80 years of the Walther PPK

With all the attention paid to the centennial of the Colt Model 1911 pistol, it’s easy to over look the 80th anniversary of the legendary Walther PPK (Polezi Pistole Krimminal). Introduced in 1931 the PPK was the shortened version of the very successful and reliable Walther PP (Polezi Pistole). It provided a very concealable pistol with all the positive attributes of the Walther PP. They succeeded magnificently. It was heavily used in WWII by the Germans and continued its success into the post war years.

The pistol was slightly redesigned after WWII and the new rakish looks are the thing of legend. No pistol is so functionally excellent and as beautiful as the PPK. It has been copied in many places, however, none of the clones match the original German made guns for quality. The PPK is the Rolex of concealable firearms. It has completely over showed it’s ancestor the Walther PP. 80 years later it still dominates the market. Current guns are made by Smith & Wesson in the USA.

If the perfect auto pistol in the Colt Model 1911, a very close second is the Walther PPK. For a strict lover a auto pistols, the greatest trio is the Walther PPK, Colt Model 1911, and the Magnum Research Desert Eagle. This would cover all the bases.

The PPK offers the average gun owner a rare opportunity, a truly world class firearm at an obtainable price. There are a lot of new and different small automatic pistols around these days, but they do not equal the PPK.