[Rich]

I picked up this PPK last year. Here's the story. It came with the grips shown in the first two images. I think they are reproduction (junk). The seller said he obtained it from the estate of the Vet who brought it back and with it was another PPK grip set with a small piece broken off the left side by the safety lever. These look genuine to me. For my taste I prefer the damaged original (?) grip to the excellent condition reproduction. The problem is the grips I believe are correct are flared a little, especially at the bottom and do not seem to fit very well. The metal insert in the grips I would like to have on this piece also seem to contact the inside of the grip frame which adds to the flaring problem.
Does anyone know, are the 2nd set of grips real and correct?
Is there any trick to installing PPK grips to get a better fit?


Download Attachment: PPK RS1.jpg
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Download Attachment: PPK LS.jpg
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Download Attachment: PPK GRIP LS-1.jpg
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Download Attachment: PPK GRIP RS.jpg
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Download Attachment: PPK INSIDE GRIP1.jpg
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Download Attachment: PPK Grip flare1.jpg
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Download Attachment: PPK GRIP BOTTOM.jpg
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Download Attachment: PPK RS with correct Grips.jpg
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[Pancho]

I have seen fake/repro regular PPK grips, and PL/PPK grips, but never with a metal insert.
I have heard of fake/repro PL/PPK grips with the metal insert.
If the regular grips with the metal insert are fakes,
then it's the first I've heard of them.
The broken area under the safety actually lends them some credibility.
This is a typical area where original grips can distort and flare out,
thus coming in contact with the safety lever and breaking.

If anyone has some fake grips, then this is a good opportunity to post some detailed photos of them.

Here is a link to my site with some examples of fake PPK and PL/PPK grips.

http://www.panchogun.com/FV-Walther-PPK-Political-Leader-Page.html

 

[Rich]

Pancho; thanks for your reply.
I am not too knowledgable of Walthers but I thought the damaged grips looked authentic also.

What I could use some help with is, are there any techniques to restore (make them fit better) the warped old grips to the PPK I think they originated on?

I know I could make them fit better if took a file or dremel tool and removed about an eight of an inch of the metal insert inside the grips. Taking a file to a
collector piece is not something that I would normaly do and I am not very comfortable doing so. To file or not to file ?, that is the question.

 

[Pancho]

Rich,
I agree, you don't want to alter an original piece.
You are between a rock and a hard place.
If you don't alter them a bit, then they might break.
Might be necessary to file away a bit in order to keep them from breaking.
I might be prone to modifying the metal insert, but,
sometimes I am a bit too fastidious for my own good.
Don't take my advice unless you can find someone else that agrees with me.
I'm weak...I can't resist tinkering.

 

[Marschall]

Hello Rich,
do not try to hamper with the original, slightly damaged grips. The other ones are repros, as you can see, if you look closely at the area around the grip screw and the mottling of the colour. In Europe there are even fakers, who salvage the metal inserts from broken grips to re-use them in repros.
The original Trolit plastic grips are very sensitive to heat. So do not try any sort of heat treatment, as they easily warp.
Dieter.

 

[taudelt]

Pancho...... Many thanks for the show and tell on the grips. Have made copies to have with me at guns shows. Will allow me to do OTHER dumb things.