My new child

[FC]

[FC]

Due to Covid I’m working overtime 22 hours making big bucks.. I caved! Double acteasier than the .22, but the slide spring is very stiff. 

[Dr.Hess]

That's a good one.

[FC]

I love 'em. One of my brothers said he doesn't like them because the gun looks feminine. I said, "A Nazi girl gun?" Guess I'll "her" Gertrude.

[AzRednek]

Yah lucky stiff!! I’ve wanted one since I first became interested in guns. Years ago I passed on one in 32ACP because I wanted a 380. Mid 70’s and he wanted 90 bucks. It was offered by a hippie that worked part time in our auto parts warehouse and I suspected it was likely stolen. He was fired a few weeks later showing up an hour late from his lunch break smelling of marijuana.  
 

About 72 one of my auto parts buyers, a Texaco station that bordered on an Indian reservation. Three Javalina came close and he pulled a PPK out of his pocket, emptied it, didn’t hit any of them but they ran away. He told me a few weeks earlier a Javalina seriously injured his dog. I was hooked on his pistol as I called on him weekly for several months and had no idea he was packing. He was located near a highway and claimed he needed the protection from what he called highway moochers looking for free gas with sob stories. 
 

The prices they are getting nowadays for a new PPK are beyond my reach, 7-800 is not unusual. Don’t see used ones very often at gun shows. The WW2 Nazi marked go for a small fortune as do the Mauser HSC. Hopefully I’ll find a PPKS I can afford or trade for someday but no was will I pay 700+ bucks for a new one. 

[AzRednek]

I’ve got one similar the Polish P-64. From what I’ve read on the net it’s a near clone mechanically to the PPK but slightly larger. It’s also all steel no lightweight alloys and heavy for its size. It chambered for the 9MM Makarov. Being the cheapskate I am it’s about as close as I’ll ever get to a PPKs.

 

[ken98k]

12 hours ago, FC said:

Very cool!

 

[FC]

I haven't heard of that Polish one. Yeah, it was too expensive really at $800, but I got 5% off military. Can you believe I got the .22 version this year for $217? PSA had a bit of ammo. One box of each caliber limit. I got one .223, one 9mm (both for my brother), and .17HMR, which did not go up in price. 9mm HP Fiocchi was $30 for 50, which is good for price right now.

[FC]

https://www.ammoland.com/2017/05/walther-ppk-pistol-history-review/

Like this article says, the recoil is harsh. I didn't know what a PP was. I read that the PPK/s incorporated PP design too.

[FC]

I got to reading about safety. Since my wife doesn't practice, I think leaving the ppk/s with one in the chamber, and safety off/hammer down would be the best plan. It's kept in an unlocked case on the fridge. It could go off if dropped. If I engaged the safety she'd probably get confused with the stress of the moment, pull the trigger, and nothing would happen. Then she'd try to rack it, which is tough. I've told her she needs to practice!https://www.waltherforums.com/threads/safety-on-revisited.17480/

[AzRednek]

15 hours ago, FC said:

https://www.ammoland.com/2017/05/walther-ppk-pistol-history-review/

Like this article says, the recoil is harsh. I didn't know what a PP was. I read that the PPK/s incorporated PP design too.

It’s my understanding the difference between the two was barrel length. The shorter PPKs could not be imported after GCA/68 but the longer PPK could. Currently with the PPKs being assembled in the USA its legal.
 

My Polish clone has snappy but controllable recoil. With 9X18 Hornady self defense HP’s there is a noticeable increase but still easy to keep control. I don’t recall if the Hornady was rated +P but most likely manufactured with the larger Makarov pistols in mind. Between two P-64’s I’ve put hundreds of cheapie steel case Commie ammo through them without ever having a failure I can recall. My P-64 and Makarovs will also shoot and function with 380’s but the accuracy is terrible putting a .355 bullet down a .364 bore. 
 

If you should ever acquire a P-64 a lighter hammer spring kit is just about mandatory. The Poles designed a sub machine gun that was also chambered in 9X18 Makarov. It required very heavy primers. The Poles installed very heavy hammer springs on their handguns to handle the hard primers. The double action pull was beyond ridiculous, 25lbs + according to the net. I sent away for a kit with a 12 and 16 pound trigger spring. A bit stiff but manageable with the 16 but the 12lb spring was very smooth and handled the steel case ammo and my hand loads just fine. The magazine lips are fragile I bent one beyond repair trying to rapidly reload a mag. 

[AzRednek]

Tony, here yah go, 10 things you probably didn’t know about your PPKs.

 

 

[AzRednek]

Back in the late 70’s I often crossed paths with a shooter in the desert on Sunday afternoons. Were were acquainted as our wives worked together. He had two PPK clones. A 22 made by RG Rohm that his 10 years old daughter was a real crack shot with it. He had a PPK clone made in Turkey chambered in 380. The 22 was pleasant to shoot but none of the adults could match his daughter’s shooting. At about 20-25 yards she rarely failed to knock cans off of two sawhorses. Adults myself included were doing good if we knocked over half. His Turk PPK was a jam o matic most were failure to eject which I suspected his reloads were the problem. A guy I gold prospected with about 1980-81 carried a Turk PPK clone. Last time we met up I shot it a bunch and he shot my 1911. I had trouble hitting what I aimed at but it never jammed. He offered it with $100 for my Colt 1911 38 Super and naturally I declined. 
 

Saw a deal today on the net for a Bersa 380 for $269. I was tempted to buy it. A close friend carried one for years claiming to never have a jam. A 380 Bersa might be about as close as I ever get to a PPK. From what I’ve read on the net the Bersa is very similar to the PPK design but not close enough parts interchange. The only 380 I now have is a commercial Mauser HSC pictured below. I was disappointed with. I did have a Russian Makarov in 380 and didn’t waste any time getting rid of it. It had a 380 chamber but the bore was for the larger 9MM Makarov bullet. On paper it looked nearly like a shotgun pattern. I traded it straight across for an Italian 410 O/U shotgun. 

[ken98k]

Is this an Arkansas pistol? 

[Dr.Hess]

I had one like this:

(random pic from teh Intr4w3bz, http://www.hungariae.com/FegSMC380.htm )

that I bought at a gunshow many years ago.  It is a FEG SMC-380, made by FEG in Hungary, 380ACP, pretty similar to a PPK. I didn't pay much for it, and you know how that is at a gun show:  If it is too cheap, there's something wrong.  Anyway, on test firing, it jammed every time, including loading the first round.  So, apart it came and there was a huge gouge in the feed ramp area of the frame.  Practically a lip.  About 5 minutes with a dremmel type moto tool and it was perfect, never jamming again.  Traded it off years ago for something else.  No idea what they would sell for today, given the crazy prices.

[FC]

That's a pretty little gun. I didn't know PPKs were so widely copied. AZ, I'll watch that video.

I've fed two types of hollow points through it, and steel-cased and brass-cased jacketed through it without any problems. Double action is pretty stiff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJuEs3aMvOk  Guns of Bond.

[AzRednek]

9 hours ago, Dr.Hess said:

I had one like this:

(random pic from teh Intr4w3bz, http://www.hungariae.com/FegSMC380.htm )

that I bought at a gunshow many years ago.  It is a FEG SMC-380, made by FEG in Hungary, 380ACP, pretty similar to a PPK. I didn't pay much for it, and you know how that is at a gun show:  If it is too cheap, there's something wrong.  Anyway, on test firing, it jammed every time, including loading the first round.  So, apart it came and there was a huge gouge in the feed ramp area of the frame.  Practically a lip.  About 5 minutes with a dremmel type moto tool and it was perfect, never jamming again.  Traded it off years ago for something else.  No idea what they would sell for today, given the crazy prices.

 

I had one of those, bought it from J&G for 90 some bucks early 90’s. It was a jam o matic from the start and sat in my vault for a few years. Board member Horsefly suggested another mag then presto never another jam. I traded it away when Backpage was active. Can’ recall for sure as I made so many trades. I think I got a Remington 870 for it.

[AzRednek]

18 hours ago, ken98k said:

Is this an Arkansas pistol? 

What is an Arkansas pistol??

[Dr.Hess]

Walther is now associated with Umarex, in Ft. Smith, AR, about 60 miles south of me.  The PPK's are made there now.  I don't recall the exact relationship, that is, if Walther licensed it to Umarex or sold it to them or what, but that's where the US PPK's come from.  "Word on the street" is that they are a higher quality than the ones that S&W was making.

[AzRednek]

2 minutes ago, Dr.Hess said:

Walther is now associated with Umarex, in Ft. Smith, AR, about 60 miles south of me.  The PPK's are made there now.  I don't recall the exact relationship, that is, if Walther licensed it to Umarex or sold it to them or what, but that's where the US PPK's come from.  "Word on the street" is that they are a higher quality than the ones that S&W was making.

If I remember correctly S&W did a recall on their version. I assume whomever is making it now worked out the bugs. A wealthy member of my gun club has a collection of WW2 Nazi marked pistols. He claims most were from downed captured pilots in the battle of Briton. Among his collection he had several PPK’s, most possibly all of them were 32 ACP that looked brand new. Most if not all he displayed had matching magazine numbers and a few holsters had the pilot’s name written under the flap. Really wish I had taken photos. Among his collection were Spanish Astra, HSC and a Polish mfg pistol that looked very similar to the PPK. If I remember right the Polish pistol was the only one that didn’t have a Swastica stamped on it anywhere. Most had a Swastica on the grips and the Spanish had a small one stamped into the slide.

I often feel out of place at some of the meetings. Dollar wise my entire gun collection is worth a fraction of some of the individual pieces these hard core collectors bring in for display. Probably the highest dollar item I saw was a Colt cap&ball with long barrel, Colt factory wood carry case and detachable butt stock. Immediately after his turn in the show and tell portion of the meeting. He was approached by two Colt collectors. All I heard him say “gentlemen I just turned down a 100,000 offer”. The moderator tapped the gavel indicating silence then their negotiations turned to a whisper. I was later told he didn’t sell it. Just some of the legal full autos I’ve seen are worth big bucks. One in particular a Thompson chambered in 38 Super with drum mag could likely fetch six figures. Unfortunately since the Chink Stink we’re doing good if a dozen members or guests show up at the meetings. 
 

Ooops caught myself keyboard rambling again. I’ll shut up now. I’m a bit nervous as it’s more Chemo tomorrow morning. I get nauseous just thinking about it 

[manureman]

  Very nice Tony! And had no idea they were in Arkansas now

[FC]

Me neither. Right there with Dr. Hess.

[ken98k]

6 hours ago, FC said:

Me neither. Right there with Dr. Hess.

I was wondering if your pistol was one of the Arkansas made guns. I think if it was made there it would be stamped as such.

[FC]

It is from ARK, but slide is German.

[AzRednek]

12 hours ago, FC said:

It is from ARK, but slide is German.

After the GCA68 import restriction. There were manufactures that imported the foreign pistols in parts then assembled them here as made and stamped in USA. The ATF by bureaucratic decree using their own interpretation not with Congress’ approval. Added further import restrictions. I’m sneaking into the dark portion of my memory and could be wrong. I think ATF demanded receivers and possibly barrels be manufactured domestically. Just speculating the current Arkansas pistols could be a mixture of German and USA manufactured parts. It could be the same reason Beretta, Sig, CZ, Walther, Desert Eagle and others opened USA manufacturing facilities here.
 

After Biden saves the country, ends all crime, bigotry and the USA becomes the United States of the People’s Utopia. No telling how it will affect future foreign imports.