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How do I know if my PPK/S is Umarex or not?

12K views 21 replies 11 participants last post by  Looter 
#1 ·
Got this pistol for plinking about a year ago and after a hundred rounds break-in it worked without a hitch. Until a month or so ago the decocker broke. Sent it to Walther in Ft Smith where it sat for awhile waiting on a new slide on backorder (I imagine it was less expensive to just replace the slide than to rebuild with a new decocker).

Anyway, it's back now and works just fine. But I've read horror stories about Umarex-manufactured pistols and wonder if mine is one of them. The rollmark says "ULM/DO," but nothing about Umarex (see pic). So, what say you?

No big deal either way I suppose, but was disappointed the decocker went south after a few thousand rounds of MiniMags.



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I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous.
 
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#3 ·
Thanks for the info. So, is the Umarex-manufactured gun a bad thing, as in 'expect more problems?' Or should I sell it and get a P22? I've been seeing some tempting prices on Buckmarks.


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I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous.
 
#4 ·
As far as I care (others won't go that far), Umarex guns are prop guns, not made to be fired but to be admired ;) Good luck selling a mix'n'match Umarex PPK.

Also, have a look at the Beretta U22 Neos and the S and W Victory. And of course the Ruger Standard.
 
#5 ·
I too have a “Mixed” 2013 framed PPK/S which now has two different numbers, but I don’t care. Of all the pistols in my signature, it is the most fun to shoot, feels great in the hand, and as long as Walther fixes it if it needs fixing, I’ll keep shooting it. It is not a classic, is not something to hide away for future sales potential. I got it to shoot a hundred or so .22’s each and every time I go to the range with my adult son. It fills that “need” quite nicely.

My P22 is a nice little shooter also but lacks the heft and feel of the PPK/S.
 
#7 ·
Don't worry about it.

As KDKSAIL the overwhelming majority of those who tell horror stories about the Walther PPK/S .22 have never owned one.

Also, the decocker breaking off is sadly an issue which has manifested in every brand, make, and model of PP Series pistols, regardless of their pedigree, so don't go thinking that it's exclusive to the Walther PPK/S .22.

Lastly, while your PPK/S is indeed made in the Umarex Factory, it is still very much a Walther. Umarex is the parent company of Walther and so it has been since 1993. According to representatives of Walther Germany I cooresponded with via e-mail, while the Walther PPK/S .22 is built/assembled in the Umarex Factory, the specific location within the factory is a subsection in which Walther employees are stationed.
However, snobbery supersedes logic, ergo those with excessive pride in the older models they own make little attempt at educating themselves on such matters and simply cling to any ignorant excuse they can to denigrate newer models.

Bottom line, the Walther PPK/S .22 is a fun plinking handgun with obvious aesthetic appeal and so long as that's all you desire from it, then it will meet your needs. If you seek prestige, a collector's piece, a safe queen, or the acceptance of insipid, mouth-breathing snobs, then by all means sell the Walther PPK/S .22 immediately and seek a suitable replacement of finer lineage.
 
#15 ·
As KDKSAIL the overwhelming majority of those who tell horror stories about the Walther PPK/S .22 have never owned one.
If you had ever owned, shot, or even handled a ZM or Ulm PPK (as you admittedly have not) you would realize that there is good reason for the mouth breathing snobs to recommend saving up for the real deal as opposed to touting a look alike copy.
 
#9 · (Edited)
You guys sure can carry on..."insipid, mouth breathing snobs" and all. :p Skippy, you have one of the recent Umarex produced replica PPKs shall we say. Had it been a real, steel PPK, fully machined as in days of old....the price would be far pricer. Your pistol is cast zinc, the grip is almost fully filled to give the pistol an authentic heft similar to the originals. The breech block is pinned in similar to the P22, the barrel is fitted through the frame boss and held on with a sleeve and barrel nut, same as the P22 (this can be a good thing if you are interested in adding a suppressor, the barrel is already threaded for a suppressor adapter). Umarex/Walther did make a noteworthy effort to make the pistol look like the real deal and certain internal parts are similar as well...but the finish and cast marks don't look anything like real roll marks. There are other changes but that should sum it up. And DA is a killer regarding a heavy trigger pull....just cock it and enjoy.

I've shot one a bit and had no more problems with it than you will have with almost any short barrel .22. Nor have I read of any complaints about it like you will read and truly so for a large part, on the P22. Yes the P22 frame halve screws would vibrate loose as would the barrel nut. Slides have cracked, tiny springs have weakened which are essential to proper function of the trigger bar, sharp trigger bar ears dig into the underside of the slide. The rear sight is fragile, early magazines did not feed properly and the slide is fairly heavy which means only the more powerful brands of .22 ammo with reliably cycle the slide. Then there was the really long recoil spring that seemed to give plenty of folks problems. Much of that is sorted by now, captive spring, properly functioning mags, stronger slide and like the new PP you have, both come with a lifetime warranty. My latest P22 cost $225 shipped to my FFL. What's to not like about that. So stories about P22 problems have a good basis in fact although resolving many of them took very little effort but the pistol still benefits from snappy ammo. I expect the latest PP Umarex version will require the same but I'm not sure what the slide weighs.

I'd suggest shooting it and shooting it a lot if you enjoy it. Like the zinc P22 I expect slide to frame longevity will benefit from regular cleaning and the use of very, very light oil. I use dry moly powder myself and no oil on the similar P22 and measurements to critical components are still factory fresh after 40K or 50K rounds. Thread on that soon. I also have a beautiful all steel PPK/s or is it a PPK...I forget. My favorite would be the steel pistol in the PP model with the slightly longer barrel. I find it to be a slightly more handsome pistol....but, that is just me.

I think it is going to be really interesting to see how the new, Walther made steel PPK is going to sell. It is a .380 so there won't be a cast zinc slide or frame but there is a lot of competition out there these days...so we will see. If you like the pistol and think you might like a P22, get one. Catch it on sale, they aren't that expensive. If the rumored .380 sells...who knows, perhaps a steel .22 version might yet show up built similarly to the originals. Hand fitting excepted.

I might add....it is very unlikely these will be heirloom or collector firearms so mixed parts should be of very little concern. I currently have a 2007 frame P22, and someone was nice enough to furnish a 5" barrel, stabilizer, Q slide and Q grip. But internally it is a 2007 model....it's worth is what someone would pay me for it. But, I will shoot it forever....which isn't going to be all that many more years for me. Then someone else can play with it. Some of you guys sure know how to carry on... practice getting to the point like me. :) Life is short. 1917
 
#10 ·
The supposed ZAMAK construction of the PPK/S .22 is debatable at best.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I contacted Walther Germany twice on the matter after it was brought to light that Walther Arms USA's website had inaccurately listed the PK380 & PPQ .22's slide as "Zinc Diecast" when in reality the PK380's slide is steel and the PPQ .22's slide is Aluminum alloy, as listed on Walther Germany's website. According to two separate Walther Germany Representatives, the PPK/S .22 is constructed from "a proprietary alloy, much stronger than ZAMAK" but they couldn't share details regarding it's composition, and while I can't be 100% sure since neither Rep was fluent in English, (seemed like they were using Google Translate, TBH) it would appear to me as though they were hinting it wasn't a zinc-based alloy at all.

Now granted that the argument could be made that the response I received was a "typical PR response" and that the PPK/S is simply made of a derivative of ZAMAK which they merely claim is superior, but seeing as both the Walther PPQ .22 and Walther/Colt 1911 .22 (both of which were made around the same time as the PPK/S .22) have Aluminum alloy slides, it is also quite possible that the PPK/S .22's slide is in fact made using the same Aluminum alloy.
 
#22 ·
The supposed ZAMAK construction of the PPK/S .22 is debatable at best.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I contacted Walther Germany twice on the matter after it was brought to light that Walther Arms USA's website had inaccurately listed the PK380 & PPQ .22's slide as "Zinc Diecast" when in reality the PK380's slide is steel and the PPQ .22's slide is Aluminum alloy, as listed on Walther Germany's website. According to two separate Walther Germany Representatives, the PPK/S .22 is constructed from "a proprietary alloy, much stronger than ZAMAK" but they couldn't share details regarding it's composition, and while I can't be 100% sure since neither Rep was fluent in English, (seemed like they were using Google Translate, TBH) it would appear to me as though they were hinting it wasn't a zinc-based alloy at all.
Just an FYI: I received a PDF parts list from Walther and the frame material for the Umarex-made PPK/S is listed as "ZAMAK 430". Wikipedia tells me that this is a German designation for the zinc alloy commonly known as "ZAMAK 2".
 
#11 ·
#13 ·
Umarex acquired Walther Arms back in 1993 & it's US headquarters are in FT. Smith Arkansas. The Umarex Walther PPK/S is made in Germany by Umarex in Ulm/Uldo Germany and the parts are imported to the US and assembled. IMO, Umarex firearms are of decent quality for the money. Umarex also makes the ARX160 22lr rifle for Beretta, the H&K416 22lr and also a copy of the Colt M16 M4 in 22lr. They are all of really good quality.
 
#14 ·
Umarex acquired Walther Arms back in 1993 & it's US headquarters are in FT. Smith Arkansas. The Umarex Walther PPK/S is made in Germany by Umarex in Ulm/Uldo Germany and the parts are imported to the US and assembled.
Yes, more or less. The PPK/S is manufactured and assembled by Carl Walther in Arnsberg/Germany. Umarex and Carl Walther are part of the PW Group.
 
#16 ·
Funny thing that.....I have indeed handled and shot an older Walter PP chambered for .22LR. No question about it...it's a very nice little .22 pistol. But at current re-sale prices....it damn well outta' be....and then some. When I was searching around several years ago (before the Walther/Umaex version was re-issued) for .22LR pistol for basic practice sessions and plinking, I remembered how much I enjoyed shooting a friend's .22 PP and started searching for one. Even back then, the resale prices were much too high.

The 'new' Walther/Umarex PPK/S .22 gives the same '..bang..' for a whole lot less 'bucks'...a pistol you're likely to take to the range and put a couple/few hundred rounds through per range session and have a lotta' fun doin' it....rather than taking out of the safe every once in a long while to wipe-down with a soft cloth, fondle and then put back into the safe (until the executor of their estate sells it on Gun Broker)...heaven forbid that it should ever actually be fired !!
 
#17 ·
rather than taking out of the safe every once in a long while to wipe-down with a soft cloth, fondle and then put back into the safe (until the executor of their estate sells it on Gun Broker)...heaven forbid that it should ever actually be fired !!
That's certainly not the case with my Ulm PP series pistols. They are shot often and not only by me but typically by anyone who expresses interest while I'm at the range. If you had come down to one of the FL Greet and Shoots you would have seen that dozens of us "mouth breathing snobs" are more than happy to share the joy of shooting our rare and sometimes quite valuable Walthers with complete strangers.
 
#18 ·
>>>..."mouth breathing snobs"...<<<

Odd that. That's a new descriptive to me. I don't recall anyone on this forum referring to owners of older (pre-Umarax) Walther PP, PPK or PPK/S .22 models as, "..mouth breathing snobs." (??) One might think that at least some of these owners might find such a descriptive at least mildly insulting ??
 
#20 ·
I just ended up buying a new one in box with six mags, for $411.00 to the door in the Nickle finish or stainless or whatever they call it now.
And that is the cheapest i have ever spent on a Walther minus the 32 cal i bought when in the Marines in 1969 from a Indiana Farmer who sold it to me for $100.00. Who was a army WW2 Vet. Who liberated it from some German office building in Berlin.Don't ask, I sold it to a buddy in the mid 70's I just found the number on the papers,and the Serial.

In Youth we all make stupid moves.So if this was another Stupid move. Well it was only $411 bucks.After over 5,000 plus guns.. lets by now just call it Couch Change.ha ha Everybody here have a nice 2020 coming up.RON K.
 

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