Walther PPK
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| Walther PPK | |
|---|---|
| Image:Walther PPK 1848.jpg Walther PPK | |
| Type | Semi-automatic pistol |
| Place of origin | Image:Flag of Germany (2-3).svg Weimar Republic |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1929 (PP), 1931 (PPK) 1968 (PPK/S) 2007 (PPK/E) |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Walther |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 682 g (PP) 568 g (PPK) |
| Length | 174mm (PP) 154 mm (PPK) |
| Barrel length | 99 mm (PP) 84 mm (PPK) |
| | |
| Cartridge | 7.65x17mm Browning SR (.32 ACP) 9x17mm Browning Short (.380 ACP) .22LR .25 ACP |
| Action | blowback, Double action |
| Feed system | Magazine capacity: PP: 8+1 (.32 acp) or 7+1 (.380) PPK: 7+1 (.32 acp) or 6+1 (.380) |
| Sights | fixed iron sight |
The Walther PP series pistols include the Walther PP, PPK, PPK/S, and PPK/E. They are blowback-operated semiautomatic pistols manufactured by Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen in Germany and under license from Walther in France and the United States [1]. These pistols feature an exposed hammer, a double-action trigger mechanism, a single-column magazine, and a fixed barrel which also acts as the guide rod for the gun's single recoil spring.
Contents |
[edit] Overview
The most common variant is the Walther PPK. Its German acronymous name stands for Polizeipistole Kriminalmodell (Police Pistol Detective Model - implying it was more concealable than the original PP model and hence better suited to plainclothes or undercover work).[2] Sometimes, the backronym Polizeipistole Kurz (Police Pistol Short) is given, but this interpretation is incorrect. Nevertheless, it is a smaller version of the PP (Polizeipistole) and has a shorter grip and barrel as well as a lower magazine capacity.
The PP was released in 1929 and the PPK followed in 1931. Both pistols were popular with European police and civilian shooters. The pistols were reliable and easy to conceal. During World War II both variants of the pistol were issued to German military police, Luftwaffe, and other support personnel, as well as officials of the Nazi Party. Adolf Hitler used his PPK to kill himself as Soviet forces closed in on the Führerbunker in Berlin. The PPK pistol is the signature gun of fictional secret agent James Bond, having been chosen by Ian Fleming for his novels and used in most films. Use of the PPK by Fleming had a direct influence on the PPK's notoriety.[3]
The PP and PPK were some of the world's first successful double action semiautomatic pistols and not only were they widely copied, but they are still produced by Walther. The Walther design has inspired several other pistols including, but not limited to, the Soviet Makarov, the Hungarian FEG PA-63 and the Czechoslovakian CZ50. Although it was an excellent semi-automatic pistol, the Walther had competition in its time. The Mauser HSC pistol and the Sauer 38H pistol (a.k.a. model "H"), were both successful in their own right. Sauer pistol production ceased at war's end, but the refined SIG P230, and later the P232, owe much to the earlier Walther weapon.
[edit] Postwar Manufacture
[edit] Europe
Walther's original factory was located in Zella-Mehlis in the state (Land) of Thuringia, in present-day eastern Germany. 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. Manurhin continued to manufacture the PP series until 1986. In fact, all postwar European-made PP series pistols manufactured through 1986 were manufactured by Manurhin, even though the pistol slide may bear the markings of the Walther factory in Ulm.
[edit] United States
In 1978, Ranger Manufacturing of Gadsden, Alabama was licensed to manufacture the PPK and PPK/S; this version was distributed by Interarms, based in Alexandria, Virginia. This license was eventually cancelled. As of 2007, Smith and Wesson is licensed to manufacture the PPK and PPK/S. Additionally, Walther's 2008 worldwide defense product catalog indicates (although this is not explicitly stated) that, with the exception of the PP and the new PPK/E model (see below), the United States is the current sole source for new PPK-type pistols.
[edit] PPK versus 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 (Hogg 1979:164). One of the provisions of GCA68 banned the importation of pistols and revolvers not meeting certain minimum size requirements into the U.S.; the PPK was deemed too short and too small (by a few millimeters of overall height). Walther addressed this situation by combining the PP's frame with the PPK's barrel and slide to create a 104.14 mm-tall pistol legally importable into the U.S. (Josserand & Stevenson 1972:301 [photo]).
In addition, because U.S. 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, based in Alexandria, Virginia. The version currently manufactured by Smith and Wesson has been improved by incorporating a longer grip tang, better protecting the shooter from "slide bite," i.e. the rearward-travelling slide's pinching the firing hand, which was a problem with the original design.
The PPK/S differs from the PPK as follows:
- overall height of 104.14 mm
- weight—the PPK/S weighs 1.8 oz (51 g) more than the PPK
- the PPK/S magazine holds one additional round, in both calibers
As of 2007, 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).
[edit] PPK/E
In 2007, Walther announced a new PPK variant designated as the PPK/E. The PPK/E is nothing more than a PPK/S with a blue steel finish and is manufactured (presumably) at the Walther factory in Ulm. The official factory photographs do not bear the "Made in USA" or "Under License of" markings that are clearly displayed on the PPK and PPK/S models in the 2008 Walther worldwide defense products catalog. The factory announcement mentions that the PPK/E is made with "new manufacturing technologies," presumably in an effort to reduce costs. As of December 2007, 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. (official site, in German). The PPK/E is offered in 22 LR, 32 ACP, and 380 ACP calibers.
As of December 2007, there were no indications that Walther intends to import the PPK/E into the U.S. Since it has the same dimensions as the PPK/S, there would seem to be no government-imposed restrictions in this regard; however, the terms of Walther's licensing agreement with Smith & Wesson could restrict such importation.
[edit] Notes
- ^ WaltherAmerica.com - customer support page
- ^ Both Walther America's and Walther GmbH's websites features a history section in their About page however the origins of the name Kriminalausführung, which is a synonym for Kriminalmodell is not explicitly explained.
- ^ A.E. Hartink, The Complete Encyclopedia of Pistols and Revolvers, page 368
[edit] References
Hogg, Ian V. (1979). Guns and How They Work. New York: Everest House. 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.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Smith & Wesson's American Walther Site
- Unofficial Walther Home Page
- Photos of the Walther PPK
- Modern Firearms
| .38 Caliber |
|---|
| Cartridges |
| .38 Long Colt (1875) | .38 S&W (1877) | .38 ACP (1900) | .38 Special (1902) | .380 ACP (1908) | .38/200 (1922) | .38 Super (1927) |
| Revolvers |
| M1899 Revolver | Smith & Wesson M&P/Victory | Enfield No. 2 Mk I | Colt Detective Special |
| Pistols |
| Colt M1900 | Colt M1902 | Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammer | Colt M1908 Pocket Hammerless | Browning M1910 | Walther PPK | HK 4 |
| Lists |
| List of handgun cartridges | List of rifle cartridges | List of firearms |
| German-made firearms and light weapons of World War II |
|---|
| Side arms (Pistole) |
| Mauser C96 | Luger | Walther P38 | Walther PPK | Sauer 38H | Mauser HSc |
| Rifles & carbines (Gewehr & Karabiner) |
| Karabiner 98k | Gewehr 41 | Gewehr 43/Karabiner 43 | StG44/MP44 | FG42 | StG45(M) | Volkssturmgewehr 1-5 |
| Submachine guns ( Maschinenpistole ) |
| Bergmann MP18 | MP34 | MP38/MP40 | MP3008 "Volks MP" |
| Machine guns & other larger weapons |
| MG08 | MG34 | MG42 | Faustpatrone | Raketen-Panzerbüchse 43 | Panzerfaust | Panzerschreck | Fliegerfaust/Luftfaust
Flammenwerfer 35 | Panzerbüchse 39 | Solothurn S-18/1000 | Granatwerfer 36 | Granatwerfer 42 |
| Grenades |
| Model 24 Stielhandgranate | Model 43 Stielhandgranate | Model 39 Eihandgranate | Splittering | Panzerwurfmine |
| Notable foreign-made infantry weapons |
| P.640(b) | Vis.35 | Vz.24/G24(t) | MG26(t) | Panzerbüchse 35(p) |
| German-made cartridges used by the Wehrmacht |
| 7.92x57mm Mauser | 7.63x25mm Mauser | 7.92x33mm Kurz | 7.65x22mm Parabellum | 9x19mm Parabellum |
Modern (post Korean War) UK infantry weapons | |
|---|---|
| Side-arms (Self-loading Pistols) | Browning L9A1 • L47A1 (Manuhrin produced Walther PP) • L105A1 • L107A1 • L102A1 (Compact) |
| Rifles, Carbines, & LSWs | L1A1 SLR • SA80 series (L85 IW, L86 LSW, L22A1) • L108A1, L110A1 (Para) • L101A1 • M16/A1/A2 • L119A1 (Diemaco SFW) • L100A1 |
| Sniper rifles | L42/A1 • L96/A1 • L115A1 • L82A1 • AW50F |
| Submachine guns | L2A1 to L2A3, L34A1 • L80A1, L90A1 • L91A1, L92A1 |
| Shotguns | L32A1 • L74A1 (Remington 870 Wingmaster) |
| Machine-guns & other larger weapons | L3 • L4 • L7 "GPMG" series (L7, L8, L19, L20, L37, L43, L44) • L2A1/L111A1 Heavy Machine Gun • L17A1/A2 • L67A1 • L1A1 (LAW) • LAW 80 • L14/A1 • L2A1 (ILAW) • L142A1 (AT4CS HP) • L9A1 51 mm Mortar • L16/A1 81mm Mortar • MILAN • Javelin |
| Modern cartridges used | 5.56x45mm NATO (.223 Remington) • 7.62x51mm NATO (.308 Win) • 12.7x99mm NATO (.50 BMG) • .338 Lapua • 9x19mm Parabellum • 12 gauge |
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