I have a confession to make: I was underwhelmed when I opened the package and took out the new PK380 from Walther. I mean, I was expecting to get my tux cleaned and be posing with the latest PPK. But as I held the gun I was thinking, "This is too big for a mere .380, and where'd the clean lines go?"

Then my wife walked into the office and asked "Is that what I signed for?" I handed it over, and she smiled. "Oh, I like the grip."

Hmm. My wife is only a shade over five feet tall, and any pistol that fits her hand is one that must be given a second look. She liked the grip shape and feel so much it took a while to get it back from her. Once I did, I packed it up with a gun bag full of ammo and headed to the range to consider the PK380 anew.

First of all, it is big compared to other .380s, but it is light. Compared to Bond's PPK, which weighs 23 ounces, the PK380 is only 19 ounces. It is also, unlike a host of other .380s, a locked-breech design.

So we have a lightweight, medium-size pistol that has a soft-feeling recoil spring, one that is easy to rack. And that's no small issue. My wife, for example, doesn't have a lot of hand strength, and she simply cannot work the slide on a compact blowback .380. The PK380, however, is easy for her to manipulate, and for her--and many other shooters looking for a defensive handgun--that's a big plus.

Those using it as their main defensive handgun--or even as a backup pistol--will be pleased to see the magazine holds eight rounds, two more than other .380s. The magazine goes into a polymer frame with a grip that my wife can handle and yet is comfortable for me to hold on to.

I don't have huge meat hooks (I'm more the slender surgeon's or pianist's hands type), but small guns can be troublesome for me. The PK380 fits us both, which means it will likely fit a whole lot of other shooters' hands as well. A big part of that comfort are the sculpted recesses behind the trigger on each side of the frame.

In overall appearance, the Walther PK380 looks just like a scaled-down Smith & Wesson SW990. The swoopy frame is mated to a squarish, angle-sided slide, giving it a non-nonsense look.

The recesses behind the trigger are a big part of what makes the PK380 so comfy to shoot. The paddle at the rear of the trigger guard serves as the mag release.

The sights are comprised of a sharply angled ramped front and a rear blade. They're the obligatory three-dot sights that have been all the rage since the mid-1980s and are surprisingly large for what one might consider a pocket pistol. However, bigger means easier to aim, and aiming is a good habit to encourage.

The magazine release is the Walther design: an ambidextrous paddle that rides at the rear of the trigger guard. I've found that the best way to work it is not with a thumb but with the trigger finger.

There are two recessed levers inside the frame, one on each side forward of the trigger. The one on the right is the trigger lock. Use the provided tool to rotate the lever to lock or unlock. The indicator is clear and obvious, marked "F" and "S" for fire and safe: If the bar runs parallel to the bore, you can fire; if it is crossways to the bore, no fire.