When Walther created the PP series of pistols, they didn’t do anything superbly revolutionary. They just combined a number of well-known and appreciated features into one platform. The PP, PPK, and later PPK/S are quite famous and widely cloned. Typically, the clones are seen as inferior. For example, guns like the Makarov are seen as cruder examples of the same technology. However, some are arguably superior, and the Astra Constable falls into the superior part of the clone game.
The Astra Constable – A Spanish Walther
Astra’s Constable uses the same basic layout as a Walther PP/PPK. It’s a direct blowback-operated firearm with a fixed barrel that doubles as the gun’s guide rod. The gun has a DA/SA trigger system and manual safety, doubling as a decocker. The Constable came in .380 ACP, .32 ACP, and .22LR. My example is a .380 ACP.
You might even mistake the Constable for a Walther with its sleek appearance and design. It’s upon closer inspection that you begin to see the difference. The barrel length is 3.5 inches, which is shorter than the Walther PP and longer than the PPK. In .380 ACP, the gun holds seven rounds.
One of the big departures the Constable makes from the Walther is the addition of a manual slide release. This helps you quickly reload and modernizes a design that traces its origins to 1929.
Unlike the German-made Walther, Spanish-made Constables can be very affordable firearms. If you want a Walther for its design and function, the Astra Constable can be a very affordable alternative. Constable pistols can be found for less than $300, and that’s a helluva bargain.
Upon Closer Inspection
Spanish-made firearms don’t get the credit they deserve. Their arms industry has cooled these days, but they have produced some very robust and innovative pistols in the past. Companies like Astra and Star produced and imported a variety of well-made handguns up until the 1990s. Eventually, the two companies merged and became ASTAR, but they didn’t seem to do a whole lot as ASTAR.
The Astra Constable keeps the reputation of Spanish pistols. It’s very well made. Everything about the gun comes off as well-made. The finish is evenly applied and looks fantastic. The controls are well-placed and easy to use. Everything clicks and pops as you’d expect. The gun’s slide moves smoothly and locks back solidly.
The magazines don’t just drop out of the bottom—they eject, and they get thrown out the bottom of the gun with some real force. Things like the trigger come off very nicely. The double action rolls rearward nicely and smoothly, and the single action trigger is light with a very short reset. The Constable is not just a cheap clone of the Walther pistol but a weapon made to be a very high-quality firearm.
The Astra Constable At the Range
The Astra Constable’s biggest downside is the blowback-operated system. Straight blowback guns have excessive recoil, and in little, all metal guns, it results in some snappy recoil. That’s apparent here with the Constable. The little gun doesn’t recoil as harshly as a Walther PPK, but it still slaps you in the web of the hand, and we get a good dose of slide bite if we ride the gun too high.
Modern shooting techniques involve a nice high grip on the gun, but you’ll have to resist the urge. It’s tough, I know, but unless you want to lose a chunk of skin by the end of a magazine, you’ll figure it out. While recoil and slide bite can be harsh, the gun is flat shooting. It doesn’t have a ton of muzzle rise, so if you can take the recoil, you can put your rounds in a fast, tight group.
The Constable is a fairly accurate gun. The sights are small, but if you take the time to find them, you can put those pesky little .380 rounds wherever you want them. The guns’ small sights aren’t great for speed, but at the classic seven to ten-yard self-defense range, you’ll be well-armed and capable of putting rounds in the vital spot of a threat.
At longer ranges, the gun suffers from the small sights. So, it’s not a 25-yard pistol by any means. You can hit a man-sized target, but where it’s going is up to fate! Not really, but it’s not going to impress you. However, you might shoot a bit better than me and can make it work.
A Bargain Bin Gun
The Astra Constable offers you a lot of gun for not much money. Sadly, they aren’t that common. People who have them likely don’t see a reason to sell them since they won’t get a whole lot for one. If you can find one, it’s one of the best budget options for concealed carry. It’s well made, accurate enough, super reliable, and small enough to carry without a problem.
