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Walther PP

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Walther PP
Original Walther PP pistol.
TypeSemi-automatic pistol
Place of originWeimar Republic
Service history
In service1935–1992
Used bySee Users
WarsWorld War II
Production history
DesignerCarl Walther Waffenfabrik
Designed1929
ManufacturerCarl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen
Produced1929–present
No. builtOver 5 million[citation needed]
VariantsPPK, PPK-L, PPKS, PP-Super and PPK/E
Specifications
Mass665 g (23.5 oz) (PP 9×17mm Short/.380 ACP)
660 g (23 oz) (PP 7.65×17mm Browning SR/.32 ACP)
675 g (23.8 oz) (PP .22 LR)
590 g (21 oz) (PPK 9×17mm Short/.380 ACP)
590 g (21 oz) (PPK 7.65×17mm Browning SR/.32 ACP)
560 g (20 oz) (PPK .22 LR)
635 g (22.4 oz) (PPK/S 9×17mm Short/.380 ACP)
630 g (22 oz) (PPK/S 7.65×17mm Browning SR/.32 ACP)
645 g (22.8 oz) (PPK/S .22 LR)
480 g (17 oz) (PPK-L 7.65×17mm Browning SR/.32 ACP)
450 g (16 oz) (PPK-L .22 LR)
780 g (28 oz) (PP-Super)
Length170 mm (6.7 in) (PP)
155 mm (6.1 in) (PPK)
156 mm (6.1 in) (PPK/S)
165 mm (6.5 in) (PPK-L)
176 mm (6.9 in) (PP-Super)
Barrel length98 mm (3.9 in) (PP)
83 mm (3.3 in) (PPK, PPK/S, PPK-L))
92 mm (3.6 in) (PP-Super)
Width30 mm (1.2 in) (PP, PPK/S, PPK-E)
25 mm (1.0 in) (PPK)
35 mm (1.4 in) (PP-Super)
Height109 mm (4.3 in) (PP)
100 mm (3.9 in) (PPK)
110 mm (4.3 in) (PPK/S)
113 mm (4.4 in) (PPK-E)
124 mm (4.9 in) (PP-Super)
Cartridge7.65×17mm Browning SR (.32 ACP)
9×17mm Short (.380 ACP)
.22 Long Rifle
6.35×15mm Browning SR (.25 ACP)
9×18mm Ultra (PP-Super)
ActionStraight blowback
Muzzle velocity256 m/s (840 ft/s) (PP 9×17mm Short/.380 ACP)
320 m/s (1,049.9 ft/s) (PP 7.65×17mm Browning SR/.32 ACP)
305 m/s (1,000.7 ft/s) (PP .22 LR)
244 m/s (800.5 ft/s) (PPK/PPK/S 9×17mm Short/.380 ACP)
308 m/s (1,010.5 ft/s) (PPK/PPK/S/PPK-L 7.65×17mm Browning SR/.32 ACP)
280 m/s (918.6 ft/s) (PPK/PPK/S/PPK-L .22 LR)
325 m/s (1,066.3 ft/s) (PP-Super)
Feed systemMagazine capacity:
PP: 10+1 (.22LR), 8+1 (.32 ACP)
7+1 (.380)
PPK: 8+1 (.22 LR), 7+1 (.32 ACP)
6+1 (.380).
SightsFixed iron sights, rear notch and front blade

The Walther PP (Polizeipistole, or police pistol) series pistols are blowback-operated semi-automatic pistols.

It features an exposed hammer, a traditional double-action trigger mechanism, a single-column magazine, and a fixed barrel that also acts as the guide rod for the recoil spring. The series includes the Walther PP, PPK, PPK/S, and PPK/E.

Various PP series are manufactured in either Germany or the United States.[1] Since 2002, the PPK variant is solely manufactured by Smith & Wesson in Houlton, Maine, United States, under license from Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen. In the past, this particular model has been manufactured by Carl Walther in its own factory in Germany, as well as under licenses by Manurhin in Alsace, France, and by Interarms in Alexandria, Virginia.

Originally built in 1929, the Walther PPK remains a popular pistol used today for concealed carry, V.I.P. protection, and various police, though usually superseded by newer designs.[citation needed][dubious – discuss]

Overview

An Astra Constable.

The PP was released in 1929 and the PPK in 1931; both were popular with European police and civilians, for being reliable and concealable. During World War II they were issued to the German military and police, the Schutzstaffel, the Luftwaffe, and Nazi Party officials; Adolf Hitler shot and killed himself with his PPK (a 7.65mm/.32 ACP) in the Führerbunker in Berlin.[2] Moreover, the Walther PPK (also a 7.65mm/.32 ACP) pistol is famous as fictional secret agent James Bond's signature gun in many of the films and novels: Ian Fleming's choice of the Walther PPK directly influenced its popularity and its notoriety.[3][4]

The most common variant is the Walther PPK, the Polizeipistole Kriminalmodell (Police Pistol Detective Model), indicating it was more concealable than the original PP and hence better suited to plainclothes or undercover work. Kriminal refers to the police detective (criminal) division.[5] Sometimes, the name Polizeipistole Kurz (Short Police Pistol) is used; however, the accuracy of that interpretation is unclear. The PPK is a smaller version of the PP (Polizeipistole) with a shorter grip and barrel and reduced magazine capacity. The PP and the PPK were among the world's first successful double action semi-automatic pistols that were widely copied, but still made by Walther. The design inspired other pistols, among them the Soviet Makarov, the Hungarian FEG PA-63, the Argentinian Bersa Thunder 380, the Swiss SIG P230, the German Mauser HSc, the Spanish Astra Constable, the American Jennings J-22 and Iver Johnson TP-22, and the Czech CZ50.

Postwar manufacture

File:Walther PPK 1848.jpg
A Walther PPK manufactured in 1968.

Europe

Walther's original factory was located in Zella-Mehlis in the state (Land) of Thuringia. As that part of Germany was occupied by the Soviet Union following World War II, Walther was forced to flee to West Germany, where they established a new factory in Ulm. However, for several years following the war, the Allied powers forbade any manufacture of weapons in Germany. As a result, in 1952, Walther licensed production of the PP series pistols to a French company, Manufacture de Machines du Haut-Rhin, also known as Manurhin. The French company continued to manufacture the PP series until 1986. In fact, all postwar European-made PP series pistols manufactured until 1986 were manufactured by Manurhin, even though the pistol slide may bear the markings of the Walther factory in Ulm, since German law lets manufacturers use the final assembly point as the place of origin. [citation needed]

United States

In 1978, Ranger Manufacturing of Gadsden, Alabama was licensed to manufacture the PPK and PPK/S; this version was distributed by Interarms of Alexandria, Virginia. This license was eventually canceled. Starting in 2002, Smith & Wesson (S&W) began manufacturing the PPK and PPK/S under license. In February 2009, S&W issued a recall for PPKs it manufactured for a defect in the hammer block safety.[6]

Walther has indicated that, with the exception of the PP and the new PPK/E model, S&W is the current sole source for new PPK-type pistols.[7]

PPK versus PPK/S

ATF Form 4590 ("Factoring Criteria for Weapons").

The PPK/S was developed following the enactment of the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA68) in the United States, the pistol's largest market (Hogg 1979:164). One of the provisions of GCA68 banned the importation of pistols and revolvers not meeting certain requirements of length, weight, and other "sporting" features into the United States. The PPK failed the "Import Points" test of the GCA68 by a single point. (See image of ATF Form 4590 for the complete list of qualifying points.) Walther addressed this situation by combining the PP's frame with the PPK's barrel and slide to create a pistol that weighed slightly more than the PPK. The additional ounce or two of weight of the PPK/S compared to the PPK was sufficient to provide the extra needed import points.

Because United States law allowed domestic production (as opposed to importation) of the PPK, manufacture began under license in the U.S. in 1978; this version was distributed by Interarms. The version currently manufactured by Smith & Wesson has been modified by incorporating a longer grip tang (S&W calls it "extended beaver tail"),[8] better protecting the shooter from slide bite, i.e., the rearward-traveling slide's pinching the web between the index finger and thumb of the firing hand, which could be a problem with the original design for people with larger hands or an improper grip, especially when using "hotter" cartridge loads.


The PPK/S differs from the PPK as follows:

  • Overall height: 104 mm (4.1 in)
  • Weight: the PPK/S weighs 51 g (1.8 oz) more than the PPK
  • The PPK/S magazine holds one additional round, in both calibers.

As of 2014, the PPK/S and the PPK are offered in the following calibers: .32 ACP (with capacities of 8+1 for PPK/S and 7+1 for PPK); or .380 ACP (PPK/S: 7+1, PPK: 6+1). The PPK/S is also offered in .22 LR with capacity of 10+1.

PPK-L

A Walther PPK-L manufactured in 1966.

In the 1950s, Walther produced the PPK-L, which was a light-weight variant of the PPK. The PPK-L differed from the standard, all steel PPK in that it had an aluminium alloy frame. These were only chambered in 7.65mm Browning (.32 ACP) and .22 LR because of the increase in felt recoil from the lighter weight of the gun. All other features of the postwar production PPK/S (brown plastic grips with Walther banner, high polished blue finish, lanyard loop, loaded chamber indicator, 7+1 magazine capacity and overall length) were the same on the PPK-L. In the 1960s, Walther began stamping "Made in West Germany" on the frame of the pistol, right below the magazine release button. The 1950s production pistols had the month and year of manufacture stamped on the right side of the slide. Starting in the 1960s, the production date, designated by the last two digits of the year, was stamped on the part of the barrel exposed by the ejection port.

PP Super

First marketed in 1972, this was an all-steel variant of the PP chambered for the 9x18mm Ultra cartridge. Designed as a police service pistol, it was a blowback operated, double-action pistol with an external slide-stop lever and a firing-pin safety. A manual decocker lever was on the left side of the slide; when pushed down, it locked the firing pin and released the hammer. When the 9mm Parabellum was chosen as the standard service round by most of the German police forces, the experimental 9mm Ultra round fell into disuse. Only about 2,000 PP Super pistols were sold to German police forces in the 1970s, and lack of sales caused Walther to withdraw the PP Super from their catalogue in 1979.[9]

PPK/E

A Walther PPK/E

At the 2000 Internationale Waffen-Ausstellung (IWA - International Weapons Exhibition) in Nuremberg, Walther announced a new PPK variant designated as the PPK/E.[10][11] The PPK/E resembles the PPK/S and has a blue steel finish; it is manufactured under license by FEG in Hungary. Despite the resemblance between the two, certain PP-PPK-PPK/S parts, such as magazines, are not interchangeable with the PPK/E. Official factory photographs do not refer to the pistol's Hungarian origins. Instead, the traditional Walther legend ("Carl Walther Waffenfabrik Ulm/Do.") is stamped on the left side of the slide. The factory announcement mentions that the PPK/E is made with "new manufacturing technologies", presumably in an effort to reduce costs.

As of May 2008, the PPK/E bore a suggested retail price in Germany of 441 euros, almost 200 euros cheaper than the PPK and PPK/S models imported from the U.S.[12] The PPK/E is offered in .22 LR, .32 ACP, and .380 ACP calibers.

Users

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "Customer Support". Walther America. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
  2. ^ Fischer (2008) p. 47 "...Günsche stated he entered the study to inspect the bodies, and observed Hitler ...sat...sunken over, with blood dripping out of his right temple. He had shot himself with his own pistol, a PPK 7.65."
  3. ^ A.E. Hartink, The Complete Encyclopedia of Pistols and Revolvers, page 368
  4. ^ [1][dead link]
  5. ^ http://www.genitron.com/Handgun/Walther/Pistol/PPK/32-Auto/Variant-2
  6. ^ "Walther PPK PPKS Safety Recall - Smith & Wesson". Smith-wesson.com. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
  7. ^ "Walther's 2008 worldwide defense product catalog" (PDF). Carl-walther.info. Retrieved 2012-11-07.[dead link]
  8. ^ http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=13152&storeId=10002&productId=58946&langId=-1&parent_category_rn=43802&isFirearm=Y
  9. ^ "Modern Firearms - Walther PP Super". World.guns.ru. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
  10. ^ "IWA2000". CyberShooters.org. Retrieved 2008-05-04. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  11. ^ "If Reliability Counts...The New Walther PPK/E" (PDF). Carl Walther Sportwaffen GmbH. Retrieved 2008-05-04.
  12. ^ "PPK/E 9 mm short, blued". Carl Walther Sportwaffen GmbH. Retrieved 2008-05-04.[dead link]
  13. ^ "Walther PPK Pistol". Retrieved 2011-01-09.[dead link]
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Jones, Richard D. Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010. Jane's Information Group; 35 edition (January 27, 2009). ISBN 978-0-7106-2869-5.
  15. ^ a b c d e f "Modern Firearms - Walther PP & PPK". World.guns.ru. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
  16. ^ "Kopassus & Kopaska - Specijalne Postrojbe Republike Indonezije" (in Croatian). Hrvatski Vojnik Magazine. Retrieved 2010-06-12.
  17. ^ "Walther PP, Swedish Contract". Panchogun.com. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
  18. ^ "Jakt & Jägare". Jaktojagare.se. 2008-01-25. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
  19. ^ "Walther PP and PPK self-loading pistols (Germany) - Jane's Infantry Weapons". Janes.com. 2012-02-28. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
  20. ^ Marchington, James (2004). The Encyclopedia of Handheld Weapons. Lewis International, Inc. ISBN 1-930983-14-X.

References

  • Fischer, Thomas (2008). Soldiers Of the Leibstandarte. J.J. Fedorowicz Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-0-921991-91-5.
  • Hogg, Ian V. (1979). Guns and How They Work. New York: Everest House. ISBN 0-89696-023-4.
  • Josserand, M.H. (1972). Pistols, Revolvers, and Ammunition. New York: Bonanza Books (A division of Crown Publishers, Inc.). ISBN 0-517-16516-3. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
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