Walther Ppk History - Pretty It looks great on the big screen. But compared to more modern pistols, the Walther PPK is a terrible choice for self-defense and concealed carry. It's not even a fun plinker. Unless you're a collector or avid James Bond fan, there are plenty of great options.
Hey, I'm Chris Baker and I don't really care for the Walther PPK. I know many people like PPK for different reasons. It is an exceptionally good looking design. It has some historical significance. And, of course, she is best known for her relationship with a fictional, mildly psychotic English civil servant. If you have a PPK for any of these reasons, I don't want to rush the parade. I'm glad you liked it and I hope it continues to bring you great joy.
Walther Ppk History
But I feel obligated to make this video because I know somewhere, right now, someone is buying a handgun for personal protection or learning to shoot. This could be their first firearm purchase, period. And for whatever reason, the Walther PPK is at the top of their list. If that's you, then, sir or madam, I really need to make sure that in 2021, the Walther PPK is a terrible choice for all practical purposes. Yes, this is just an opinion, but it is shared by almost everyone who actually takes pistol shooting seriously. Today I want to talk about why.
Walther Ppk/s De Luxe Finish Factory Engraved .22lr
Most of the guns Walther makes today are of very high quality. They also make a pair that I would say is particularly nice. And like many German-designed firearms, when the PPK first appeared, it was in that exceptional category. It was a unique, high-quality pistol that played an important role. However, over the past 90 years, significant advances have been made in the design and technology of concealable handguns. Today, I would not carry a pistol practically unchanged from the 1931 any more than I would trust a 1931 car as a daily driver.
The PPK was originally sold in the European law enforcement market as a more compact version of the Walther PP, or "police pistol". The PPK was available in .22 LR, .32 ACP, and .380 ACP. Today we commonly associate it with the .380, but in the beginning the .32 was actually the most common chambering.
Long before the PPK appeared in any spy movie or book, it made a major impact on the arms industry. The PPK was one of the first commercially successful double/single action pistols. It contained many mechanical and aesthetic design elements that Walther and their competitors copied and reused over the decades.
It was actually one of the first semi-autos to define the size category we now call "subcompact." Much smaller than a service-sized sidearm, or even a compact pistol. But it is slightly larger than what used to be called a vest pocket pistol. It's slim and concealable, but has enough grip to hang it so it can be shot.
Walther Ppk/s Co2 Air Pistol
The PPK didn't make an impact in the US until GIs brought them home from Europe after WWII. They were quite popular for a few years after the war and PPK would probably have gone down in history long after and I wouldn't need to make this video. But then a few films came out about him as an apparently womanizing sleuth, and the demand for PPK has continued ever since.
Unfortunately for US secret agent cosplay fans, the Gun Control Act of 1968 banned the importation of certain small, concealable pistols, including the PPK. Walther had to lengthen the grip slightly to meet the new "sporting purpose" requirements. This version is known as PPK/S. Since the 70s, a few different companies have imported the PPK/S. Both the PPK/S and the original PPK design were manufactured and sold under license here in the United States. The quality of these guns has been hit or miss over the years.
As of 2018, Walther has been manufacturing PPKs at its US factory in Fort Smith, Arkansas. For the most part, these new weapons aren't too different from the original. They have some small improvements to make them a bit safer and more reliable. The grip or beaver's tail is slightly longer. The adjustable dovetail rear sight has been replaced with a simpler fixed rear sight. Currently produced only in .380 ACP. By the way, this is more or less the same pistol that Walther first rolled out in 1931.
It will be easier for me to explain why the Walther PPK is not compatible if I use a modern pistol as a comparison. I would use a Glock 42 for this. It's a great general carry pistol, but it's certainly not the only or necessarily the best choice. This is one of dozens of options that are better than PPK. I chose this pistol because it has nearly the same external dimensions as the PPK and has the same ammo capacity and fires the same cartridge: 6+1 shot .380 ACP. In every other way except the beauty contest, the Glock 42 is completely superior to the PPK.
Walther Ppk Zella Mehlis Alloy Frame
Let's start with a simple one: weight. The PPK has a steel slide and a steel frame. Most pistols these days have aluminum or polymer frames. Steel weapons are heavy. And despite what Boris the Blade may have told you, that doesn't make them any more reliable or durable than the lighter weight alternatives. Fully loaded, the PPK weighs 24 ounces. The Glock 42 weighs the third least at 16.5 ounces. That's a noticeable difference for things you wear around your waist for hours a day.
You would think that more weight would be good in a small gun. Maybe it helps absorb some of the recoil and softens the gun. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The PPK has a so-called direct recoil action. The Glock 42, along with the vast majority of modern pistols, is recoil operated. I will not go into the details of the meaning of all this. If you want to know more, I made a video about the details a few years ago. In fact, straight shock guns recoil significantly more than recoil operated guns.
So even though the PPK is quite heavy and the .380 cartridge relatively light, Walther has the equivalent of a modern subcompact 9mm pistol. It's manageable, but definitely not something I'd put in the hands of an experienced shooter. The .22 and .32 caliber versions of the PPK are said to be a lot more fun to shoot. But they are no longer sold in the US, and used ones are prohibitively expensive.
What makes the .380 PPK really unpleasant to shoot is the combination of really stinging recoil and poor ergonomics. The correct way to grip a modern handgun is to keep the web of your primary hand as high as possible on the backstrap. A high, aggressive grip is key to controlling recoil. However, if you keep the PPK like this, you will probably end up with what is called slippage. This is where the slide cuts or rubs your thumb as the gun rotates. After less than 100 rounds on the range with the PPK, I not only ended up with a slide bite, but... I don't know what you call it, a beaver tail bite? Here the corner on the beavertail or tang is so sharp that it cut my hand a second time in addition to cutting the slide.
Precision Small Arms, Inc. > Unusual Trade Ins > Walther Ppk/s
The reason why later PPKs initially showed this long-lasting effect was to treat hammertoe complaints. But overall, the PPK is still an ergonomic disaster. There are sharp edges and corners everywhere. There is zero text on the front strap. Magazine publishing is in an unpleasant place. Neither the trigger nor the safety/decocker is ambidextrous.
After wrestling with the PPK, picking up the Glock 42 is like diving into a clear blue lake on a really hot day. It has about half the recoil. Nothing stings, pokes or cuts. It never seems like a chore to practice. I am not saying that ergonomics are perfect for everyone. Maybe not ideal if you have big hands. A more aggressive grip might use text. The slider release is not binary. But at least it has a slide release, which is missing from the PPK. For most people, it's just a great little weapon. PPK does not.
[EDIT: For those who like the idea of a Glock 42 but prefer the added safety of a PPK DA/SA action,
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