Walther Skyfall review

1. Intro
The Walther PP (Polizeipistole) series pistols are blowback-operated semi-automatic pistols. They feature an exposed hammer, a traditional double-action trigger mechanism, a single-stack magazine, and a fixed barrel. The series includes the Walther PP, PPK and PPK/S.
The PP was released in 1929 and the PPK in 1931; both were popular with European police and civilians, for being reliable and concealable. The Walther PPK (also a 7.65mm/.32 ACP) pistol is famous as fictional secret agent James Bond's signature gun in many of the films and novels: Ian Fleming's choice of the Walther PPK directly influenced its popularity and its notoriety. The most common variant is the Walther PPK, the Polizeipistole Kriminalmodell (Police Pistol Detective Model), indicating it was more concealable than the original PP and hence better suited to plainclothes or undercover work. The PPK is a smaller version of the PP (Polizeipistole) with a shorter grip and barrel and reduced magazine capacity.

The PP and the PPK were among the world's first successful double action semi-automatic pistols that were widely copied, but still made by Walther. The design inspired other pistols, among them the Soviet Makarov, the SIG P230, the Mauser HSc to name a few.
Walther's original factory was located in Zella-Mehlis in Thuringia, Germany. As that part of Germany was occupied by the Soviet Union following World War II, Walther moved to West Germany, where they established a new factory in Ulm. However, for several years following the war, the Allied powers forbade any manufacture of weapons in Germany. As a result, in 1952, Walther licensed production of the PP series pistols to a French company, Manufacture de Machines du Haut-Rhin, also known as Manurhin. The French company continued to manufacture the PP series until 1986. In fact, all postwar European-made PP series pistols manufactured until 1986 were manufactured by Manurhin, even though the pistol slide may bear the markings of the Walther factory in Ulm, since German law allows the final assembly point to be used as place of origin.
PPK versus PPK/S
In 1978, Ranger Manufacturing of Gadsden, Alabama was licensed to manufacture the PPK and PPK/S; this version was distributed by Interarms of Alexandria, Virginia. This license was eventually canceled. Starting in 2002, Smith & Wesson (S&W) began manufacturing the PPK and PPK/S under license.
The PPK/S was developed following the enactment of the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA68) in the United States. One of the provisions of GCA68 banned the importation of pistols and revolvers not meeting certain requirements of length, weight, and other "sporting" features into the United States. The PPK failed the "Import Points" test of the GCA68 by a single point. Walther addressed this situation by combining the PP's frame with the PPK's barrel and slide to create a pistol that weighed slightly more than the PPK. The additional ounce or two of weight of the PPK/S compared to the PPK was sufficient to provide the extra needed import points.
So the Walther 1929 design can basically come in 3 variants as below:


Now this is not about a PPK/S available on the marked – it’s about the specific PPK/S, featured in the Skyfall movie, coded for agent 007’s palm.


2. Box and content
From a distance the matt black box bears strong resemblance to the box Mr. Bond receives his new fire arm in, in the Skyfall movie. Looking closer there is however some difference.

The box lid has a pressed Bulldog logo and an exterior key lock. I admit the movies scene does not reveal that many details, it could be different but seen in a glimse as in the movie it could be taken for the real thing. Now opening the box there is a difference, the box foam seen differently open in the structure and a bit coarse cut on some edges.
The box did not contain instructions, but I luckily have a copy of the Marushin PP/PPK/PPK-s kit instruction.

So for the basic gun I was covered for instructions, but when coming to the palm coded safety the reason for not having printing an instruction must be a question of Classified information or product patents.  
The gun in the box came with a magazine, loaded with 7, very nice, PFC cartridges, that must be Mulberry Field.

3. Look
Frame and slide have a nice and deep blue color. Trigger, hammer, trigger bar, safety lever have a slightly darker almost black color. The grips have a dark, almost black rough textured surface on the lower front and rear top and the rest has a grey semi gloss color. Given the fact that Mr. Bonds gun is only seen in glimses and poor light I will claim the colors to be authentic.

The barrel is straight black and rather gloss. It looks like uncoated model gun plastic.
The magazine is gun blue and has a dark grip extension just like the Marushins. Looking into the barrel it is blocked, most identical to the Marushin PP I have !

4. Markings
Markings on this model are very basic. Left side of the slide only has Walther logo engraved. Missing caliber and other information engraved on real Walther’s. But again comparing to the few movie clips the marking seems to be matching the gun agent 007 receives in the National Gallery in London.
Now moving to the right side of the slide and frame, I have found no references. The slide is only marked Carl Walther Gmbh and the frame holds the serial number 7280071.

The chamber part of the barrel is not engraved cal.380 as most real steel guns are.  Now in the short movie clip Bond is told the gun is in cal .380 but it can not be seen on this modelgun.

The Sights are classic iron sights, with the pleasant addition of a white dot on the front.

5. Weight
The modelgun itself weighs 545gr. An empty magazine weighs 105 gr. This adds up to almost 700gr loaded with cartridges, so quite close to realistic weight for this fine little model gun.

6. Stripdown
Even though this is a very special and customized gun the basic takedown is unchanged.
First you should make sure the gun is empty and remove the magazine.
Second pull the trigger bar slightly out of the frame.
Next pull the slide full to the rear and lift the rear end of the slide free of the frame, then guide the slide off the barrel.
The gun is now field stripped and can be cleaned and lubricated.
Assemble the gun in reverse order.

7. Magazine & loading
As I wrote above the magazine is a nice blue metal, single stack magazine. It looks extremely like a Marushin for PP or PPK/S. I actually tried switching magazine with my Marushin PP – and both combinations work ! – so…. ?

8. Cartridges & fire
Cartridges are identical to Mulberry Field, centerfires and I have also tested Marushin for PP/PPK and they also work fine. But it is clear that we are dealing with the 7,65mm cartiridges and not ca. 380 ! but OK it’s a deviation I can live with, and it’s not easy to see when firing.
What is really interesting is the palm coding. The grip has two very different surface textures. The dark, almost black – non slip texture and a somewhat dark grey, smoother surface. I seem to be in the dark grey part of the grip sensing if it is the palm coded for, touching the grip, and then it lights up and is ready to fire.

I have not experienced that the system did unintentional locks of the gun function.
Firing is crisp and with a good recoil.

9. Conclusion
When it comes to the box and the appearance of it I am quite OK, yes it has the logo on top but it gives enough appearance to imagine you are in the National gallery 
Content – I guess this cannot be anything else, the mythic gun and cartridges. That’s it.
As I wrote the cartridges must be ordinary PFC cartridges. They work fine.
For the look you can judge from the pictures your selves. Yes there are some differences on the texture of the grip and some. Apart from that I am willing to accept this as a PFC prop of the 007 gun.

On firing it seem that if you grease well it functions well and I have to say that I am well content with the recoil and good ejection of the cartridges.
The really cool thing about this modelgun is the Palm coded safety. Now to be honest you cannot eject the code block and insert another code, so maybe it isn’t after all 100% real, but when you grip it reasonably firm it lights up green. So it will do for me.


So guy’s it is a true modelgun version of the 007 Walther Skyfall

And for the "Confessions" the final update.
In the Modifications library i have now tried to explain how i made my very own - One off - Walther Skyfall

Nice!
Thank you for the review, it covers all points I wanted to know about this version :-)