32 CALIBRE HANDGUNS FULL SIZE

This specimen is a 1972 production gun, and was formerly a Bavarian Police issued gun, based on the stamping on the frame. The gun arrived in excellent shape, with a factory plastic box from the 1970s. Simpson LTD was a great vendor to deal with, and I got a fairly good deal on my PP. I purchased my PP from Simpson LTD back in October of 2021. Dan's PP is a Manurhin rollmark, but mine is Walther. There are Manurhin rollmarked guns and Walther rollmarked guns, but all were made by Manurhin. However, all post-WW2 produced PP's were made by Manurhin of France. Pre-WW2 and wartime production guns were made in Germany, at the Walther factory. Certainly better than a Tokarev! Hon hon! A Frenchy in disguise!Īn interesting thing about the PP was the production location. The takedown and control layout are very similar, aside from a few differences. While not a variant, the Russian Makarov PM is a Soviet copy of the PP. Many PPK/s models were made by Smith & Wesson, and are still made domestically in the USA by Walther. Kind of like the Glock 45 of Walther PPs.

32 CALIBRE HANDGUNS FULL SIZE

The PPK/s uses a full size PP frame, with a shortened PPK slide. This model was a combination of the PP and PPK, for import to the US. Image courtesy of, © United Artists, Danjaq, EON ProductionsĪnother popular variant is the PPK/s. 32 ACP models of the PPK are no longer in production, so they demand a pretty penny. Meant as a gun for undercover cops and detectives, it grew to popularity over the years. The Police Pistol Kriminal (PPK) is a shortened version of the PP, with a smaller slide and grip length. While the PP was popular, the PPK is more widely known to the public. What were the prominent ones? Variants of the Walther PP With the popularity of the PP, there were bound to be some variations. Production of the PP ran from 1929 to 1986, with many police agencies still using them through the 1990s. Post massacre, newer 9mm designs were asked for, leading to the Walther P5, SIG P6, and H&K P7. The PP was deemed to be a good police sidearm, until the 1972 Munich Olympics Massacre. The PP was adopted by many police agencies in Europe, and would go on to be an officer sidearm in many nations. While the PP is not a large gun, it offers plenty of space to get both hands on it. With the magazine release on the side of the frame, and a slide mounted safety, grip and ease of use was made better. The handgun was much more ergonomic than prior Walther designs too. The simple design meant easier production, and easier maintenance for the end user. It is an all steel construction, aside from the plastic grips. The PP is a double action/single action(DA/SA) hammer fired gun, and operates using a fixed barrel blowback design. The Walther Police Pistol (PP) would release in 1929, and become Walther's best selling design. Some handguns, such as the Model 4, did well, but were far from a mature design. Handgun production began just before World War 1 broke out, but the Walther designs were crude, and often unreliable.

Production in the late 19th century was exclusively hunting guns, however that would change by 1908. What's the history of the venerable PP, and how does it shoot in the modern era? The History of the Walther PPĬarl Walther GmBH formed as a company in 1886. I also believe the Walther PP to be one of the best guns chambered in the caliber.

It's a light recoiling, fun cartridge with a cool history.

32 calibre handguns