The hammer-fired Walther PK380 Pistol is specifically built with the aim of marketing to smaller or less physically abled shooters. Those who need a soft recoil and light trigger would find this gun one of the best on the market. It is little and light, but not necessarily diminutive compared to other pistols on the market, weighing in at 18 oz and having an overall length of 6.5”. It’s a little big for the subcompact pistol class, but in conjunction with the rest of its aspects, that could be a great compromise.
Grip: The grip on this pistol is extremely comfortable. Thanks to it’s slightly bigger size than other compact pistols on the market, it truly feels secure in the hand while shooting. The polymer grip has modest finger grooves to help bite into the hand and strengthen anyone’s grip, including those who may have lost some strength in their hands. However, there is no backstrap or grip adjustment available, so for those who it doesn’t fit there is little wiggle room to make it better.
Magazine: The 8-round magazine on the PK380 is nickel-plated and single stack with witness holes for each round. There is a small pinky finger extension in order to help with the comfort of grip, however it does not noticeably change the size of the grip. The magazine release is an ambidextrous paddle at the rear of the trigger guard. With that placement it is easier to use it with the trigger finger rather than the typical thumb release. It would be something to adjust to for typical shooters.
Trigger: The trigger tends to be a crisper break and smoother pull during double action. The pull is around 11lbs compared to the single action of 5.25lbs, but the compromise is the single action is less crisp. However, that is a fairly light pull and could be great again for shooters that have lost some hand strength with age. The reset is super short at 0.25” and lightning fast. It makes it easy to get 8 rounds out quickness. Additionally, the PK380 is one of the softest pistols on the market with virtually no felt recoil. This is once again part of the intentional design for smaller shooters who struggle with strong knockback.
Accuracy and Reliability: In terms of accuracy, this pistol does the job. It is not meant to be a competitive or target pistol, but as a self-defense and potential bulky concealed carry it will work. However, to make up for this the PK380 is extremely reliable. While it doesn’t necessarily play nice with all ammo choices, once you find the one that works it works without malfunctions despite not always cleaning the firearm.
The PK380 is a pretty typical pistol, but a bit big for concealed carry. It is easy to draw, aim, and shoot quickly even if the shooter is younger, smaller, or a bit aged. If those adjectives apply to you, we recommend checking it out on the market.
