[Defjon]

Hello,
First post, long time listener. ..first time caller 🙂. I've been a huge ppk fan since watching the bond films as a young boy. Long story short I've owned various incarnations of the pp and ppk from interarms and Smith.

Last October I finally found a stainless interarms .32. From what I understand these are somewhat rare.

I am posting today to get an idea of about how many stainless interarm 32s are actually in the wild.

It cost me a pretty penny. I ended up trading 3 other firearms to fund the purchase. I believe it was worth it. It was new in the box with all papers and unfired. I picked up another magazine and have run a few hundred rounds through it.

At the range, it is a sweetheart. This is the caliber this platform was made for. There is a night and day difference in recoil. Shooting the ppk in 32 is an absolute joy. Recoil is similar to a 22 in my estimate. It places rounds where you want them. I wish that 32 was more affordable, but I have found a store that sells armscor 32 for about 16 a box, which is commiserate to 380.

I have never had a single malfunction or issue, unlike my former interarms ppk blued in 380, and one of my smith 380 ppks. To me, recoil was always unpleasant in that set up and I would only fire a box or so before moving on.

I would gladly post pictures later if there is interest.

I would also be curious to know an estimate of my 32s value if possible. As mentioned, I bought it new and it was listed as unfired. It was pristine save a tiny squiggle scratch on the slide, which I could remove. I've now fired 2-3 boxes of 32 acp brass cased ammunition through it. I am ocd in cleaning and maintaining my firearms after each use.

I don't suppose it would be worth selling, as I am unlikely to profit. I paid about 850 all said and told, and purchased an additional magazine. That said, I don't get to the range nearly as much as I was anticipating (once or twice a year if I'm lucky). Work, family, etc just doesn't leave me the time. If, after providing pictures of course, there might be an interested collector I may consider parting with it.

I do very much enjoy owning and shooting it, and I look forward to participating in all things Walther!

Thanks for your time!

Jon (defjon on several firearm forums
I've been shooting and collecting since 2004, positive feedback etc.)

 

[Defjon]

I should clarify, it was new in the box with 2 magazines and I purchased a third. The original manual, paperwork, and previous buyers receipt were also included. It is neat, to know I am only the second owner. I stick to fmj as I believe jhp would be a reach for this caliber if employed defensively.

While I have my ccl, I do not carry this piece. It's just too nice to tear up, though it is very easy to be accurate and I have been tempted!

 

[Vandal320]

Post some pictures!

https://www.waltherforums.com/forum/feedback-comments-issues/33499-how-easily-post-your-pictures-forum.html

 

[WiseguyDS]

Agreed. Sounds like a pretty one. I don’t know if .32 in SS is considered rare. Maybe in PPK and not PPKS? I’ve heard that but only from reading it from LGS types selling their merchandise. I have a .32 SS in PPKS and would be interested in what some of the more experienced on the site care to say.

 

[Sergeant127]

It took me a long time to find a PPK .32 stainless. They are much harder to find than the .380 version. I bought mine 4-5 years ago, NIB also. I think I gave $500+ for it then and, I thought I stole it.

You paid a decent price for it. But, if you wanted it, you were smart to get it. They are not often seen.

And, you are correct on all counts. Phenomenal accuracy. All the PP series are at their peak in .32 apc.

I got it as my “I’m too old to shoot anything with more recoil” old man gun. Still a few years down the road, hopefully.

 

[CJS57]

I would say anything under $1000 is a good deal.

 

[halfmoonclip]

We on this forum have helped make the .32 iteration expensive. You posters aren't the first to figure out that the .32 is the way to go.

I'd be happy to hear some estimates on current value.
Moon

 

[WiseguyDS]

So, here's a few old photos of my .32 SS. They were taken by the previous owner prior to my acquisition. The gun's at the GS getting a trigger job to smooth it out some because I'm kind of picky and have a habit of spending more money than I should. Anyway, this gun is a later model with the SW roll stamp but the left side under the Walther banner does not say Made in USA as I've seen done before.



So, Questions:

These were made in Houlton, right?

Behind the trigger, the model is PPK/S-1. What does the "-1" mean?

Would you consider all SS .32s rare? Or just the Interarms in SS? Or SS PPK variants assuming there is even such a thing?

Thanks in advance for any history on these.

 

[UniversalExports]

It's a Houlton PPK/S. On the port side it says that it was made "Under license of" rather than made by Walther, it has the S&W extended beavertail, it's stainless (all stainless pistols were made in the U.S., by either Interarms/Ranger or S&W), and it has a post-recall S&W serial number.

 

[WiseguyDS]

It's a Houlton PPK/S. On the port side it says that it was made "Under license of" rather than made by Walther, it has the S&W extended beavertail, it's stainless (all stainless pistols were made in the U.S., by either Interarms/Ranger or S&W), and it has a post-recall S&W serial number.

Thanks UE. Do you consider these .32s fairly common?

 

[UniversalExports]

I don't know how common the S&Ws in .32 are, but I have a S&W PPK in that caliber.

 

[halfmoonclip]

Frankly, I'd forgotten that Smith & Walther even made any .32s. Bigger is better is the American way, no matter how much many of us like the smaller round.
My PPK/s Ranger was gathering dust in a local shop, brand new, some years back.

Moon

 

[MGMike]

At the time when Interarms was making PPK and PPK/s pistols (c. 1981-1998) the idea that .32 could be popular was widely regarded as an absurdity. In the 1980s when the ex-police PP .32s arrived on the U.S. market, a lot of people devoted a lot of thought to how to economically convert them to .380. There was a proliferation of such conversions, none of them totally satisfactory. PPs in .32 were marketable only at comparatively low prices; their caliber was deemed an impediment to sale.

M

 

[WiseguyDS]

The history is def interesting.

So, I’m not hearing a definitive yes or no, so theyre not particularly rare and it’s just a sales thing, and there was a time they weren’t even popular. Neither here nor there for me.. just trying to understand them better.

And, BTW, I’ve since dev callouses on my shooting hand so tolerating the .380 better but still enjoy the .32. At least I’m not bleeding all over the range any more!

As always, thanks M, Moon, & UE for the help.

 

[MGMike]

In postwar production in Germany, France and the USA, .32s are relatively scarce in Models PPK and PPK/s. Conversely, most PPs encountered today are in .32, because of the vast quantities produced for police use.

M

 

[GeoNole94]

Do you consider these .32s fairly common?

Just do a search on Gunbroker for USA-built PPK(/S) in .32 and it will be obvious that they are uncommon.

 

[halfmoonclip]

Back when they were more a workaday gun, it makes sense that American consumers would want the larger caliber; it was puzzling that Bond's pistol was a .32.
When it comes to actually shooting them, the .32 is the better choice.
My Ranger PPK came from Gunbroker for $450 LNIB in '10, and the mentioned PPK/s straight out of a local shop for $329 in '00. It had been in inventory for 2 years.
Moon
ETA- Mike, presumably for US sales, the .380 would be more common. Were the .32s more abundant overseas?
M

 

[153]

I recall when the stainless .32 PPK was being marketed. There wasn't much interest by those who wanted a pistol to carry. I purchased a stainless .380 thinking it was the ultimate carry pistol, only to be carved up by the rear of the slide when I shot it. To be fair I think a contributing factor was the flat magazine bottom ... wasn't a lot to hang on to.


Bond's PPK was a .32 because that is what Ian Fleming saw in a magazine. The .32 is a fun plinker - but expensive. I'd keep my eye out for a .22!

 

[Balogh]

In postwar production in Germany, France and the USA, .32s are relatively scarce in Models PPK and PPK/s.

If we look at the European production numbers only, then we must come to the conclusion that more PPK models have been produced in .32 than in .380. Especially after 1968 anyway, there was no need to manufacture the PPK in .380 because in Europe the PPK was typically bought in .32 only.

The European PPK/S models however had their target market in the US, and more or less in .380 exclusively. In Europe there were hardly buyers for this model so there even the models in .32 can't be found too often. In the case of the PPK/S I agree that the exemplars in .32 are very scarce.

 

[Jimbo80]

I believe the reason you see more .380s for sale is 90% recoil related. The .32s are such sweet shooters and the .380s are not. Who wants to sell an iconic handgun that is not only a joy to own but a joy to shoot?