Walther PD 380 Review

Walther made their bread and butter on a .380 ACP gun, so it’s no wonder they tend to cling to the cartridge. The Walther PD380 is their latest .380 ACP, and it defies the typical .380 norm. We’ve got hands-on to see if it’s worthy of Walther’s storied past. 

Walther PD380 Background 

The PD380 is an evolution of the PK380. The PK380 was always a bit of an odd duck. It was never a pocket .380 but more of a midsize weapon designed to be a modern take on the PPK series. It was never super popular but remained a part of Walther’s catalog. 

The PD380 doesn’t depart very far from its roots. The gun is a short recoil, locked breach semi-auto, hammer-fired handgun. The gun uses a DA/SA trigger system with a safety but no decoking option. We get a short rail for accessories, an adjustable rear sight, and not much more. 

The gun’s sights are apparently interchangeable with Glock 19 sights. The gun isn’t optics-ready and does lack some modern features. Many will scoff at the single-stack magazine, but in shooting, you quickly figure out who this gun is for. It’s designed for the gun owner who may have weak hands. 

The slide is easy to move and manipulate, especially if you precock the hammer. The single-stack magazine is superbly easy to load. Each round slides in and down with absolute ease. Walther produced a firearm well-suited for reduced hand strength and easy manipulation in a caliber known for very little recoil. 

Walther PD380 Features 

1 Ambidextrous Safety

2 Picatinny Rail

3 Deep Slide Serrations

4 Ambidextrous Magazine Release

Other Models

The Walther PD380 – The Evolution 

The Walther PD380 series has made a few changes from the PK380, mainly ergonomic swaps. The grip design now replicates the PDP series, which is a major upgrade. It’s super comfortable, and the texture is fantastic. It’s an awesome grip that fills my hand just right. 

The extra width and girth seem excessive, but they serve a serious purpose. They help dissipate recoil and make the gun easier to control, which is important for those with recoil control issues. 

The controls are quite nice. The safety is slide-mounted and ambidextrous. Up is fire. Down is safe. The gun can be carried, cocked, and locked. The magazine release is a love-it-or-hate-it affair. It’s like a satchel, it’s very European. 

The magazine release is an ambidextrous lever mounted to the trigger guard. A downward press frees your magazine. I like it, but I know lots of people don’t. The slide features very deep and broad serrations that make it easy to grip and work with. 

Little Gun Accuracy 

The PD380 isn’t the smallest gun, but it’s not the largest. It’s smaller than a Glock 19 but larger than a Glock 26. To me, it’s the Goldilocks of guns. The nice grip helps with accuracy. People talk about triggers when it comes to accuracy, but a good grip is way more important to me. 

The PD380 didn’t impress me with its accuracy, but it didn’t let me down. For a gun this size, it’s fairly average. The PD380 could hit a 10-inch gong more than it missed at 25 yards. At 15 yards, you can keep every round inside the black of a B8. There are more accurate small guns, but the PD380 is more than enough.

The sights are particularly impressive, but they’re very functional. Up close, I can easily find that white dot and throw lead quickly and accurately. I can punch all nine rounds into a USPSA A-zone in three seconds from the draw at ten yards. Functionally, it’s accurate, and the low recoil helps you shoot quickly. 

The recoil impulse is downright pleasant. It feels nice in the hand and doesn’t beat you up. There is no slide bite present, and I enjoy shooting the gun. Due to the .380 ACP cartridge and the gun’s size, it’s not getting away from me. I just have to follow the front sight, and if I can do that, I can keep it rolling while shooting straight. 

Reliable For Carry 

Reliability was…interesting. The gun worked fine with Remington and a handful of Federal jacketed hollow points but choked with Fioochi. The Fioochi ammo had this ring around the case. It seems that the bulge was causing the gun to choke. This ammo has worked in a whole lot of .380s but choked the Walther. 

Everything else worked without a problem. That bulge is not normal, and this 95-grain Fioochi was the only ammo I’ve ever seen it on. Still, I’ve used almost a thousand of these rounds in other guns without a problem. I would say it’s reliable, but test your gun and ammo.

Pros and Cons

My Preferred Ammo

Upgrade and Accessories Options:

1. Streamlight TLR-7		Micro Sized Light 500 Lumens Ambidextrous Switches	Check Pricing
2. Safariland 575 IWB Pro-Fit holster		Polymer Holster Design  Grip Lock System  Adjustable Design for Multi-Fit Capabilities	Check It Out

Important Links and Manuals for Walther PD 380

Are you looking to pick up a Walther PD 380 but need a bit more info?  Or maybe you’ve just misplaced your user’s manual?  Either way, check out the links below.

• Walther PD 380 Manual