Initially, the PPK was manufactured at the Walther plant at Zella-Mehlis in Thuringia, Germany. Post-war Walther PPK from Ulm, with “pinky rest” magazine extension
Even more than the PP, the PPK was an instant commercial success. The PPK was just big enough to provide a good and comfortable grip while being small and light enough for concealed carry. Very small handguns are difficult to grip and fire accurately. It was also relatively cheap, being one of the first commercially produced handguns to use pressed steel parts. Why was the PPK so popular? The de-cocker and double action trigger certainly made it less prone to accidental discharge than some other pocket pistols and it was a reliable and effective shooter. In this period, German army and navy officers were given an allowance to select and purchase their own pistols, and very large numbers chose the small and light Walther pistols and not, as Hollywood would have us believe, the larger and heavier Luger. Both the PP and PPK also became very popular as German officer’s sidearms. The PPK was an instant success, being quickly adopted by police and civilian users in Germany and elsewhere. Incidentally, the “K” in PPK stands for Kriminalmodell (Detective model) and not Kurtz (Short) as is sometimes claimed.Įarly Walther PPK produced in Zella-Mehlis Visually and mechanically similar to the PP, the PPK featured a shorter barrel and grip and a smaller capacity magazine, making it the perfect concealed carry weapon. Walther almost immediately began work on a more compact version suitable for use by undercover and plain-clothes officers. However, though it was smaller than a full-size military pistol, the PP was still relatively large and was mainly used as a sidearm by uniformed police. Reliability, safety and a reasonable price ensured that the PP immediately became popular both as a police handgun in Germany and as a civilian weapon in that country and elsewhere. Rotating the trigger guard down and letting it rest against the frame allowed the slide to be removed. Another notable feature was the takedown system – rather than using a separate lever or catch, the trigger guard of the PP was hinged at the rear.
Additional safety elements included a manual safety which also locked the trigger and hammer, a de-cocker and a loaded chamber indicator. The PP was a mid-sized, blowback operated design with an external hammer and double and single action trigger. Development continued until 1929 when the Walther PP (Polizei-Pistole) was released.
Recognising the need for a safer pocket pistol, in 1924 Fritz registered a German patent for a “ self-loading pistol with magazine and revolver self-cocking lock and double action trigger“. What the market wanted was a compact semi-auto pistol which incorporated a revolver style double-action trigger.įritz Walther, the eldest son of founder Carl had persuaded his father to enter the pistol market in 1908.
Revolvers, which required a long, double action trigger pull were generally safer, but less popular for concealed carry due to their greater bulk. Manual safeties were provided, often of the cross-bolt type, but accidental discharges due to light, single action triggers were frighteningly common. However, most were of a hammerless design and were intended to be carried with a round in the chamber. A number of manufacturers including Colt, Mauser and Steyr all offered small, easily concealed semi-auto pistols. The pocket pistol (what we’d now call a compact or sub-compact design) wasn’t a new idea in the 1920s. That in itself is testament to good basic design, but the PPK is also perfectly sized, a decent shooter and of course is has an association with a certain British secret agent… Although it was introduced almost eighty-five years ago, the PPK is still available, virtually unchanged from its original form. However, there are a small number of handguns which I’m fairly confident would appear on most people’s list, including the one I want to talk about here: The Walther PPK. What exactly is a “ classic” handgun? Ask ten people and you’ll probably get ten different answers, and ten different lists of “ classic” guns. Classic is an overused and seldom defined term.