Special.)

The PPK/S came about when the U.S. adopted the Gun Control Act of 1968. Parts of that law were aimed at preventing the importation of small, cheap revolvers, but the law also banned the importation (with a few exceptions) of the PPK. So Walther took the frame of the PP, shortened it a bit, and put on the PPK slide, producing a gun that would pass the import criteria. Later, Interarms, the Walther importer, had both the PPK and PPK/S made in the U.S. Still later, S&W became the Walther agent in the U.S. and, even though that relationship has ended, AFAIK, the guns are still being made in the factory S&W and Walther set up.

The PPS and PPQ are totally different and more modern guns, sharing nothing except the PP designation with the older guns.

Jim
 
I have the Umarex PPK/S Replica. It is indeed Zamac constructed. It has steel inserts in all critical areas. I have over 2,000 rounds through mine now, and see no areas of wear. The pistol has been 100% reliable with a variety of ammo brands, and types. Mine has the nickle finish, and it looks nice, and has held up well. The DA trigger pull is un-useable, SA is light and crisp. The hammer has a nice aggressively checkered spur, so I simply cock it for the first shot. The barrel is threaded, actually a barrel liner is held into the frame by a barrel nut. Replacing the nut with an adapter(same adapter as the Walther P22) and you can suppress the pistol easily. Its an accurate, reliable little plinker. Im glad I have it, but its certainly not a target pistol. Its a fun plinker, small, and concealable. If you keep in mind that its constructed of a material that many people feel is inferior, and also that the DA trigger pull is un-useable, Its a decent pistol, that performs very well.

If you simply want a pistol that looks like James Bonds pistol, in 22, consider the Bersa Thunder 22. Its an aluminum frame, steel slide pistol that is just slightly larger than the PPK/S Replica, costs $100 less, is just as accurate and reliable, and has a very nice DA trigger pull. It however, isnt easily suppressed, and may not even be able to be suppressed. If you dont have any desire to suppress either of these pistols, then I would recommend the Bersa over the Umarex PPK/S Replica.

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I have one of the Bersa pistols as well as the Walther .22, my Bersa is reliable only after being throughly cleaned and oiled. Malfunctions begin and get worse as the pistol builds up powder residue, unlike the PPK-S which runs all the time. So two similar pistols and different shooting results and the obvious conclusion is for the op to make his own decision on whether the Walther is for him. For a real .22 shooter the S&W M&P .22 Compact out performs both of the aforementioned pistols and priced right.
 
Pk380, Your post is entirely out of order showing a REAL Walther .22 and shaming the rest of us imitation boys.....shame....shame.
 
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