Looking at one in stainless and would appreciate opinions on reliability.

The Walther PPK 380acp is a very nice, reliable, and accurate pistol. The down fall IMO is slide bite....

The newer PPKs I've seen (for several years now) have an extended beaver-tail - which should alleviate the 'slide bite'.

Also (some years ago) the PPKs had somewhat of a reputation as being 'Jammo-matics'. That also may NOT be an accurate claim in more recent years.

The Walther PPK is a true 'classic' and I've always wanted one.

There are what many knowledgeable gun enthusiasts would consider better CCW pistol choices - as regards caliber, size, weight, etc. But if I had a Walther PPK - I'd carry it. (Even though it is a 'blow-back' operated pistol.)

For the size the newer 9mms do much better....

If you have never shot a Walther PP/PPKs the first shot DA is very hard. I have had two PPK/S, Two PPs and one PPK in .22, .32 and .380. All were German made guns except for one of the PPK/Ss that was an early stainless...and it was let us say, not quite as reliable as the German made guns.

Cartridge wise, most JHP loads run a 90 grain bullet in the 850-1000 fps range. CorBon and a few others will break 1100 fps.... 9mm 115s from the small equal size guns will run 100-300 fps faster...

You may also find that the recoil of a blow-back action .380 is more unpleasant than a locked-breech 9mm...

If you can, try several guns in that size range before you buy...Bob

The S&W ones are still jamomatics.

Had Pre-68 PPK's. Never experienced a jam. They shot great and were amoung the finest made pistols I've ever seen. Only problem is that after having Walthers, I never wanted a reproduction.

DMc

heavy and mine only ran on FMJ's. It was cool in the day of James Bond,but in today's world there are better choices....

I have one of the Smith & Wesson Walther PPks. It seems Smith fixed all the things wrong with them. They added an exteneded bevertail to stop the hammer bite and the double action trigger is alot lighter and smoother than the Walthers I have felt.

Mine is very accurate and I love carrying it. They are a little heavy compared to most over pocket 380 but I dont pocket carry mine. Thats what my Diamondback is for.

People buy them for cool factor, because they think it makes them James Bond. Development in compact handguns has left them far behind, however. There are just way too many better guns, in more potent calibers, in about the same size range, and even lighter. It's strictly a nostalgia gun, IMO.

In double action Kahr CW380 in 380acp or Kahr CM9 in 9mm. In single action Sig P238 in 380acp or Sig P938 in 9mm. IMO are some good choices....

Mine is a S&W PPK/S that I bought used. There was a recall on the safety which S&W took care of at no charge.

Other than that, no issues at all and I carry it on a regular basis. If going someplace where I think odds are higher I might need a weapon (something I try hard to avoid), I am more likely to choose my hi-cap 9mm or single-stack .45.

The PPK/S and sleeve holster fit in the front pocket of my jeans easily.

Jam-O-Matic? Not mine, or it would go down the road.

I won't bet my life on a .380

Even the older guns had to be evaluated individually as there was so much variance from one to the next in terms of reliability.

I used one a bit, and saw a few used in the 1970s. Most shooters do better with something else, IMO.

the hammer bite thing has never affected me even given my larger than average mitts.

double action first shots were a bad idea with the gun I carried. Although I never practiced it, the term shot-cocking made instant sense the first time I heard it due to my experience with the PPK.

Great gun to carry in a cummerbund...

Hits like a brick through a plate glass window...

I believe that was the .32 ACP version, Q.

I was issued one for a narcotics assignment and it was lousy. The trigger was heavy and rough and it jammed often enough I had zero confidence in it. Maybe newer versions are better, but with today's subcompact mini 9mm's I don't see any utility for the Walther .380.

You will enjoy this link to James Bond's guns
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_James_Bond_firearms

after going on the 'fire hog hunt and watching guys hunt pigs with everything from 9mm to 45ACP when i hear a bump in the night im grabbing a rifle and not a handgun.....the bigger rounds are far from a guarantee to stop a fight aswell....remember reading somewhere that the purpose of a handgun is to get you to a rifle or shotgun and that i believe....that said any handgun is better than no gun at all.....

I was issued an Interarms Walther PPk/s back in 1995. I have no knowledge of the model as manufactured under the Smith and Wesson banner, but the one I had and 90 percent of the others I saw issued to department personnel in those days were garbage. I saw three or four go full auto over the years we carried them. I saw slides come off during firing and I saw Johnson and Johnson Band-Aid stock go through the roof from the cuts on shooter hands from trying to operate the little hateful buggers.

Fundamentally, one of my main concerns after a lack of functional reliability, was the fact that you have to field strip the pistol in order to clear a jam. To me, that was just not acceptable.

At the risk of finding myself afoul of agency policy, I purchased a Smith & Wesson model 649 and a Galco ankle holster for same. Fortunately, we were only saddled with those little pieces of junk for about 5 years.

It was THE small carry gun...forty years ago. Get a Khar P9. Times and technology have changed

I think the Mauser Hsc's were better pistols than the PPK's. Or the Astra Constable, which I did own and recall as being pretty reliable.

I have a Colt Gov' .380, mainly for sentimental value as it was Dad's and it does run fine, and with locked breech could be warmed up with hotter loads. But I'll probably never shoot anything but paper & snakes with it. I'd also like to have one of the 1908 Model M's, but that's mainly due to the beauty of the design.

I have a Sig 938 now. either it or the Kahr, or the Sig P239 would be what I'd suggest. I recently took a petite novice lady shooting, and she adapted to a Kahr K9 quite well.

"Thoughts on Walther PPK for CCW ?"

Based on a sample of one that I bought for my girlfriend, my thoughts are that they are much heavier than modern .380's and being a straight blowback action the recoil is a lot snappier. I was surprised at how much it recoiled.

Can't say anything bad about the reliability, I can't recall that it jammed but she only had it a short time so we only put about a box of ammo through it.

After 1968, and recently as the early 1980s, the variety of newly manufactured centerfire pistols available here in the states was very limited - principally:
Large: COLT 45, BHP, Smith 39, 59.
Small: PPK/s, Bauer, Colt Junior and FIE.
None of the small pistols available back then measured up to the nice revolvers you could buy.
In comparison to the small pistols available then, today's small pistols are wonderful.

My Beretta 950 (.25ACP) had slide bite. Never been a problem with my PPK/S but from pictures the S&W manufactured PPK/S has a larger guard to prevent hands slipping up and thus prevent the bite.