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| Shit don't mean shit |
I belong to a small private gun club that has a monthly newsletter. This month someone posted for sale a 1981-82 Interarms PPK/S in Very Good condition for $450. I've always thought the PPK were neat to look at, but have never shot one and never had an interest in getting one. I'm pretty well stocked up on other guns I want to buy so I'm thinking about contacting the seller and possibly buying it. I know nothing about Walther PPKs. Anything I should know, or ask about? Are the Interarms made in Germany and imported by Interarms? Do they have proof marks? Is $450 an acceptable price for a VGC PPK/S? Sorry for the dumb questions. Not the best picture, but I can inspect it myself prior to purchase.  | ||
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| Member |
I find the recoil to be unpleasant on the .380. Also depending on hand size, the slide can draw blood. Price is good. | |||
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| Member |
The one in your picture was actually made here in the US, by Ranger Manufacturing, at the request of Interarms. AFAIK, there is no German-made stainless PP, PPK, or PPK/S. Interarms was also the importer of German-made Walther pistols in those days. $450 seems fair to me for any used PPK in VGC. Formerly known as tigerbloodwinning | |||
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| Member |
Several of the early post-1968 GCA PPK's and derivatives had reputations for unreliability, so I'd ask the seller if he would let you run a box of ammo through it. Also, the Double-Action is very heavy by today's standards, and the Walther-produced pistols are just as bad, as is my own pre-war PPK. If you're looking for a good carry-piece, many other small semi-autos would be better, in my opinion. I believe the Sig 232 is similar in size, for example. Having said that, I'm loyal to the PPK and would love to get a newer one. Hope this helps. -------------------------- Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats. -- H L Mencken I always prefer reality when I can figure out what it is. -- JALLEN 10/18/18 | |||
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Member |
Very cool to handle and look at and play James Bond with. Very unpleasant to actually shoot. Price is good, even if you just want a bondjamesbond role-playing gun. Don't expect stellar reliability, and expect slide bite and a horrendous trigger. --------------------------- My hovercraft is full of eels. | |||
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| Member |
Pros: Accurate (Fixed barrel) Easy to clean Good price, Decent sights Cool factor Cons: Very heavy double action pull Potential slide bite Heavy for it's size and caliber Heavy recoil for a .380 Limited capacity I have one, it was my first ccw. I wouldn't feel unarmed with it now. There are better options out there. OZ | |||
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Diablo Blanco |
I have one that my wife bought before we were married sometime around 1992/3. I don’t find the recoil to be bad and haven’t been bit by the slide. The double action pull is terrible and due to the fact it is a blowback design messing with the springs could cause issues. Ranger started manufacturing for Interarms under license from Walther in 1978 and they were made in Gadsden, AL. _________________________ "An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile - hoping it will eat him last” - Winston Churchil | |||
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| Member |
I have owned a couple of them. They were unreliable. Bang-Bang-Jam. The price is great. End of Earth: 2 Miles Upper Peninsula: 4 Miles | |||
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Quit staring at my wife's Butt |
Ilike the .22 version allot but not the .380 had one for a few months and sold it. the price is about right. | |||
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| Member |
In 1981 I had one as a small stainless steel carry pistol, living in Fort Lauderdale as a yacht broker I needed stainless. I loved the idea of it but absolutely hated the pistol. Many, many jams of all sorts. I have large hands and would be a bloody mess when shooting it when it worked. So bad, at first I wondered if it got clogged up with bits of me. I replaced it with an sig 230 which was so very much better in all aspects. I truly had recurring nightmares for decades of it failing on me. I had Kings Gun Works build me a stainless colt 1911 that I absolutely loved and trusted so it was not carried much anyway. So I would stay away from it, it being possibly the most troublesome gun I have ever owned. Anyhow, that’s my experience anyway. JAMES 3:1 USPSA life member | |||
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| Peace through superior firepower  |
I had one in the late 1980s. Mine was well-made and reliable, but the DA pull would give Superman a hard time. | |||
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Baroque Bloke |
^^^^ I measured my Interarms PPK/S .380 DA trigger as 17 pounds. It was reliable with ball, but not with JHP rounds available in 1995. And yes, sharp recoil and hard to rack slide. My SIG P238 is SO much better. Serious about crackers | |||
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| Shit don't mean shit |
Thanks for the feedback everyone! I already have carry guns, so this isn't meant to be an EDC. I guess it might be more of a novelty gun for me. Not sure if I'm willing to drop $450 on a novelty gun...but maybe. Appreciate the information! | |||
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| Knows too little about too much  |
This. Not a range toy, but for deep cover can be great. RMD TL Davis: “The Second Amendment is special, not because it protects guns, but because its violation signals a government with the intention to oppress its people…” Remember: After the first one, the rest are free. | |||
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quarter MOA visionary |
Wish I could say something positive but my Interarms PPKs was the only pistol I ever traded away. Mine was difficult to rack, jammed all-the-time and I even had a "smith" do some work to smooth it out, it had loads of trigger bite and not all that accurate. Obviously it was too frustrating and difficult to shoot so I traded in on a HK 45 USP Tactical. I don't get rid of weapons, pretty much a one-way trip IN for me and it did sadden me to lose it but it had to be done. It was however, a great looking sexy pistol - I will give you that. After that no more 380's for me.  | |||
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| Get my pies outta the oven!  |
If you want a .380 that is very PPK-like just for shits and giggles that is actually fun to shoot and pretty accurate too...get a Bersa Thunder. This was mine back in 2008-209:  My post about it back then on another forum:
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| Member |
When I was writing my first post, I tried to remember some of the guns recommended years ago over the Walthers, but couldn't recall them. The Bersa was the main one I tried for. A friend introduced me to them, and even though I looked down on them (was, and still am, somewhat of a snob!) they out-performed the PPK in nearly every category other than coolness. My friend used it for his first concealed-carry gun and carried it all over the country, always said how great it was. I looked at their website just now, and the only argument against it is that the Thunder is 1.3" wide, nearly as wide as a Glock 19. My PPK is about 7/8" across the grip, and maybe Bersa has a thinner model available now. A new Thunder is quite a bit cheaper than a used Walther, as well. -------------------------- Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats. -- H L Mencken I always prefer reality when I can figure out what it is. -- JALLEN 10/18/18 | |||
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Member |
The Bersa is my PPK/s stand-in. I even picked one up in 22lr (mags not cheap tho). Walthers were just too pricey back when I saw them.   | |||
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Member |
My Interarms PPK/S was very nicely built. Fully the equal of my Sigs. As others have reported the double action trigger pull is very heavy. A Wolff replacement mainspring fixed that. It is very accurate. "The world is too dangerous to live in-not because of the people who do evil, but because of the people who sit and let it happen." (Albert Einstein) | |||
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| Member |
I certainly respect Bersa owners feeling for their guns. However, I have had many really good Walther PPK and PPK/S guns. Since 1965, I have carried them on and off duty as a state trooper and now still carry them into retirement. What surprises me are the positive comments about Bersa pistols. I have tried three different times to use a Bersa and none of them would work. Usually, the slide hold open notch would wear out on the first range trip. I even had an authorized Bersa repair facility tell me this was common and could not be repaired. I did like the ergonomics of the Bersa’s. I just wish they made them with more durable material. Trooper Joe PS. I had my best luck however with my Sig P230 and P232 pistols. | |||
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