Back in 2005 or so I had the same dilemma after doing a little (not enough) research on the web. I went to a gun show and in all honesty had too much money in the bank and found both a stainless Walther PPK and a Sig P230 stainless and bought both..

My opinion... The Sig P230 or 232 is far superior than the Walther....

Thanks for that info.

I have owned ppk/s, beretta cheetahs, and sig P230 and P232. Pretty sure my ppk/s from about 15 yrs ago was a lemon and finally got rid of it after acquiring the Sigs. Bond should have upgraded to the West German P230SL . The Beretta 85FS is also a great option.




https://imgur.com/nHNWdH8

Well the best they could have done in the movies was either Roger Moore's last one or Timothy Dalton's first one... for the simple reason the P230 did not come out until 1985.

quote:

Originally posted by Blume9mm:
Well the best they could have done in the movies was either Roger Moore's last one or Timothy Dalton's first one... for the simple reason the P230 did not come out until 1985.

Are you sure about 1985? I seem to recall P230 mentioned in some publications going back to the late '70s.

quote:

Originally posted by Windhover:

quote:

Originally posted by Blume9mm:
Well the best they could have done in the movies was either Roger Moore's last one or Timothy Dalton's first one... for the simple reason the P230 did not come out until 1985.

Are you sure about 1985? I seem to recall P230 mentioned in some publications going back to the late '70s.

The P230 dates back to the late 70s but wasn't imported to the US until 1985. .

The P230 was first imported "about 1979" I believe. In the Spring 1980 issue of Pistolero magazine, Phil Engeldrum tests one which was imported by Hawes Firearms of Los Angeles, CA. He mentions it was a new import, so assuming it takes a few months for a magazine to materialize, get published and shipped nationwide to newsstands, 1979 seems to be a good educated guess.

I'll dig that magazine out and inspect the pics to see what the SN and two letter date code of the pistol is, assuming they are shown.

I stand up corrected.. I should have read and looked further at Wikipedia .... and not just scanned the first paragraph.

Seems they could have had Roger Moore use a P230 in his first movie... 1977.

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
I have an Interarms .380 PPK/S. It’s quite reliable with ball, but not with the JHPs available 30 years ago (the last time I shot it). Its DA trigger pull is 17 lbs.

I will say this for it: nice to look at and hold. And it has the only LCI that I actually like: the BG can’t see it, but I can. And in the dark I can sense it with my thumb without shifting my grip.

I realise that you’re jonesing for a PPK/S or P232, but my SIG P238 is so much better. Yeah, I’m a SAO guy…

Thanks for that info. I won the bid on a P232 on GB with Crimson trace laser grips. Can't wait until it gets here. I'll have to check out the p238.

I think that is comparing apples and oranges... The P238 is a little 1911 and the single action only platform requires a safety so that one can carry cocked and locked.... nothing wrong with that but it is totally different from Double Action/Single Action with a decock and no safety.

And damn... winning a P232 with a Crimson trace laser grip! Somebody is living right....

quote:

Originally posted by Blume9mm:
I think that is comparing apples and oranges... The P238 is a little 1911 and the single action only platform requires a safety so that one can carry cocked and locked.... nothing wrong with that but it is totally different from Double Action/Single Action with a decock and no safety.


And damn... winning a P232 with a Crimson trace laser grip! Somebody is living right....

Yeah, I guess I am living right. Lol. I will post pics when it gets here.

The Massachusetts State Police take credit for the P232. At the time, they issued the P230 to undercover officers but complained it wouldn't feed jhp reliably. Sig came out with the P232 and it fed all jhp reliably.

quote:

Originally posted by 10round:
The Massachusetts State Police take credit for the P232. At the time, they issued the P230 to undercover officers but complained it wouldn't feed jhp reliably. Sig came out with the P232 and it fed all jhp reliably.

Never knew this. I thought the 232 was an improvement in just safety issues.

Get a Sig 230 chambered in .32 acp and post your love affair of .32 for self defense. You will generate enough reading for a month .

Trooper, I agree with you.
The 230 in .32 is a pleasure to shoot as are the old Beretta Model 70's in the same caliber.

quote:

Originally posted by Rocco:
Trooper, I agree with you.
The 230 in .32 is a pleasure to shoot as are the old Beretta Model 70's in the same caliber.

I really like 32 acp pistols :

Colt 1903
Seecamp 32
Walther PP and PPK (German made)
Beretta 81
Sig Sauer 230 in 32
KelTec P32
CZ 83 in 32 acp
Mauser HSc in 32 acp

Trooper Joe

I have owned both. A S&W marked PPK/s and a late 90s blued 232. As a relatively average-sized guy with big hands, I would not choose to purchase either of them again.

I have gone away from the 380 for anything other than a pocket, last resort, the gun for when I don't want to carry, (LCP in the back pocket for a quick run to the stop-n-rob.) However; if it has to be one of those two, the P232 is what I'd go with.

Better performing, and in my opinion, better looking too.

quote:

Originally posted by Trooper Joe:

quote:

Originally posted by Rocco:
Trooper, I agree with you.
The 230 in .32 is a pleasure to shoot as are the old Beretta Model 70's in the same caliber.

I really like 32 acp pistols :

Colt 1903
Seecamp 32
Walther PP and PPK (German made)
Beretta 81
Sig Sauer 230 in 32
KelTec P32
CZ 83 in 32 acp
Mauser HSc in 32 acp

Trooper Joe

I like 'em too Trooper Joe. I have a P232 in 32 ACP, only one I've ever seen and has not been fired so I can't tell you how sweet it might be. A new laptop will not let me post pics using Imgur for some reason.

…..”I like 'em too Trooper Joe. I have a P232 in 32 ACP, only one I've ever seen and has not been fired so I can't tell you how sweet it might be. A new laptop will not let me post pics using Imgur for some reason.”……[/QUOTE]

Mine is a 230 but it has the rebound hammer of a 232. I believe it needs that rebound hammer so you can put the safety lever in the “safe” position. Also, I found that it will use .380 magazines with no problem. I did see a post somewhere that you couldn’t use the .380 magazines but on my gun they work just fine. Recently I read that they only imported 120 of these .32 acp guns. Mine is the only one I have ever seen.

Trooper Joe

quote:

Originally posted by bionic218:
I have owned both. A S&W marked PPK/s and a late 90s blued 232. As a relatively average-sized guy with big hands, I would not choose to purchase either of them again.

I have gone away from the 380 for anything other than a pocket, last resort, the gun for when I don't want to carry, (LCP in the back pocket for a quick run to the stop-n-rob.) However; if it has to be one of those two, the P232 is what I'd go with.

Better performing, and in my opinion, better looking too.

Interesting bionic218,

I had many PPK and PPK/s guns starting in 1965 (a war time PPK in 32 that I carried off duty). I retired in 1989 and bought a PPK in 1995. It must have been a S&W model because it was the worse one I ever had. I sold it and bought a 230 from a police supply shop in Lansing. I remember the sales clerk warning me that it would only feed ball ammo but mine fed everything. It was an all stainless model and I traded it in for something. I was immediately sorry I did that and tried to buy it back but it was already sold.

After I acquired a two tone 232, a blued alloy frame 230, the 230 in .32 acp mentioned above, I found a pristine 230 SL (all stainless) at a shop in Indiana for $375.00. I kissed the clerk [ , ] and he sent it back to Michigan for me. This was in 2018 so it took me a few years to correct my mistake of getting rid of my first one.

Trooper Joe