The Walther PPK in .32 ACP is the original chambering of the gun that Walther released in 1931 as the "Polizeipistole Kriminalmodell" — a shortened, more concealable version of the PP for plainclothes detective use. Nearly a century later, the current production PPK is made at Walther's Fort Smith, Arkansas facility (production of the PPK platform was paused company-wide in November 2025, so currently available stock is the final US-made run). The pistol weighs 24 oz on an all-stainless frame and slide, runs a 3.3" barrel with 7+1 capacity, and uses a DA/SA hammer-fired action with a 6.1 lb SA trigger pull.

Among .32 ACP DA/SA pistols, the PPK is the heavyweight in both senses. At 24 oz, it carries more steel than any other pocket-class .32 except the larger Beretta 80X Cheetah Tactical. The closest mechanical analog is the Sig P230, which was Sig's German-made DA/SA .32 from the 1970s through the 1990s and was openly modeled on the PPK design. The Beretta 3032 Tomcat at 14.5 oz is the lighter modern alternative for shooters who do not want PPK weight in a pocket holster. The longer 4.38" sight radius gives the PPK a real practical accuracy advantage over the smaller pocket pistols in this catalog.

The PPK is the most culturally significant handgun in the .32 ACP category. Adolf Hitler's personal sidearm was a PPK, as was the issued sidearm for German police throughout the Wehrmacht era. James Bond carried a PPK in .32 ACP through most of the early Ian Fleming novels and Sean Connery films. With Walther's November 2025 production pause, the current stock is effectively the last new-production PPKs available — used-market prices have already started climbing on collector forums. Buyers acquiring a PPK now are buying a piece of working firearms history that may not be made new again in the same configuration.