The new Walther PPK: some guns improve with age

Guns Magazine, July, 2005 by Charles E. Petty

American shooters can find the Walther "PP" family of pistols confusing because there are several different models with very similar names. In 1929 Carl Walther introduced the Model PP (Polizei Pistole). It was the first commercially successful double-action automatic pistol and it quickly became a hit with both law enforcement and military organizations throughout Europe. It was followed in 1931 by the PPK (Polizei Pistole Kriminal) which was mechanically the same but had a 5/8" shorter barrel (3 1/4" vs. 3 7/8") and its slightly shorter frame reduced magazine capacity by one round. In Europe the .32 ACP (7.65mm) was widely used by both military and police but a version in .380 ACP (9mm Kurz) was also made and later still a .22 rimfire. The Walthers came along as Germany was gearing up for war and modern collectors can find an overwhelming variety of different Nazi markings that turn a relatively simple collection into dozens of guns.

The PP

The PP family was not well known in this country until GIs returning from the war began to bring them back in large numbers. The idea of a small double-action pistol is automatically appealing and an American market soon developed. However, under the terms of the surrender, Germany was prohibited from the manufacture of firearms, so Walther licensed the French firm of Manurhin to manufacture the pistols in France. Interarms of Alexandria, Virginia became the importer. That rocked along pretty well until the Gun Control Act of 1968 came along. The provisions of GCA68 established a point system to determine if a handgun could be imported and the PPK was too small. Some enterprising soul discovered putting a PPK slide on a PP frame was big enough to import, and that's how we got the PPK/S (for Special).

Interarms

Then Interarms contracted to have the pistols made in the USA. They were faithful copies of the PPK and PPK/S made first in blue and, later, stainless steel. In October 1980 I bought one of the earliest US-made pistols and for many years it served as a backup to my duty revolver. I have it still, gussied up now with a pair of gorgeous ivory grips from Roy Fishpaw. The death of Interarms founder Sam Cummings led to the demise of Interarms and the temporary cessation of manufacture or importation.

Over the years I cannot begin to count the number of Walthers I've shot and my old one certainly got plenty of rounds and all had one thing in common. It was their nature to bite the hand that held them. Between getting pinched by the hammer spur and having the slide cut parallel grooves down the web of my hand I never was able to understand why I liked the gun so much. But I did--no, do.

S&W

In late 2002, S&W announced they had become the exclusive U.S. importer of Walther pistols and they would begin manufacture of a stainless steel PPK at their Houlton, Maine plant. Houlton is one of those little secrets that isn't really a secret but the name of Smith & Wesson is so completely associated with Springfield, Massachusetts, little Houlton sometimes gets lost in the shuffle. Of course it really isn't all that little and over the years has grown from making knives and handcuffs into a modern manufacturing facility where S&W's .22 plinkers are made along with more handcuffs, the famed Model 41 and now the Walther PPK and PPK/S.

S&W's announcement indicated some of the design features would be improved. Most wonderful of all is they cured the hand biting by two simple steps. First of all they extended the tang far enough back to become a semi-beavertail and then added a small cut on the bottom of the slide to get rid of the razor edge that did the cutting. Your hand might still contact the slide as it cycles but you'd have to do something stupid to bleed anymore.

First DA

While the Walther may have been first in double-action it also was just about the worst (my vote for that goes to the Mauser HSC) because there simply is no place for the trigger bar to gain any mechanical advantage (leverage) in relation to the hammer. One theoretical solution would be to use a lighter mainspring but then the gun doesn't want to go bang (there is no need to ask how I know these things--it's just a gift). S&W's work has refined the trigger a little although the DA is still well over 12 pounds, but the single-action is just a smidge over five pounds and nicely crisp.

The appeal of the PPK has always been its flatness. It measures just a tad under an inch at the widest point across the grips. You really can carry it under a cummerbund--thank you Mr. Bond--but it doesn't quite fit my idea of a pocket pistol unless you have pockets lined with some impervious material. But it carries well in an IWB or shoulder holster or as I did, in a bellyband under my uniform shirt.

Blowback

Since the Walthers are all of the straight blowback design, shooting the .380 ACP gives a bit more than you might think in the recoil department. Even the .32 ACP bucks a bit but neither is unmanageable. Since the line of the bore is close to the hand recoil tends to be more back than up and the new beavertail spreads it around too. My sense was that the heel of my hand absorbed most. One feature that has been common on other Walthers and continues with the new PPK is the inclusion of two magazines with different bases. One has a plastic finger extension that lets you use the whole hand while the other has a flat base that is best suited for concealment. For recreational shooting the finger groove magazine is an added comfort.