Is Walther PPk the best choice for my first handgun?

Answer 1

It depends on your needs, wants and most importantly in this case, your wallet.

If you have the money to be spending on a fine, legendary example of 20th Century European engineering and craftsmanship, then by all means the PPK is a fine pistol. I have one and it remains one of the most popular to show from my collection.

While I would consider the PPK to be mainly a collector's show piece, the fact that it is a dependable sidearm that can be pressed into service and relied on to do it's duty when needed should not be discounted.

It's kinda like having a 1964 Jaguar XKE in your garage. To the collector, it's a fine example of style and engineering and way sexy, but if you need to drive it to the store for milk, well it will do that too!

I normally recommend that people buy quality stainless revolvers in .357 for their first handgun.....and also for many people who are looking for a home defense weapon that requires little operational training and can be counted on to perform without much care or practice.

You must consider that the PPK has limited (some would say questionable) stopping power. The most common caliber is .32acp but .380acp PPKs were also made. Using a round of these calibers puts you well below the "minimum defense caliber" limit in the view of most modern experts, with the minimum being 9mm in semi-auto and .38S&W in revolver.

DID YOU KNOW......

When Ian Fleming was originally drafting the character of James Bond, he considered having 007 actually carry a Smith&Wesson Centennial Airweight in lightweight alloy with a bobbed hammer?

Answer 2

Walther ppks jam. Do a search online and you will find support for this. I have experience with this and I am not the only one.

I guess the question is why do you want a handgun? If you want to have the joy of shooting and learn skills go with a 22 probably a ruger mkIII. If you need a gun for extreme social situations get a 9mm. It is your first handgun so you need practice; 9mm ammo is affordable. Use good ammo for carry or at home.

Now you are going to be told to get a .45 1911. This is really a great idea. You are new so you won't reload so you will never practice because it is cost prohibitive. When you do practice since you never developed good skills on a friendlier gun you will develop flinches and other bad habits (i.e. you will actually get worse with practice).

Answer 3

Its all a matter of personal choice and how much you are willing to spend. How well does the PPK fit your hand? Are you looking at a .380 or .32? Ronijin is correct. The Walters PPK .380acp does have a lot of snap. Especially inexperienced shooters with small hands complain about this. This is because the PPK is small and relatively lightweight.

If you are willing to pay the asking price for a PPK consider a Beretta 84 .380 high cap instead. This is a heavier .380 with more grip to cushion the recoil. If this is truly a 'first gun' consider the Walters P-22 instead. Same make, more modern design and much lighter caliber, .22 Long Rifle. Consider for a first gun also the revolver which is more user friendly.

Of course, if the PPK you are looking at is 'just right,' then go for it. One of my very first handguns was a Mauser .380 HSc.

H

Answer 4

It may or may not be, that's a personal issue which depends on your physique, experience and what you want to use it for. There's no universal right first handgun for someone, my friend's wife has one of these as her second, her first was a little 7 shot 357 Taurus, but that's what she wanted. My friend actually uses the Walther more than she does and he enjoys it greatly.

Get down to the range and try a few, see what suits you, buy it if you need it.

Some people are bound to advise you to buy a 22 or a Glock or a 1911 because of their preconceptions about what you want it for. My first was a Glock 20 and I have never regretted it for a moment, I was looking for a defensive firearm with good power, capacity and reliability that fitted my big hands and it has been everything I wanted over the last nine years. I didn't buy a 22 until my 70 year old English mother announced that she'd like to try shooting next time she was here. She turned out to shoot like Annie Oakley and graduated to the 9mm after ten minutes.

Answer 5

Overpriced, overrated, underpowered. . .

If you must have a .380, get a Bersa. Nice little copy of the Walther but you can get it for about $250.00 as opposed to $450.

If this is going to be a first handgun, a .22 is a good place to start. Learn the basics of gun handling without spending a fortune on ammo.

If you have to have something more powerful, get a smith & wesson or Ruger .357 mag. Good quality guns that you can fire the .38 Special through when practicing.

Answer 6

Bound's hubby here:

Whether the PPK is the best choice really depends on what you are buying it for. If you were buying it just to have a pistol, yes, good choice. If you are buying it for self-defense, it's a better choice than nothing at all. If you are buying it for target shooting, the PPK (either in .32 or .380) is not a target pistol. If you are buying it for hunting, I would limit your hunting choice to lab mice. The PPK is a stylish, well made pistol, but it is mission specific.

Personally, it would be hard for me to choose a PPK as the best pistol. I target shoot, I hunt, and I protect my family. There are better pistols out there for my purposes than a PPK.

Whether your PPK is a best first pistol, really depends on what you want and what you want it for.

Good luck.

Answer 7

A Walther PPK .380 has more kick than a 9mm??? LOL!!! Sorry, Ronijin, but you've got it "bass-ackwards". .380's are A LOT easier to shoot for learning, but the ammo seems to be more expensive than a 9mm. PS: My g/f LOVED my .380, doesn't like 9mm. Too much "kick".

Answer 8

Your first handgun should be a 22 rimfire with enough barrel length for a good sight picture. Next a centerfire revolver. Then it gets complicated. That's the best progression to give you a learning curve to become a good shot.

Answer 9

Your better of buying some sort of .22 hadgun. The reason I say this is practice is cheap and you wont develop a flinch. Granted a .380 has very minimal recoil ammo is expensive. You can buy a brick or 550 rounds of .22 for the same price as one box of .380, and theirs only 50 rounds to a box. So to train and become proficent a .22 is simply better to learn on.

Answer 10

Ruger P-89 makes a great first gun. minimal recoil. Of course revolvers are also great, easy to handle (even on some of the larger calibers), easy to use, and clean.