Carl Walther changed the world’s view of small pocket-sized pistols when he introduced the PPK (Polizei-Pistole Kriminal) in 1931. Since that time, there have been variants of the iconic little pistol, refining the platform with modern features. Now, Walther takes its evolution a step further with the PPK/s SD with a threaded barrel.
The Walther PPK/s SD
The German-made pistol had a barrel affixed to the frame for accuracy. It also served as a guide rod for the recoil spring. It was double-action, and could be fired by a long pull of the trigger (like a DA revolver). Or it could be fired single-action by manually cocking the hammer. If fired double-action, the hammer stayed cocked after the slide reciprocated for single-action shooting.
At the rear of the slide, on the left side, was a safety/decocker. In the lowered position, it locks the trigger and hammer. Similarly, in the upper “off” position, it reveals a red dot in the slide. If the hammer is cocked, the lever—when lowered—safely drops the hammer.
This made the PPK less hazardous than other pocket pistols with hammers or strikers, which relied on manual and/or grip safeties that might not be 100% reliable.
The PPK was compact, with a 3.3-inch barrel, an overall length of 5.9 inches, a height of 3.9 inches, and a weight of 18.7 oz. It had a 7+1 capacity in .32 ACP.
When the Gun Control Act of 1968 became law, the PPK was illegal to import. Walther put the PPK slide on the PP’s larger frame, called it the PPK/s, and it made the import list. The “s” BTW designated it as the “Sport” version, making it more politically correct for BATF.
Today’s Walther PP-Series Pistols
Since 2018, PPK and PPK/s models have been built at the factory of U.S.-based subsidiary Walther Arms, Inc., in Ft Smith, Arkansas. Up until just recently, the PP-series pistols were only offered in .380 ACP and .22 LR. However, in late 2024, Walther added the .32 ACP/7.65mm, which was originally its most popular chambering.
Today’s Walther Arms website shows nine versions of the PPK/s, which differ primarily in black or stainless-steel finishes, grip material, caliber – .380 ACP, .32 ACP, and .22 LR. There are two .32 ACP versions in black or stainless, designated the PPK/s SD. They feature suppressor-ready, 1/2×28 threaded barrels with muzzle caps.
The PPK/s SD in Hand
Walther sent me one of the stainless-steel SD versions for test and evaluation. The pistol comes in a hard, hinged carrying case, secured by luggage snaps, that has a foam rubber and velvet liner, with cut-outs for the pistol and an extra magazine. An 8-round magazine with a finger-rest base and an 8-round magazine with a flat base are included.
Specifications for the PPK/s SD differ slightly from the standard PPK/s. The overall length is 6.8 inches. This is primarily due to the longer 3.87-inch barrel and beaver-tail extension on the backstrap of the grip frame. The overall length of the standard PPK/s is 6.1 inches, and it weighs 19 oz. empty as opposed to 24.3 oz. for the SD.
These compact Walther pistols have always had minuscule fixed sights. On the stainless version, there are red dots on the front sight and just below the rear sight notch. Between the sights, atop the slide, is a flat rib with wavy serrations to reduce glare. Just below the rear sight is a shiny pin that protrudes from the slide when a round is chambered.
On the left side of the frame, just below the slide, at the top left corner of the grip panel, is the round, checkered magazine catch. The two-piece, black plastic grip panels are checkered and have the Walther banner logo.
Per factory specs, the DA trigger pull weight is 13-17 Lbs., while the single-action pull weight is 3.5-6.4 Lbs. The smooth-faced trigger is 0.25 inches wide, which helps somewhat. But the initial DA pull is stiff.
Disassembling the Pistol
Disassembly for cleaning with the PPK/s SD is different than the standard PPK/s. Once the pistol is safe and unloaded, insert an empty magazine into the well. Retrack the slide to the rear, engaging the slide catch, and then remove the magazine.
Unscrew the barrel thread protector and remove it. Now the threaded barrel adapter must be unscrewed; this may require a ½-inch wrench or a crescent wrench. Now, pull down on the trigger guard and move it slightly to the left, so it catches on the frame. Then pull back on the slide, and once it is fully retracted, lift it, sliding it forward off the frame/barrel. Reassembly is in reverse order.
Fit and finish were top-shelf overall. However, some machine marks were visible on the sides of the trigger guard.
Feeding the PPK/s SD
Today, the owner of a .32 ACP pistol is not limited to the traditional loading that had a 71-74 gr. FMJ bullet, propelled at a velocity of around 985 FPS. There are now several ammunition manufacturers producing “performance ammo” for this vintage cartridge, invented by John M. Browning in 1899.
Federal makes a Personal Defense load in .32 ACP that has a 68-gr. Hydra-Shok Deep bullet. Its “crimped” hollow nose looks like a 6-pointed star, and beneath it is the lead post typical of the bullet.
In Hornady’s Critical Defense line, is a 60-gr. FTX load. Its hollow-nosed bullet is capped with a red synthetic plug to keep out material that might hamper expansion.
MagTech makes a load with a more conventional-looking, rounded 71 gr. JHP bullet.
Then there’s Speer’s Gold Dot Personal Protection load, which has a 60-gr. Gold Dot HP bullet.
Fortunately, Winchester is still making its Silvertip load with a 60-gr. plated JHP bullet. The box I had on hand was in the vintage Super-X packaging.
The Federal and Speer cartridges have nickel-plated cases; the others are brass.
To add interest to the article and see how having a suppressor on the PPK/s SD would affect handling and sight usage, I ordered a faux-suppressor from Quentin Defense. This realistic-looking “can” set me back less than $30.00, including shipping. Likewise, it didn’t require an ATF Form 4, plus a $200.00 ATF tax stamp to own.
The 6061-aluminum unit is anodized black, 4.24 inches in length, 1.3 inches in diameter, and weighs just 8 oz. It will take cartridges up to 9mm in diameter. While it won’t decrease the sound of gunfire, it does make for a more muzzle-heavy balance and helps dampen recoil.
I’ll say more about this product after the shooting test.
Range Revelations
With a tight deadline and a severe winter storm dropping ice and snow outside, I ended up doing my shooting evaluation at an indoor range. The first order of business was to chronograph the .32 ACP test cartridges to obtain velocity readings.
Notably, I had tested a standard PPK/s .32 ACP pistol a few weeks prior, using the same ammunition. In most cases, the velocities in this pistol were lower. This data, along with muzzle energy calculations, is in the performance table (below).
Next, I did an accuracy potential evaluation. Shooting was done from a bench rest, using a Ransom Multi Cal. Steady Rest. The distance to the target was 10 yards. Three 5-shot groups were fired with each load, and all shooting was done single-action.
My best 5-shot group on the oval-shaped bullseyes was with the Speer Gold Dot rounds. It measured 1.29 inches. It also had the smallest 3-group average. Second place went to the Winchester Silvertip at 1.64 inches. Again, the complete data is in the table.
Note: The thread protector cap loosens during shooting. So, check it occasionally.
Running a Faux Suppressor
I was curious to see what kind of accuracy was possible with the PPK/s SD, with the faux suppressor attached. As the pistol doesn’t have suppressor-height sights, I ended up with a strange sight picture. The front sight was just a fraction of an inch below the faux-suppressor tube when maintaining a proper sight picture.
I placed a double bullseye target at 10 yards and, using Winchester ammo, fired a 5-shot group from the bench. Not knowing where to “aim,” my first impact was high. I adjusted my hold, and the next four shots were at 6-8 o’clock of the center aiming point. I shot a second group, adjusted my aim up just a tad, and got one center hit and four below it from 4-7 o’clock.
With the faux suppressor on the pistol’s muzzle, I felt a bit like James Bond 007, as the PPK/s in 7.65mm was his pistol in many of the Bond novels and movies. I also wanted to see how the PPK/s SD would do shooting rapid-fire. So, I ran an FBI Q target down to 15 feet.
I loaded two magazines with six rounds of Hornady .32 ACP 71 gr. FMJ loads. Then, from a standing, two-handed hold, taking a “flash sight picture,” I emptied the first magazine, reloaded, and fired the last six shots.
All 12 bullet impacts were on or just to the left of the Q in the target center. The group could be covered with the palm of my hand. Recoil with the black aluminum tube out front felt like a .22 RF, and muzzle flip wasn’t noticeable.
Shooting Drills with the PPK/s SD
I removed the faux-suppressor and loaded my two magazines with a mix of the test cartridges. Using a second Q target, I performed a 30-round combat qualification course. As the indoor range I use doesn’t allow drawing from a holster, I started each of the four stages from a low-ready position.
Each stage also began with the first shot fired double action, with rapid-fire shooting, and magazine changes made when necessary.
The stages required 6-12 rounds each and began at the 3-yard line. First was single-handed shooting, right, then left. Then, the target was moved to 7 yards, and six double-taps were performed. Also, at 7 yards, a failure drill was shot; 2 rounds center-mass and one head shot. This was done twice.
The target was moved to 10 yards, and using my shooting bag and folding stool, I created a “barricade” at the bench. I shot two rounds standing from either side and two rounds kneeling, from the right side.
How Did the Little Walther Perform?
According to the FBI scoring protocol, any hit within the bottle outline is worth 2 points. So, my possible score would be 60 points. All my shots were in the bottle, but my first head shot during the failure drill was lousy and just nicked the edge of the bottle head.
The good news was that the PPK/s SD performed famously. During the entire T&E, I had only one malfunction—a failure to fire. However, as it’s a DA pistol, I just pulled the trigger a second time and “bang!”
There were no issues regarding cartridge feeding and case ejection. The location of the magazine catch is just right for easy manipulation (for right-handers), and magazines dropped right out when the catch was pressed.
Recoil was negligible, and the extended “beaver-tail” on the grip-frame backstrap eliminated the nasty “bite” to the web of the hand that the PPK/s’ little ring hammer is noted for.
Parting Shots
On the minus side, my biggest complaint is the minuscule sights. When this pistol was introduced, the sights, in my opinion, were more of a reference point, and nothing more. Granted, the PPK/s SD is a short-range defense pistol, but I had trouble getting a good sight picture with the stainless-steel sights. The red dot on the front sight ended up looking black.
Even with my prescription shooting glasses, these 70-year-old eyes had difficulty, which translated to less than optimal groups. Admittedly, in rapid-fire, close-range shooting, the sights were a non-issue.
Second was the DA trigger pull. You must get a lot of finger around that trigger, and shots beyond 10 yards are “iffy.” Single-action shooting after that awful DA pull is excellent. I can see how James Bond could be confident in Walther’s iconic pocket pistol.
Walther PPK/s SD Specs
| Mechanism | DA/SA recoil-operated auto-loader |
| Caliber | .32 ACP/7.65mm |
| Capacity | 8+1 cartridges |
| Barrel | 3.87 inches |
| Overall Length | 6.8 inches |
| Empty Weight | 24.3 ounces |
| Sights | Fixed red dot rear sight, red dot front sight |
| Finish | Stainless-steel (Black available) |
| Stocks | Black checkered plastic |
| MSRP | $1099.00 |
Performance
| Federal Personal Def. 68 gr. Hydra-Shok Deep JHP | |
| Average Velocity | 907 FPS |
| Best Group | 1.85 inches |
| Average Group | 2.26 inches |
| Foot Pounds Muzzle Energy | 124 FPE |
| Hornady Critical Def. 60 gr. FTX JHP | |
| Average Velocity | 841 FPS |
| Best Group | 1.75 inches |
| Average Group | 2.32 inches |
| Foot Pounds Muzzle Energy | 94 FPE |
| MagTech 71 gr. JHP | |
| Average Velocity | 851 FPS |
| Best Group | 2.03 inches |
| Average Group | 2.50 inches |
| Foot Pounds Muzzle Energy | 114 FPE |
| Speer Personal Pro. 60 gr. Gold Dot JHP | |
| Average Velocity | 844 FPS |
| Best Group | 1.29 inches |
| Average Group | 1.95 inches |
| Foot Pounds Muzzle Energy | 95 FPE |
| Winchester Silvertip 60 gr. JHP | |
| Average Velocity | 890 FPS |
| Best Group | 1.64 inches |
| Average Group | 2.15 inches |
| Foot Pounds Muzzle Energy | 106 FPE |
NOTE: Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in feet per second using a Garmin Xero C1 Pro chronograph, and accuracy in inches for three 5-shot groups at 10 yards.
