Specifications

Walther PPK

“You’ll carry the Walther…unless, of course, you prefer to go back to standard intelligence duties” – M

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CCW Approved

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German Engineering

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Iconic

Accessories

Specifications

Caliber .380 ACP
Overall Length 6.1″
Action Blowback (SA/DA)
Capacity6 rounds
Barrel Length 3.3″
Height 3.8″
Width 1″
Weight (empty) 22.1oz

The introduction to one of the most widely-known sub compact handguns in history. Used by those who slay women in the bedroom and used to slay the Nazi. The classic spy gun.

Overview

The Walther PPK is a subcompact semi-automatic pistol made in Germany by Carl Walther GmbH Sportswaffen or otherwise know as Walther. The PPK is the smaller version of the Walther PP. The Walther PP (Polizeipistole) was originally introduced in 1929 as a standard issue police pistol. The PPK (Polizeipistole Kriminalmodell) was then released in 1930 as the shorter, more compact Police detective version.

Fun Fact: The “K” in PPK doesn’t stand for “kurz” (“short” in German) like it does for another popular German gun – the MP5K. The “K” stands for “Kriminalmodell” or “Criminal model” which is really the “detective” version.

The PP and PPK originally were both fired in .32 ACP / 7.65mm Browning. Walther created a small variation to the PPK in due to the Gun Control Act of 1968 in America. The PPK/s was created and is now chambered in .380 ACP along with the original verison. The PPK/s is slightly longer in the grip to adhere to the new gun laws. The .380 ACP round has bigger stopping capacity but is slightly larger than the .32 ACP so the magazine capacity was lowered by 1 in the normal PPK but remains to be 7 rounds in the PPK/s version.

Comparison of Walther PP and Walther PPK

Operating Usage

A couple of notable things: The PPK has a manual safety which also acts a decocker which many other handguns have the safety and decocker separate. Due to the small size, the PPK had a tendency to “slide bite” the operator’s hand if the hand was too close to the slide when firing. The PPK has some “weight” to it even though it is of a smaller size. This actually helps with accuracy and recoil.

Walther PPK Safety/Decocker

The PPK was small but had easy components to manage and clean because of the simple operation of the “blowback” action.

History

The PPK was used by many undercover units and individuals needing a good concealable firearm during a number of wars/conflicts during the 1930s and 1940s including World War II. Since this a German firearm, it was very popular with the German military, police, and due to the small stature, it was great for the SS undercover work. The Führer himself, Adolf Hitler, ended his life with his own PPK in 1945 in the Reich Chancellery. South Korean dictator Park Chung-hee was shot and killed also with the PPK which ended dictator rule in South Korea.

The PPK was as one of the most used concealed carry firearms during the prime of it’s lifetime. Many European military and police units adopted the PPK as their standard concealable carry sidearm well after World War II. Today, it is a popular CCW choice for small hands and for women because it can be hidden in purses and small handbags easily.

“…with a delivery like a brick through a plate glass window…” – Q

In Popular Culture

The Walther PPK is one of the world’s most iconic guns. Elvis Presley had his own personalized gold and silver versions in his gun collection. Everyone knows though, the way the PPK got famous was from Ian Fleming’s James Bond 007. The James Bond franchise has been releasing movies since 1962 and still going strong. James Bond has used the PPK for 21+ movies.

For Your Eyes Only

007 got assigned his new Walther PPK in the beginning of the movie Dr. No. He was hesitant about switching out his old .25 caliber Beretta 418. He even tried to sneak it with him on his way out of M’s office before M told him to leave it with him. Since then, it has been odd seeing him without his PPK. He has used it for a very long time spanning over 5 decades.

In 1997, the movie Tomorrow Never Dies introduced the new Walther handgun – the Walther P99. This was to replace the aging Walther PPK. With the advancement of modern weapons, it was necessary for James Bond to “keep up with the Jones'” per se. The Walther P99 is chambered in 9mm which is an upgrade from the 7.65mm in his PPK. It also had a high capacity double stacked magazine of 16 rounds which dwarfed the capacity of the PPK by 9 rounds. This was a necessary change for 007 so that he could take out targets that were carrying other high-capacity firearms.

The PPK Returns

After the “Blonde” Bond, Daniel Craig, came out with his second Bond movie Quantum of Solace, the Walther PPK was reintroduced. He was then issued a personalized PPK/s which was calibrated for his hand-print only. 007 has used the PPK since it’s new introduction.