Walther PP
Walther PP | |
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Straight blowback | |
Muzzle velocity |
|
Feed system | Magazine capacity:
|
Sights | Fixed iron sights, rear notch and front blade |
The Walther PP (
It features an exposed hammer, a traditional
Various PP series are manufactured in Germany, France and the United States.
The PP and the PPK were among the world's first successful double action semi-automatic pistols. The PPK is still manufactured by Walther, but the PP went out of production in 1999 and have been widely copied. The design inspired other pistols, among them the
PP series
The original PP was released in 1929.[1] It was designed for police use and was used by police forces in Europe in the 1930s and later.[1] The semi-automatic pistol operated using a simple blowback action.[1] The PP was designed with several safety features, some of them innovative, including an automatic hammer block, a combination safety/decocker and a loaded chamber indicator.[1]
Variants
PPK
The most common variant is the Walther PPK, a smaller version of the PP with a shorter grip, barrel and frame, and reduced magazine capacity. A new, two-piece wrap-around grip panel construction was used to conceal the exposed back strap.[clarification needed] The smaller size made it more concealable than the original PP and hence better suited to plain-clothes or undercover work. It was released in 1931.[14]
"PPK" is an abbreviation for Polizeipistole Kriminal (literally "police pistol criminal"), referring to the Kriminalamt crime investigation office. While the K is often mistakenly assumed to stand for kurz (German for "short"), as the variant has a shorter barrel and frame, Walther used the name "Kriminal" in early advertising brochures and the 1937 GECO German catalog.[15][full citation needed]
The PPK saw widespread use. Nazi leader
The fictional secret agent James Bond uses a Walther PPK in many of the novels and films: Ian Fleming's choice of Bond's weapon directly influenced the popularity and notoriety of the PPK.[19][20] Fleming had given Bond a .25 Beretta 418 pistol in early novels but switched to the PPK in Dr. No (1958) on the advice of firearms expert Geoffrey Boothroyd.[21] Although referred to as a PPK in the film adaption of 1962, the actual gun carried by actor Sean Connery was a Walther PP.[20][21][22]
Actor Jack Lord, who played Felix Leiter in Dr. No, was presented with a gold-plated PPK with ivory handgrips, given to him by his friend Elvis Presley. Presley himself owned a silver-finish PPK, inscribed "TCB" ("taking care of business").[23]
PPK/S
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.[24] 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. 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.[10] 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 U.S. law allowed domestic production (as opposed to importation) of the PPK, manufacture began under license in the U.S. in 1983; this version was distributed by
The PPK/S differs from the PPK as follows:
- Overall height: 104 mm (4.1 in) vs. 100 mm (3.9 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.[25]
The PPK/S and the PPK are offered in the following calibers:
PPK-L
In the 1960s, Walther produced the PPK-L, which was a lightweight 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 (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.
PP Super
First marketed in 1972, this was an all-steel variant of the PP chambered for the 9×18mm 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 9×19mm 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.[26]
L66A1
In 1974, the British
PPK/E
Walther PPK/E | |
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Fegyver-és Gépgyár | |
Specifications | |
Length | 155 mm (6.1 in) |
Barrel length | 83 mm (3.3 in) |
Width | 30 mm (1.2 in) |
Height | 113 mm (4.4 in) |
Cartridge | .22 LR, .32 ACP, and .380 ACP |
Action | Straight blowback |
Sights | Fixed iron sights, rear notch and front blade |
At the 2000 Internationale Waffen-Ausstellung (
Manufacturing
Walther's original factory was located in
In 1978,
Users
- Australia: PPK variant chambered in .22 Long Rifle and .32 ACP formerly used by police for undercover and surveillance duties.[30][31]
- Argentina: PPK variant chambered in .32 ACP used by Comandos Anfibios[32]
- Brazil: PP variant chambered in .380 ACP adopted by São Paulo Public Force in 1936.[33][34] PP variant chambered in 7.65 mm issued to high ranking naval officers in 1953[35]
- Bolivia: PP variant[36]
- Burkina Faso: PP variant[37]
- Central African Republic: PP variant[37]
- Chad: PP variant[37]
- Republic of the Congo: PP variant[37]
- Denmark: PPK variant. Danish police used a 7.65mm version[38] until 1998
- East Germany: A close copy was produced after World War II[39]
- France: All Walther PPs and variants were produced after World War II by Manurhin until 1986[39]
- Guyana: PPK variant[37]
- Hungary: A close copy was produced locally after World War II. A Hungarian version called the PA-63 (9×18mm Makarov) is still in service[39]
- Komando Pasukan Katak (Kopaska) tactical diver group and Komando Pasukan Khusus (Kopassus) special forces group[40]
- Iran: 200 PPs made via government contract.[41]
- Latvia: the PP variant was adopted by the Latvian Police in the early 1930s, becoming its most used pistol until the Soviet occupation. The PP and PPK variants were also privately bought and used by members of the Aizsargi national guard.[42]
- Madagascar: PP variant[37]
- Mali: PP variant[37]
- Mauritius: PP variant[37]
- Germany[39]
- Niger: PP variant[37]
- Nazi Germany: Issued to military officers as well as internal police and the nazi party officials including Hitler, Göring, Himmler, Burgdorf, Weidling and other party officials.[1]
- Peru: PPK issued to navy[43]
- Romania: A close copy was produced locally after World War II[39]
- Senegal: PP variant[37]
- Seychelles: PP variant[37]
- Sweden: Walther PP in use by Swedish police until early-mid 2000s[44][45]
- Togo: PP variant[37]
- Turkey: A close copy, Kirikkale, in 7.65mm and 9mm was produced locally after World War II.[39][46]
- United Kingdom:
- MI6 and the Royal Air Force – L66A1 .22 LR and L47A1 7.65mm Walther PP[10]
- MACVSOG recon skydiver team, equipped with detachable suppressor.[47] Produced locally and used by various police forces. Kentucky State Police issued the stainless PPK/S as a backup gun and each pistol had the agency logo engraved on the slide.[48][page needed]
See also
- SIG Sauer P230
- Bersa Thunder 380
- FEG PA-63
- List of pistols
- Makarov PM
- Pistol Carpați Md. 1974
- Table of handgun and rifle cartridges
- Type 64 pistol
References
Footnotes
Citations
- ^ ISBN 978-1-58663-762-0.
- ^ Huon, Jean (September 2013). "The Chaco War". Small Arms Review. Vol. 17, no. 3.
- ISBN 978-0-85045-800-8.
- ^ "The airman's guide to survival". Forces and Firepower. BBC News. 18 December 1998.
- ^ Toft, Mike (Summer 2016). "Reality of War: Tornado GR1 1,000lb GPB Low-Level Loft Delivery". Air Power Review (First Gulf War 25th Anniversary - Special Edition). Royal Air Force: 130–133.
- ^ "Stock Photo - Royal Air Force Harrier GR7 pilot FLT Lt Scott Morley puts his personal Walther PPK pistol into his flying suit as he prepares before his mission over Iraq from their base in their base in Kuwait, March 21, 2003". Alamy.
- ^ "2003 Op Telic". Fourfax.co.uk. 7 October 2017.
- ^ "Keeping it Quiet: Suppressor Use by Jihadis, Militants & More". CalibreObscura.com. 19 July 2018.
- ^ "About Walther". Walther Arms. Archived from the original on 5 June 2014. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
- ^ a b c d "Walther PP and PPK self-loading pistols (Germany)". Jane's Infantry Weapons. Janes.com. 28 February 2012. Archived from the original on 22 March 2011. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
- ^ "Customer Support". Walther America. Archived from the original on 17 November 2009. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
- ^ "About Walther". Walther Arms. Archived from the original on 5 June 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
- ^ "Walther PPK". Walther Arms. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
- ISBN 978-1-4665-0206-2.
- ^ p. 115.
- ^ 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."
- ^ "The inside story of the Park Chung Hee killing". koreajoongangdaily.joins.com. 2 November 2015. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
- ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- ISBN 978-9-03661-510-5.
- ^ a b "James Bond's Walther PPK". CIA Museum. 8 November 2007. Archived from the original on 9 January 2008. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
- ^ a b "Time Out: The Guns of James Bond". BBC. 16 September 1964. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
- ISBN 978-1-4088-3064-2.
- ^ "Entertainment: The King of all auctions". BBC News. 6 September 1999. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
- ^ Hogg (1945), p. 164.
- ^ a b "PPK/S Pistol .380ACP". Smith & Wesson. Archived from the original on 11 September 2008.
- ^ "Walther PP Super". Modern Firearms. Archived from the original on 2 September 2010. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
- ^ ISBN 978-1472850843.
- ^ "If Reliability Counts...The New Walther PPK/E" (PDF). Carl Walther Sportwaffen GmbH. Retrieved 4 May 2008.
- ^ "Walther PPK PPKS Safety Recall". Smith & Wesson. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
- ^ "Weapons used by NSW Police". Australian Police. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
- ISBN 0731640780.
- ^ "wiw_sa_argentina - worldinventory". 24 November 2016. Archived from the original on 24 November 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ "O Museu de Polícia Militar de São Paulo". Armas On-Line (in Brazilian Portuguese). 25 June 2017.
- ^ "wiw_sa_brazil - worldinventory". 2 June 2016. Archived from the original on 2 June 2016.
- ^ "Military and police handgun cartridges of Brazil. - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
- ISBN 978-0-71371-328-2.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7106-2869-5.
- ^ "The use of police firearms in Denmark" (PDF). Politi.dk. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f Popenker, Maxim (22 October 2010). "Walther PP & PPK". Modern Firearms. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
- ^ "Kopassus & Kopaska - Specijalne Postrojbe Republike Indonezije". Hrvatski vojnik (in Croatian). Archived from the original on 22 August 2010. Retrieved 12 June 2010.
- ^ "5 Iranian Firearms Seen in December 2019 Rock Island Premier Firearms Auction Catalog". Silah Report. 12 November 2019.
- ^ Valsts policija (6 March 2018). ""Walther" policijas pistole". Facebook (in Latvian). Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ "wiw_sa_peru - worldinventory". 29 May 2016. Archived from the original on 29 May 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
- ^ "Walther PP, Swedish Contract". Panchogun.com. Archived from the original on 13 April 2003. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
- ^ "Walthers udda studsare". Jakt & Jägare (in Swedish). 25 January 2008. Archived from the original on 18 October 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
- ^ Wiener, Friedrich (1987). The armies of the NATO nations: Organization, concept of war, weapons and equipment. Truppendienst Handbooks Volume 3. Vienna: Herold Publishers. p. 428.
- ^ Association, National Rifle. "An Official Journal Of The NRA | Behind Enemy Lines: Guns of Vietnam's SOG Warriors". An Official Journal Of The NRA. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
- ISBN 1-930983-14-X.
Bibliography
- Fischer, Thomas (2008). Soldiers of the Leibstandarte. Winnipeg, Canada: ISBN 978-0-921991-91-5.
- ISBN 0-89696-023-4.
- Josserand, M. H.; Stevenson, J. A. (1972). Pistols, Revolvers, and Ammunition. New York: Bonanza Books (A division of Crown Publishers, Inc.). ISBN 0-517-16516-3.
- Henrotin, Gerard (2017). Walther PP pistol explained. Belgium: HLebooks.com.
External links
- "Walther PP spare parts drawing" (PDF). Carl Walther GmbH. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 April 2010.
- "Walther PPK/PPK-L spare parts drawing" (PDF). Carl Walther GmbH. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 April 2010.
- "Walther PPK/S spare parts drawing" (PDF). Carl Walther GmbH. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 April 2010.
- "Walther PPK/E exploded view" (PDF). Carl Walther GmbH. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 April 2010.
- McCollum, Ian (18 November 2020). "British L66A1: A Pistol for Northern Ireland". Forgotten Weapons.