Walther PPK!

The Walther PP series pistols are blowback-operated semiautomatic pistols. They 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 recoil spring.

They are manufactured by Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen in Germany and first by Interarms in Alexandria, Virginia and now is currently made by Smith & Wesson in the United States, under license from Walther.[1] The series includes the Walther PP, PPK, PPK/S, and PPK/E.

Walther PPK Overview

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. [2] It is a smaller version of the PP (Polizeipistole) with a shorter grip and barrel and lesser magazine capacity. Sometimes, the name Polizeipistole Kurz (Short Police Pistol) is given, but this interpretation is incorrect.

The PP was released in 1929 and the PPK in 1931; both 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 Luftwaffe, and Nazi Party officials; Adolf Hitler killed himself with his PPK in the Führerbunker in Berlin. Moreover, the Walther PPK pistol is fictional secret agent James Bond's signature gun in the novels and most films. Fleming's choice of the Walther PPK directly influenced its popularity and its notoriety. [3]

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, and the Czech CZ50. Although it was an excellent semi-automatic pistol, it had competitors in its time. The Mauser HSC pistol and the Sauer 38H pistol (a.k.a. model "H"), were successful in their own rights. Sauer pistol production ended at war's end, but the refined SIG P230 and the P232, owe much to the Walther PPK.

Walther PPK Postwar manufacture

Walther PPK 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.

Walther PPK 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.

Walther 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 requirements of length, weight, and other "sporting" features into the U.S. 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. The additional ounce or two of weight of the PPK/S compared to the PPK was sufficient to provide the extra needed import points. 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 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 2007[update], 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).

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.[4][5] 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, will not interchange with the PPK/E. The 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 ($661.50 U.S. dollars circa 8/8/08), almost 200 euros cheaper than the PPK and PPK/S models imported from the U.S.[6] The PPK/E is offered in 22 LR, 32 ACP, and 380 ACP calibers. As of May 2008, 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.