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When
we recommend big bore handguns for personal defense we sometimes
lose sight of the fact that many personal defense shooters are
occasional shooters. Some
of these folks regard the pistol as a safety device and are not
as interested in shooting as you or I may be. For these shooters
a small bore that is light, handy and easy to shoot is
important. While I prefer the big bore, especially the .45
automatic, I have to admit there is overwhelming evidence that
the majority of civilian incidents are resolved by the presence
of a handgun rather than gunfire. Among the most attractive
handguns for many folks is the Walther PP and PPK series.
Recently Century Arms International has imported a good
supply of former German police Walthers. These are the PP in .32
ACP caliber. American shooters may be more familiar with the
smaller PPK but the PP is a fine pistol, a bit larger than the
PPK but by no means a heavy weight. The Walther features a
double action first shot trigger action, a combination safety
and decocker, and excellent workmanship. The pistols are often
surprisingly accurate. I have test fired a number of Walther PP,
PPK/S and PPK pistols over the years. It is not unusual for such
pistols to group five rounds into two and one half to three
inches at twenty five yards with quality ammunition. The
blowback action of the Walther features a fixed barrel. This
fixed barrel combined with close tolerances often demonstrates a
high level of accuracy. While the .380 ACP caliber pistols are
the most popular with American shooters I find little difference
between the two calibers. Neither is able to demonstrate an
advantage over the other. I have found that the .380 pistols
must use a heavier hammer spring to help contain recoil - the
hammer keeps the slide closed until a certain level of pressure
is met and dissipates - and this makes the .32’s action a
little lighter. Overall the .32s are easier to use well. For the
most part there is little if any difference between the two
calibers in shooting results although common sense tells us the
.380 has more wound potential. Common .32 ACP ball features a 71
grain bullet at about 1,000 fps from a Walther PP. This load has
enough penetration if nothing else. Fiocchi ball
ammunition seems a little hotter than some and often gives
excellent accuracy. Accuracy seems better than any .32 caliber
automatic load I have used in the past. When carefully bench resting
the Walther PP, I was able to secure several two and one half
inch groups at twenty five yards from a solid benchrest with the
Fiocchi loads. More important at ten yards the Walther PP cut
one ragged hole. This is a comfortable handgun to fire and use
well, well balanced and with smooth controls and good handling.
I did experience a couple of inexplicable malfunctions in firing
my ex-cop Walther. Feed and cycle reliability is good but
occasionally the magazine simply pops out during a firing
string. This occurs with both magazines and the magazine slots
are cut correctly. I have been careful not to allow my thumb to
run into the magazine release during firing. I am pretty certain
a magazine release spring will cure this problem as it occurs
perhaps one in fifty rounds of ammunition. This simply points
out the need to thoroughly proof every firearm, used or new. At
any rate with the Fiocchi load the PP would be accurate enough
for casual shooting and even for taking small game. I have taken
a bushel or so of squirrels and a parcel of bedded rabbits with
.32 caliber handguns. For the most part the handguns were Colt
small frame revolvers in .32 Colt New Police, a .32 Smith and
Wesson Long by any other name. The .32 Auto has considerably
more zip to it.
An interesting new load proved to be a real firecracker
on the range. I obtained a few boxes of Cor Bon's 60
grain JHP. This load breaks 1050 fps from the PP compared to an
honest 990 fps with 71 grain ball ammunition. Muzzle blast is
greater than with ball ammunition and recoil while mild is
noticeably accelerated. Muzzle signature, however, is typical
Cor Bon with little or no flash.
Cor Bon makes serious high quality ammunition and the .32
automatic caliber is no exception. I have had a little trouble
with some hollow points in the Walther. After all when the piece
was designed in 1929 there were few if any expanding bullet
handgun loads in existence. The Cor Bon JHP fed perfectly in the
Walther pistol. Accuracy
was excellent, cutting one ragged hole consistently at ten
yards. After firing a few hundred rounds of mixed ball and the
Cor bon load in this light pistol I can see the appeal. The
safety features are good, performance is consistent, and the
pistol is well made. There are smaller pistols in .32 caliber
but none as easy to shoot well and none that deliver the
accuracy this pistol does. The sights are acceptable and the
practiced handgunner using this handgun would be far from
helpless at twenty five yards. In certain situations this is a
pistol worth your consideration.
Walther PP Manual of Arms
Load the pistol. lower the hammer with the slide mounted
decocker. You may keep the pistol at ready with the safety on or
off, depending upon your choice. When you fire, take the safety
off and press the trigger. The first shot is a long double
action press followed by single action fire as the hammer is
cocked by the slide for every subsequent shot. The pistol will
lock open on the last shot. To disassemble the pistol, remove
the magazine and be certain the chamber is cleared. Press the
trigger guard down and to the right. Next pull the slide to the
rear and up and forward. The slide will then run off the barrel.
the recoil spring rides over the fixed barrel.
R.K. Campbell
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Click pictures for a larger version.
The
Walther and Cor Bon ammunition just may make for a life saving
combination. Both are high quality.
Cor
Bon’s attention to detail is refreshing. These loads feature
a bullet with an ideal shape for feed reliability. The
ammunition exhibits a full powder burn and good accuracy.
One
of the better features of the Walther PP is the easily
manipulated safety. These slide mounted safeties are better
suited to light handguns than full size handguns. Finger reach
is less critical with the little Walther.
An
uncommon sight- the author working out a .32 automatic on the
tactical range. But it is all in a day’s work.
After
a run on these Blackheart targets *(www.bhgear.com
– 304 457 1280) all
we can say is the PP will get the job done as far as combat
accuracy.
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