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ppk design

2K views 15 replies 7 participants last post by  Heavy Handed 
#1 ·
Does anyone know when walther changed the design of the front of the slide from a straight verticle cut to the more common as we see on all postwar pistols. thanks, don
 
#2 ·
Sometime after May of 1945:) .



I am not sure of the exact date, but it was when Manhurin, France began production of the PPK after the war. The "nothchy" muzzle look went all the way until the Walther factory was overrun by Patton's 3rd army and production ceased.
 
#6 ·
Mike's right!!! The S&W looks unfinished ......

Always preferred the "French Nose" to the original "German Cut", but the pre-war PPK is a thing of beauty!!!
 
#10 ·
I understand why the Germans, with bombs falling all around and enemy armies closing in may have omitted the polish on the PPK's they were cranking out.

I don't know who has S&W surrounded???? ......angry S&W PPK owners???
 
#12 ·
The pre-war Walthers seem to me every bit the equal of the classic Colt's and S&W firearms. When I see, a revolver like the Registered .357 it is nearly impossible to believe that it was intended to put in a holster and be used. I feel the same looking over a Pre-War PPK.

Nothing on todays market can match those pre-war firearms. Even S&W has buggered up their own line with Infernal Locks. The PPK is treated like a bastard cousin - and the design deserves better.

Increase the price, finish machine the pistol the way it is supposed to be made and they'll sell twice as many as they do now. Why S&W cannot match the quality of the Interarms pistols is beyond my understanding. I can only conclude it is deliberate, an effort to keep the pistol at a certain price point.

Not the way a classic should be treated.
 
#13 ·
Increase the price, finish machine the pistol the way it is supposed to be made and they'll sell twice as many as they do now.
Wish that were true, but it's probably not. Don't forget that Walther went bankrupt and Interarms could not sell enough of the U.S. made guns to stay in business. Price DOES matter.

It's really all about price point, cash flow, production rate, sales turnover, capital amortization, and economies of scale. In setting up the factory, S&W made some fundamental decisions (working backward from marketing projections and economic assumptions) that are now difficult to change.

But that's no excuse for substandard manufacturing and an apparent absence of final inspection.

M
 
#15 ·
+1 on Mike's comments. The argument can be made, of course, that it doesn't cost any more money to do it right the first time than it does to give buyers an inferior product that fails, needs to be returned to the company's customer service department, then is sent along to a gunsmith for repair, and finally is returned again to the customer ... all at a steep price in both dollars and loss of good will. A better argument could be made that doing it right the first time actually is far more cost-effective.

Why S&W doesn't seem to grasp this basic concept is beyond me, at least (although my PPK/S from Smith is not only accurate and reliable but doesn't seem to have any sharp edges that need a dremel tool to cure). Far too many are not, however, and one would think that the better business decision would be to improve the process of making the guns from start to finish -- up to and including quality control and inspection.
 
#16 ·
It seems like S&W views the PPK/s as a "novelty" firearm. They produce it because they've gotten the tooling costs very low, and there seems to always be a certain amount of interest in the marketplace. If they were serious about producing the best possible product, new PPK/s would sell for nearly twice what they do (compare to Kahr "K" series). At that price, sales would drop off quickly, there are just way too many other good guns in that price range, particularly for CCW. To really make the most of the design, a firing-pin safety should be added, and the ramp polished and possibly re-designed to improve the out-of-the-box reliability.

Most people who buy a new PPK do so in spite of the facts, not because of them.
 
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