I just put some money down on a used Walther PPK/S 380 for CCW use.  It felt good in my hand.  Can anyone tell me how it shoots?  problems?

Thanks for your responses!!!

Rickcis,  I have carried a PPK's for over thirty years.  Probably carry it 75% of the time the other 25% I carry a Smith 1911 or a Smith 4506.  I like the Bianchi suede shoulder holster for carrying under a sweatshirt or jacket, and a Bianchi boot holster for warmer weather.  My latest PPK/s is the Smith & Wesson made model with the smoother edges and extended beavertail.  Much better then previous models that almost always left train tracks on the back of your hand!  It is decently accurate.  Able to hit a laptop screen at 50 yards!  As far a stopping power, I would not want to get shot with it and my feelings are any caliber weapon is better than no weapon.  Besides you have seven shots! All the PPK/S that I have ever owned or handled like hot loads.  I have been using Federal JHPs for several years with zero malfunctions.  So depending on your situation you may find the PPK/s to your liking.

I really considered one as well.  My normal CCW weapon is a Glock 30 but during the summer or at work the Glock 30 can be real uncomfortable wearing all day.  Under these conditions where your choice is to get a smaller gun that you will have on you or a bigger gun that you will not have because it is not comfortable...  well, obviously the 380 in hand is better then wishing you had the gun you left in the car or at home.

I ended up buying a S&W 3919 for this role of a summer gun.  It is just a little bigger then the PPK/S but it is also 9mm and it was cheaper (this is a limited use gun for me).

Good luck

The Walther has been a great CCW gun since 1929, and it still is.

Today, it's been "overtaken by events" by modern "Pocket Rocket" guns like the excellent Kahr Arms guns, which are as small OR SMALLER then the PPK/s, and are far more powerful in 9mm and .40 Caliber.

The Walther has a lot to offer, and in the 1960's was considered to be that generations "Gold Standard" in a defense auto.
Today, it's the Kahr that fills that place.

No other .380 auto ever quite managed to offer everything the Walther does in such a small package, and it's a great gun.

The secrets to having a good carry Walther is to experiment with ammo to find a brand/type that feeds reliably in THAT particular gun.

Second, shoot enough of THAT ammo in THAT gun with THOSE magazines to be 100% SURE the combination of ammo, gun, and magazines are totally reliable.
Accuracy is a very distant issue on a defense gun.

Next, use ONLY genuine factory Walther magazines.  Aftermarket mags often cause problems.

In shooting, you'll probably notice that the Walther has a sharp recoil.
If the slide cuts your hand, use a stone to lightly break the INNER AND OUTER rear edges of the slide.
You can also lightly round off the frame's rear tang where it contacts your hand.

I have been looking at a PPK/S for six months now and put my name down on the local gun shop's call list.

I have a S&W SS PPK in .380, and having shot both, would vote for a PPK (or a PPS if you can find one - same size, 9mm, more Glock-ish if you're into that). Sure, you lose one round, but the carry profile is a lot less. The extended mag w the pinky rest on it makes the weapon more controllable some. Some of my more German relatives also see the PPK/S as the franken Walther, since it's a PPK slide on a PP frame.

Mine likes all kinds of ammo but the AE stuff. Even Wolf (and for the naysayers, the .380 came in steel cases prior and during WW2), although not for carry, since the primers are pretty hard on occasion, needing a double strike. Great for flinch practice through.

Good enough either way, and +1 to the guy that said he would not want to be hit by one. The .380 will do the job if asked to. German cops carrying a PP drop bad guys with a single shot at >25m, and that's good enough for me.

Oh, and I use a Galco IWB holster, or park it in some pocket.

Well got a call at work that one came in. So...

http://www.badpolizei.com/Photos/PPKS01.JPG

The only thing I don't like is that I can't use the mag without the thumb rest.

I tend to think about the caliber more when I consider the climate of the area. Down here in Fl, where flip flops and t-shirts are the normal attire, you have less to shoot through. I think a 380 would be plenty. Many times, I'm running out of the house with a Seecamp 32. I do own a PPK, and despite having things that are about the same size with more power...there is a pride of ownership that I just dig.

UPDATE!!!!

I looked at the used one I had on lay-away and I would have gotten "bitten" real good between the thumb and the forefinger.  I got my deposit back and went and bought a new PPK/S.  The selling price was $519.00 which I though was fair.  Now to buy a good IWB holster!!!

Welcome to the club dude. I took my CHL class on Saturday, now I need to find a holster, send my forms in and sit back for 6-8 weeks.