Want a lot of fun? Blast away with a real Walther PPK/S!

By B.B. Pelletier

There aren't many semiauto BB guns around, and there are even fewer BB guns that recoil when shot, but the Walther PPK/S is one that does both. It's a unique air pistol that sells for a surprisingly small amount of money!

The name is Bond. James Bond.
That was the famous introduction of Ian Fleming's principal character. And, for many decades, his "go-to" gun was a Walther PPK in 7.65mm (.32 ACP). The "/S" in the gun's model name comes from American gun import laws that at one time specified a grip for handguns just a bit longer than the PPK. So the "S" (for U.S., as I understand it) was added and the grip was lengthened to become legal for American's import.

Now, it's an airgun, too!
A few years ago, Umarex, the company that owns Walther, started making this CO2 pistol with the Walther logo. Most of the guns they make are copies of firearms, but because they also make the PPK/S firearm, this little pistol is just as REAL as a .380 or a .32. That means Walther pistol collectors need to add this air pistol so they'll have all the models Walther ever made!

Even better news - you don't have to be a Walther collecter to get something out of this PPK/S, because everyone who shoots it gets a boatload of fun! The stick magazine holds 15 steel BBs in a stack, and you can fire them as fast as your finger can pull the trigger. VERY FEW BB guns or other airguns, outside of airsoft, allow this kind of operation! One of the few pistols that could do this was made in the 1960s by Crosman. The 677 Plink-O-Matic BB pistol, which was a sister to Crosman's famous 600 pellet pistol, was never a good seller and now commands a hefty price that reflects its scarcity. Lucky for you, the PPK/S isn't expensive, is readily available and just as much fun to shoot! In fact, it even has some features the 677 was lacking - like realistic recoil and the facility to be disassembled!

Some of the CO2 goes toward operating the slide, so power might be a bit lower than some other CO2 pistols. Also, the barrel is short (remember my post about how barrel length affects velocity in CO2 guns?), so this is not a long-range gun. But, at 15 to 25 feet, you can have a ball shooting at a Shoot-N-C target. Each BB that tears through the target leaves a really bright mark. When you're shooting rapid fire, this is exciting!

It's also fun to remove the magazine and fire the gun without BBs, just to watch it recoil. The magazine has a hold-open feature after the last BB is shot, so you have to remove it or the gun will only fire once and the slide will lock in the open position.

Not only is this a really fun gun that YOU need to try, it makes a wonderful gift (Father's Day is June 19!) because it is so reasonably priced. I especially like to see the first reaction of a veteran shooter who is unaware of this gun's existence!

At least one reader of the Pyramyd Air Report LOVES his PPK/S. What about the rest of you?