Pros and cons of a PPK

[km101]

Pros: small and concealable, many types of ammo available, all metal

Cons: slide and hammer bite, heavy trigger, safety is hard to release.

I saw lots of them come back to the shop where I used to work just because of the slide bite and the heavy/long trigger. Slide bite is worse if you have large hands.

Overall a good gun, but there are better options out there today. But if you just love the looks of the gun and you gotta' have one, then go for it.

 

[*Kemosabe*]

In 1967 I bought a new, current German PPK for $65 to replace a reliable, comfortable/fun to shoot, 7.65mm Beretta M70. A mistake from a practical viewpoint, but a good investment in the long run.

After a couple slide/hammer biting range sessions it became a safe queen for the next 47 years. All because of 007itis.

Every so often I take it out of the safe, handle it and begin thinking about shooting it in my back yard range. Then I come to my senses and put it up. I have a few iconic guns that I like, but not really that keen on shooting that are going to be culled out this year.

 

[Nom de Forum]

If someone said "hey, I'm looking for a CCW", I'd point them in other directions. If someone said "hey, I think PPKs are cool, should I get one?", I'd say "absolutely!".

Me too!

Aesthetics: Few pistols look as good and are as cool as a PPK or PPKs. Looking good and being cool should never be a factor in selecting a CCW.

Weight: No matter how good it looks it weighs too much compared to what is available today in .380 and 9mm and is just as small and thin.

Recoil: In the 1980's I shot several thousand rounds through a .380 PPKs. I am surprised with all the postings about the recoil being "snappy". I see small adults shooting 9mms and .45s without complaint of snappiness. If this pistol challenges you with snappiness you need better technique, experience adapting to recoil, or have an inherent physiological problem handling recoil. I am only a little over average height and weight. Even shooting cast 121gr bullets (heaviest loading from the Lee manual) recoil was not a problem for me or the pistol. Not true with some aluminum alloy frame pistols (Beretta 84) that got the frame peened by the slide.

Trivia: it is very easy to deactivate the hammer drop function of the safety to enable cocked with the safety on carry.

 

[.455_Hunter]

I strongly recommend the PPK. I have two- one in .32 and one in .380, and found them to be superior in all aspects to the current crop of flyweight polyframed/DAO light trigger style pocket guns. The other small autos I like are the NAA Guardian series.

 

[gym]

Buy one and try it, at some time in the life of a gun aficionado you should have either owned or own one. It's kind of a right of passage. It's been spoken about way too much to even go at it again, the search button is your friend on this one,

 

[lono]

Pros very accurate, looks and feels great, reliable

Cons very heavy, eats the webbing of your hand