32 ACP/7.65mm) in the Führerbunker in Berlin. Adolf Hitler killed himself with his PPK (. 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.
"PPK" is an abbreviation for Polizeipistole Kriminal (literally "police pistol criminal"), referring to the Kriminalamt crime investigation office. The smaller size made it more concealable than the original PP and hence better suited to plain-clothes or undercover work. A new, two-piece wrap-around grip panel construction was used to conceal the exposed back strap. 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. During World War II, they were issued to the German military (officers), including the Luftwaffe, as well as the Ordnungspolizei. The PP and PPK were both popular with European police and civilians for being reliable and concealable. The design inspired other pistols, among them the Soviet Makarov, the Hungarian FEG PA-63, the Polish P-64, the American Accu-Tek AT-380 II, and the Argentinian Bersa Thunder 380. They are still manufactured by Walther and have been widely copied. The PP and the PPK were among the world's first successful double action semi-automatic pistols. Since 2018, PPK and PPK/S models have been built in Fort Smith, Arkansas, at the factory of US-based subsidiary Walther Arms, Inc. In the past, the PPK version has been manufactured by Walther in its own factory in Germany, as well as under licenses by Manurhin in Alsace, France Interarms in Alexandria, Virginia, US and by Smith & Wesson in Houlton, Maine, US.
WALTHER P1 KAL SERIES
Various PP series are manufactured in Germany, France and the United States. The Walther TPH pocket pistol is a smaller calibre pistol introduced in 1971 identical in handling and operation to the PPK. The series includes the Walther PP, PPK, PPK/S, and PPK/E models. It features an exposed hammer, a traditional double-action trigger mechanism, a single-column magazine, and a fixed barrel that also acts as the guide rod for the recoil spring. The Walther PP ( German: Polizeipistole, or police pistol) series pistols are blowback-operated semi-automatic pistols, developed by the German arms manufacturer Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen. 22 LR)įixed iron sights, rear notch and front blade To the best of our knowledge, all the examples shown are original pre-1945 manufacture. The P38 was a further development by the Walther firm to produce a 9mm pistol for the military to replace the Luger.
Additional proof and issue marks can be found on most models which increase their rarity. These 9 models illustrate the eveloution of Walther pistol design which culminated in the Walther PP (Polizeipistole) introduced in 1929 and the Walther PPK(Polizeipistole Kriminalmodell) introduced in 1931. When the Model 2 was released in 1914, this pistol became known as the Model 1. In 1910, Walther introduced the "Deutche Selbstlade Pistole Walther" in 6.35mm. This is one of a series of identification guides for small arms produced by Walther. Walther Models 1-9, PP, PPK, and P38 Pistol Identification Guide