Walther PPK
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Walther PP / PPK | |
|---|---|
 Walther PPK |
|
| Type | Semi-automatic pistol |
| Place of origin | Germany |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1929 (PP), 1931 (PPK) 1968 (PPK/S) |
| 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 | .32 ACP, .380 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, and PPK/S. They are blowback-operated semiautomatic pistols manufactured by Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen in Germany or 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 famous gun of the series is the Walther PPK. Its German acronymous name stands for Polizeipistole Kriminalmodell (Police Pistol Detective Model).[1] 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 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 and the Czechoslovakian CZ50. Although it was an excellent 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] PPK versus PPK/S
When the Gun Control Act of 1968 became law in the United States, the PPK, which had been selling well among plain-clothes police officers in the U.S., was deemed too small (by just a few millimeters of overall height) for legal importation into the U.S. (Hogg 1979:164). (The U.S. was the largest market for this type of firearm.) Two solutions emerged to address this problem:
- First, Walther created the PPK/S model, which combined the PP's frame with the PPK's barrel and slide, creating a pistol that, at 104.14 mm high, was legal for importation into the U.S. (Hogg 1979:164; Josserand & Stevenson 1972:301[photo]).
- Later, because Federal law permitted its domestic manufacture (vice importation), the PPK was license-manufactured in the U.S. by Ranger Manufacturing in Gadsden, Alabama in 1978 and was distributed by Interarms in Alexandria, Virginia. An improved version is now manufactured under license by Smith and Wesson that includes a longer grip tang to offer the shooter more protection from slide bite (rearward movement of the slide striking hand during firing cycle) that was often an issue with the original PPK model.
The PPK/S differs from the PPK in:
- the aforementioned slight difference in overall height
- weight—the PPK/S weighs 1.8 oz (51 g) more
The PPK/S is available in either 32 ACP with an 8+1 magazine capacity or 380 ACP with a 7+1 magazine capacity. The PPK is currently available only in 380 ACP and has a 6+1 capacity.
[edit] Cultural Influence
The PPK is the trademark weapon of fictional secret agent James Bond in books and films.[2] The weapon is prominently featured in opening sequences as well as movie art. The pistol itself enjoys popularity as a result.
[edit] Notes
- ^ The company's website features a history page but the origins of the names are not explicitly explained. However, the website refers to the introduction of the Kriminalausführung, which is a synonym for Kriminalmodell.
[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
- Nazarian's Gun's Recognition Guide
- Smith & Wesson's American Walther Site
- PPK Back in Bond's Hand
- Unofficial Walther Home Page
| .38 Calibre |
|---|
| 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's Special |
| Pistols |
| Colt M1900 | Colt M1902 | Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammer | Colt M1908 Pocket Hammerless | Browning M1910 | Walther PPK |
| 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 | MP38/MP40 "Schmeisser" | MP3008 "Volks MP" |
| Machine guns & other larger weapons |
| MG08 | MG34 | MG42 | Faustpatrone | Panzerfaust | Panzerschreck
Flammenwerfer 35 | Panzerbüchse 39 | Granatwerfer 36 | Granatwerfer 42 |
| 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 |
| 7.92 x 57 mm | 7.63 x 25 mm Mauser | 7.92 mm Kurz | 7.65 mm Luger | 9 mm Luger |
![[2]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:007Scaramanga.jpg){kind=link}