PPK - .32 vs .380 (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 2/12/2026 2:54:44 PM EDT
[Last Edit: CRSSBNS][Edited]
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Looks like Walther is going to be discontinuing production of these indefinitely. I've wanted one since watching Bond movies as a kid. Debating on which caliber to choose - .32 auto or .380 auto. It will be carried a little, but mostly a range toy and display piece as it will be irreplicable once they sell out of their existing inventory. Which caliber should I choose? Is one more reliable in cycling in PPKs? Does one caliber wear the frame/slide out faster? And no, I can't afford both lol |
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Originally Posted By JsARCLIGHT: I have one of the newer 380 PPKs. It has worked without any issues, although the edges of the beavertail will start to dig into your hand after a few mags. I wish they would have done away with that extended beavertail. Do you ever feel like you wanted the .32? I've never shot a straight blowback pistol outside of a .22 but have shot locked breach 380s like the LCP and liked them |
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Originally Posted By CRSSBNS: Do you ever feel like you wanted the .32? I've never shot a straight blowback pistol outside of a .22 but have shot locked breach 380s like the LCP and liked them They didn't offer the 32 when I bought mine. From what I understand the "new" 32 was only recently offered like a year or two ago or so? I have heard people say the 32 is much softer shooting. If they had the 32 with the old school tiny beavertail I might seek one out, but from the sound of it they are soon to be gone. |
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I have a Walther PP chambered in 32ACP. It's a really sweet shooter in that caliber. However, 32ACP is getting harder to find and more expensive. 380 is a very common caliber. If I were to get one today, I'd get a 380 just for ammo availability alone. It's hard to believe these were once "duty guns". |
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IMO, the ONLY reason to consider a PPK is because you like the history of it. You buy it because it's a relic. As such, it should be a .32. But if you're buying a .32 because you want a highly concealable pistol for pocket carry or something, there are far better choices. Something like a KelTec P32 makes much more sense. Oh, and in a pocket size gun, the .32 is a smarter choice than .380. The .32 is far more controllable and probably just as effective since a .380 isn't going to expand out of a short barrel. |
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Attached File Attached File Attached File I really like my PPK in .380…..after a few custom touches. The only problem I’ve had with mine was the 20 pound recoil spring. It caused a few FTE when I didn’t have a perfect grip. I swapped it out with a 17 pound spring and haven’t had any malfunctions of any kind since….limp wrist, hollow points, 3 finger grip—feeds and extracts perfectly over the last 500 rounds. Recoil is snappy, but despite the heavy trigger and tiny grip, it’s surprisingly accurate |
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I have a 380 PPK and two 32 PP's The 32 is much nicer cartridge to shoot. The 380 is quite snappy. Ballistically I consider them a toss up. The 32 will give slightly better penetration and another round or two in the mag. The 380 a marginally larger whole. Neither is a one handed death ray. I'm not convinced hollow points add much to either round. I own upwards of a dozen 32 pistols but only four or five in 380. |
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Originally Posted By dmk0210: I have a Walther PP chambered in 32ACP. It's a really sweet shooter in that caliber. However, 32ACP is getting harder to find and more expensive. 380 is a very common caliber. If I were to get one today, I'd get a 380 just for ammo availability alone. It's hard to believe these were once "duty guns". I've had zero issues finding 32 ammo. |
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I have a KelTec P32 and my LGS carries several types of 32 ammo on the reg. They are rarely sold out as it seems few people in my area shoot 32. I actually have trouble getting 380 sometimes as at that LGS it is a far more popular round and the cheaper bulk packs are regularly sold out. Edit: And a cursory glance online shows a ton of both in stock at various websites. |
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This thread actually made me go look at OG small beaver tail 32 PPKs on Gunstroker, and all are far more than I'd want to pay for one. I think OP should shoot the 380 first and then decide if a 32 is wanted or not. Honestly my 380 PPK lives on a rack in my safe. It is not a carry piece, it is not a regular shooter. It is a "have one just to have one" pistol. I'd trade my black 380 for a small beavertail blued 32 in a heartbeat, but I highly doubt anyone who has a blued 32 small beavertail would want a modern 380. |
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I'm leaning towards getting a second one in .32 auto Should I get another stainless or go blued to be as accurate as possible? Always been a stainless guy because I'm kinda retarded and have had guns rust in the past. But blued is more movie correct. Also, debating on whether its worth it to go with the SD model for factory threaded barrel, or get the regular one and have an threaded barrel pressed in at a later time if I wanted to go suppressed one day Hummmmmm. Need help with this one guys. |
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Originally Posted By CRSSBNS: I'm leaning towards getting a second one in .32 auto Should I get another stainless or go blued to be as accurate as possible? Always been a stainless guy because I'm kinda retarded and have had guns rust in the past. But blued is more movie correct. Also, debating on whether its worth it to go with the SD model for factory threaded barrel, or get the regular one and have an threaded barrel pressed in at a later time if I wanted to go suppressed one day Hummmmmm. Need help with this one guys. The threaded barrel ones ruin the aesthetics of the PPK and also aren't Bond accurate as he had internal threads/movie magic. Blued vs Stainless is tough. |
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I have several pistol cal suppressors and feel that if you want to suppress a PPK, go with the 22LR variant. It would be cheaper and quieter. I have one and the feel is pretty close to the 380 from a materials and handling standpoint, just with no real recoil to speak of. Plus they use the old Walther P22 style thread adapters so you can "unthread" your barrel if you so choose. As for finish I never cared for the stainless PPKs. I think it is because the finish is kind of a semi-gloss, somewhat matte look. The melonite black finished guns are the same. None of them have a luster or gloss to them, they all have this semi-matte dullness to their finish. I just feel that look works better on the black guns. Personal preference. |
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I bought a blued Walther PPKs after Interarms collaborated with Walther to manufacture the PPKs in the US in the early 80’s. My PPKs frame was out of spec and started malfunctioning because the trigger bar was hanging up on the out of spec frame. My PPKs was replaced with a new pistol which I sold and bought a S&W 469. I later purchased a Stainless Steel PPK made under license by S&W. During the time my PPKs was shipped for warranty repair a Friend loaned me his Manurhin Walther PP in 32 ACP. I never had any issues with shooting the Walther PP,PPKs or PPK whether 380 or 32. As far as the difference in recoil there isn’t enough difference to make a difference to me between the 32 & 380. The Walther PP and PPK are classics and as far as overall package I liked the SS Walther PPK the best. The Walther PP, PPKs, PPK are a dated design but are still classics. I recently shot my Friends old Walther PP 32 which was like a trip back in time. As much as I liked my old Stainless Steel PPK 380 I would still choose my Glock 42 380 for concealed carry. The PPK is a classic but dated. Below is a picture of my Friend’s Manurhin PP with my Glock 42 for comparison. 
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Originally Posted By CRSSBNS: So it looks like the "blued" one is some sort of parkerizing coating? Perhaps it would be better to get the stainless one and have it nitride coated, since the surface coating will effectively look the same. What do you guys think? The new Fort Smith guns have a melonite black finish. It isn't a coating to my knowledge and has more in common with bluing in that it causes the steel to turn black. I'm not a chemist so perhaps someone else with better knowledge can chime in. |
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Originally Posted By CRSSBNS: Is it worth it to buy a second one in .32 auto? Ugh, I don't wanna regret getting the .380 I know these aren't technically movie correct with the extended beavertail and the stainless finish but I know this is my last chance to get one brand new... The extended beavertail is a major improvement. My older older guns can draw blood. Almost always as I think about it. |
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I've owned PPKs in .380 before and always sold them... the extra power of the .380 just magnifies everything that's wrong with the gun. Recently picked up a Manurhin .32 version and it's actually a pleasant shooting, accurate pistol. Now finding .32 without paying through the nose, that's something else... |
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 I have one of the new PPK pistols in 7.65. I also have a pre WW2 (1936) PP in the same caliber. The new PPK is very accurate in my hands, more so than the pre war PP. It was pretty stiff when I first fired it, leading to some extraction issues, but after running a couple hundred rounds through it, it has become very reliable With S&B and Fiocchi ball ammo. Everyone that has seen the pistol is very impressed with how it looks, and I am impressed in how it shoots. I have better pistols that I would carry instead of it, but if I for some reason had to carry it I know I could put rounds in the right place if needed. |
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Well, I just ordered a .32 and am attempting to cancel the order for the 380 with Buds. Thought a lot about it and I think this will be a better choice. Am curious if you can get factory threaded barrels for these that I can keep around in case I wanted a gunsmith to press it in at some point in the future. If Walther is discontinuing these, will they even be able to work on them if I sent it in to have a barrel swapped in the future? |
GoldenEye convinced me I NEED a ppk. My stainless ppk/s in .380 from "back in the day" didn't cut it. I can't hit anything with it and didn't want to file down the front sight. The "Walther" ppk in .22 is fun suppressed, but Meh. Walther "discontinuing" the line, and CDNN's sales, convinced me to go for it. The spare NIW .32 ppk mag I have sitting around didn't help. Ended up with a PPSD in .32. Reminded the hard way of the difference between the PP and the PPK. Range time soon, I hope. 
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| The issue I had with the Walther PPK was the back part of the frame was made up by the grip, so you couldn't put the Pachmayr grip on it. So I traded it for a HP. Got a Walther PPK/S. Problem solved. Essentially a PP with a PPk Slide and barrel, extra round, steel frame in the back bigger grip. The slide would catch the upper part of my hand sometimes. Never like the S&W version of it, the abomination of adding the ugly beaver tail completely ruined its aesthetics. |
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Originally Posted By CRSSBNS: Is it worth it to buy a second one in .32 auto? Ugh, I don't wanna regret getting the .380 I know these aren't technically movie correct with the extended beavertail and the stainless finish but I know this is my last chance to get one brand new... I'm curious why you want a new one. If you're attracted to them for historic/nostalgic reasons, seems like getting an old one makes more sense. BTW, it's unlikely you'll encounter many "worn out" examples. These things aren't fun enough to shoot that anybody is likely to wear one out. If it were me, I'd be digging through Gunbroker and scouring the inventory at Simpson Ltd.. I'd also keep an eye on Manurhin branded ones. That's who actually made most of the Walthers, so it's the same gun. Often they're cheaper. IMO, the older you go on these, the happier you'll be. I admit I haven't looked at new PPKs in a few years but the ones I saw about 7-8 years ago were not impressive. Older is better. |
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Originally Posted By Sajer: I’ve got the .380 version and it’s not overly fun to shoot. I never considered the PPK an all afternoon sort of plinking pistol.  |
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Originally Posted By CRSSBNS: Well, I just ordered a .32 and am attempting to cancel the order for the 380 with Buds. Thought a lot about it and I think this will be a better choice. Am curious if you can get factory threaded barrels for these that I can keep around in case I wanted a gunsmith to press it in at some point in the future. If Walther is discontinuing these, will they even be able to work on them if I sent it in to have a barrel swapped in the future? BTW: my EDC is a Walther PP in .32 |
"Such predicaments! I must forge ahead!"
I like the Fort Smith Walthers. I wasn't given the option of the 380, only the 32s had threaded barrels.  We shot quite a lot of S&B surplus yesterday through the PPK S/D. No problem with the recoil. As mention quite a bit earlier, the 32 shoots much nicer than the 380. The only problem was some of the rounds took a second blow to fire. That S&B ammo was made for the Škorpion vz. 61 and seems to have harder primers. None of the commercial ammo had problems. European 7.65mm CIP ammo is loaded a bit hotter than the SAAMI spec 32 ACP. Anyway, I liked them enough to buy two threaded barrel Walthers. It lets my inner James Bond come out.  Oh, we were using a GSL Alleycat silencer.
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The PPK was engineered for the 7.65 Browning cartridge. The .380 is not the round for the PPK. I have a Walther (Manhurin) PP and am preparing to receive a brand-new Bersa Thunder .32 in just a couple of days. I prefer shooting Fiocchi 73-grain FMJ in every situation. (Penetration, power, and accuracy are the key reasons for using this ammunition.) I have a Tanfoglio and Zastava (all-steel) pistols in .32 and a Kel-Tec P32. They work just fine. |
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Originally Posted By Jambalaya: I have the .380 and I wish I had got the .32. People don't think it over, believing that "bigger is always better." This is NOT the case with the PPK. Even the PP shooters suffer a bit from "warmer" .380 loads. (The tang wrenches up into the hand's web.) So many ignore this advice, regretting buying a Walther PP/PPK chambered in .380. |
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Originally Posted By CaptainO: People don't think it over, believing that "bigger is always better." This is NOT the case with the PPK. Even the PP shooters suffer a bit from "warmer" .380 loads. (The tang wrenches up into the hand's web.) So many ignore this advice, regretting buying a Walther PP/PPK chambered in .380. Originally Posted By CaptainO: Originally Posted By Jambalaya: I have the .380 and I wish I had got the .32. People don't think it over, believing that "bigger is always better." This is NOT the case with the PPK. Even the PP shooters suffer a bit from "warmer" .380 loads. (The tang wrenches up into the hand's web.) So many ignore this advice, regretting buying a Walther PP/PPK chambered in .380. |
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Originally Posted By Jambalaya: Yep, I'd trade it straight across forr a .32 without a second thought. It was an expensive lesson. I wouldn't feel disadvantaged with the .380 but for pure shootability the .32 is the correct choice. This is precisely why I have ordered a Bersa Thunder .32. The Argentinian version of the PPK is: 1. Lighter; 2. Has a smoother/lighter DA/SA trigger pull; 3. Costs less; 4. Holds 10+1. What's not to like? |
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Originally Posted By ken_mays: I've owned PPKs in .380 before and always sold them... the extra power of the .380 just magnifies everything that's wrong with the gun. Recently picked up a Manurhin .32 version and it's actually a pleasant shooting, accurate pistol. Now finding .32 without paying through the nose, that's something else... Order 1000 rounds of Fiocchi 73-grain FMJ online and be happy. These are loaded to Euro-spec levels and generally penetrate between 18 and 22 inches in heavily clothed ballistic gel. This load is accurate and works extremely well in self-defense scenarios. You'll thank me later. |
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I had a .32 PPK once. It fit nicely into my pocket and was enjoyable to shoot. My policy on older guns is "if I'm not stealing, I'm not dealing", but if the price was right I'd probably have one again. |
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This is why I do NOT embrace the .380 in any of the 3 Walther pistols. They do not make sense. I can imagine the following quote came from a well-known society. The “Three Stupid” Rule: “Do not go to stupid places, with stupid people, and do stupid things.” In other words, don't have a terminal case of "dumb-@$$". Works for me. |