Reputation of Interarms Walthers

[commygun]

Bought a very minty blued W. German Interarms Walther PPK/s today. Have to wait a couple of days to pick it up so no photos yet.

Over the years, I’ve peripherally heard negative things about the Interarms-imported PP-series pistols but didn’t own one so I never paid much attention to the reasons. Any thoughts or experiences as to why these particular Walthers might have drawn some negative opinions?

 

[Reinz]

I’ve never had any issues with the few Walthers from Interarms that I have had over the years.

Same goes for other brands from them as well.

 

[Gladius]

Not so much the Interarms-imported ones (those were still Walther/Manurhin made), but the ones Interarms made here in the USA. I have heard that quality can be hit-or-miss; my Interarms/Ranger PPK seems to be of higher quality than others I've seen from the same maker. However, even my I/R pistol can't hold a candle to any Pre-War Zella-Mehlis or post-war (either Ulm-marked or Manurhin) commercial PP series pistol I've ever seen/handled/owned. If yours is actually German-marked, then I think you can rest easy.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

I have 4 Walthers. A PPX 9mm,PK 380. And 1911 22lr. They made for Colt. They all have been good to me.

 

[tactikel]

My best bud has 2 ppk/s’s. They are iconic firearms. Both were jamomatic guns. A super deep cleaning, and after I replaced ALL the springs in the guns and magazines, they are rock solid.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

I had a Ranger (USA) made stainless .380 Interarms PPK/S. It was gorgeous, with perfect machining and polishing.

It also wouldn't make it through a single magazine without multiple jams.

You had to put it in the freezer overnight to get the slide off.

Sold it in disgust.

 

[trackskippy]

I had a blued Interarms PPK/s back in the 80's. It was OK, but had a nasty habit of the hammer following the slide down. It didnt disable the gun, but put it back into DA. I sent it back and they said they fixed it, but it still did it on a regular basis.

The bluing wasnt the greatest either, and both the front and back straps were down to bare metal pretty quick just from normal handling.

Other than that, and the usual blood thirstiness of them, the gun was accurate and reliable, if you didnt let the randomly going back to DA bother you.

 

[AlexanderA]

Not so much the Interarms-imported ones (those were still Walther/Manurhin made), but the ones Interarms made here in the USA. I have heard that quality can be hit-or-miss;

I had an Interarms PPK/S. It was the worst pistol I've ever owned. Looked OK, but had an incredibly heavy and rough trigger pull. Shooting it was actually painful. The best thing I did with it was to trade it in partial payment for my unaltered M1894 Krag rifle (one of the great "holy grails" of military collecting).

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

At one time I purchased a used Interarms, USA-made PPK/S stainless in .380 ACP. It worked just fine, but tended to leave racing stripes on the web of any shooter's hand -- the .380 versions in particular are biters. That was a common Walther PP/PPK problem, not an Interarms issue.

I sold it on, and then more recently purchased a Manurhin PP in .32 ACP. Noticeably softer-shooting, though there was some grit under the trigger bar that caused the occasional SA dead trigger. A thorough cleaning appears to have fixed this.



One of these days I'd like to get another PP in .22 LR. I like the old Walther pocket DAs; they have charisma and a popular appeal, but I'll admit they don't have the best combination of features in the modern shooting world. I'd recommend that anyone who is considering buying one to shoot should get some practice with one first before committing.

The Walther PPK Is Not Very Good - Lucky Gunner Lounge

It's pretty. It looks great on the big screen. But compared to more modern pistols, the Walther PPK is a horrible choice for self-defense.

www.luckygunner.com

BTW, PPK/S and PP magazines interchange with each other, but not so with the shorter PPK mags.

 

[Great Scot]

I’ve owned several PPKs. They all had heavy triggers, were reliable, and amazingly accurate. I currently own an Interarms PPK and it’s been great.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

At one time I purchased a used Interarms, USA-made PPK/S stainless in .380 ACP. It worked just fine, but tended to leave racing stripes on the web of any shooter's hand -- the .380 versions in particular are biters. That was a common Walther PP/PPK problem, not an Interarms issue.

I sold it on, and then more recently purchased a Manurhin PP in .32 ACP. Noticeably softer-shooting, though there was some grit under the trigger bar that caused the occasional SA dead trigger. A thorough cleaning appears to have fixed this.

View attachment 1178450

One of these days I'd like to get another PP in .22 LR. I like the old Walther pocket DAs; they have charisma and a popular appeal, but I'll admit they don't have the best combination of features in the modern shooting world. I'd recommend that anyone who is considering buying one to shoot should get some practice with one first before committing.

The Walther PPK Is Not Very Good - Lucky Gunner Lounge

It's pretty. It looks great on the big screen. But compared to more modern pistols, the Walther PPK is a horrible choice for self-defense.

www.luckygunner.com

BTW, PPK/S and PP magazines interchange with each other, but not so with the shorter PPK mags.

I also had a Manurhin branded PP IN .32. It was better than my .380 PPK, but was only really reliable after removing the LCI, and even then with only a few brands of ammo. Wouldn't feed truncated cone bullets at all.
My experience with the little Walthers was heartbreaking since I REALLY wanted to love them, but just didn't trust them to work.

 

[AlexanderA]

It worked just fine, but tended to leave racing stripes on the web of any shooter's hand -- the .380 versions in particular are biters.

Yup. That's what I meant when I said it was painful to shoot.

 

[Riomouse911]

I had a stainless .380 Interarms/Manhurin PPK/s that was okaaaay. Trigger was the usual PP series heavy, sights were tiny and it reliably feasted on FMJ only, but it started doubling on me so I got rid of it. (With disclosure!)

I really wanted to love the gun, as I am a Bond movie nut, but that particular gun wasn’t the best specimen of the breed. (I did keep an FEG-SMK .380 PPK/s clone that is a great shooter as a substitute.)

Stay safe.

 

[Gork10]

I'm also a Bond movie fan. Always wanted one. Finally got to shoot one. Not sure who imported or made it. Also not sure about reliability. I was bleeding after one round. Made it safe and never wanted one again. Big hands+high hold+ppk/s does not equal a fun shooting experience. Bought a Colt 1903 pocket hammerless in 32acp and love it.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

Bought a Colt 1903 pocket hammerless in 32acp and love it.

That gun has some solid movie creds too. Bogart wielded one in Key Largo, Alan Ladd in the Blue Dahlia and This Gun For Hire, and so on. I think the 1903 was scaled nicely to look big in the hands of smaller actors.

Colt Model 1903/1908 - Internet Movie Firearms Database - Guns in Movies, TV and Video Games

www.imfdb.org

 

[Tallball]

I had a stainless .380 Interarms/Manhurin PPK/s that was okaaaay. Trigger was the usual PP series heavy, sights were tiny and it reliably feasted on FMJ only, but it started doubling on me so I got rid of it. (With disclosure!)

I really wanted to love the gun, as I am a Bond movie nut, but that particular gun wasn’t the best specimen of the breed. (I did keep an FEG-SMK .380 PPK/s clone that is a great shooter as a substitute.)

Stay safe.

FWIW, I have two of the Hungarian clones, a PP in 32 and a PPK in 380. They're both reliable. The PP is a joy to shoot and has an aluminum frame, IIRC.

FEG made some very nice guns, and the ones I got were a fraction of the cost of a real Walther or Browning.

Just a thought in case the Interarms thing doesn't work out.

FEG AP9 32acp

• Tallball
• Dec 28, 2017

 

[halfmoonclip]

Long story with Interarms/Ranger PPK/s. A buddy showed up with a blued example, and it felt so good that I got one as well. I was going to load for it. Despite a lot of experimentation, never found a hollow point load that would run 100 straight. Later learned, they are really meant for FMJs.
Since then, I've acquired two Interarms .32s, which are pleasant to shoot, and have been reliable with my FMJ handloads. The gun was originally designed as a .32, and the cognoscenti on the Walther forum much prefer that caliber.
For the OP, is your pistol German or American?

"Any thoughts or experiences as to why these particular Walthers might have drawn some negative opinions?"
The pecking order is normally German guns, then Manurhin, then Interarms/Ranger, Smith & Walther, and, finally, current production by Umarex/Walther in Ft. Smith. Everything since the S&Walther guns have the big schnozz to protect you from slide bite, but does nothing for the looks of the gun. Current production reputedly will run HPs.
Moon

 

[commygun]

Here’s the little fellow. Hopefully I can shoot it this weekend and hopefully it’s frustration free. Fingers crossed.

 

[golden]

About 10 years ago, I was looking for a pocket carry pistol. I had several small guns and usually carried a 5 shot .38 Special like a S&W 36 or 38 or a CHARTER ARMS Undercover. I found my favorite gun shop had a selection of PPK pistols. Two were stainless and in .380ACP. The S&W cost $675.00 used and the INTERARMS was $200.00 less, but the trigger on the INTERARMS was so gritty, I passed on it. The S&W had a good trigger, but was expensive. I ended up with a GERMAN made WALTHER PPK in .32ACP which had a smooth a trigger as the S&W was more compact as the 2 stainless pistols were PPK/S models with the longer grip used on the PP model.
I also had a MANHURIN made PP,, but found it offered me no advantages over the PPK, so I sold it.

My experience with the INTERARMS was disappointing, as the trigger was really bad.

Jim

 

[cfullgraf]

I have an Interarms PPK/s chambered in 32 ACP. It has been as reliable as a light switch.

Ditto for a WWII Walther PP in 32 ACP.

I have an S&W PPK 380 ACP. It likes RN ammunition but can be hit and miss with designer hollow point bullets. Not to worry, I feel most hollow point rounds won’t expand anyway so I stick with RN bullets anyway.

I’d love to have a PPK in 32 ACP but I have not seriously searched for one.

 

[commygun]

Went to the range today and the initial outing was promising. Prior to going I switched out the factory grips for some thicker wood Herrett’s that I have around for my 7.65 PP. This may have made for a comfortable shooting experience as I didn’t find the gun particularly snappy. Slide bite wasn’t an issue with my long and somewhat narrow hands. Double-action trigger is heavy but can be staged very deliberately. Single-action was very crisp.

Anyway, it went through 150 rounds of 3 kinds of FMJ, followed by 20 rounds each of Hornady XTP and Federal Punch without a bobble. Not exactly a torture test but not bad.
Can’t really speak to inherent accuracy too much as I unfortunately brought a black target and in the overcast light that little front sight disappeared against the target. Nevertheless, I was able to hit multiple clays at 25 yards with it, so, good enough for self-defense.

it did get me thinking about the classic versus the modern, though. Unsurprisingly, it demands more work, more strength, and less comfort than even the most utilitarian of modern designs. After shooting the PPK I ran a couple of magazines through my truck gun G3C (because, like Everest, it was there) and was struck by how relatively effortless it was to shoot compared to the Walther. Ah, well. The G3C doesn’t look like this-

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Sounds like you got a good one. Looks good with the Herretts too.