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Walther PK380

9K views 26 replies 19 participants last post by  bac1023 
#1 ·
Anyone have any personal experience with this pistol? From the first time I held it in my hand, I've been enamored with it. I've never gotten the privilege to fire one, but I've fondled several at gun shops, and they just fit my hand like they evolved alongside my species over hundreds of thousands of years... Which is to say... perfectly. I have smaller hands for a male, and the ergos Walther put into this one are SPOT ON!



It also looks badass.
 
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#2 · (Edited)
DON'T BUY THAT!

One of my good friends bought that for his first pistol for the same reasons you listed. I can list the issues:

1.) failure to fires are extremely common. My friend contacted walther about this issue and their reply was that the ammo was bad. I doubt it sense the problem was consistant over several boxes of blazer, pmc, wwb, Remington and ae.

2.) it's extremely inaccurate. I'm no competitive shooter but I've shot enough to know when something's junk.

3.) the mag release is in a stupid spot, it's part of the trigger guard. An I believe the gun is single action only( can't remember for sure though)

4.) it comes with one magazine and you can't find any spares. Or at least my friend couldn't.

5.) it's a single stack .380. That gun is way too big to only hold 8 .380s

And that's just what I remember and I didn't even own the damned thing. I you want I could call that dude and list more reasons to not waste money on that
 
#4 ·
DON'T BUY THAT!

One of my good friends bought that for his first pistol for the same reasons you listed. I can list the issues:

1.) failure to fires are extremely common. My friend contacted walther about this issue and their reply was that the ammo was bad. I doubt it sense the problem was consistant over several boxes of blazer, pmc, wwb, Remington and ae.

2.) it's extremely inaccurate. I'm no competitive shooter but I've shot enough to know when something's junk.

3.) the mag release is in a stupid spot, it's part of the trigger guard. An I believe the gun is single action only( can't remember for sure though)

4.) it comes with one magazine and you can't find any spares. Or at least my friend couldn't.

5.) it's a single stack .380. That gun is way too big to only hold 8 .380s

And that's just what I remember and I didn't even own the damned thing. I you want I could call that dude and list more reasons to not waste money on that
This is the kind of insight I'd hoped for. Thank you. I'd heard stories about failures to feed certain rounds, but nothing else.

I also should've put a disclaimer here stating that I've made up my mind about .380 ACP being able to do the job. No "get a nine" comments please. I have a nine. I know it works. I'd love to have this pistol in a nine (if it was free of the problems listed above).

More insight folks? Two samples, a scientific study, ain't.
 
#8 ·
I own a Pk380. So far its been a great little gun. Very soft shooting and accurate. Slide is stainless steel, not pot metal. DA is a little on the hard side, and the SA is good. Only complaints is that the slide-safety isn't a decocker, takes a tool to field strip, and the sights seem a little cheap. I bought it for the wife, as the slide is very easy to rack.
 
#10 ·
I own a Pk380. So far its been a great little gun. Very soft shooting and accurate. Slide is stainless steel, not pot metal. DA is a little on the hard side, and the SA is good. Only complaints is that the slide-safety isn't a decocker, takes a tool to field strip, and the sights seem a little cheap. I bought it for the wife, as the slide is very easy to rack.

I agree with you, I shot one as I own the P99 9mm, which is a perfect handgun for CCW.:wavey:
 
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#11 ·
DON'T BUY THAT!

One of my good friends bought that for his first pistol for the same reasons you listed. I can list the issues:

1.) failure to fires are extremely common. My friend contacted walther about this issue and their reply was that the ammo was bad. I doubt it sense the problem was consistant over several boxes of blazer, pmc, wwb, Remington and ae.

2.) it's extremely inaccurate. I'm no competitive shooter but I've shot enough to know when something's junk.

3.) the mag release is in a stupid spot, it's part of the trigger guard. An I believe the gun is single action only( can't remember for sure though)

4.) it comes with one magazine and you can't find any spares. Or at least my friend couldn't.

5.) it's a single stack .380. That gun is way too big to only hold 8 .380s

And that's just what I remember and I didn't even own the damned thing. I you want I could call that dude and list more reasons to not waste money on that
Interesting. My Aunt bought one because she has a hard time racking slides and is recoil sensitive. She loves it and I've shot it quite a bit, so here are my comments from experience with it to what you've stated.

1. I've had no failures of any kind with 6 different brands of FMJ and HP rounds.

2. Accuracy is excellent. My first 5 shots out of it at 15 yards could of been covered with a quarter.

3. The trigger guard mag release is odd, but one can get used to it.

4. I picked an extra mag up for her at a LGS that had about 20 of them hanging off the hooks. It's the same thing at every other gun shop I've visited.

5. It is big for a .380, but for a recoil sensitive shooter that has a a hard time racking a slide, it's dimensions are perfect.
 
#13 ·
I bought one a few years ago and put over 1000 trouble free rounds through it. I thought the accuracy was very good. And like you I found it to be very comfortable in the hand. The reason I sold it was because the smaller sized 9s began to come out and I found I could carry a PM9 just as easily as the PK380 and have a little more firepower.
 
#14 ·
Bought a PK380 for my wife because racking the slide on our G26 was too tough on her slightly arthritic hands. She likes, not loves it. I don't care for it, as I find it to be quite fussy about ammo, and we have experienced plenty of jams and failures. When she gets a batch of ammo that it likes, she can fire it consistently and accurately. And the slide action is definitely easy to operate.

We purchased it to be her primary defensive weapon, but after a few months and about 750 rounds, I am doubting that I trust it to perform perfectly when absolutely needed.

We are currently looking for a replacement...
 
#15 ·
Bought this Sept 2015, couldn't agree more with Chambered One. It is finicky with ammo (my Glock is an ammo slut), while I am ok with the slide release being part of the trigger guard. I have had the slide automatically close when I slammed the magazine up into the gun on multiple occasions. The accuracy of this gun leaves something to be desired. The only way I could reference what it feels like when shooting this gun is like the Stem on a bicycle. If that nut is not tightened properly, when you turn the handle bars your front forks just go what ever way they want. I don't see myself getting my money back out of it. They are going for much cheaper now, guess the word is out about the quality of these new PK380.
 
#19 ·
You guys a cruel...

But ya they're pretty bad :ack:

Smith & Wesson won't want to fix it either when it breaks (unless you beg them)

My son unfortunately bought a new P22 when they first came out. After a few hundred rounds the pot metal began to wear really bad. After begging S&W to fix it...they did. He traded the fixed gun (without firing it) in on a new Beretta PX4 Storm and it's a keeper.

Listen to BAC (he knows guns)
 
#20 ·
Ive had one for several months. Havent shot it yet, but i received it as a gift. My grandfather says it runs and is accurate.

It is a cheaper gun.

I know you said dont recommend a 9mm...but have you looked into the walther pps? Extremely ergonomic and a great gun. They used to go for $600 but now the price is around $300.
 
#21 ·
I worked at a large indoor range for 13 months. The PK380 was the second worst gun I have ever dealt with. 35 jams cleared in 13 months, all different guns. Keep in mind, that was just my personal tally, that didn't include other employees. As Brian said, absolute junk.
 
#22 ·
We did the A/B test with one that was borrowed against a Bersa Thunder. What we came away with was, the Bersa was the far superior handgun, YMMV.

My wife has the same issue with the slide, and even the Bersa on a bad arthritis day is too much for her.
 
#23 ·
We did the A/B test with one that was borrowed against a Bersa Thunder. What we came away with was, the Bersa was the far superior handgun, YMMV.

My wife has the same issue with the slide, and even the Bersa on a bad arthritis day is too much for her.
Interesting. The #1 jammed gun on the range was the Bersa Thunder. 40 jams in 13 months, brand new ones, used ones, didn't matter.
 
#25 ·
I don't doubt that is the case but I find that strange. Here the Bersa has a reputation for eating pretty much anything you feed it. I had bought a bunch of Critical Defense .380 before I figured out a) it wouldn't work reliably in either my Bodyguard or Colt, and b) in a short barrel will rarely have enough energy to open up properly.

In the Bersa it does both just fine, even opens the hollowpoints shooting plastic jugs full of water.
 
#24 ·
Bersa now offers the polymer BP380.

PK380 is no go for me just because of the stupid breakdown tool.
 
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