Check out the article here.
A good friend of mine carries and swears by his vintage German made Walther PPK in .380. I have had the opportunity to shoot that pistol once and fiddle with it on several occasions. I found it quite a pleasure to shoot. While it is a pretty small pistol it certainly does not shoot like one.
If you pay real close attention to the ramblings which flow out of my head and into these pages you would know that not so long ago I intended to purchase a Bersa .380 Thunder. The Bersa .380 which could be well described as the poor mans Walther PPK. I ended up going with the Glock 19 which is a far more useful if slightly bulkier pistol. I do not regret that choice in any way but a beautiful, quality single stack .380 is still on my list. Those characteristics are best seen in the Walther PPK in .380.
As for my assessment of the Walther PPK in .380 (and I suppose the Bersa .380) I think they have a good role as an easy to shoot pistol that is very easy to conceal. Very easy to conceal means that you will actually carry it. Yes the full sized pistol would be better to have in a fight but it will probably be sitting in the nightstand or the glove box/ center console when that punk sticks a knife in your face while coming out of the store with a gallon of milk.
If one pistol has to be your everything I would strongly suggest a compact sized pistol in .38/.357, 9mm or .40S&W. However if your tastes and budget allow you a bit more flexibility (via multiple pistols) a Walther could be nice to have.
The article linked to another article which compares the Walther PPK and the umbiquous .38 snubby. The fellow went into more detail than I care to but I absolutely agree with his observations on both guns. The .38 snubby carries a more powerful (a relative term) load than the .380 is capable of. On the other hand the Walther PPK is easier for most people to shoot well. I will not dwell on the conclusion (he prefers the .38) but thought the comparison was worth noting. If forced to carry only one of those two pistols I would pack the Walther and I guess that says it all.
While I think the Glock 19 is a better carry option than anything mentioned above a Walther PPK will find its way into my collection and to a lesser degree the carry rotation. Good for times a compact 9mm is just a bit too big and nothing beats it in a shoulder holster with a Tuxedo.
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8 comments:
While I do agree with your assesment that a .38 or 9mm is a better option,the .380 is also for those on tight bugets,or just want a smaller pistol to carry,for it can get the job done if needed.
Conservative Scalawag, Tight budgets favor the .380? The ammo is cheaper but .38's are generally speaking less costly. As for the rest I have a post on that floating in my head.
I'd take the Glock anyday; of course, I ain't as smooth, fast or accurate as James Bond.
And how much less available is .380ammunition?
Milton F, I think the Glock is a preferable firearm to carry but a PPK sure beats harsh words.
As for the ammo situation I don't know. I think there is a shortage on .380 ammo right now. Then again ammo availability (in really common calibers) has been so iffy lately that I am not sure anything meaningful can be taken from that.
I own two Walther PPK pistols. One German made in the 1960's, blued, and one S&W made stainless from the 1990's. They are both fine pistols. I carry one in a small pigskin "inside the belt" holster when it is so hot and humid that I can't wear a vest and a shoulder holster. I use Hornaday self defense loads, not cheap but they give the pistol extra stopping power. If you need to carry a smallish pistol, the Walther is a good choice.
Hermit, Both seem like nice pieces of any collection. A PPK in an IWB holster will disappear under all but the tightest shirt. My current choice the G19 is definitely thicker and in a fairly loose fitting shirt will be hard to 'make' without real scrutiny.
Hermit...Take a peek at the 80 grain Corbon DPX.It is getting popular reviews.
Why carry a .380 when there are smaller, lighter 9mm's like the Kahr P9?
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