Walther PP (Polizei Pistole)

History

The

Carl Walther GmbH group was founded in 1886 and designed and manufactured many small arms prior to World War II (1939-1945). In 1929, the Walther PP, a compact semi-automatic pistol, was introduced, mainly aimed at police forces and, to some extent, paramilitary forces that required the use of weapons in easy-to-carry holsters (actually, the name "PP" stood for "Polizei Pistol", which translates to "Police pistol".").

In the end, this gun was widely used in both the military and civilian markets and proved to be the most famous of its kind - the first truly successful belt A semi-automatic double-action pistol with an outer hammer. The PP series expanded with the introduction of the more compact Walther PPK in 1931 (described in detail elsewhere on this page). The PPC was the weapon of choice for the fictional spy hero James Bond and was used by Adolf Hitler as the weapon of choice.

Used to commit suicide at the end of World War II. Over 5 million Walther PP/PPK pistols were eventually produced and production continues to this day (2013).

The PP is a clean and convenient pistol design using the accepted basic form of semi-automatic pistols. The design includes a metal slider that covers the barrel, internals and recoil spring. The magazine is inserted into the integrated pistol grip and, as usual, the cartridge is managed by a simple spring installed in the magazine design. The trigger is located in an elongated trigger ring that controls the action.

The tang provides a good feel in the master hand when the hammer rests freely above the rear of the case. The PP uses a fixed iron sight for accuracy - a system of rear notches aligned with the front blade, and the sight is mounted on a slide in the usual way.

The safety bar is located on the left side of the breech, and the ejection port is located on the right side.

The pistol was originally mounted for the 7.65x17mm Browning SR (.32 ACP) cartridge, but the series eventually evolved into the 9x17mm Short (.380 ACP), .22 Long Rifle, 6. 35x15mm Browning SR (.25 ACP) and 9x18mm Ultra (PP-Super) mold. In its 7.65mm chamber, the pistol can take 8 rounds from its single-column magazine. The magazine extension, which increases the surface area of ??the palm/finger grip when handling the pistol, has proven popular.

A barrel extension can be added at the muzzle to improve accuracy to some extent, but at the expense of compactness.

PP uses a basic "direct recoil" operating system. Several safety features were incorporated into the design, including a "signal pin" above the hammer to clearly identify the cartridge loaded in the chamber (this safety feature was duly dropped during WWII wartime production for convenience). Another safety feature is a slide-mounted safety breech, which forces the trigger to elongate to ensure intentional action is required.

As a result, PP can be carried, loaded, and ready to fire with relative safety by the operator - a powerful attribute for security and military personnel who require fast reaction times.

During World War II, PP was issued to the German civilian and military police and various military branches including the Luftwaffe, staff and armored personnel carriers. They have proven reliable in service and are valued for their portability in the field. Wartime variants were also produced in inferior finishes to meet a wide range of military needs.

Manufacturing of PP continued throughout the war and beyond, with some licensed (and some unlicensed) production worldwide.

Specification

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

VARIANTS