Walther PK380

3-3-2012

3-3-2012

Unboxing:
First opening the Walther PK380 box I was not sure what to expect. The first thing I noticed was only one magazine in the box (unfortunately) and the other was the gun lock (nice bonus). After reading the owners manual, which in my opinion could have had more detail to it, I could not wait to get the gun out to the gun range, but before we get to that I will talk about some specs of the gun itself.

Key Features: Great concealed carry option for people with larger hands Polymer frame keeps the gun lightweight @ 1.24 lbs. Number of different model options

Specs:
Caliber Action Capacity Height Length .380 Traditional Double 8+1 5.2 6.5 1.2 1.24 lbs 3.6 2.286 5.4 3 Dot, non illuminated $393 $322 ~ $290

Overall Feel and Quality: The feel of this gun is incredible. I would compare the grips on this gun to any high dollar aftermarket grip on the market. I will get to some of the other ergonomics features later. The slide and rail fit together great. It is very easy to rack the slide on this gun. I love the traditional double action of this weapon as well. The trigger on this is a little sticky or stiff right now but that should loosen up once its broken in a little more. There is no slide release on this gun. To release the slide you must drop the mag then rack the slide again to release it. The other issue I saw in this gun is how hard it is to field strip this gun. To do so you must use a key and then pull down on the slide release tab. This is a little complaint but not enough to change my opinion of the gun.

Width Weight (With Mag) Barrel Length Conceal Rating* Sight Radius Sight Type MSRP Street Price (New) Used

Review Contents: Unboxing... 1 Specs. 1 Shooting. 2 Ergonomics.. 2 Conceal Rating 2 Summary.2 Test Target.. 3

*conceal rating = (H*W*L*Wt)/22

The last thing I want to say about the quality and feel is the giant Walther PPK380 tattooed on the front of the slide. I would not mind that if it was not silk screened in white paint which I feel cheapens the gun slightly.

Walther PK380

Page 2

Shooting and Ergonomics

This gun feels amazing in your hand. I have fairly large hands, so I have a hard time finding a good gun that I can easily conceal. This gun just fit me so good it felt like it was made for me. The other reviewer for Guns & Gear Guys has smaller hands then myself but he said this gun felt amazing to him as well. The magazine has a pinky extension that makes this glove like feel happen. I am fairly certain that if this was not there this gun would not feel as good. The magazine release on this gun is located on the trigger guard. This will take some getting used to since it is the first gun I have owned that has this feature, but right away it works great. The magazine itself is very easy to load. I loaded rounds all afternoon and had no issues with a tight spring or the mag tearing up my figures. The safety also is slightly strange to me. When you put the safety on there is a little plate which covers the firing pin but you can still pull the trigger and drop the hammer. I have been using this feature for a safe hammer drop option.

Reliability and Accuracy:

I put 150 rounds through this gun right out of the box and so far I have had zero issues with stove pipes, failure to feed, jamming etc. This gun has ran flawlessly so far and from other reviews I have read, I am anticipating this will continue to not be an issue. First day shooting the accuracy was awesome. See the last sheet for the test target I shot with this gun. Yep, you get the gun and a magazine

Conceal Rating:
The PK380 was designed for self defense purposes. With a conceal rating of 2.286 Walther has hit the nail on the head with this gun. This gun is lightweight, thin and easy to conceal.

Summary:
My overall impression of this gun is that it is a great option for people with larger hands to comfortably conceal a weapon. The overall quality of this gun is great. I give this gun an A-. There is a little slop in the gun and the trigger is a little tough but overall this is a great gun for its price. The gun comes in 3 models. Variations include 2 different finishes, black and two toned nickel and a model with a laser attached to it.

Like: The grips fit your hand perfectly. Double action Lightweight Great price Dont Like: Very hard to teardown Mag release is on the trigger guard No slide release Silk screened name painted on the slide

80 rounds shot from 45 feet