[michaelpri]

I have been going back and forth about buying a stainless Interarms ppks or a stainless Interarms ppk. I just bought a blued ppk, but WANT another.

well I haven't made a decision or purchase yet. I shot my PPK today and it functioned well, 62 shots, no malfunctions with Winchester white box. although I believe that I may be a bit tentative about the potential "bite" and I believe that it cost me accuracy.

I am thinking that the PPKs grip, while I have small hands, may fit me better and potentially make me more comfortable, and more accurate. Although this is not a target gun, I put 85-90% of my shots on a 81/2 x 11 sheet of paper at 21 ft.

I have not shot a ppks. Is the gun any more comfortable to shoot? Potentially more accurate because of a "better" grip? I just hate the feeling of making the wrong purchase. I guess I like the way the PPK looks a little better, but it isn't all about looks is it?

I do need to decide or one or both will be gone.

thanks

 

[searcher451]

I've got a stainless PPK/S, and it's a joy to shoot. The tang or beavertail that S&W added to the gun truly works, even if it doesn't "look" like a conventional Walther model, as so many purists contend. If your concern is in finding a gun that will shoot well and won't give you problems on the range, have at it. The .380 round also is no issue as far as recoil is concerned, although some folks prefer the .32.

As a aside to this, a federal marshal friend who once worked as a state police officer still laughs about the scars that he carries on his shooting hand to this day, which he attributes to the bite of a PPK (officers in his department were required to carry them at one time as a back-up piece and, as a result, had to quality with them). "We had to shoot one-handed, with both hands," he said. "And if you weren't careful, which I wasn't a few times, they could really jump us and get you."

That's a far-less-likely scenario these days with the PPK/S from S&W. It may not please James Bond fans, but it does work well.

 

[153]

The PPK/S in .380 is marginally more pleasant to shoot mostly because it is very slightly heavier and a silly quarter inch longer than the PPK.

I have owned both and used to consider the .380 PPK too light because it chewed my hand. I think now the solution would have been thicker grips for a better hold. Heck if you're not being bitten now, then don't worry about that aspect.

Nowdays with Eagle, Hogue and Nill making some very nice PPK grips, I would opt for tradition and stick with the PPK, dress it up in some nice wooden pants and have it engraved like mm6mm6's and you'll have a real beauty!!!

Based on posts concerning the quality of the S&W effort, I might be inclined to buy both the PPK and PPK/S since it appears the Walther is still in demand, and these older quality pistols will only rise in value when comparisons with the S&W's is made.

 

[michaelpri]

Sorry, I should have stated before that these are all Interarms guns.

 

[153]

Original Walther's are the best, but the PPK is way to pricey in the original form.

The Interarms pistols are every bit as good as the originals, still available at decent prices too!!!

 

[Deputy]

It's a tough call to make. The PPK in any make has always been harder to locate than the PPK/S. Now that S&W is making the PPK, they seem to be more readily available. If I wanted a shooter PPK I would go with the S&W PPK. Which is exactly what I did. The bigger beavertail grip is comfortable and I could pop it all day long with no discomfort. If I wanted one that was more an "original" and wasn't going to shoot it much, I'd opt for the Interarms version. And for a total safe queen, the pre-war PPK. The PPK/S never really excited me much. It was a compromise to get around the stoopid import laws and not really any kind of revolutionary design change. If it weren't for that dumb law, I doubt Walther would have ever made a PPK/S. I am also not a fan of the .380. I think it's a bit much for something as small as the Walther pocket pistols. Most people that complain about the recoil are shooting the .380. It's marginally better than the .32 auto, but only if you use hot-loaded ammo. And that just makes the recoil problem even worse.

Dep

 

[michaelpri]

ok-- I guess I will need to make up my mind quickly -- either tghe ppk or ppks

 

[searcher451]

The advantage of the PPK/S is one more bullet. If you think you need one more bullet, then that's the one. If not, then it becomes an easy choice. Good luck.

 

[mm6mm6]

If I was to recommend a Walther PPK or PPK/S to someone who was going to use it to possibly defend their life, I whole heartedly (is that a word?) stand behind the Interarms PPK or PPK/S. Their prices aren't too bad either (on GunBroker they go for aroud $425-$475).

I would have a hard time recommending the S&W versions because I've "heard" of many instances where problems occurred severe enough to cause catastophic failure of the gun. But I have faith that S&W will one day make the gun as reliable as the Interarms guns.

If someone had the money, I would say that any Pre or Post WWII Walther PPK in .32 or .380 with modern ammunition would be both an excellent defensive gun and a superb collectible...sure to go up in value as time continues on.

A pre-War PPK .32 Zella-Mehlis in 95%+ condition used to sell for around $700 fifteen years ago. Now lousy ones go for that and the good ones sell for around $1000 or more. They're alotta moola, but they also won't lose value.

I sold a 85%+ PPK RZM on GunBroker for a bit over $3100. My dad had bought it for just $600 back around the mid-1980's. When he passed away and I had to sell his guns to raise money for my mom, I was really happy he made such a wise investment.

A PPK .380 from the mid-1960's in the alligator box is really commanding a premium.

One more point I'll make is that there should be no such thing as a "safe queen" unless a gun came unfired from the factory and is highly collectible. Walthers are all test fired. If you shoot them and clean them properly, they won't lose value. Carry them and let them get all eaten up by sweat and stuff...well...that would hurt. But I carry my engraved Interarms PPK .380 and its no worse for wear. I shoot the daylights out of my Zella-Mehlis .32, slide bite be damned! The PP .22 is very accurate but the muzzle flip is a bit much compared to a heavy bull barrel .22....

I do keep the 1966 PPK with the dark brown grips tucked away, be it's sure been shot a bunch!

 

[Deputy]

A PPK with Nazi party marks in mint condition should be a safe queen. Shooting it would be like burning up $100 bills. The more wear, the less it's worth. I could never afford one or justify the price of one.

I am confident in my S&W PPK, even though the grips didn't hold up very well.

 

[michaelpri]

I am not trying to confuse anyone-- just to decide inmy own mind. Again, I just bought an Interarms PPk blued in great condition. I really like it.
Then I ran across an Interarms PPK in Stainless for 325.00 no box, two mags, some wear, and a Interarms PPKS also stainless. for 400.00 slightly better condition, box, two mags, target, etc.

I am just trying to decide if the PPKS would be slightly more comfortable to shoot with the slightly larger grip or if I would be better off with a second PPK.

The prices are close enough to not make any difference and the lack of a box and target-- well I can live without it.

I cannot buy both.

Thanks

 

[mm6mm6]

I'd say buy the "S" and that way you can hold and shoot both since you already have a PPK. If it turns out you don't like the "S" to the point where you'd rather have another PPK, then you can sell it or maybe trade it toward the other PPK. Like you said, the prices are reasonable enough on both that you won't take a bath reselling the "S."

 

[SELFDEFENSE]

/S since you have a PPK