Fired My Walther PP 380 Yesterday

[albayo]

I finally got around to firing my Walther PP 380 yesterday and the gun works great.
Was really surprised with the amount of recoil from the little gun.
Nice grip for a small hand but the sights are tough to see with these old eyes.
I have had dozens of 380s over the years and this is the first time I shot one.

 

[sgt.rock]

What ammo were you using? What distance to the target and what kind of groups were you getting? Standing unsupported or firing supported off a bag? I always wanted one of those Walthers.

 

[albayo]

Just shot Aguila 90 or 95 grain bullets.
Just shot standing and 15 yards. I shot all over the place not the gun.
After I got use to it shot tighter groups 6 to 8".
Compared to the S&W Model 19 target pistol I had out at the same time, it shot like dream.
Tight groups, smooth action in double and single.

 

[colinjw]

Being a blowback pistol the recoil is more than most pistols.
Plus the small grip area concentrates the recoil.
I found that the one that I had had more kick than my model 39 in 9mm.

 

[Calahan]

..... I have had dozens of 380s over the years and this is the first time I shot one.

Why would you own dozens of 380s and NOT shoot them???

380 in a PP is manageable, but people unfamiliar with prohibs are often surprised by how much kick the little guns have. Many guns like this can be just as accurate as the full size pistols - whether or not the shooter can do their part is the question. The small sights, smaller grips, and sharp recoil make them more difficult to shoot accurately. Shooting glasses with the right prescription are a key.

 

[cadgo]

I finally got around to firing my Walther PP 380 yesterday and the gun works great.
Was really surprised with the amount of recoil from the little gun.
Nice grip for a small hand but the sights are tough to see with these old eyes.
I have had dozens of 380s over the years and this is the first time I shot one.

They're not pleasant that's for sure. I shoot my LCP fairly often since it gets carried but it's definitely not my favorite part of the range trip.

 

[dogzilla]

I shoot my PP almost every week. I got rid of my ppk .380 because it was just plain nasty. I got a number of hammer bites because of my huge paws.

 

[albayo]

I just had too many other guns to shoot over the years and never got around to taking them to the range.
I have cut back on the handguns to just a few and I just traded some guns for a collection and the PP and HSC were in the deal.
I will take the Mauser HSC in 380 out next time to see how it works.
I usually shoot my 38/357, 9mm, 22s, or my 45 when I go to the range.
I will probably sell more Prohibs and restricted guns off this winter.
At one time years ago when I ran gun shows I had about 40 handguns.
Then had health issues so I sold a lot of them off and kept an example of each caliber .22, .25, .32, 380, 9mm, 357, and 45.
At that time we didn't know what we needed to stay in the classes.

 

[ted_dent]

Just shot Aguila 90 or 95 grain bullets.
Just shot standing and 15 yards. I shot all over the place not the gun.
After I got use to it shot tighter groups 6 to 8".

Try handloading some 90-100 gr. bullets over a light load (2.4-2.5 gr.) of a fast powder like Titegroup or Bullseye. It makes these guns very manageable and they can be quite accurate. I shoot 100 gr. lead RN bullets out of my .32 PP pushed by 1.8 gr. of Bullseye and with a 2 hand hold can consistently hit the black (9-10) ring on a 50 foot Bulleye target.

These obviously aren't self defense loads but since that's a moot point in Canada they're great for range plinking.

 

[heavenIsAlie]

yea I wish we could have .32 ones for non prohib people. I love my walthers but in .380 they are not the most fun to shoot; .32 is much better but I settle for my .22s instead

 

[baldabe]

I installed a pachmayr rubber grip that wraps around both the front strap and back strap . Found that increases the grip size enough to make it comfortable to shoot. Still have to watch for hammer bite. Mine is restricted, converted by Epps.