Walther PPK

For a few years now, I have wanted to get a Walther PPK in .32 ACP (7.65mm Browning). This was merely for the sake of collection, since it is the weapon carried by James Bond, 007. Smith & Wesson, licensed by Walther to do so, is manufacturing the Walther PPK again. Unfortunately, the .32 ACP is only available in stainless steel.

I finally went ahead and bought the PPK in blued steel, chambered in .380 ACP. I wanted it for a photo/film prop. It isn't the same caliber as used by James Bond, but visually it looks the same. If Walther or Smith & Wesson decides to start producing the .32 ACP PPK in blued steel, I can buy one and sell this.

Issues

I have two issues with this gun. Unfortunately, I know they are flaws in the design, since Jerry's PPK (a 25 year old model, presumably manufactured by Interarms) has the same problems. I suppose I will probably keep this gun, but I won't be firing it a lot, and I certainly won't rely on it to defend myself.

Failure to Fire – The PPK has a weak hammer. The result is cartridges that fail to fire, but which have partly dented primers. A cartridge that is fed through two or three times will eventually fire. The likelihood of this problem occuring is probably determined by the brand of cartridge or primer. I should keep track of which ones I have tried and how they performed.