Even people who know next to nothing about guns will probably recognize the Walther PPK.
“Oh yeah, the James Bond gun!” they’ll say.
Ever since it was issued to James Bond in 1962’s Dr. No, the first official James Bond film, the PPK has always been associated with spies, secret agents, and virtually anyone wearing a tuxedo.
The iconic, 007-inspired image of a man in a tuxedo brandishing a suppressed PPK, for instance, has become ingrained in the minds of many.
But the PPK is a lot more than just a cool movie spy pistol. Ever since it was introduced by Walther in 1931, the PPK has proven to be extremely popular for more reasons than one. You’re about to find out why.
Here are 15 facts you may not have known about the Walther PPK:
1 – The PPK is a Smaller Version of the Walther PP

The PPK (Polizeipistole Kriminal), which translates as Police Pistol Detective, is a more compact version of the Model PP (Polizeipistole) that was released two years earlier in 1929. Whereas the PP was designed primarily as a general purpose law enforcement sidearm, the PPK was intended to be a more concealable gun for detectives and undercover police.
The PPK has a shorter barrel and slide, a shorter grip, wraparound grips (unlike the side panel grips of the PP), and one less round in the magazine. Both guns were extremely popular with German police and went onto become widely issued as sidearms throughout the German military in the Second World War as well. The PP and PPK were favored for their reliability and compact design.
2 – It’s One of the Most Widely Replicated Pistols Ever Made

The PP and PPK pistols are among the most widely replicated pistols ever produced. The PP was actually the world’s first successful double action, single action pistol and utilized a straight blowback operated design. This means that the recoil spring is wrapped around the barrel and the slide travels back from the gas created by the ignition of the cartridge.
Countless other popular semi-automatic pistols have been heavily inspired by this design, including the Bersa Thunder, FEG PA-63, Makarov, Polish P-64, and the SIG Sauer P230/P232. The gun in the above photo is a SIG Sauer P232; besides it also using a straight blowback action, the influence from the PPK should be very clear from their similar profiles alone.
3 – Adolf Hitler Used A PPK To Commit Suicide

Adolf Hitler was a fan of Walther pistols and was known to personally carry two on a regular basis: a Model 8 in .25 ACP and a PPK in .32 ACP. He also owned a heavily engraved golden Walther PP that was presented to him in 1939 as a gift from Walther; this is the gun you see in the above photo. You’ll notice that it has his initials on the sides of the white grips.
It is believed that Hitler used his PPK to shoot himself on April 30th, 1945 as the Soviet army swarmed into Berlin. Legend has it that this PPK was taken as a war trophy and presented as a gift to Josef Stalin, but this has never been confirmed.
4 – PPKs Have Been Produced in Four Calibers

The three primary calibers the PPK has been produced in are 9mm Short/.380 ACP, 7.65mm/.32 ACP, and .22 LR. Of these, the .32 ACP is the original caliber and also the one that James Bond carried in most of his films. Meanwhile, the .380 ACP has been the most common caliber for American-produced PPKs.
A fourth caliber that the PPK was also produced in, however, was the 6.35mm/.25 ACP. These PPKs were produced in very early numbers in the 1930s and are highly prized by collectors. You’ll see an example in the above photo.
5 – The PPK Was Not James Bond’s Gun…At First

James Bond’s original gun in the novels was not the PPK, but rather the Beretta 418 in .25 ACP. Bond’s 418 was described by Bond author Ian Fleming very similarly to the gun you see in the above photo, with a threaded barrel to facilitate a suppressor, skeletonized grips to make the gun flatter, and tape wrapped around the grip to help Bond get a better grasp on the weapon and to keep the grip safety depressed so he could fire it faster.
Fleming updated Bond to the Walther PPK in .32 ACP for the 1957 novel Dr. No. This happened when a weapons expert who was also a fan of the novels, Geoffrey Boothroyd, wrote to Fleming that the 418 was not adequate and Bond should carry a Smith & Wesson .38 hammerless revolver instead. Fleming responded that he felt 007 should carry a semi-automatic, at which point Boothroyd suggested the PPK…and the rest is history. Take note that in the film adaptation of Dr. No, Bond’s Beretta that he’s forced to trade for the Walther early in the film is an M1934 model.
6 – Most PPK Pistols Were Not Made By Walther

Even though PPK pistols all have the Walther name on them, most were actually not made by Walther! Walther initially produced PPK pistols at their factory in Zella-Mehlis from 1931 to 1945. When this factory was overrun by the advancing Soviet army, Walther moved to a new factory in Ulm, West Germany, where they have remained since. However, under West German law at the time German arms companies had to outsource the manufacturing of components for their firearms, so Walther outsourced PPK production to Manurhin from 1953 to the mid-1980s.
These guns have the Walther name on them and are often marked as ‘Made in W. Germany’ like you’ll see in the above photo, but were actually French made and assembled in West Germany. In 1978, the first American-made PPKs were produced by Ranger Manufacturing in Alabama and were distributed by Interarms. Smith & Wesson then took over production for Walther from 2002 until the mid-2010s.
7 – Bond’s First Screen PPK Was Actually a PP

In the beginning of 1962’s Dr. No, James Bond (Sean Connery) is forced to hand in his Beretta M1934 for his Walther PPK in .32 ACP. The prop that was actually used in the film, however, was a Walther PP in .380 ACP with Pachmayr grips. This is the gun that you see in the above photo.
It would not be until the next film, 1963’s From Russia with Love, that Connery’s Bond began to carry the PPK. Interestingly enough, the PPK prop used in From Russia with Love was chambered for the .380 ACP as well, even though the dialogue is explicit that Bond’s PPK is supposed to be a .32.
8 – The Walther PPK/E Is Not Really a PPK

A lesser known variant of the PPK is called the PPK/E; it was first released in 2000. But the PPK/E is not really a PPK at all. Even though it has the Walther name stamped on it, the PPK/E was actually produced under license by Hungarian arms manufacturer FEG. Most components and the magazines are not compatible between the PPK/E and the standard PPK or PPK/S.
The “E” in the PPK/E stands for ‘Europe’ as it was intended for the European market. It can best described as being an FEG PA-63 pistol combined with a slide that closely resembles the PPK’s slide. The PPK/E was produced in .22 LR, .32 ACP, and .380 ACP, and it ceased production in 2010.
9 – The Most Popular Variant in the United States is the PPK/S

Under the Gun Control Act of 1968, Walther was no longer able to import the PPK into the United States because it was deemed to be too small under the importation restrictions set by the Act. To get around this, Walther combined the grip, frame, and magazine of the PP with the barrel and slide of the PPK to create the hybrid PPK/S.
The PPK/S has proven to be the most popular variant of the PPK for the American market. Thanks to its slightly longer grip, the PPK/S can give shooters with larger hands a more comfortable grip over the weapon while also providing them with one additional round in either the .32 ACP or the .380 ACP, and while still keeping the basic profile of the PPK rather than the PPs. The gun in the above image is a PPK/S in .380 ACP made by Ranger Manufacturing.
10 – PPKs Have Been Made in the USA Since 1978

In 1978, Walther began outsourcing production of PPKs to Interarms, who had been importing PPK and PPK/S pistols into the USA for several years. Interarms in turn outsourced the production of these guns to Ranger Manufacturing, who produced them until 1999.
Manufacturing the PPK inside the United States allowed Walther to get around the USA importation ban, and PPK pistols have been made in the country ever since. The PPK in the above photo is an example of a Ranger-made PPK, and if you look closely, you’ll see ‘Made in USA’ under the Walther logo.
11 – The PPK Was Responsible For Democracy in South Korea

South Korean President Park Chung Hee had been first elected in 1961, but his tenure was marked by increasing authoritarian control. This escalated until 1972 when he declared martial law and enacted a self-coup to preserve power after closer-than-expected results in the previous elections.
In 1979, Park’s close friend and director of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency, Kim Jae-gyu, used a PPK to assassinate him. The assassination ended Park’s dictatorship and created considerable turmoil within the country, which culminated with the June Democratic Struggle in 1987 when South Korea was finally democratized.
12 – PPKs Were Actually Withdrawn From Use in the British Secret Service

It’s incredibly ironic because of the eternal James Bond association, but the PPK was actually withdrawn from real life use in the British Secret Service back in the 1970s. This happened after a failed kidnapping attempt on Princess Anne and her husband.
While the kidnapping was thankfully prevented, the PPK of the officer protecting the couple, James Beaton, jammed while he was fighting off their assailants. PPK pistols were then withdrawn from use by the British police and intelligence forces, and this was reflected in some of the later non-Ian Fleming Bond novels where 007 was forced to change weapons yet again.
13 – Smith & Wesson Made Several Updates to the PPK in 2002

When Smith & Wesson took over PPK production for Walther, they made a couple of updates to the design. The first was giving the PPK a one piece feed ramp so it could more reliably feed jacketed hollow point ammunition. The second big update was giving the frame a ‘beavertail’ like you’ll see in the above photo to help prevent slide bite.
The S&W-made PPKs received mixed reviews overall, with it generally being regarded as less well-made than the previous iterations of the PPK. The beavertail attracted both praise and derision; while it did prevent slide bite it could also dig into the shooter’s hand and become uncomfortable. You’ll notice the Smith & Wesson markings on the slide in the above photo.
14 – Walther Finally Resumed PPK Production in 2018

You’ll recall from above that since 1945, most PPK pistols were actually not produced by Walther. That changed in 2018 when Walther finally resumed producing the pistol themselves. The frames are produced at the Walther factory in Fort Smith, Arkansas, while the slides are made at their factory in Ulm, Germany. The slides are then shipped into Fort Smith, where the guns are assembled and sent out to distributors.
The new PPKs incorporate the longer beavertail frame of the S&W produced PPKs, but unlike the S&W they have fixed sights and a smoother trigger pull. These new PPK and PPK/S pistols from Walther are available in .380 ACP, and as of 2024, in .32 ACP as well. This leads us into our final fact…
15 – The PPK Has Been Continually Produced Longer Than Any Walther Firearm

The PPK has been in continuous production since 1931, and the PPK/S since 1968. This makes the PPK the Walther pistol that has been produced for the longest amount of time, and it also makes it one of the most continually produced pistols ever made.
Only a select few handguns still being made today have been continually produced for longer, such as the M1911 pistol since 1911 and the Smith & Wesson Model 10 revolver since 1899. Not even the slightly older Walther PP managed to last for as long as the PPK has. Whereas PP production lasted from 1929 to around 2000, the PPK is still going strong today!

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