The Walther PP was a German, 9-mm, self-loading pistol, which was first issued to the German police in 1935. However, during World War II, it would also be issued to the Wehrmacht troops due to the shortage of standard-caliber weapons. Thus, the designation 'PP' merely derived from the fact that the original use of the pistol was for the police: Polizei Pistole. Walther GmbH would also develop and manufacture a derivative of this handgun; the PPK, which was a compact version chambered for the 7.65-mm (.32-cal.) cartridge. 'PPK' stands for 'Polizei Pistole Kriminal'.
The Walther PP had been designed by Carl Walther in 1929. It was massively produced by Walther Waffenfabrik, entering service with the German police in 1935, and with German Army and Luftwaffe in 1939. Thus, along with the Walther P38, it would be the standard sidearm of the Wehrmacht's officers during the war. Although production was discontinued at the end of the war, it would be activated again in the late 1950s. This pistol was also used by police forces in western European countries. The PPK is made also in the United States of America under license, but it is chambered for the 9-mm x 17-mm short cartridge (.380 ACP). It had also been manufactured in France for civilian use.
Technical Characteristics
The Walther PP and the PPK were semi-automatic, blowback-operated pistols. They were fitted with a double-action trigger and an external hammer. Thus, the PP and PPK could be fired in the similar manner to a double-action revolver. A steel block allowed the weapon to be carried with a round in the chamber and the hammer down in complete safety; when needed, the trigger was pulled and the handguns fired double-action. From the first shot onward, the pistols worked as a normal semi-automatic gun. The pistol frame and moving parts were entirely made of steel. They were fed from a detachable, single-column magazine which held seven rounds, and ten rounds in the PPK version.
Specifications (PP)
Type: semi-automatic pistol
Caliber: 9-mm
Cartridge: 9x17-mm short
Weight: 0.665 kg
Length: 17 cm
Barrel Length: 9.8 cm
Loading Mechanism: straight blowback
Muzzle Velocity: 308 m/s
Effective Range: 50 m
Feeding System: 7-round detachable box magazine
Sights: fixed iron sights
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| Above, left-side view of the Walther PP. |
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| Right-side view of the same pistol, with the slide to the rear and the ejection port open. |
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| Above, the Walther PP showing the colored sights. |
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| The PPK, a compact version of the original one. |