# Walther PPK or Jericho 941???



## Collector_V (Apr 1, 2008)

V from Australia,

Applying for a sport shooting/ collecting license which in Australia can be a lengthy and boring process with a 6 month wait before any purchases, practice firing at the local range I guess.

However endless speculation and eagerness has been put to my first handgun (Haven't really ever been a fan of long guns) I may even be limited to caliber for the next 6 months.

Ideally my first purchase would either be the Walther PPK or PPK/S (not that I know the difference, is it slimmer?) or a IMI Jericho 941 9mm.

As I'm a complete n00b to gun collecting and gun firing (as in never even fired one!!) I was wondering if perhaps someone would like to talk to me about pro's and cons of the Walther, does it stand up to other small handguns? and is it a worthwhile purchase as a first handgun for someone who has never fired a gun (I will of course do the SSAA firearm safety course)
Additionally in Australia, being a collector and a target shooter means I have to register newly bought guns to either one license or the other, to put a gun to the collectors license means temporarily disabling it and potentially never being able to take it to the range.

Thanks for the warm welcome to HandGunForum.com, ive been searching for a while for a good forum to socialize in, I imagine there are sections to talk about all manner of topics as well?

V:smt024


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## MLB (Oct 4, 2006)

The ppk was the original DA autopistol manufactured by Walther. The ppk/s was manufactured for the US market after the gun control act of 1968 made importation of the ppk illegal (too small). The ppk/s is generally just a Walther PP frame with a ppk slide. I don't think any ppk/s would qualify for any "collector" status.

They are fine for shooting though ;-) With the short barrel and snappy recoil, you may find that a larger handgun would be better for your first though.


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## PanaDP (Jul 20, 2007)

MLB said:


> The ppk was the original DA autopistol manufactured by Walther. The ppk/s was manufactured for the US market after the gun control act of 1968 made importation of the ppk illegal (too small). The ppk/s is generally just a Walther PP frame with a ppk slide. I don't think any ppk/s would qualify for any "collector" status.
> 
> They are fine for shooting though ;-) With the short barrel and snappy recoil, you may find that a larger handgun would be better for your first though.


To go into slightly more detail, a PPK/S has the same barrel and slide as a PPK. The difference is that the grip is ever so slightly longer than a PPK's. A PPK/S holds one more round in the magazine than a PPK of the same caliber.


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## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

Since the other fellows have already covered the PPK vs. PPK/s issue, I'll just say that a blowback .380 pocket pistol - complete with heavy trigger and mediocre sights - is not a great choice for a first-time shooter, especially one who won't actually be carrying a gun. 

Between the two guns you mentioned, I'd choose the Jericho in a heartbeat. Any particular reason you're wedded to these two pistols?


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## submoa (Dec 16, 2007)

Collector_V said:


> As I'm a complete n00b to gun collecting and gun firing (as in never even fired one!!)


Highly recommend you attend a basic handgun course. The NRA courses in the US is fairly standardized, not sure what you might have in AU. In addition to basic operation and safety, the course should teach you about proper stance. Often times, greater experience with shooting properly will help you define your preferences in how the gun fits your needs (ie. comfort in handling, pointability, size, etc.). Always try to handle a gun before selecting it for purchase. What might be 'egonomic design' might not be ergonomic to you.

Additionally, budget a safe way to secure your gun when you are not carrying. Especially if you have kids.

Some things to remember about the posts you see in this forum:

Most of us are from the US. A lot of the laws and rights we quote may not apply in AU.
Everyone is biased. We all love our guns and each have our favorite brands. The most important thing is to choose gun that fits you, not the other way around.
You might see some posts with incredible endorsements or bad reviews, do an internet search to verify the incident in order to separate fact from opinion.
Most posts will be weighted towards hardware over skills. I will never be able to play as well as Tiger Woods using his golf clubs, but he can play better than me using mine. Same goes for guns. Money spent on ammo for training returns more value than money spent on your gun to make you a better shooter.

When asking for gun recommendations, it is best to describe the purpose for the gun. Different guns work best in different situations since all guns are compromises. IE. .22s are great for rodent control, paper punching, and ammo is cheap but generally considered inadequate for self defense.

Welcome and good luck.


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