walther ppk/s - used prices?

[Angered_Kabar]

You might have been looking at a G19C and thought the 'C' stood for compact. It means compensated. Probably not the best thing for a gun that you might use to protect yourself with. Sorry if that's not what you meant.

Besides that, the Glock 19 is built around Glock's "compact" sized frame. There are some differences between the generations, but the ones you are most likely to find on the 'New Guns' shelf are generation 3 and 4.

RTF2 is a generation 3 pistol with a special grip texture. It stands for Rough Texture Frame 2. Gen 4 glocks have a texture that is very similar but a little more subdued.

[Mr_White]

I'd have a hard time thinking of a worse gun to learn to shoot with that isn't an alloy-framed .38 snubby.

That's word right there.

I weep, secretly and silently on the inside, for every student I ever see bring a PPK to a class.

[Al T.]

I've had better luck with the Bersa .380s than PPKs.

IMHO, most if not all .380s are harder to shoot well than the compact 9s. Only exception would be the Beretta 85. Which I promptly sold when I got a S&W 3913.

[David Armstrong]

Although not the choice of many in the know, I've always appreciated the sleek lines of the PPK series. They are a classic design and one of the first double action semi-autos. Time has passed it by but I've always wanted on just because...Yeah triggers are grungy but James Bond never complained.

Well said, Steve. Although somewhat passé now the PP line was considered by many of the top gunmen of the time to be at or near the top of the CCW auto world for quite a long time, and came highly recommended. I agree that the new S&W versions are rather sad, but a well-made PP variation will still serve well for CCW purposes. There are better choices, however, so while I wouldn't feel undergunned with a PPK/S it certainly wouldn't be my first choice.

[Tamara]

Although somewhat passé now the PP line was considered by many of the top gunmen of the time to be at or near the top of the CCW auto world for quite a long time, and came highly recommended.

...and the Model A was the fastest car on the road with that flathead V-8.

That the PPK and its clones were thought so highly of speaks more to the paucity of other choices than any inherent qualities of the gun itself. (And yes, I've owned a few.)

If somebody's just dying to have a single-stack straight-blowback .380 with those sleek PPK-esque lines, they should avail themselves of a SIG P-230/232, which will have the advantage of not needing a chainfall to pull the trigger in DA mode, decent sights, and it will feed any JHP ammo you care to stick in it, which can be hit-or-miss with a PP.

[jbeintherockies]

So, after the recommendations provided on this thread (thank you) and various threads that I have found on this website, I am now going to consider (look at, and try to shoot) the following for my first handgun:
- Glock 19 (sounds like there are lots of aftermarket stuff [sights, holsters, etc] for this gun)
- Walther PPQ (sounds like there is fewer aftermarket stuff [sights, holsters, etc] for this gun)
- Ruger SR9 (haven't read too much about this one on here)
- S&W M&P (this was someone's first gun on here)
- S&W SD9 (smaller version of the M&P I think)
- Kahr K9

I know I originally said that a 9 "kicks too much", but that is probably because I don't know what I am doing. So, I'm going to reconsider. A friend of mine found the S&W Bodygaurd online, which looks pretty cool (even has a laser sight). But, I don't think that would be a good choice for a first handgun. The purpose of this handgun for me can be found on a previous post on this thread.

Some of the local Denver area gun shops have some of those to rent, which will be very helpful. So, right now, I'm just info gathering and I plan on taking a CWP/handgun class in the next two weeks or so at my local gun range. I think that would be a good thing to do before I buy one.

Keep the "... knowing what I know now, I would ..." advice coming. That is why I came on this website!

[peterb]

One advantage of a 9mm is that the ammunition costs less than any of the other calibers commonly used for personal defense. That means you can afford more practice. Just buy inexpensive practice ammunition -- don't use the +P(more pressure/velocity/energy/recoil) stuff until you have more experience.

[jbeintherockies]

One advantage of a 9mm is that the ammunition costs less than any of the other calibers commonly used for personal defense. That means you can afford more practice. Just buy inexpensive practice ammunition -- don't use the +P(more pressure/velocity/energy/recoil) stuff until you have more experience.

Yeah, that is one of the reasons I am steering away from a .380.

[jbeintherockies]

Well, I just got back from my (very crowded) local gun shop. I had the opportunity to hold (not shoot yet) the following guns:

Glock 19
Ruger SR40
Kahr K9
A very expensive sig that looked similar to a 1911 design (but wasn't)
Springfield XD and an XD M
S&W M&P
Several 1911's varying in price from about $800 to $3500+

The Springfield XD M felt THE BEST in the my hand. The S&W M&P felt good too, as did the majority of 1911's (but man are they expensive!). The Glock and Ruger felt the worst. The guy at the store said how it feels in your hand is very important.


I'm actually more confused now. Figuring out what I'm going to do with this thing is really the driving factor in what I buy. I was first thinking I wanted something that could do it all (concealment, defense, target shooting, ??). But, the more I look at them and talk to people, it sounds like you should buy a gun to do a specific task. For example, if you want a concealment weapon, then buy one that is designed for that. A small .380 for close range defense would be a good choice. But, I'm thinking more and more that I will want something to target shoot with, and it sounds like a 9 is a much better choice for that task. I don't see myself carrying this thing around much; but I do see myself going to the driving range a lot (a couple times a week in the beginning for sure).

The guy at the store felt the 1911's were the most accurate gun design for target shooting. But, they are also a lot more money. I can afford a 1911 type pistol; but I'm not sure if that is the correct direction to go in for my first pistol. I think for me (beginner level), the difference in accuracy between a 1911 design and, say the XD, would be negligible.

I'm actually starting to wonder if a .22 (maybe in a 1911 design) would be the best place to start. Tamara seemed to be suggesting that.

Anyway, tomorrow I'll go find a shop that has a Walther PPQ and a Springfield XD so I can see how those two compare.


Jon

[JDM]

"feels" this word gets thrown around A LOT. While ergonomics are important, what "feels" the best doesn't necessarily translate into what works the best.

Example: in my hand, the small M&P backstrap feels the best, but I shoot the best with the large one.

Generally, you want the most meat on the gun you can manage to have while still being able to reach important controls.

I strenuously recommend some basic pistol instruction so that you can be an informed buyer. A good intro class that teaches the basics of grip and manipulations will make it much much easier to purchase effectively.

Oh and be absolutely suspect of any and all gun store advice- remember, they are selling you something.