Ignition Override
Member
How would you compare the quality, and whether Interarms uses only actual German production equipment for all of the components?
PPK by Interarms: compare to German version.
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VAPOPO
Member
The German gun will be smoother. The Interarms guns are hit and miss quality wise, the S&W made guns are better than the Interarms but not as refined as the German guns.
guyfromohio
Member
VAPOPO nailed it. I couldn't wait to get rid of my stove piping, hand-biting Interarms. But my Smith hasn't had a single failure and hammer bite has been eliminated.
bannockburn
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I also had similar problems with my American made PPK/s, including occasional mag drops (without my hand being anywhere near the mag release), and way too many sharp edges. My Manurhin PP was smooth as silk and was top notch in terms of overall fit and finish.
usp9
Member
My experience is different. I have several of both Walther and Interarms pistols and I have to say the machining is better on the Interarms. IMHO, they are as nice or even better than the European made guns. There's lots of rough work on the inside of my PP and PPK/S. They all work and function just fine, but the workmanship on Interarms pistols is excellent.
PRM
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The German/French guns are definitely the most sought after. I've owned both and they are nice. My EDC Is a French Manurhin PP in .32. I also have an Interarms SS PPK/S in .32 ACP that has been a flawless performer. I see little difference between the Interarms and the German stamped or French Guns.
I have never owned a S&W Walther - but have shot them. The one I shot was OK, but I'm not a fan of the new beaver tail on the S&W. Early in production, S&W was known for very spotty QC. It was a crap shoot whether you got a good one or not. Upside, they have been good about fixing problems and from what I have been reading the last couple of years on the Walther Forums, S&W now seems to be putting out a high quality Walther.
http://www.waltherforums.com/forum/
http://www.p38forum.com/
As far as which manufacture/model most people like - I personally think it has a lot to do with what first drew their interest to the PP series.
I have never owned a S&W Walther - but have shot them. The one I shot was OK, but I'm not a fan of the new beaver tail on the S&W. Early in production, S&W was known for very spotty QC. It was a crap shoot whether you got a good one or not. Upside, they have been good about fixing problems and from what I have been reading the last couple of years on the Walther Forums, S&W now seems to be putting out a high quality Walther.
http://www.waltherforums.com/forum/
http://www.p38forum.com/
As far as which manufacture/model most people like - I personally think it has a lot to do with what first drew their interest to the PP series.
Jon Coppenbarger
Member
I have a ww2 made ppk in 32 and it shoots just fine and is a very well made pistol. I also have a interarms ppk/s in 380 that has not been fired yet so I could not tell you if it jams but its a very nice pistol.
I have a german ulm made PP no import marked 32 that I have not fired yet, it is the NDS marked one brought back from germany.
I have not owned any of the new ones but their has been talk about the early ones having problems.
Of the 3 I own the 1940's PPK is very well made and is a very clean nice. The NDS one is very nice also but does not have the nice finish as the first one. the PPK/S is stainless so that its hard to compare to the others for me but fits a small part of my collection.
I have a german ulm made PP no import marked 32 that I have not fired yet, it is the NDS marked one brought back from germany.
I have not owned any of the new ones but their has been talk about the early ones having problems.
Of the 3 I own the 1940's PPK is very well made and is a very clean nice. The NDS one is very nice also but does not have the nice finish as the first one. the PPK/S is stainless so that its hard to compare to the others for me but fits a small part of my collection.
I have a 1st year PP in .32, a Manhurin made PP in .22 and a German Walther PP .32 made in Germany in 1986 and all are comparable in Quality which is quite good.
Interarms NEVER made ANY Walther firearms. Interarms was an import/export distributuon house...
Interarms NEVER made ANY Walther firearms. Interarms was an import/export distributuon house...
silicosys4
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there was a recall on ALL s&w ppk and ppk/s pistols manufactured from 2002 to 2009. That's a lot of recalls and a long time to catch the problem. From what I've read, this is due to the "improvements" that s&w made to the original design that were supposed to enhance reliability with HP ammunition...but instead caused widespread reliability problems.
I have 2 Interarms, a ppk and a ppk/s.
I also have an original WWII ppk, a 5th variation RHSA. This was an earlier high polish ppk, not a later less finished version.
The Interarms ppk's that I have show a finer degree of machining inside. They feel just as smooth if not smoother than the original.
I have 2 Interarms, a ppk and a ppk/s.
I also have an original WWII ppk, a 5th variation RHSA. This was an earlier high polish ppk, not a later less finished version.
The Interarms ppk's that I have show a finer degree of machining inside. They feel just as smooth if not smoother than the original.
kerreckt
Member
Interarms was licensed by Walther to manufacture PPK pistols, in fact it had a North American franchise.They were first made in a Interarms owned plant in Midland VA and then at a plant in AL. I visited the Midlands plant when it was in operation. There is a very good biography of Sam Cummings, the founder of Interarmco later Interarms which details his relationship with Walther and many other European firearms companies. IIRC the titles is "Deadly Business: Sam Cummings, Interarms, and the arms trade". A must read.
rodinal220
Member
Soon Walther Arms Inc will be making them here and the S&W license will expire.
I too prefer a real German or French made PP series.Interarms/Ranger Mfg gun can be spotty.Never cared for the S&W variant.
http://shotbusiness.com/Article/NewsBriefs/detail.cfm?newsID=626
I too prefer a real German or French made PP series.Interarms/Ranger Mfg gun can be spotty.Never cared for the S&W variant.
http://shotbusiness.com/Article/NewsBriefs/detail.cfm?newsID=626
krupparms
Member
I haven owned a IA / Manhurin made Walther PPK/S in .22LR. for about 18. years now . It is one of the best guns I own! The fitting &finishing are great & it is one of my most accurate guns in .22LR. I was offered $1,000 for it & turned it down about 10 years ago. Still having fun with it! 
fastbolt
Member
Over the years of seeing Interarms Walthers come through qual courses-of-fire, I'd come to accept that it was seemingly a 50/50 proposition (at best) whether any particular example could finish a course-of-fire without exhibiting some stoppage or other malfunction. That was even using hardball loads. JHP's seemed to complicate things even further. Some guns would require repair, too.
The potential for slide-bite, and decreased slide velocity/travel, also seemed to contribute to functioning issues.
I've seen older non-Interarms Walthers that had variable QC, too.
The recall on the S&W production guns may have given them a bit of a black eye for a while, but S&W stepped up and dealt with it as a Recall. They worked to resolve any issues with their product.
A little while back I had the chance to see one of the recent production American made (S&W) .380's come through our range. I liked how the beavertail kept the slide off the web of my hand. I was also impressed by how well it fed, fired, extracted & ejected in the hands of 3 different shooters (including myself). The trigger seemed pretty acceptable, at least compared to all the earlier European & Interarms guns I'd tried over the years.
If the rest of the current production licensed S&W guns work this well, I can see why Walther has apparently decided to continue having S&W make licensed copies for them, even as Walther is going to become their own importer in 2013. (From what little I've read about their plans for a continued 'strategic alliance' even though Walther is setting up their own company, anyway.)
I still don't care for the PP/PPks design, myself. I prefer something that's not blowback, but that's just me.
They (S&W, for Walther) probably wouldn't be making them if there wasn't still a market for them, though, would they?
The potential for slide-bite, and decreased slide velocity/travel, also seemed to contribute to functioning issues.
I've seen older non-Interarms Walthers that had variable QC, too.
The recall on the S&W production guns may have given them a bit of a black eye for a while, but S&W stepped up and dealt with it as a Recall. They worked to resolve any issues with their product.
A little while back I had the chance to see one of the recent production American made (S&W) .380's come through our range. I liked how the beavertail kept the slide off the web of my hand. I was also impressed by how well it fed, fired, extracted & ejected in the hands of 3 different shooters (including myself). The trigger seemed pretty acceptable, at least compared to all the earlier European & Interarms guns I'd tried over the years.
If the rest of the current production licensed S&W guns work this well, I can see why Walther has apparently decided to continue having S&W make licensed copies for them, even as Walther is going to become their own importer in 2013.
(From what little I've read about their plans for a continued 'strategic alliance' even though Walther is setting up their own company, anyway.)I still don't care for the PP/PPks design, myself. I prefer something that's not blowback, but that's just me.
They (S&W, for Walther) probably wouldn't be making them if there wasn't still a market for them, though, would they?
Ala Dan
Member in memoriam
I own an American made (InterArms) stainless Walther PPK that has ran
perfectly since day one (Jan. of '95); feeding and extracting all types of
ammunition~!
perfectly since day one (Jan. of '95); feeding and extracting all types of
ammunition~!
MICHAEL T
Member
Bought my Interarms used years ago . Its from 90's and it loves Corbon or Buffalo Bore DPX or JHP I use S&B for play.
Ignition Override
Member
Thanks for your reports.
I bought the Smith and Wesson version. I'm very impressed with the simple, functionality focused, design.
This gun, with the slight modifications made by S/W, is all the things I want in a gun, and none of the stuff I don't want.
I have read the comments above and have noted the same customer satisfaction levels. Genuine Walther first (with potential slide cutting/hammer bite), Smith and Wesson second, and Interarms, third. I have read some negative comments about Interarms versions on the Walther Gun owners forum, when I conducted my research.
I didn't feel like a genuine Walther would shoot as well or be quite as easy to purchase as the Smith.
This gun, with the slight modifications made by S/W, is all the things I want in a gun, and none of the stuff I don't want.
I have read the comments above and have noted the same customer satisfaction levels. Genuine Walther first (with potential slide cutting/hammer bite), Smith and Wesson second, and Interarms, third. I have read some negative comments about Interarms versions on the Walther Gun owners forum, when I conducted my research.
I didn't feel like a genuine Walther would shoot as well or be quite as easy to purchase as the Smith.
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