Of course we want to see pictures! It's not every day someone shows up with an optic on a PPK/S much less a PP Super.

 

Welcome, and pictures will be appreciated.

 

Thank you, Spin40!

 

Please please please, I just got my p88 full and P88 upgraded with optics, i would love to put optics one my PPK/s 380!! Also yes a discussion or guidance on how you did it would be appreciated…looking forward to it.

 

Ha! Thanks, Jimmo -- Been wanting to share this experience but didn't want to get laughed off the forum too early in my posts. OK - Here goes... Long story. I guess I first got bit by the optic sight bug with a Browning Buckmark. Pretty hard to get adjusted to "finding Waldo," as my buddies call it. Red Dot was riding pretty high above the bore in that configuration of a rail, then a mount plate, then an optic itself stacked up on top of the gun. Whew! Always having to drop the muzzle. Then a Langdon Beretta got me hooked. Sent my trusty (but not real accurate) M9 down to AZ and had it cut for his proprietary method of mounting on a curved-top slide so typical of the older hammer-fired pistol designs (like 1911, CZ, Walthers, etc.). Finding an extra PPK/S slide in good shape isn't any bigger investment than the Holosun 407K to mount on it. Both are about 1 inch wide. It's sacrificing the loaded chamber indicator and rear sight. That's no biggee for me, and the "mouse ears" on the back of the optic serve as backup sight with the front blade visible thru the RDO's window. A pal with a precision vertical milling capability helped me with the slide cut, which went no further back or deeper than the rear sight dovetail cut. Forward of that was a simple measurement to match the footprint of the RDO length. I ordered a mount plate from a popular mount company to help me as a template for the screw holes. Mind you, I'm dodging the safety decocker, extractor, and firing pin blocks, etc. with these holes, which just happen to line up perfectly! Don't be too cruel to me fellers:

 

I never dreamed that an optic would fit on a ppk, not even the newer compact optics. Clearly, I was wrong.

 

First topside view is of the PP Super and bottom is the PPK/S. I'll post some more details for Ameridap. Hope you guys don't think it's like putting wings on a jackass. Both of these guns have been to Cylinder & Slide for major tuning and barrel crowning. Only took 2 years to get that done and probably didn't need it at all -- Gunsmith had never worked on a Super before ). Both triggers are under 3lbs SA and 5lbs DA. I see a couple of complete PPK/S slides at eBay for $169 - 182 range w/o auction hassles, so the investment ain't too bad. The 407K is just the right size. I use the 507C series on bigger guns. For the PP Super, I actually made the cut with a milling bit from AMZN and an X-Y vise clamped on to my small drill press. A bigger investment -- and extreme scarcity -- in the extra PP Super slide ratcheted up the pucker factor alright. I spent several hours cutting literally 1/64th" at a pass. And every time I ran against the right bit direction or whatever (have I convinced you I'm a neophyte yet?) the chatter would be like a stab wound to my chest!! So, for the smaller PPK/S slide I found my pal with the milling machine and nervously looked over his shoulder -- perfect cut. It's the doggone holes getting and tapped that drove me nuts across several different pistol slides. Just didn't have the perfect setup for the job, as easy as it might sound. Use the sight itself to locate? Use a mount plate? Use a "bushing" around the tiniest drill bit to center within the sight's holes? Man, I tried everything. You'll see in the coming pics of the cut slide I was still off a millimeter, and that makes tapping the threads dicey. I settled upon M4 oval hex head screws, which also had to be cut to exact length of turns. Both were a J-O-B but well worth it. I think the PP Super is the ideal medium-sized gun in a striker-fired world of hi-tech wonderful firearms like we now see plentiful. And the PPK/S is a bit bigger than a real "mouse gun" and is a lot less snappy feeling these days. No modifications were required to recoil springs or fire control mechanisms BTW. I left the PPK/S slide in factory blue, protected by masking tape throughout. On the Super slide I used Norrell's Moly Resin as a superb flat black baked-on coating that's less than .001 thick (can't say enough about that incredible stuff out of a $20 airbrush kit!).

 

Well done that looks fantastic!!

 

Wow!

I certainly wasn't expecting those pictures when I clicked on this. Thread delivers! Very nice work. Extra bonus points for using a spare slide for this project.

Always cool to see someone make a firearm truly their own.

 

What a horrid abomination against god, nature and Walther. I love it!

 

So sorry for the long postings and HUGE pics, guys. To be short from here on out.
Ameridap wanted an in-process shot/description of work, so here's pic or two. Looks like this was just pre-assembly, as I cold-blued the bare metal of the cut. You can see how precarious the piloting of the holes have to be on the flat (like 1mm from the edge!!). But once into the steel slide, you have some surface area around the mounting threads. This ain't for the faint-hearted, I'll tell ya. I was holding my breath and a bit of cursing. But all turned out OK. Screws crank a good 3-4 turns and red Loctited. And still have original unaltered slide of course.

 

Crimson Trace used to make a PPK PPK/S grip in red laser. They discontinued, but you can still find them on eBay for an astonishing amount of $500 or more.

 

Fantastic looking results WH! The geometry and sizing look perfect and really well matched. Love the body lines of both finished guns. Nothing square or blocky, all smooth and flowing. Congrats on a superb combination.

 

Thank you - Very kind

 

That looks great. Thanks for sharing.

 

Can anyone suggest this to Walther? It would make a great "line extension product" to put in the catalog & earn 'em a few extra Euros. Bucks, DMs whatever. Should be duck soup for Walther to machine, drill/tap some of their slide inventory & offer a bare-bones slide or a drop-in complete slide kit. Priced right it should outsell IHOP"s hot cakes. Better yet set-up & license someone in the US to do it.
To the OP, good thinking & great job. Hope it hols together for many 1000s rounds.

 

Agree, oldshot - the 1" width of the slide makes for a compatible fit. It's funny, after I did my Model 85 Beretta Cheetah (which was significantly more complicated), they came out with a relaunch of their little .380 with a RDO mount slide cut -- the Model 80X. My little project was not publicized, so they certainly didn't copy lil ol' me, but there clearly is a customer demand out there for compact carry guns to wear red dots. For folks wanting a longer platform, I notice fully assembled PP slides are also readily available on a couple of auction sites, and barrels aren't that difficult to swap. The PPK/S and Cheetah are my legal CCW carry guns.

 

Love you guys work on putting optics on our older walthers, will for sure be one of my next projects, just got RMRcc’s on my P88 full-size and P88 compact……….with you all the way.

 

😄 Oh, SimonRL -- Thanks -- Honestly,


I would not do this again for love or money -- either gun. Though it was highly worth it. Shot groups (and scores) are at 10 yards like I do with full-sized guns at 15. These jobs stressed me out -- only because the margin of error on the 2 mounting holes -- so close to the edge on the PPK/S and zero chance of finding another Super slide. . It all worked, and I'm sure a professional would not have the trouble that this "garage gunsmith" did. I broke a 6x32 tap in the PP Super and ordered a tap removal bit from Penn Tool that was like $40, and of course, waited nervously for it to arrive. Then chipped out the old tap, which I had tried to squeeze just one more 1/8th of a turn from -- Sheez!! Then went to M4 threading -- better anyway. Little PPK/S came later and threaded fine, once the holes were piloted with 1/16th bits. But it's like jeweler work, I swear!
I'll have to go post on a separate PP Super thread about the extended magazine release button and extended slide stop. Both were necessary I felt, and just a bit of scrap steel and brazing. Love these old hammer-fired guns for their incredible reliability and superb styling.

 

I thought this was going to look like an abomination, but I’m happy to say it looks awesome. I’ve been eyeballing a PPK/s for sometime but those tiny iron sights would not be friendly to my eyes. So the million dollars question is - are you taking orders?

 

I see that you are!! 🙂 Nice job on your Big Gun!

 

Totally understand your stress levels and I would not want to take on someone else’s gun either. Congratulations on your phenomenal achievement. I’m sure I speak for many when I say we are all green with envy.

 

Too kind, sir

 

Not really a Walther but.........

 

Hello im about to do a similar job. I’m not sure if you have the answer, do you happen to know if a PPK slide is interchangeable with a PPK/s slide , both of 22lr. Can’t find any PPK/s slides in 22lr for sale, but can find PPK slides. Just want to try my hand at something similar you’ve done without ruining an original slide.

 

Funny! I stuck one on a Smith Wesson EZ 2.0 .380 and was hitting a steel torso target 5 out of 8 times at 100 yrds. With the red dot it shoots stupid little groups! I have two. The Olive drab slide on has the Vortex on it. Tried posting a video of the first try of me dinging it. I hit it 2 of 8 times. Second try was 5 for 8. I had the range to myself and I ran down to 100 yrds and set up the plate. I was a beathing hard, 45lb plate plus stand. Calmed down second try. In Vid, listen for the plate. Couldn't get me and plate in same frame. NOT cutting up my Walther PP Super!

 

did you do it or did you have a gunsmith do it

 

Golly, I’m so sorry that I’ve been off the four so long. I did this with a vertical mill bit in my little drill press with an XY device. I was only able to remove about 1/64 of an inch at a time – it was maddening!. I wouldn’t do it again for serious money. But I wouldn’t discourage anybody trying this with a set of good files and a lot of patience. I didn’t trust my ability to do it by hand, but having done this three times now on three different small pistols, I think I could’ve done it that way.

 

So…has it held up?

 

Hey could you do this to mine?

 

Most definitely not, nolstache — as I am not fully equipped (need the help of machinist friends).
‘BUT, if I get the post up very soon on my latest “trick” it may give you some pointers.

 

Guys -- Have a look at: https://www.waltherforums.com/threa....com/threads/spare-pp-slide-optic-mounting.135306/?post_id=1355506#post-1355506

 

It looks good WaltherHack. You did a great job. It looks better than I thought it would and I'm sure it is a blast to shoot.

 

Thank you, Jimmo -- It certainly makes shooting more fun!

 

Can you do this with a .22lr, is it possible? That’s so neat having a red dot on these small firearms.