Ian has discovered what I found out when I purchased an retired Berlin, West German state police (Polizei) PP in .32 ACP (7.65mm Browning) thru the American Rod & Gun Club in Heidelberg for $175 while stationed there. I kick myself to this day for not buying a half dozen or so, they were sold in there original factory box with it's spare magazine included (one flat bottom, the other with the finger grip). They simply are a pure joy to shoot and carry.
For some reason, .32ACP just never really took off that well in the US. Of Browning's little three cartridges .25, .32, and .380, only .380 remained popular (though .25 was popular with Saturday Night Special makers). Europe was where .32 had the most success. Seems like every Police Dept in Europe ran a .32 of one brand of another. A few all the way into the 60s and 70s. .32's a very pleasant round to shoot in the few guns I've tried chambered for it. I really wanted to try the .32 NAA, that was out briefly. Basically CorBon and North American Arms codesigned it for NAAs Guardian Pocket Auto. They took a .380 case, and necked it down to a .32 bullet. Velocities of around 1400fps were what they ended up with. Quite impressive. They did similar with the .25 NAA, a .32 case necked down to a .25 bullet, with a similar velocity improvement. Unfortunately, neither were a success, as no other manufacturer worked or redesigned their guns to accommodate a quite peppy little round. Yes, that was a phenomenal purchase you made. I'm assuming 80s for your PPs purchase time. Lik the $59 SKSs in the 80s, if only we'd known then that they'd sell at $400 to$500 35 years later, I'd have bought one a month and just stored them all.
@@ClarenceCochran-ne7du yes the .380 outpaced both the .25 and .32 autos. but when one looks at the totals sold from 1900 onward, the little ,32 more than measures up.
@@TheAudience388 Yes. Pretty much all firearms in the UK have to be held on a licence, recorded by serial number. And as pistols were reclassified as prohibited firearms, just having one in your possession became an offence, mandatory 5yrs in jail !
There’s a reason people still carry the ppk, even to this day. Although I’ve shelved mine in favor of a sig 938, it’s still a great little pistol that really didn’t start to decline in popularity until manufacturers were able to squeeze the 9mm cartridge into a comparable size.
In my experience, many Micro 9s are highly selective of the ammunition they'll eat; maneuvering a 9mm cartridge into the chamber, in the space which is comfortable for .380, is a non-trivial challenge; the shape of the bullet matters, and can be limiting. If it's going to be 'micro,' .380 is more reliable, in my experience.
I thought I was the only one who'd made the Walther PPK to Sig P938 transition! My only remaining PPK/S is in .22 LR with the threaded barrel but that's for a totally different application. Still love the platform but it's outdated and I have to be honest with that.
@@lairdcummings9092 Like with all ammo, run one or two boxes through it first to see if it likes the taste. I've found Federal HST JHP to feed just fine.
one note: i find my dad's ppk to be stupid accurate, I assume thats due to the fixed barrel, but again it crazy for such a small pistol with standard deffensive .380 ammo, even with those fixed sights. I wish more companies made fixed barrel handguns, they are mad simple and accurate.
I don't have a ppk but I do have a Sig p232 (in stainless). Its just a little bit bigger than a Walther (around 1/4 inch in hight and length)but basically the same. I find it very accurate and shootable and carry it during the summer for just that reason(they are .380's).
I've found the LCP 2 to be accurate enough for what the gun's doing, while having the advantage of a lighter recoil spring weight because of the locked breech design so it's a bit easier to handle quickly or if you've got poor grip strength.
The Bersa Thunder .380 is made with less glamor and polish than a PPK, but it's clearly the same lineage of fixed-barrel pistol and I find it even shoots better! (better trigger, slightly better ergonomics.)
Years ago I purchased a PPK in .22 lr manufactured in 1967. I still have the original box, with all the paper work including the test target and spare flat bottom magazine. This was one of my first handguns. With .22 lr ammo at the time running about 1 cents per round I shot the heck out of this pistol, At least over 50,000 rounds. Never had any issues with it. Even though the PPK was designed by Walther back in 1929-30 it is still one of the most handsome pistols ever manufactured. Friends at the time ask why I did not buy a .380. I told them I could buy nearly 500 rds of .22LR for the price of only 50 rds of .380, and at the time I was a young man just starting my career and not exactly wealthy. Every time I look at this pistol, as I am now 70 years old ,it brings back many fond memories and will always stay in our family.
These pistols were the first weapons that got me into firearms. I don't know what it is, but i just find them to be aesthetically pleasing...very pretty little pistols.
I have a Polish P-64, chambered in 9x18 Mak (effectively .380 +P). It's identical to a PPK for all intents and purposes. Let me tell you, they're just not that pleasant to shoot. I retired it recently in favor of a Ruger LC9S which, despite firing a significantly more powerful cartridge, has a much lower felt recoil (blowback vs. locked breech). I found, like Ian did, that the design is extremely accurate, although the small sights make it harder.
Actually, they are much more suited as assassins weapons than self defense. Strangely enough, the fatalities per shooting is just behind the 45 acp and higher than 9mm or 40 cal.
These videos really make me miss living in Nevada, where you can just drive out to the desert and shoot. Living in the city these days and $20/hr for a crowded range gets old fast.
Dhan Knows I just walk back 200 yards and plunk in my own back 40. I tried the city and got sick of the residents real fast. Today with the Woke generation on the loose I can see it was a good choice.
Thanks for the great comparison, for those that can't handle the extra recoil, since shot placement and follow up usually trumps power. It's always amazed me at what passed for solid defensive pistol ctgs at the turn of the century, vs what we consider today, all those 32 and 38 caliber ctgs, to say nothing of 25
The deciding factor for me between .32 and .380 actually turned out to be ammo availability more than anything. My dad and I both kind of got bitten by the vintage pocket pistol bug thanks in large part to C&Rsenal. This just happened to be during the great ammo drought of 2013-2015 (at least that's about how long it lasted in our area), and it just so happened that one of the few calibers that could still be reliably found on shelves was .32. It also worked out that dad and I found decent deals on a whole slew of .32s that had been notable in C& Rsenal's WWI series, starting with a Walther Model 4 and ending with a Savage 1917 (that still needs a replacement grip screw, but we never can seem to find a good enough time to go to the gunsmith's). Those little things made for good substitute plinkers when .22 was scarce.
Air marshals in Swizterland had the PPK of even the smaller TPH in cal .22lr. In 70this and 8this Some of them had Beretta Mod. 70 in .22lr. Both pistols had been well accepted by the marshals. Some times ago, the Swiss Police had the PP or PPK in cal .32 ACP as there duty gun. Great old low power gun whitch fits perfect in a side pocket or in leg holster as well.
I own a 1937 PP in 7.65 Browning, it is an absolute sweetheart to shoot, and as you have found out, it is quite accurate. I wish the PPK versions were more affordable now, I'd love to have one in .32. Thanks for the video Ian.
Hush, don´t tell them! We both know that the PP is a better gun then the PPK. It is just slightly larger and gives you : 1 more round, better grip, higher velocity and easier to shoot well thanks to longer distance between front and rear sight.
You are VERY lucky to own one! I have been after Walther to either build a alloy frame .32 ppk OR crazy as it may sound a POLYMER frame ppk in .32. Of course the Geniuses" at Walther have ignored me and countless others who have requested they bring back the .32 ppk!
Didn't even now they made the PKK/L in larger calibers than the .22 lr. How is the material and blueing quality of the PPK/L compared to the regular PPK?
Great video. I have had three Walther PP type pistols. One in 22, one in 32 and one in 380. I like that my favorite one was an East German PP in 32 ACP. It shot really well and regretted selling it.
I have a Colt model 1903 in .32 ACP. Awesome gun, has all the features built into the 1911 but with "modern" amenities like smoothed over edges, nothing to catch on anything, small sights, designed as a "pocket" gun but over 100 years ago. Mine was made in 1907, my grandfather bought it in the 1920's. It drills, amazing little gun. I've considered finding a modern style that would pass the drop test. Shot placement, not caliber! Good shooting by the way!
In 1970, I bought a brand new PPKs in .380 for $82.50. Beautiful workmanship. After about 12 boxes of standard velocity Remington/UMC ball ammo, the gun started jamming. The extractor withdrew the empty but the ejector (as I recall attached with two small pins) had detached from the frame and been lost. Never fired it again but installed a new ejector and sold the gun many years later for $300.00. For me, it was a lesson. Even one of the best can fail when needed.
@@mkendall8393 uhhh you sure? You get hit a sober person with a 32 auto to the legs or center of mass he’s definitely going down. Perfect for a purse gun. Go get shot with a 22 short and report back. Probably wouldn’t wanna get hit with a 32….
Hi Ian I have been waiting for this video. For all practical purposes the difference between the .380 and the .32 in "stopping power" is only about 2-3% in actual shootings. I prefer the .32 ppk for one extra round.
A nice pair to compare would be a Beretta 35 in .32 and a Beretta 34 in .380. Identical pistols except the caliber. I own both and would love to see what Gun Jesus gets out of them.
Love that pistol ! My first time visiting a store and my eyes went straight to a silver PPK ! Had no idea what it was so when the seller told me about it I was proud of my good taste !
I do enjoy shooting my FEG AP, the Hungarian PP clone that's also in .32. I did get a bit of hammer bite from having my hand a bit too far up at one point.
A gentleman and a scholar as usual, Ian. Seems like every time I find myself wondering about something relating to 20th century firearms, you've already covered it many years ago.
A long time ago, I qualified for concealed carry with a PPK/S in 380. It was easy to carry and pretty enjoyable, yet a little snappy to shoot. It was in my carry rotation for years, until I got a PPK in .32acp. I found .32acp the right balance between sight radius, recoil and carry size. Later I bought two models PP, one stainless and one blued. With the uncertainties of today's world, I've changed my rotation to larger calibers, but when I have to have to dress formally or in a light casual fashion, the PPK or a Seecamp 32 comes with me.
32acp is IMO one of the truly great all around calibers. Very shootable...easy to get follow-up shots. Not to mention getting shot a quick 5-6 times in the chest, would be nothing to sneeze at either!
If you didn’t know, in the original James Bond novels, Ian Fleming had James Bond using a Beretta 418 in .25 acp because Fleming thought that was good enough for a spy. Then a fan named Boothroyd wrote him saying that was a wimpy ladies gun and get Bond something better like a 32 acp. And so a legendary gun was born
Actually Fleming was issued a .25 Browning, in WWII. He kept it after the war and it wound up in his estate. Serial number matches a Colt, 1908, however the gun could have been a FN ... Fleming thought the .25 was ideal, and it is for a spy, who has to hide the thing without being detected ...
If you have the "new" old Interarms/S&W PPK/S (older than about 10-20 years IIRC) , they were the subject of a mandatory safety defect recall. If you have one from back then , and never got the recall notice or the gun never had this defect corrected , they do have an issue , and if you submit it to license dealer , they will(have to) send it back to S&W(if it has not been fixed already) who will send it to Walther in Germany, and those Germans will do about 100+ little adjustments/checks to your gun, besides fixing the defect- . I highly suggest that. The Interarms PPK has "issues" besides the safety defect (accuracy, jamming, etc.) , but what you get back from Walther is a fine shooting gun. I gotta say mine saw a massive improvement . (at no charge to you) took about 6-8+ months, but it is worth it
So I learned when I first got my .22 PPK that these guns prefer hot ammo, .22lr with a lower powder charge tends to not cycle the action. This is a fantastic video as always and I look forward to hopefully getting a proper PPK in the future.
I sometimes have to use a Walther PPKs for a while, I loaded it with a 90 grain hollow point and 3.8 grains of 231 back in 1982. It was a really nice load for that firearm. It was still 2/10 of a grain under the top load at the time
No, original version us US as well it was designed by John Moses Browning but the Europeans liked it much better than the US did and load it hotter. Like a 65 grain at 1100fps.
I have a PPks in .22 Lr and its a fun little gun. Pretty picky when it comes to ammo so I just run CCI Minimags through it and its happy. Once I switched ammo it significantly reduced the malfunction rate that we saw above.
My PPK/S is a first year Interarms. Before Interarms had their production facility up and running, so it's entirely German production with the import stamp. We stuck this gun in a friend's Ransom Rest and had sub 1" groups at 25' with .380. PPKs are notorious for slide bite if you use the modern high and tight grip with them, and also more perceived recoil. Use an older grip technique, and both the slide bite and the felt recoil reduce dramatically. There's also a spacer you can get that adheres under the beavertail. With that in place, it repositions the gun in your hand. I CC'd my PPK/S for over 25 years. I only retired it, when my eyes got old. In low light, I couldn't make out the sights anymore. Now, it's a Range Baby.
I had one too. Nice pistol. Well made. Came with gunsmiths documents and test fire round. Or was that test fire round really a documentation of the barrel rifling photographed and entered into a database?
I have a Colt 1903 .32 ACP. I have shot it on a Texas Star (just about everyone's favorite). The plates will come off with one hit, but hit the plate close to the end. The leverage against the retainer helps. (Factory PPU ammunition.) I am not confident in stopping power in either .32 or .380 ACP. But they can work up close and with surprise. Trivia fact: A 71grain .32 ACP bullet is larger (by percentage) to a 180 pound human than a 500 grain .458 caliber bullet is to a seven ton elephant. Of course, usually the circumstances are different.
I am happy to mention the .32 acp is a 31 caliber bullet and the .38 is a 35 caliber bullet. Just for funnzies. The 7.62x39mm and 54mmR is also the 53R. Both are 7.63/ 31 caliber as well as the .303 british(303 is the diameter of the circle the top of the lands make and .312 is the groove diameter. Because the british measured their barrels from land to groove , it makes for odd measurements)...which is touch bigger at .312 vs.311 of the russian rounds. The 8mm is 32 caliber , 9mm is 35 caliber unless its 36 . .44 is actually 42. But the .270 is 27 caliber , 30 caliber is .308 . and 22 caliber can be .221(.22 rimfires) , .223(222rem and 220 swift) .224(.223 and 22-250) .228(.228 and .224 weatherby magnums and .224 clark with propriatary double jacketed bullet ) for its bullet diameters. There is alot more examples of this weirdness too. I love firearms and cartridges and their nuances.
I've always been wary of .22 (certainly long-rifle) in a pistol. I DO absolutely trust a .22 (especially magnum) in my revolver. I have a sweet S&W 'AirLite' 7-shot in .22-magnum. Great little self-defense close-in gun. And .22-magnum packs a nice little wallop for a tiny diameter bullet.
I love my HK Model 4 which is similar in pattern to the Walther PP and the Mauser HSC. My favorite feature of the Model 4 is it has interchangeable barrels and magazines and can shoot 22LR, .25 ACP, .32 ACP, and .380 ACP AKA 9mm kurz.
I would not have said anything but have to admit that when I saw how our host looked, my expectations for this video were considerably reduced. Then he gave us a well articulated, open, honest, frank, intelligent review that reflected both wisdom and experience with the subject matter. Exactly what I was looking for. THANK YOU (and sorry for the jab).
I like my 1961 Manurhin .32 PP. My go to gun is the PP series Russian cousin: Makarov PM, Bulgarian, made about 1965. Neither one has failed me. The Makarov has saved my life more than once.
I had an Iver Johnson TP22 and the only ammo I could get it to fire reliably was CCI Stingers. Interesting to see that the Walther has the same problem.
Thanks for the video. I have both the .22lr and .32acp in the Manurhin Licensed copy Model PP made post WW2. Great little guns fun to shoot extremely well made. I would not want to be shot by the .32acp which is a standard police round in many countries. If you have the opportunity I would recommend either.
I can't speak for Ian, but in the last couple of years the .22 long rifle stuff I've picked up for plinking has gone down in quality. In the last 300 rounds, I've had 17 failure to fire rounds.
I have an old sig P230 and it too is surprisingly accurate for such a small pistol. I attribute this to the fixed barrel blow back design. The accuracy this yields over a typical tilting barrel design more than makes up for the size difference. I also find revolvers to be head and shoulders ahead of tilting barrel autos in terms of fine accuracy. Pistols like the P230 and the PPK make great lady/small hands/blast and recoil averse shooters. The slides are quite easy to operate.
Ian once again looks like he smuggles Iguanas from south america :D
@uncletigger Excellent :)
@uncletigger you should be, that's excellent!
its not the iguanas he is smuggling, its the wheelbarrows he is using to carry them that are being smuggled
@@619TheLineman the handles on the wheelbarrow definitely don't return to the US empty.
@@619TheLineman Yeah because there's already iguanas in South America. That's kinda where they live.
Missed a great opportunity to put on a Tuxedo T-shirt and do a James Bond Impression.
Which he has amusingly done before whilst at competition with a HK P7.
While I kinda agree, it's currently hot as Satan's arm pit in AZ and a suit would have likely lead to gun Jesus having heat stroke induced visions.
Gun Jesus would've turned from Heckler and Koch to Japanese WW2 Firearms if he really did that.
Or a different type of uniform... from round 1942 or so
Too hot
Ian has discovered what I found out when I purchased an retired Berlin, West German state police (Polizei) PP in .32 ACP (7.65mm Browning) thru the American Rod & Gun Club in Heidelberg for $175 while stationed there. I kick myself to this day for not buying a half dozen or so, they were sold in there original factory box with it's spare magazine included (one flat bottom, the other with the finger grip). They simply are a pure joy to shoot and carry.
For some reason, .32ACP just never really took off that well in the US. Of Browning's little three cartridges .25, .32, and .380, only .380 remained popular (though .25 was popular with Saturday Night Special makers). Europe was where .32 had the most success. Seems like every Police Dept in Europe ran a .32 of one brand of another. A few all the way into the 60s and 70s.
.32's a very pleasant round to shoot in the few guns I've tried chambered for it.
I really wanted to try the .32 NAA, that was out briefly. Basically CorBon and North American Arms codesigned it for NAAs Guardian Pocket Auto. They took a .380 case, and necked it down to a .32 bullet. Velocities of around 1400fps were what they ended up with. Quite impressive. They did similar with the .25 NAA, a .32 case necked down to a .25 bullet, with a similar velocity improvement. Unfortunately, neither were a success, as no other manufacturer worked or redesigned their guns to accommodate a quite peppy little round.
Yes, that was a phenomenal purchase you made. I'm assuming 80s for your PPs purchase time.
Lik the $59 SKSs in the 80s, if only we'd known then that they'd sell at $400 to$500 35 years later, I'd have bought one a month and just stored them all.
@@ClarenceCochran-ne7du yes the .380 outpaced both the .25 and .32 autos. but when one looks at the totals sold from 1900 onward, the little ,32 more than measures up.
a retired not an retired
"If whatever you're shooting doesn't die after you pump 8.32 caliber slugs into it, it's probably a dragon." -Archer
Archer never heard of Skokie, IL Police Sergeant Timothy Gramins.
Where's that quote about the Five-seveN?
"If it isn't dead in 20 rounds you probably shouldn't be shooting at it"
or the TERMINATOR ...lolz
Lol
Cooked up Meth head joined the group chat.
This has stopping power. See, he was putting on his pants and I stopped him.
But to name the elephant in the room: Do we get a history lesson on the Walther PPK as well? Ian dressed in a tux for that would be a bonus ;-) .
He's already done at least one other video, a much more extensive one going over the various WW2 variations of the PP and PPK
I'm having a Rex from Napolean Dynamite moment: Nobody messes with Ian when he's wearin' those bad boys.
His ear pro does match his shirt, Gun Jesus has style!
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@@elonquemattheson6151 Nice, thanks!
I had a Walther PP in 32acp, before they banned pistols in the UK. Cracking little gun. Loved it to bits.
Did you have to turn them in?
@@XDMIIIIIIIII Yep. Unfortunately.
@@gonzo_the_great1675I assume the government knew you had them. What would have happened if you just threw it in a box and never told anyone?
@@TheAudience388 Yes. Pretty much all firearms in the UK have to be held on a licence, recorded by serial number. And as pistols were reclassified as prohibited firearms, just having one in your possession became an offence, mandatory 5yrs in jail !
@@gonzo_the_great1675 Sad when a government treats it's citizens like toddlers.
There’s a reason people still carry the ppk, even to this day. Although I’ve shelved mine in favor of a sig 938, it’s still a great little pistol that really didn’t start to decline in popularity until manufacturers were able to squeeze the 9mm cartridge into a comparable size.
The safety features of the PPK are hard to match. Perfect for appendix carry with very light clothing.
In my experience, many Micro 9s are highly selective of the ammunition they'll eat; maneuvering a 9mm cartridge into the chamber, in the space which is comfortable for .380, is a non-trivial challenge; the shape of the bullet matters, and can be limiting.
If it's going to be 'micro,' .380 is more reliable, in my experience.
I thought I was the only one who'd made the Walther PPK to Sig P938 transition! My only remaining PPK/S is in .22 LR with the threaded barrel but that's for a totally different application. Still love the platform but it's outdated and I have to be honest with that.
Lol the Sig 938 is what I bought my wife for mother's day, she loves it.
@@lairdcummings9092 Like with all ammo, run one or two boxes through it first to see if it likes the taste. I've found Federal HST JHP to feed just fine.
I miss my .32 PPK. It shot sooooo smoothly. Barely any recoil, super accurate... I loved it.
Carried a stainless 380 PPk as a back up / off duty gun for 20 years. Great guns.
one note: i find my dad's ppk to be stupid accurate, I assume thats due to the fixed barrel, but again it crazy for such a small pistol with standard deffensive .380 ammo, even with those fixed sights. I wish more companies made fixed barrel handguns, they are mad simple and accurate.
cough cough Hi-Point cough cough
I don't have a ppk but I do have a Sig p232 (in stainless). Its just a little bit bigger than a Walther (around 1/4 inch in hight and length)but basically the same. I find it very accurate and shootable and carry it during the summer for just that reason(they are .380's).
The CZ Kadet 22lr is impressive and fun!
I've found the LCP 2 to be accurate enough for what the gun's doing, while having the advantage of a lighter recoil spring weight because of the locked breech design so it's a bit easier to handle quickly or if you've got poor grip strength.
The Bersa Thunder .380 is made with less glamor and polish than a PPK, but it's clearly the same lineage of fixed-barrel pistol and I find it even shoots better! (better trigger, slightly better ergonomics.)
Years ago I purchased a PPK in .22 lr manufactured in 1967. I still have the original box, with all the paper work including the test target and spare flat bottom magazine. This was one of my first handguns. With .22 lr ammo at the time running about 1 cents per round I shot the heck out of this pistol, At least over 50,000 rounds. Never had any issues with it. Even though the PPK was designed by Walther back in 1929-30 it is still one of the most handsome pistols ever manufactured. Friends at the time ask why I did not buy a .380. I told them I could buy nearly 500 rds of .22LR for the price of only 50 rds of .380, and at the time I was a young man just starting my career and not exactly wealthy. Every time I look at this pistol, as I am now 70 years old ,it brings back many fond memories and will always stay in our family.
06:09 the James Bond theme needs to start playing when you dual wield them. Goldeneye N64 flashbacks. ^_^
@@d.1.a_mayby18 surface?
@@ragingjaguarknight86 Yes its Surface 1 with the sniper rifle.
@@harrysunford8965 Surface is a cool level, but Aztec was my favorite level. The level itself and the music were on point. 😎👍
@@ragingjaguarknight86 Yeah Aztec is a cool level, but on 00 Agent difficulty it's a nice challenge!
@@harrysunford8965 yeah, Jaws kept killing me. 😂
2:52 what **im** impressed with is how Ian has coordinated ear pro and shirt 👌
Our Ian is a dapper fellow.
Proper attire is very important when shooting a PPK.
These pistols were the first weapons that got me into firearms. I don't know what it is, but i just find them to be aesthetically pleasing...very pretty little pistols.
I can see why these are only self-defense guns.
And it is a blessing to see Gun Jesus dual-wield.
I have a Polish P-64, chambered in 9x18 Mak (effectively .380 +P). It's identical to a PPK for all intents and purposes. Let me tell you, they're just not that pleasant to shoot. I retired it recently in favor of a Ruger LC9S which, despite firing a significantly more powerful cartridge, has a much lower felt recoil (blowback vs. locked breech). I found, like Ian did, that the design is extremely accurate, although the small sights make it harder.
I like that Hawaiian shirt , I'm trying to find a few at the second-hand store for myself ! I want to stay politicly correct ,
@@TOMAS-lh4er Kohls, and Wal-Mart has ones very similar. Mine are George brand. I hope that helps
@TOMAS I have the same exact shirt as Ian...its from TwistedToucan $54.99
Actually, they are much more suited as assassins weapons than self defense. Strangely enough, the fatalities per shooting is just behind the 45 acp and higher than 9mm or 40 cal.
These videos really make me miss living in Nevada, where you can just drive out to the desert and shoot. Living in the city these days and $20/hr for a crowded range gets old fast.
Dhan Knows I just walk back 200 yards and plunk in my own back 40. I tried the city and got sick of the residents real fast. Today with the Woke generation on the loose I can see it was a good choice.
@@drizler So very true
Especially the arrogant yard boss everybody is wrong and every shooter is a danger. ....i been shooting since a kid..never felt unsafe? ?
Thanks for the great comparison, for those that can't handle the extra recoil, since shot placement and follow up usually trumps power. It's always amazed me at what passed for solid defensive pistol ctgs at the turn of the century, vs what we consider today, all those 32 and 38 caliber ctgs, to say nothing of 25
"I usually resist, BUT I played a ton of Goldeneye as a kid, and as such, I have to do this."
Thanks for the video. It cleared up one of my questions. The recoil of the 32 ACP does appear to be much less than the 380 ACP.
The deciding factor for me between .32 and .380 actually turned out to be ammo availability more than anything. My dad and I both kind of got bitten by the vintage pocket pistol bug thanks in large part to C&Rsenal. This just happened to be during the great ammo drought of 2013-2015 (at least that's about how long it lasted in our area), and it just so happened that one of the few calibers that could still be reliably found on shelves was .32. It also worked out that dad and I found decent deals on a whole slew of .32s that had been notable in C& Rsenal's WWI series, starting with a Walther Model 4 and ending with a Savage 1917 (that still needs a replacement grip screw, but we never can seem to find a good enough time to go to the gunsmith's). Those little things made for good substitute plinkers when .22 was scarce.
Air marshals in Swizterland had the PPK of even the smaller TPH in cal .22lr. In 70this and 8this Some of them had Beretta Mod. 70 in .22lr. Both pistols had been well accepted by the marshals. Some times ago, the Swiss Police had the PP or PPK in cal .32 ACP as there duty gun. Great old low power gun whitch fits perfect in a side pocket or in leg holster as well.
I own a 1937 PP in 7.65 Browning, it is an absolute sweetheart to shoot, and as you have found out, it is quite accurate. I wish the PPK versions were more affordable now, I'd love to have one in .32.
Thanks for the video Ian.
Hush, don´t tell them! We both know that the PP is a better gun then the PPK. It is just slightly larger and gives you : 1 more round, better grip, higher velocity and easier to shoot well thanks to longer distance between front and rear sight.
I own a PPK/L in .32, it's my favorite conceal carry piece and I shoot it better than most of my other handguns.
You are VERY lucky to own one! I have been after Walther to either build a alloy frame .32 ppk OR crazy as it may sound a POLYMER frame ppk in .32. Of course the Geniuses" at Walther have ignored me and countless others who have requested they bring back the .32 ppk!
@@red9man2130 .32 ppk's aren't that hard to find in Europe, the pots war models usually go for around 350 euros.
@@Dja05 In the US we can find the PPK .32 without too much trouble. It's the aluminum framed ones that are hard to find.
Didn't even now they made the PKK/L in larger calibers than the .22 lr. How is the material and blueing quality of the PPK/L compared to the regular PPK?
@@red9man2130 Buy an FEG 63 in 32.
Great video. I have had three Walther PP type pistols. One in 22, one in 32 and one in 380. I like that my favorite one was an East German PP in 32 ACP. It shot really well and regretted selling it.
Thanks
Loved the video, it’s great when Inrange or forgotten weapons feature a .32 ACP.
Excellent choice in shirts.
Love my Walther PPS Gen 1, the spiritual successor to the PPK
6:11 - 6:38 *Rise of the Triad theme plays and intensifies*
No no Please!
cue Going Down the Fast Way!
i felt that in my soul
Ludacris Gibs!
Haha best comment I've seen all day
Sheer style, loud shirt shades and a German flektkarn cap. What gives is this Arizona fashion week?
Lolz.. must be!
As a German, I am legally obligated to correct you on your spelling of "Flecktarn". That is all, have a nice day.
The shirt is a boogaloo shirt.
I have a Colt model 1903 in .32 ACP. Awesome gun, has all the features built into the 1911 but with "modern" amenities like smoothed over edges, nothing to catch on anything, small sights, designed as a "pocket" gun but over 100 years ago. Mine was made in 1907, my grandfather bought it in the 1920's. It drills, amazing little gun. I've considered finding a modern style that would pass the drop test. Shot placement, not caliber! Good shooting by the way!
NIce ...
Finally a Competition of Walther PP Himself...
Walther has a little PP.
@@Punisher9419 and it's name starts with a K
The Hungarian copy of the PP is pretty decent. The firing pin assembly being the only annoyance.
I truly think that the best options is the 32 acp instead of the 380 acp
I like the 380 over the 32. If i had to pick one of those two for self defense, im going with the 380.
As far as I am concerned regarding Ian ”dual-wielding” pistols is that he’ll never top the dual Stetchkins :-)
Still a nice video.
If I recall correctly, one of the features of that excellent video was the number of people filming him
In a few more years we will see him go full on gun fu dual wielding shooting while jumping and rolling through the range :D
Last time i was so early, James Bond was Sean Connery....
i see what you did there
i aprove ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)👍🏾
Last time I was this early, James Bond was Barry Nelson.
Sean is the only and true James Bond.
RIP
@@IndianaJoe3 The last time etc James Bond was the author of Birds of the West Indies.
In 1970, I bought a brand new PPKs in .380 for $82.50. Beautiful workmanship. After about 12 boxes of standard velocity Remington/UMC ball ammo, the gun started jamming. The extractor withdrew the empty but the ejector (as I recall attached with two small pins) had detached from the frame and been lost. Never fired it again but installed a new ejector and sold the gun many years later for $300.00. For me, it was a lesson. Even one of the best can fail when needed.
I have the Interarms .in both 32 & .380. Prefer the .32; as there’s much less report and significantly more accurate.
32acp is a range toy but not a serious self defense caliber.
@@mkendall8393 uhhh you sure? You get hit a sober person with a 32 auto to the legs or center of mass he’s definitely going down. Perfect for a purse gun. Go get shot with a 22 short and report back. Probably wouldn’t wanna get hit with a 32….
@@mkendall8393 With European-spec .32 ACP FMJ gets 16-17 inches of penetration
@@mkendall8393the European police forces who used it as a service caliber for decades would like to speak with you
Idk. The walther 380 is very accurate.
Next up: Comparing the two larger calibre PPKs to the Beretta 418. Working title: "Was Q right?"
@W M Thirded!
It was Major Geoffrey Boothroyd, he suggested the 7.65.
Beretta 70 > ppk
Was that a Dr. No reference?
Was that a Dr. No reference?
Hi Ian I have been waiting for this video. For all practical purposes the difference between the .380 and the .32 in "stopping power" is only about 2-3% in actual shootings. I prefer the .32 ppk for one extra round.
I think it's only 1% they are very similar I have a 380 also my friend has 32 acp they are always performing equal in penetration power test
A new Forgotten Weapons video featuring three variations of my favorite handgun of all time! Thanks Goldeneye!! What a great way to end the weekend.
McCollum. Ian McCollum.
"I'll have a Boulvedier shaken not stirred."
I have no objections
Came back to this video years later because i'm considering a new ppk in .32acp, and i just noticed Ian's earplugs match his shirt! Classy!
I'd love to see some more .32 vs .380 comparisons, there's just so many options! Colt 1903, Savage 1907, Mauser hsc, could be a fun course of videos.
A nice pair to compare would be a Beretta 35 in .32 and a Beretta 34 in .380. Identical pistols except the caliber. I own both and would love to see what Gun Jesus gets out of them.
The savage would loose, they aren't very pleasant
you and tom are so knowledgeable, respectful, and easy to listen to. and i will take both the 32 and 380.
Nice shootin Tex ! ( Sorry I know you are in Arizona ). If we had concealed carry in the UK , I would definitely carry a PPK
I refuse to accept that any British person would carry anything else.
Love that pistol ! My first time visiting a store and my eyes went straight to a silver PPK ! Had no idea what it was so when the seller told me about it I was proud of my good taste !
I do enjoy shooting my FEG AP, the Hungarian PP clone that's also in .32. I did get a bit of hammer bite from having my hand a bit too far up at one point.
The dual wielding exercise in the end was actually quite nice for us to see the differences in recoil!
He had the Magnum PI look today, with the James Bond Gun.
Tom Selleck approves.
My man Ian!💪 I appreciate the excellent camera footage of these tests.
"Hits like a brick through a plate glass window... not a very large brick mind you."
Lego brick
A gentleman and a scholar as usual, Ian. Seems like every time I find myself wondering about something relating to 20th century firearms, you've already covered it many years ago.
the ppk in 22lr is by far my current favorite plinking gun in my collection
Is it a PPK or PPK/S?
My PPK/s 22 is a fun gun. Keep it clean and lubed and it eats just about anything. Very accurate for a little gun.
Tremendous shooting skills Ian!
And he took the PPK, gave thanks, and cocked it, saying "This is my .380, given to you..."
Love the Magnum PI uniform Ian chose.
Whoa whoa whoa, I had to pause a minute to contemplate someone spending 5 figures on a 25acp........Ok that's out of the way now back to the video.
one on Rock Island Auction went for just shy of 14k
At least it's not like getting Hermann Goering's PPK with case that sold at RIA for $230,000.
I was offered one in the 80s for a couple of hundred...
@@donaldasayers should have taken it.
@@stevenbobbybills No shit.
A long time ago, I qualified for concealed carry with a PPK/S in 380. It was easy to carry and pretty enjoyable, yet a little snappy to shoot. It was in my carry rotation for years, until I got a PPK in .32acp. I found .32acp the right balance between sight radius, recoil and carry size. Later I bought two models PP, one stainless and one blued. With the uncertainties of today's world, I've changed my rotation to larger calibers, but when I have to have to dress formally or in a light casual fashion, the PPK or a Seecamp 32 comes with me.
32acp is IMO one of the truly great all around calibers. Very shootable...easy to get follow-up shots. Not to mention getting shot a quick 5-6 times in the chest, would be nothing to sneeze at either!
Cheaper than .380, no?
@@HotVoodooWitch No. Harder to find these days too.
@@chadplow824 😖
@@chadplow824 reload it. Load em hot
@@John-B-Goodenough Too risky
Hey Ian, thanks a lot for this nice shooting.👍 It's a cool cap "Feldmütze" that you wear. You should it wear more often. 😉😉
When i think "dual wielding" handguns, i think firing both guns at the same time at one or two targets simultaneously. But that was cool too💖👍🏻
This man’s aim is the most accurate and precise I’ve seen in any video ever!!!🎉 MORE, PLEASE!
Thanks for the great vid as always 👍
Thanks Ian and Tom.
Rich.
If you didn’t know, in the original James Bond novels, Ian Fleming had James Bond using a Beretta 418 in .25 acp because Fleming thought that was good enough for a spy. Then a fan named Boothroyd wrote him saying that was a wimpy ladies gun and get Bond something better like a 32 acp. And so a legendary gun was born
Actually Fleming was issued a .25 Browning, in WWII. He kept it after the war and it wound up in his estate. Serial number matches a Colt, 1908, however the gun could have been a FN ... Fleming thought the .25 was ideal, and it is for a spy, who has to hide the thing without being detected ...
If you have the "new" old Interarms/S&W PPK/S (older than about 10-20 years IIRC) , they were the subject of a mandatory safety defect recall. If you have one from back then , and never got the recall notice or the gun never had this defect corrected , they do have an issue , and if you submit it to license dealer , they will(have to) send it back to S&W(if it has not been fixed already) who will send it to Walther in Germany, and those Germans will do about 100+ little adjustments/checks to your gun, besides fixing the defect- . I highly suggest that. The Interarms PPK has "issues" besides the safety defect (accuracy, jamming, etc.) , but what you get back from Walther is a fine shooting gun. I gotta say mine saw a massive improvement . (at no charge to you) took about 6-8+ months, but it is worth it
Alright, here's some dual wielding trivia for you: Keep both eyes open, you'll see four guns, only aim with the inside two.
Sounds like something a World Traveler would be wise to know
Thanks, good to know when they come to force vaccinate........
Just saying.........🤦♂️😎
Does that work when you see four after you've been Drinkin' ? Asking for a friend.🤔😬
@@TheRealColBosch optional, but strongly encouraged
@@Bob3519 no, if you're drunk you see 8 and aim with the inner 4
So I learned when I first got my .22 PPK that these guns prefer hot ammo, .22lr with a lower powder charge tends to not cycle the action. This is a fantastic video as always and I look forward to hopefully getting a proper PPK in the future.
Once you've dual-wielded Stechkins, anything else just seems passé...
If only he had a third hand. Would've want to see him tri-wield all of them.
So true
@@kristianchristensen2254 I like your thinking.
I sometimes have to use a Walther PPKs for a while, I loaded it with a 90 grain hollow point and 3.8 grains of 231 back in 1982. It was a really nice load for that firearm. It was still 2/10 of a grain under the top load at the time
is this .32 Cartridge the 7,65 mm Browning (7,65 x 17 HR)?
Yes! But the european standard of the cartridge is slightly different from the US variation. The EU verson is the original, i believe.
@@RiderOftheNorth1968 ok, thank you.
No, original version us US as well it was designed by John Moses Browning but the Europeans liked it much better than the US did and load it hotter. Like a 65 grain at 1100fps.
@@ketchman8299 It was design for FN in Belgium. WHERE he designed it is a moot point since it is made, originaly for an european gun.
@@ketchman8299 that makes sense! When I shot the 7,65 in Germany out of a hungarian FEG, the recoil felt much stronger than I expected for a .32 acp.
I have a PPks in .22 Lr and its a fun little gun. Pretty picky when it comes to ammo so I just run CCI Minimags through it and its happy. Once I switched ammo it significantly reduced the malfunction rate that we saw above.
Had a PP IN 32 I foolishly traded away several years ago. Wish I had it back.
I really like my PP
My PPK/S is a first year Interarms. Before Interarms had their production facility up and running, so it's entirely German production with the import stamp.
We stuck this gun in a friend's Ransom Rest and had sub 1" groups at 25' with .380.
PPKs are notorious for slide bite if you use the modern high and tight grip with them, and also more perceived recoil. Use an older grip technique, and both the slide bite and the felt recoil reduce dramatically.
There's also a spacer you can get that adheres under the beavertail. With that in place, it repositions the gun in your hand.
I CC'd my PPK/S for over 25 years. I only retired it, when my eyes got old. In low light, I couldn't make out the sights anymore. Now, it's a Range Baby.
My grandpa recently gifted me his stainless steel Walther ppks he bought in 1993 for my 22nd bday
@@mattrobinson5099 i think grandpa bought the gun in 1993 and just gave it to him/her when they turned 22
I had one too. Nice pistol. Well made. Came with gunsmiths documents and test fire round. Or was that test fire round really a documentation of the barrel rifling photographed and entered into a database?
@@mattrobinson5099 the only thing you know about his grandpa is that he bought it in 1993, you don't know when he was born...wtf
@@arielgarcia5065 he said recently, so 1998
I have a Colt 1903 .32 ACP. I have shot it on a Texas Star (just about everyone's favorite). The plates will come off with one hit, but hit the plate close to the end. The leverage against the retainer helps. (Factory PPU ammunition.)
I am not confident in stopping power in either .32 or .380 ACP. But they can work up close and with surprise.
Trivia fact: A 71grain .32 ACP bullet is larger (by percentage) to a 180 pound human than a 500 grain .458 caliber bullet is to a seven ton elephant. Of course, usually the circumstances are different.
That Colt gets some more velocity than the PPK due to its longer barrel. And your ammo might be hotter then Ians(?).
I wanna know what brand of .22 gave that epic fail.
I am happy to mention the .32 acp is a 31 caliber bullet and the .38 is a 35 caliber bullet.
Just for funnzies. The 7.62x39mm and 54mmR is also the 53R. Both are 7.63/ 31 caliber as well as the .303 british(303 is the diameter of the circle the top of the lands make and .312 is the groove diameter. Because the british measured their barrels from land to groove , it makes for odd measurements)...which is touch bigger at .312 vs.311 of the russian rounds.
The 8mm is 32 caliber , 9mm is 35 caliber unless its 36 .
.44 is actually 42. But the .270 is 27 caliber , 30 caliber is .308 . and 22 caliber can be .221(.22 rimfires) , .223(222rem and 220 swift) .224(.223 and 22-250) .228(.228 and .224 weatherby magnums and .224 clark with propriatary double jacketed bullet ) for its bullet diameters. There is alot more examples of this weirdness too.
I love firearms and cartridges and their nuances.
Corey Merrill And all that info 👆🏼 is what drives me crazy when I reload!
One thing I learned from this video: Never rely on a ..22 for self protection.
Likely a worn out spring. Mine had the exact same problem. When in good shape, it's pretty great, and a lot of fun.
I've always been wary of .22 (certainly long-rifle) in a pistol. I DO absolutely trust a .22 (especially magnum) in my revolver. I have a sweet S&W 'AirLite' 7-shot in .22-magnum. Great little self-defense close-in gun. And .22-magnum packs a nice little wallop for a tiny diameter bullet.
I love my HK Model 4 which is similar in pattern to the Walther PP and the Mauser HSC. My favorite feature of the Model 4 is it has interchangeable barrels and magazines and can shoot 22LR, .25 ACP, .32 ACP, and .380 ACP AKA 9mm kurz.
As I sip my coffee in my Walther hoodie
I would not have said anything but have to admit that when I saw how our host looked, my expectations for this video were considerably reduced. Then he gave us a well articulated, open, honest, frank, intelligent review that reflected both wisdom and experience with the subject matter. Exactly what I was looking for. THANK YOU (and sorry for the jab).
Thats Walther PP series for you: Pleasant tackdrivers.
Thanks for showing/firing those pistols. Nice shooting. Those smallish pistols are not easy to hit with.
Since when did “looks dumb” ever stop us.
great range demo Ian !
I like my 1961 Manurhin .32 PP. My go to gun is the PP series Russian cousin: Makarov PM, Bulgarian, made about 1965. Neither one has failed me. The Makarov has saved my life more than once.
Man now that was cool as hell ! ! ! Nice show - thanks!
Shouldn't the control have been a brick through a plate glass window?
Funny, on internet forums I've heard that the .380 PPK is quite painful to shoot. Good to see some info countering that. Thanks for the video, Ian.
I actually had a .380 as my carry gun for a few years. I absolutely loved that gun. I should’ve never traded it on lol
Nice shootin' Tex! Actually very impressive shooting.
Had a PPK it was very accurate. Might still have it if someone else hadn’t needed my gun safe more🙁
Wanted to buy a Walther PPK/S, .22 LR was the only model available at the time due to importing issues. Bought it, love it for plinking.
I love my .22lr version of this pistol, with a suppressor it's hard to put down.
How is it with ammo? I hear 40 grain high velocity is ok
I had an Iver Johnson TP22 and the only ammo I could get it to fire reliably was CCI Stingers. Interesting to see that the Walther has the same problem.
When do we get a .50 desert eagle dual wield video? Can't wait
Thanks for the video. I have both the .22lr and .32acp in the Manurhin Licensed copy Model PP made post WW2. Great little guns fun to shoot extremely well made. I would not want to be shot by the .32acp which is a standard police round in many countries. If you have the opportunity I would recommend either.
Geeze Ian, where'd ya get those .22 shells from, the Dollar Store close-out isle? 😉
I can't speak for Ian, but in the last couple of years the .22 long rifle stuff I've picked up for plinking has gone down in quality. In the last 300 rounds, I've had 17 failure to fire rounds.
I have an old sig P230 and it too is surprisingly accurate for such a small pistol. I attribute this to the fixed barrel blow back design. The accuracy this yields over a typical tilting barrel design more than makes up for the size difference. I also find revolvers to be head and shoulders ahead of tilting barrel autos in terms of fine accuracy. Pistols like the P230 and the PPK make great lady/small hands/blast and recoil averse shooters. The slides are quite easy to operate.