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The new James Bond film opens this weekend! Why not complete my review of James Bond fire arms? Bond, as you know, initially shot a Baretta .25, until it misfired on him. He was forced to go to the Walther PPK, .32. Unfortunately .32 caliber has gone by the way; but the next best thing is the Walther .380. I have shot a Walther PK 380. You can look at previous blogs to find I did not particularly like it. For comparrison today, I shot the Kel Tec .380, Sig Saur .380, then the Walther.
I have a Kel Tec 9mm and I use it as a backup/secondary. The 380 is smaller, lighter, and has the same double action. The pull is light, but long, and the trigger reset is long as well. It is good for small hands, is very easy to conceal, is inexpensive, and the 380 round has a pretty good punch. It does have a little kick to knock off your aim.
The Sig 380 is a little bigger, a little heavier, with a tighter trigger reset. I found it solid and easier to quick fire. It too is easy to conceal but certainly more expensive.
The Walther PPK was my favorite of the three and not just because I am slightly prejudiced. Remeember I went into this not liking the PK 380 at all. The PPK lives up to it's reputation. Larger and heavier than the other two, it has a mechanical safety de-cocking double action. The first pull is long and a little stiff, but the trigger reset is quick and your subsequent shots are far easier. Perhaps it was the balance and weight of the gun, but I found it far easier than the other two to keep aim. Unlike the .32 in the Ian Fleming books, the .380 holds only 6 plus 1 instead of 7 plus 1.
Walther PPK Positives:
-small and easy to conceal
-not as light as some on the market but more solid
-well machined all steel and reliable
-little kick so I found it easier to keep aim.
-after the first shot, the trigger resets quickly for better rapid fire.
Walther PPK Negatives:
-.380 amunition smaller than many and may be scarce.
-unless you practice the de-cocking it can make for an extra step.
-mechanical safety is definitely an extra step.
Bonus Video Blog: (special thanks to David Elderton of KyTac.com)
The modern James Bond has switched to a Walther PPQ 9mm. About the size of a Smith & Wesson M & P, the PPQ has a double stack 15 round magazine, trigger safety, and handy trigger finger magazine release. The trigger reset is tight so rapid fire is a dream. It is bigger, and harder to conceal, but lives up to the Bond brand. I liked it better than the PPK simply because 9mm is cheap, more powerful, and more available.
