Great gunsmiths: Carl Walter Combat Arms. Walther: pistol modifications and characteristics Specifications Walther PP

K:Companies founded in 1886

A small company initially produced hunting weapons and sporting rifles of the Martini system. In 1908, at the initiative of the 19-year-old Fritz Walter, the eldest of the five sons of the founder of the company (later each of them was responsible for separate areas of the family business), the company began producing Model 1 pistols in 6.35 mm caliber. Models of the following numbers had calibers of 6.35 mm or 7.65 mm. Walter pistols "Model 4" caliber 7.65 mm from 1915 were ordered in large quantities by the German armed forces. In 1915, the production of the first Walther pistol chambered for 9 mm "Model 6" began. Notably popular as a civilian, police and officer weapon was the pocket "Model 8" caliber 6.35 mm, produced from 1920 to 1943. The "Model 9" (1921) is one of the smallest 6 caliber pistols ever produced, 35 mm. In 1929 the company began making the popular 7.65 mm "police pistol" model PP, and in 1930 the shortened and lighter model PPK ("criminal police pistol"). The pistols used a self-cocking mechanism, which was then widely used.

Since 1931, the German Ministry of Defense began to look for a replacement for the Luger P08 pistol with a more advanced one. In 1934, the company introduced the military model Walther MP using blowback recoil. After testing, many shortcomings of this model were revealed, work on it was stopped. In October 1936, Fritz Walter and engineer Fritz Barthlemens (Barthlemens) received a patent (DRP No. 721702 dated 10/27/1936) for a locking system for the bore - a latch that rotated in a vertical plane. It was this technical solution that formed the basis of a new generation of German military pistols.

After winning competitive tests in 1938, the new model was adopted by the Wehrmacht as a standard service pistol under the name P38. In addition to the new locking mechanism, the P38 uses a fuse, which, without any reservations, can be called one of the most successful designs.

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Notes

Links

• www.carl-walther.de
• www.walther.ru

An excerpt characterizing Walther

- Mon cher, voue m "avez promis, [My friend, you promised me,]" she turned again to the Son, arousing him with the touch of her hand.
The son, lowering his eyes, calmly followed her.
They entered the hall, from which one door led to the chambers allotted to Prince Vasily.
While the mother and son, going out into the middle of the room, intended to ask for directions from the old waiter who jumped up at their entrance, a bronze handle turned at one of the doors and Prince Vasily in a velvet coat, with one star, at home, went out, seeing off the handsome black-haired man. This man was the famous St. Petersburg doctor Lorrain.
- C "est donc positif? [So, is that right?] - said the prince.
- Mon prince, "errare humanum est", mais ... [Prince, it is human nature to err.] - the doctor answered, grasping and pronouncing the Latin words in a French accent.
- C "est bien, c" est bien ... [Good, good ...]
Noticing Anna Mikhailovna with her son, Prince Vasily dismissed the doctor with a bow and silently, but with an inquiring air, approached them. The son noticed how suddenly deep sorrow was expressed in the eyes of his mother, and he smiled slightly.
- Yes, in what sad circumstances we had to see each other, prince ... Well, what about our dear patient? she said, as if not noticing the cold, insulting look fixed on her.
Prince Vasily looked inquiringly, to the point of bewilderment, at her, then at Boris. Boris bowed politely. Prince Vasily, not answering the bow, turned to Anna Mikhailovna and answered her question with a movement of his head and lips, which meant the worst hope for the patient.
– Really? exclaimed Anna Mikhailovna. - Oh, it's terrible! It’s terrible to think… This is my son,” she added, pointing to Boris. “He wanted to thank you himself.
Boris bowed again politely.
“Believe, prince, that a mother’s heart will never forget what you have done for us.
“I am glad that I could please you, my dear Anna Mikhailovna,” said Prince Vasily, adjusting the jabot and showing in gesture and voice here in Moscow, in front of the patronized Anna Mikhailovna, even much greater importance than in Petersburg, at the evening at Annette Scherer.
“Try to serve well and be worthy,” he added, addressing Boris sternly. - I'm glad ... Are you here on vacation? he dictated in his impassive tone.
“I am waiting for an order, Your Excellency, to go to a new destination,” Boris answered, showing neither annoyance at the prince’s harsh tone, nor a desire to enter into a conversation, but so calmly and respectfully that the prince looked at him intently.
- Do you live with your mother?
“I live with Countess Rostova,” Boris said, adding again: “Your Excellency.”
“This is the Ilya Rostov who married Nathalie Shinshina,” said Anna Mikhailovna.
“I know, I know,” said Prince Vasily in his monotonous voice. - Je n "ai jamais pu concevoir, comment Nathalieie s" est decidee a epouser cet ours mal - leche l Un personnage completement stupide et ridicule. Et joueur a ce qu "on dit. [I could never understand how Natalie decided to go out marry that filthy bear. Completely stupid and funny person. Besides a gambler, they say.]
- Mais tres brave homme, mon prince, [But a good man, prince,] - Anna Mikhailovna remarked, smiling touchingly, as if she knew that Count Rostov deserved such an opinion, but asked to pity the poor old man. - What do the doctors say? asked the princess, after a pause, and again expressing great sadness on her tear-stained face.
“There is little hope,” said the prince.
- And I so wanted to thank my uncle again for all his good deeds to me and Borya. C "est son filleuil, [This is his godson,] - she added in such a tone, as if this news should have extremely pleased Prince Vasily.
Prince Vasily thought for a moment and grimaced. Anna Mikhailovna realized that he was afraid to find in her a rival according to the will of Count Bezukhoy. She hastened to reassure him.
“If it weren’t for my true love and devotion to my uncle,” she said, pronouncing this word with special confidence and carelessness: “I know his character, noble, direct, but after all, only the princesses are with him ... They are still young ...” She bowed her head and she added in a whisper: “Did he fulfill his last duty, prince?” How precious are these last moments! After all, it couldn't be worse; it must be cooked if it is so bad. We women, prince,” she smiled tenderly, “always know how to say these things. You need to see him. No matter how hard it was for me, but I'm used to suffering.

A small company initially produced hunting weapons and sporting rifles of the Martini system. In 1908, at the initiative of the 19-year-old Fritz Walter, the eldest of the five sons of the founder of the company (later each of them was responsible for separate areas of the family business), the company began producing Model 1 pistols in 6.35 mm caliber. Models of the following numbers had calibers of 6.35 mm or 7.65 mm. Walter pistols "Model 4" caliber 7.65 mm from 1915 were ordered in large quantities by the German armed forces. In 1915, the production of the first Walter pistol chambered for 9 mm "Model 6" began. Considerable popularity as a civilian, police and officer weapon was used by the pocket "Model 8" caliber 6.35 mm, produced from 1920 to 1943. "Model 9" (1921) - one of the smallest pistols ever released in caliber 6 .35 mm. In 1929 the company began making the popular 7.65 mm "police pistol" model PP, and in 1930 the shortened and lighter model PPK ("criminal police pistol"). The pistols used a self-cocking mechanism, which was then widely used. Business based on family and national traditions was bearing fruit.

Since 1931, the German Ministry of Defense began to look for a replacement for the Luger R08 pistol with a more advanced one. In 1934, the company introduced the military model Walther MP using blowback recoil. After testing, many shortcomings of this model were revealed, work on it was stopped. In October 1936, Fritz Walther and engineer Fritz Barthlemens (Barthlemens) received a patent (DRP No. 721702 dated 10/27/1936) for a barrel locking system - a latch that rotated in a vertical plane. It was this technical solution that formed the basis of a new generation of German military pistols.

The new model, after winning competitive tests in 1938, was adopted by the Wehrmacht as a standard service pistol under the name P38. In its shortened shutter, the continuity of German gunsmiths from Luger can be traced. In addition to the new locking mechanism, the P38 uses a fuse, which, without any reservations, can be attributed to one of the most successful designs.

After World War II, most of the enterprise fell into the hands of the new East German government, and for many years the company was unable to regain its place in the market. Only at the end of the 1990s the company resumed its work in Germany, in the city of Ulm. The company continued production of the P38 (renamed P1) in 1957 in order to supply the new West German army, the Bundeswehr. Fritz Walter, who led the company from 1915 after the death of his father, died in 1966 at the age of 77. During his lifetime, the main ideologist of "Walter" was awarded the Diesel medal, at the same time, he refused the well-deserved federal Cross of Merit. His place was taken by his son Karl and he opened a new direction - sports weapons and sports equipment. In 1993, the firm walther entered the German holding Umarex.

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See what "Walther" is in other dictionaries:

Walther PP- Allgemeine Information Entwickler/Hersteller: Carl Walther GmbH, Zella Mehlis … Deutsch Wikipedia

Walther MP- Allgemeine Information Zivile Bezeichnung ... Deutsch Wikipedia

Walther P1- Allgemeine Information Zivile Bezeichnung: P1 Militärische Bezeic ... Deutsch Wikipedia

Walther P5- Allgemeine Information Zivile Bezeichnung: Walther P5 Einsatzlan ... Deutsch Wikipedia

Walther TP- Allgemeine Information Zivile Bezeichnung: Walther TP ... Deutsch Wikipedia

- / PPK Walther PP Type: Self-loading pistol Country: Germany ... Wikipedia

walther- steht für: Walther (Familienname), Auflistung aller Familiennamen mit Walther Walther (Bildhauerfamilie), deutsche Bildhauerfamilie Walther (Mondkrater) Walther Werke Waltharius oder Walther, eine germanische Sagengestalt Walther ist der Vorname… … Deutsch Wikipedia

Walther P5 Type: self-loading pistol Country: Germany Service history ... Wikipedia

Walther MPK Type: submachine gun Country ... Wikipedia

The first Walther pistol appeared in the Walther Werke, a family-owned hunting and sporting weapons company, thanks to the persistence of the owner's eldest son, Fritz August, Carl. Masters did not give their products special high-profile names, denoting them simply and briefly - Model 1, Model 2, Model 3, and so on.

The weapon received the marking later, when the army and the police became interested in it - P 38 (Pistole and the year of the start of serial production in 1938) and PP (Polizei Pistole, entering the series in 1929).

History of the arms company

In the workshop of Walter Werke in Zella-Mehlis, its owner Karl Wilhelm assembled Martini sporting rifles. In 1903, the capacity increased to a three-story building, in which 50 workers worked on 50 machines. Of the five sons of the master, three older brothers devoted themselves to the weapons business - Fritz August, Georg Karl and Willy Alfred.

In 1908, Fritz improved the Model 1 pistol scheme, he convinced his father to add it to the company's range of hunting weapons, so the mobilization of the Walter family during the First World War, which began in 1914, did not touch. The company urgently increased its capacity, already in 1916 producing Model 1 pistols for the army on 750 machines with the help of 500 workers.

In the same year, the company received an order for machine gun bolts from MG08, Fritz created the Model 6 chambered for 9 mm, and became the owner of the company in connection with the death of his father. In 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was concluded - a ban on the production of military weapons in Germany was observed for 1.5 years. The company survived solely on sporting weapons.

After the lifting of the ban in 1920, the development of commercial weapons was allowed. Fritz develops three pocket pistols - Model 8, Model 9 and Model 9A. By 1929, a series of PP self-cocking police-style pistols was developed, and all design errors were corrected. In 1931, modifications of the PP and PPK went into series for the caliber of the 7.65 mm cartridge. Later, weapon variants appeared chambered for 6.35 x 15 mm, 9 x 17 mm and small-caliber .22LR.

In 1931, the German Ministry of Defense considered that the Luger-Parabellum 08 no longer met the requirements of a personal army weapon:

• the cost of one unit exceeded $19;
• The Luger was sensitive to pollution;
• the trigger did not allow shooting with gloves;
• ejection of cartridge cases upwards is inconvenient when firing from the hull, as they hit the face.

In the same year, a competition was announced for the development of inexpensive army weapons chambered for 9 mm cartridges. Fritz Walther applied several original design innovations, provided Model 4 for testing:

• mathematically accurate weapon balancing;
• refusal of expensive facing of the handle;
• reduction of material consumption and weight of the gun through the use of alloys and tin;
• cost reduction to $14 per piece.

The weapon was named Walther P38 after the year it was put into production. In the army of the Wehrmacht, the Luger Parabellum remained in service with the soldiers, and the officers switched to the Walter caliber 9 mm.

Fritz died at the age of 77 (1966), handing over the business to his son Karl, having managed to refuse the Cross of Merit during his lifetime and receiving the Diesel medal.

Assortment of pistols Walter

During the existence of the family business, the Walters were engaged in the manufacture of pistols, rifles and submachine guns. The release of sports weapons did not stop even during the war.

Combat

According to the company's own classification, a total of two dozen models of military weapons of this class were developed:

• Model 1 - caliber 6.35, produced since 1908;
• Model 2 - Added indication of a cartridge inside the chamber;

  

• Model 3 - caliber 7.65 mm;
• Model 4 - trigger inside the casing, 250,000 units produced;

  

• Model 5 - improved second model for the civilian market;

  

• Model 6 - caliber 9 mm Luger;

  

• Model 7 - created in 1917, the last version with a removable recoil bushing;

  

• Model 8 - a small batch for the civilian market;
• Model 9 - caliber 6.35, circulation 130,000 pieces;

  

• PP - police pistol;

  

• PPK - shortened analogue;

  

• TPH - pocket trigger, released in 1969;

  

• P4 - aka P38 after being adopted by the Wehrmacht;
• P5 - ejection of the sleeve to the left;

  

• P88 - created for the US Army;

  

• PPQ - for police and sports;

  

• P99 - army version of 1999;
• PPS (Schmal - thin) - released in 2007 for concealed wear;

  

• PPX is a budget option for $500.

  

Two submachine guns MPL and MPK appeared much later than the war (60s). The first was used for aimed fire, the second was more suitable for covert wear.

Sports

Walther companies created models of sports pistols:

Sports weapons Walter has a high cost, has a well-deserved brand reputation.

Walter R38

Even before the Second World War, the Walther P38 modification was called "officer Walter". Given that each division required approximately 4,000 units of these weapons, the capacity of the Walter company was not enough. Their production was mastered in Belgium and Czechoslovakia, only from 1941 to 1945 more than 10 million barrels were produced.

This is the most famous model of the Walter pistol from the time of the Second World War, which went through the war, was highly valued as a trophy weapon by Soviet officers. At different stages of design, testing and production, the Walther P38 had different designations:

• Model 4 - in the internal documentation after obtaining a patent for a vertically locking trigger latch;
• MP - Militar Pistole, a 9 mm military pistol, while working on an order from the German government for an inexpensive pistol to replace the Luger;
• AP - Armee Pistole, a 9 mm military pistol, during the finalization of the latest version.

Thus, in the AP model, the designers combined self-cocking, a secret location of the trigger under the casing, locking with a swinging barrel latch, a flag-type fuse and a short barrel stroke. When testing pistols at the Kumersdorf test site in 1937, the military pointed out a number of shortcomings:

• high cost of weapons due to the complex design;
• hidden trigger.

In the same year, Fritz changed the design of the casing and trigger, changed the marking of the prototype to HP - Heeres Pistole (military pistol). By analogy with the PP police weapon, a cartridge indicator appeared inside the chamber. After simplifying the design of the fuse, the HP version was approved by the Wehrmacht command, the pistol models received the final official name Walter P38 and went into production.

Characteristics

According to the requirements of the army authorities of the Wehrmacht, the pistol was created for 9 mm caliber. Weapon stats look like this:

• production - Waffenfactory Karl Walter, later Mauser Werke (Denmark) and Spriverk (Czechoslovakia);
• weight - curb 990 g, without cartridges 880 g;
• dimensions - 21.6 x 13.6 cm (l / w, respectively);
• USM - trigger type;
• sight - rear sight, front sight;
• device - short recoil of the barrel, lever-type locking;
• USM - trigger;
• store - 8 rounds;
• firing range - 200 m maximum, 50 m aiming.

If you disassemble the weapon completely, there will be 58 parts in the kit. In the manufacture of the gun takes 4.4 kg of metal. Later, two types of silencers were developed for special forces. Weapons do not need to be disassembled to install them, even partially.

During the war, there was a loss and loss of weapons, so it was necessary to increase production capacity and reduce the cost of construction, because the detailed disassembled pistol underwent the following design changes:

• casing and frame were stamped from steel sheet;
• cheeks became plastic (brown Bakelite);
• instead of bluing, a semi-matte finish was used;
• abandoned the cartridge indicator in the chamber;
• the quality of the finish has declined.

Shortened versions of the Walter Z 38K were produced for the SD and SS units.

Varieties

After the Second World War, the German pistol received several copies and replicas:

• Walter R.4 - 10.4 cm barrel, police version;
• Walter R.1 is an improved modification produced since 1957.

Umarex has created a pneumatic analogue of Walter P38 for 4.5 mm caliber. Crosman - two pneumatic replicas C41 and R-338. The manufacturer Bruni has released the ME-38R starting pistol, and EPMA - the gas 38G and the traumatic 38R.

Walter RR

Although the Walther PP modification pistols appeared before the P 38 - in 1929, they are less popular. This is due to the fact that the weapon was created for the police, in the Wehrmacht army it was used in very limited quantities. For comparison, about 1 million pieces were produced, that is, 10 times less than the “officer Walter”.

Two years later, in 1931, a shortened model of the RRK (Polizei Pistole Kriminal) was created. The PPK version was ideally suited for covert carrying, it was used by saboteurs during the war, and by the Soviets too. In the USSR, Walter PP was a premium weapon and was in service with diplomatic couriers.

performance characteristics

By default, the technical characteristics of Walter PP were as follows:

• dimensions - 17 x 10 x 3 cm (l / h / w, respectively);
• weight - 682 g;
• cartridge - 7.65 x 17 mm, 9 x 17 mm, less often 6.35 x 15 mm and small-caliber .22LR;
• ammunition - 8 rounds or 7 rounds in the store, depending on the caliber;
• range - 25 m.

Due to the complexity of the design, the safety of the weapon has been increased. After setting the fuse, it can be fearlessly dropped, reloaded and carried with a cartridge inside the chamber, and after removing the “flag”, continue firing.

Modification of the PPK is 1 cm “lower” and 1.6 cm shorter (the barrel is 1.5 cm smaller and the frame is 1 cm smaller), 0.5 cm thinner. , the range of the shot remained unchanged.

Pistols with a 6.35 x 15 mm Browning cartridge were least used (1,000 weapons rolled off the assembly line).

Modifications

The following models of pistols are known, the basic design of which was PP and PPK:

• PP Super - created for the police in 1972 under the 9 x 18 mm Ultra cartridge;
• PPK / E - export version for the European market;
• PPK-L - manufactured in Germany since 1950, aluminum alloy frame;
• PPK / S - was created for export to the United States under the 9 x 17 mm cartridge.

They copied the design of Walter PP / PPK in China, France, Hungary and Turkey. Umarex and EPMA companies produce traumatic, gas and pneumatic copies of Walter PP.

Developed by Walter self-loading pistol P5 in 1979, adopted by the police of the Bundeswehr, Portugal and Holland. Currently sold to citizens of Europe. The main features of the P5 model are:

• trigger pull on the right on the frame;
• USM double action;
• two return springs;
• short stroke of the barrel by analogy with the Model 38;
• sleeve extraction is left-handed, which is convenient for left-handers;
• several safety devices.

For covert carrying, a Walther P5 Compact variant with similar performance characteristics, but smaller in size, was developed and launched into the series. The second modification of the P5L is sports with an elongated barrel.

Walter R22

For the body of the Walter 22 sports pistol, polymers were used, the casing and bolt remained steel. Removable pads and sights are used to fit the athlete. The weapon copies the Model 99, but is shorter than it, uses a shortened cartridge 22 LongRifle. The combat rate of fire is within 40 rounds per minute, taking into account the reloading of a box magazine with 10 rounds. Weapon range increased to 350 m (maximum) and 50 m (aimed).

The Standard model has an 8.7 cm barrel, the Target has a 12.7 cm barrel. The Umarex company produces traumatic and gas modification of weapons - P22T chambered for 10 x 22 m T and P22 chambered for 9 mm RA, respectively.

Walter R88

In the XM9 competition, which was held by the US government for the rearmament of sergeants and officers of the army, the Walter PP double-action pistol participated with 9 more samples, but did not become the winner. therefore, it was purchased by some armies and police units of other countries. The year of launch in the series (1988) was included in the marking of the weapon, but in 1996 the weapon was discontinued.

Distinctive features of the Walther P88 are:

• Browning barrel locking scheme;
• internal automatic fuse;
• magazine for 15 cartridges 9 x 19 Parabellum;
• weight 900 g and length 18.7 cm.

The graceful exterior of the weapon did not go unnoticed, so three sports models were released: P88 Competition, P88 Champion and P88 Sport (cartridge 22LongRifle). And the manufacturer Umarex created a pneumatic copy of the CP88 Competition and a gas replica of the P-88 Compact for 4.5 and 9 mm P.A.K. cartridges, respectively.

Walter R99

A Walther P99 combat pistol has been developed to replace the expensive P88 for the armies of the Bundeswehr and Finland. The features of the weapon are:

• Hi Paur circuit shutter;
• wire of a return spring of rectangular section;
• USM double action;
• polymer weapon frame;
• magazine capacity 12 rounds 40 S&W or 9 rounds 9 x 19 mm Parabellum;
• guides for the laser aiming system are provided on the body;
• right-hand cutting of the barrel, six-way;
• bullet speed 375 m/s;
• cartridge pointer;
• triple security system - the drummer is blocked in the absence or when the magazine is skewed, the drummer is safely removed from the cocking with a button on the casing, the drummer is blocked when the bolt is not closed and the weapon is accidentally dropped;
• trigger guard force 2.5 kg with a pre-cocked drummer or 4.5 kg in self-cocking mode;
• Three pads on the back of the handle included.

For ease of use by power units solving different tasks, Walter P99 was originally designed in several versions with different trigger mechanisms:

• P88 DAO - no button for safe removal of the drummer from the platoon, reloading only with the trigger guard;
• P99Q - the requirements for the service pistol of the German police have been met;
• P99QA - Glock type drummer is constantly partially cocked, re-cocking is always carried out by the trigger guard to ensure the same trigger force of 3.8 kg;
• PPQ Navy - designed for the water police, manufactured since 2011;
• P99C is a compact version for concealed carry.

Umarex has created several replicas of Walter P99:

• CP99 - pneumatic for 4.5 mm bullet;
• CP99 Compact - pneumatic for 4.5 mm ball;
• P99 DAO (2.5684) - airsoft version of 6 mm ball with paint;
• P99 RAM - training pneumatics (paintball, airsoft) for 11 mm ball;
• P99T - traumatic chambered for 10 x 22 mm T, light-alloy body, 15 charges in the magazine;
• P99 - light alloy pistol chambered for 9 mm RA gas cartridge, 16 charges in the magazine.

In Germany and Holland, 42 thousand Pistols Walter P99 and its modifications are operated. 69,000 weapons have been ordered to Poland, and small quantities have been sent to Estonia, the Czech Republic, Finland and Ukraine.

Thus, the Walther family company produces military and sporting weapons of the entire range. The most famous pistol is the Walther P38 used during World War II.

History of the legendary Walther

Pistols of the German company are famous all over the world. WALTHER founded in 1886 in Zella by Karl Walter.

In 1919, this settlement merged into the town of Melis, and since then the new name of the place of production Zella-Mehlis in Thuringia has appeared on the weapon. After the 2nd World War, the company settled in the West German city of Ulm on the Danube. The roots of the creator Karl Walter go back to the 18th-19th centuries.

The ancestors of Karl Walter can be traced under the name of Johann Georg Walter in the church books of the city of Rudolstadt since 1740. History is silent, but it is possible that Johann Walter was familiar with the great Schiller. Although the metric has not been preserved, it is known that Johann Christian Friedrich Walter was born on June 11, 1764, who married on January 19, 1790. on Johann August Barbara Urlauger from the same city.

In 1800 the family moved to Kreuzburg, where Walther worked as a lawyer. One of his sons was Heinrich Bernhard Walther, born November 4, 1801.

In 1825, Heinrich Walther married a representative of the Bodenschanz family, who was associated with the production of weapons.

Three years later, in November 1827, the second son, August Theodor Albert Walter, was born, who eventually became a tinsmith. After marrying the daughter of the arms manufacturer Wilhelm Pistor, also in November, but already in 1858, Karl Wilhelm Walter was born, who became the founder of the Walter arms dynasty. In 1888, Karl Walther married the daughter of a well-known revolver manufacturer, Minna Pickert (Arminius revolvers).

igratnadengi

The arms firm "Walter-Werke" in Zella-Mehlis (Thuringia) was founded in 1886 by Karl Walther (1858-1915). But the most famous designer in the Walter family was his son Fritz-August (1889-1966). It is he who is the creator of the famous pistols PP, PPK, P-38, self-loading rifle mod. 1943 and many other successful weapon models. The design of the Walther pistol of the 1929 model turned out to be so good that it is still being produced to this day. In many countries, including the USSR, she served as a role model.

At first, a small workshop Walter was engaged in the manufacture of only rifles of the "Martini" system. Then, one day, the eldest son of Karl Walter, while in Berlin and experiencing financial difficulties, received from his younger brother 5 pistols for sale. After inspecting, he did not sell them, but dismantled the weapons and persuaded his father to switch from the production of revolvers known at that time to pistols.

In 1908, the first model of the "Walter" system appeared, caliber 6.35 mm. Karl Walter modestly called this model - "Model 1". It was a small pocket pistol with a firing pin hidden inside. The original device had a non-automatic fuse. It was a rod in a transverse through hole on the body of the pistol. The fuse was turned on and off by moving it to the right or left.

The head of the family was not a businessman and business executive. He constantly spent time in his gunsmith's shop, doing pure engineering. Responsibilities in the Walther family were distributed as follows: three sons were engaged in production, the fourth son was in sales, and the fifth was in the design of weapons.

Already in 1909, the second model of the Walter pistol, cal. 6.35 mm. This pistol had an oval window located on the right on the casing-bolt for ejecting spent cartridges. Flag type fuse.

"Model 3", 1910, is also arranged, but its caliber is larger - 7.65 mm, and the window on the shutter housing is located on the left. Models 4-7 of 1910, 1913, 1915 and 1917 were also similar in design. respectively. They differed only in calibers, sizes and some details. Among them, it should be noted "Model 4", which sold out very well.

"Model 6" during the 1st World War was in service with the army as an auxiliary model. After the 1st World War, the Walther company manufactured pocket pistols - "models 8" 1920, "9" and "9A", 1921.

By the end of the 20s. the Walther company was engaged in the creation of a pistol, which, according to its data, without going beyond the limitations of the Versailles Treaty, would have qualities close to those of military models. Such a pistol appeared in 1929 under the name "PP" (Police pistol). He had a number of advantages, but the greatest of them was a self-cocking trigger mechanism, which made it possible to fire the first shot without first cocking the trigger. This device was invented before the 1st World War, but it was only on Walther pistols that it became widespread and served as a role model.

In 1931, the production of pistols "PPK" (Police pistol criminal) began, the same as the "PP", but somewhat reduced in size. The design of the Walther pistol of 1929 turned out to be very successful, so in a number of countries it served as a model for the creation of new pistols, arranged in almost exactly the same way. These pistols are still produced and used (mainly by the police) in many countries, and in addition to models of 7.65 mm and .22 LR caliber, 9 mm caliber models appeared.

"Walter PPK" is a special weapon that is still in great demand all over the world and has an amazing history. "Honor is loyalty" - such an inscription was on all the PPK gift pistols that Heinrich Himmler awarded the most loyal members of his security service. Instead of a serial number, they were engraved with the date - November 9, 1944.

Hermann Goering, one of the leaders of the Third Reich, who adored pomposity, appeared everywhere with a gilded inscribed pistol "PPK", the handle of which was made of ivory and on one side there was an emblem with the owner's initials, and on the other - a symbol of imperial power. This pistol was given to Hermann Goering by the Walter family.

For his 50th birthday, Adolf Hitler also received a gilded "PPK", an individually made "Walter PPK", which was then presented to one of the German pilots. In 1987, this gun appeared at auction and was sold for $115,000.

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Walther company, she herself received a unique copy of the "PPK" as a gift. One of the engravers, Josef Eichholzer, handed over to the company a hand-engraved pistol "PPK" in the jubilee version with the inscription:

"For the 100th anniversary and 24 years of good cooperation handed over by Josef Eichholzer. Engraving workshop. Ulm/Danube. March 1986."

In 1932, the Walter company began producing a shortened PPK pistol for the police as a second (pocket) weapon.

Principle of operation: free shutter recoil

The semi-automatic pistol "Walter" model PPK / S was the logical conclusion of the PP series. In terms of size and appearance, it is almost identical to the PPK model using the 380 Auto ammunition and differs in minor changes in the outline of individual elements of the appearance. The store of the new model remained the same as that of the PPK pistol of 7.65 mm caliber - for 7 rounds.

The pistol grip, despite the large caliber of the cartridges used, is not very voluminous, and therefore convenient to grip, and the curly protrusion of the plastic magazine cover, being, as it were, a continuation of the handle, provides support for the fingers.

The frame is made of light metal alloy and finished with a matt light steel anodized finish.

The effective range of an aimed shot according to the company's documentation is 25 m, however, the results of shooting at a greater distance (up to 40 m) turned out to be acceptable.

At the end of the 1930s, the designers of the Walther company began to develop a new pistol model, which was intended to provide officers of the German air and naval forces. The pistol of the Mauser company, model HXCs, which had been in service since 1939, did not meet the demands of wartime. The requirements put forward by the Air Force command were reduced primarily to two fundamental criteria - with a minimum size and weight, to ensure a large stopping effect of the weapon.

When developing a new model, it was decided to take the design of the PP model pistol (1929 of the year) as a basis and use the experience gained in the creation of the P-38 pistol (1938), and use a 9-mm cartridge as ammunition, which received the name "Ultra "(Ultra), or it is also often called -" Police "(Police).

This 9x18 cartridge in its parameters occupies an intermediate position between the 9x17 “short” and 9x19 “parabellum” cartridges and is very close to the 9x18 cartridge of the Makarov pistol.

The modern pistol "Walter" (PP-super) has significantly changed its appearance. The shape of the front guard of the trigger guard has almost become vertical, which provides a more comfortable grip of the weapon with two hands. The effective range of an aimed shot according to the company's documentation is 40 m, however, the results of a hit at a greater distance turned out to be acceptable.

The trigger mechanism is double action, while the trigger force is 2.7 and 4.4 kg, respectively, with the cocked and self-cocked. The frame is made of a light metal alloy and has plastic grips with horizontally arranged curly ribs to better hold the weapon, as on the P-38 model. The magazine release button has been moved slightly lower compared to the PP model, which made room for the slide stop lever.

This pistol can be considered a universal weapon of self-defense. No wonder its production, according to the patent of the company "Walter", was established not only in Europe (Hungary, Poland, France), but in the USA and in the East (Turkey, S. Korea). This series successfully combines all the positive things that have been achieved not only by Walter, but also by other manufacturers of weapons of this class. The pistol of this model was recognized by law enforcement officers, customs, forestry and others as a reliable service weapon. It is also an excellent self-defense weapon, proven for decades and recognized in all countries of the world.

As in the case of PP, post-war modifications are somewhat larger. Easily recognizable by the magazine cover lining that supports the little finger of the shooting hand. The hybrid model PPK/S used a PPK bolt and barrel on a PP frame, but increased the thickness of the pistol in order to circumvent the restrictions of the US Act of 1968. This model was also sold to a limited extent in the United States.

Since 1931, the German Ministry of Defense began to look for a replacement for Georg Luger's Parabellum 08, which was very complex in terms of manufacturing technology and very expensive for a more advanced one.

Fritz Walter immediately took up the development of a 9mm parabellum instead of the little-spread caliber 08 from Luger. For the first time in the world, Fritz Walter began to use light metals for a new model of a pistol: aluminum and tin. Even the tests of new weapons were carried out unofficially, since there was no certainty in a positive outcome. But Walter was sure he was right and had no doubt that the time would come to use light metals for the manufacture of weapons.

In addition, Fritz Walter, an adherent of saving metal in the creation of weapons and the use of lightweight, convenient designs, created a handle that was unique in design for the "Walter P 38". First of all, Walter abandoned the handle lining, and the balancing of the pistol was done so mathematically accurately that it made it possible to significantly reduce the amount of metal consumed.

In 1939, production began, and by the middle of the year, the first hundred P 38 pistols had already been put into service with the army. At the same time, the well-known brand "Walter P 38" was assigned to a slightly modified model with only the number 1020. The P-38 pistol was more advanced than the "Parabellum" and was supposed to replace it over time. Since the introduction of this pistol began with the arming of officers with it, it was unofficially sometimes called an officer's pistol, and the "Parabellum" was a soldier's.

The pistol "P 38" justified itself so much that in 1940 the Mauser company received a government order to switch from the traditional "Parabellum" to the "Walter P 38".

"P 38" is a self-loading pistol with a double action trigger - the first with such a trigger among full-size army pistols chambered for a powerful cartridge. Its automation is built according to the scheme with a short stroke of the barrel and an interlocked bolt. The clutch of the barrel and the shutter is carried out by a special larva located under the barrel and swinging in a vertical plane.

When fired, the barrel along with the bolt move back a few millimeters, then the larva "bumps" on the frame of the pistol and goes down, disengaging from the bolt.

The barrel with the larva fixed under it stops, and the bolt continues its movement back, producing a full cycle of reloading the weapon. The pistol has a characteristic appearance due to a short bolt with a large window on top. On the rear side of the bolt, above the open trigger, there is an indicator of the presence of a cartridge in the chamber. The fuse is located on the shutter on the left, on the frame under the fuse there is a shutter delay latch. In front of the frame there is a latch-lock for disassembling the pistol. An interesting feature of the P 38 design (later inherited in the Beretta 92 pistol, along with the locking scheme) is that the trigger pull is located outside the frame, on the right side of the weapon.

The cheeks of the handle are made of black or brown plastic, the magazine latch is made on the heel of the handle. Aim is permanent.

During the Second World War, the number of produced "P 38" exceeded tens of millions of copies. Only for one division of the Wehrmacht, about 4000 "officer Walthers" were required. Pistols "Walter P 38" and after the Second World War remained in service in West Germany. In addition, these pistols have gained worldwide fame and are currently in service in dozens of countries around the world.

Models 1 to 9 are not produced after WW2. Instead, pocket models "TP" (Tashenpistole) and "TPKh" (Tashenpistole mithan) appeared. Both pistols are chambered for the standard 6.35mm Browning cartridge. New 9mm Walter pistols also appeared. They are listed below.

- Walter PP Super "The device is similar to the Walter PP, 1929, but in its external forms it is more "modern". A significant difference from the "PP" is the use of a new cartridge called "9 mm policy" or 9 x 18 "ultra" (the number 18 indicates the length of the sleeve in millimeters). This cartridge is intermediate in size and power between the cartridges 9 mm K and 9 mm Par. The peculiarity of the cartridge is that the diameter of the flange of its sleeve is smaller than the diameter of the sleeve itself, as well as smaller than the flange diameters of other 9 mm cartridges, which therefore cannot be used in the PP Super pistol.

- P-4. A shortened and lightweight (aluminum alloy case) version of the "P 38" model. The safety lever on the bolt serves only to safely release the trigger and blocks the drummer only for the duration of the descent. There is also a safety device associated with the position of the trigger. It has been produced since 1976. The P-38K differs from the P-4 only in the shorter barrel length and the location of the front sight on the casing-bolt.

- P-5. Further development of the P-38 and P-4 models.

- P-88. The main difference from previous Walter models of this military pistol is the two-row arrangement of cartridges in the magazine (the magazine is removable, it holds 15 cartridges). The gun works on the principle of using recoil energy with a short barrel stroke.

The trigger mechanism is self-cocking with an openly located trigger. The pistol has been produced since 1986. The history of the "P 88" is extremely eventful. It began with missed opportunities, and ended with a serious reduction in production. In the mid-80s, NATO began to replace it with a single NATO caliber. Along with the "Browning" and the American "JSSAP", Walter since 1978 also took part in this program, providing the "Model P 88" for review.

In 1983, the number of P 88s began to decline, since the Browning weapon concept used in the P 88 was not very attractive for civilian and sporting weapons. The fate of this model is sad. Despite significant labor and financial costs, a huge number of modifications, as a result, "Model P 88" was not in demand.

- "Model PP 90" opened a new all-metal design, used earlier in the classic "PP". But it came too late for the market. After the failure with "P 88" in the world it seemed that "Walter" took a time out. In fact, behind closed doors, the development of the all-metal pistol "P 99" - Agent 007's favorite pistol was carried out.

- "Model P 99" was put into production in October 1996.

At the same time, the year of creation of this model, despite the number 99, refers to 1994. At the time, it had the working title "HPL". Literally, it could be translated "A pistol without a sledgehammer." This model fully met all the requirements of weapons of the late twentieth century. The development of the P 99 pistol by Walther (Carl Walther Sportwaffen GmbH.) began in 1994. The main task was to create a modern pistol for police and self-defense, capable of achieving greater commercial success than its predecessor, the Walter P-88, which, despite its excellent performance, turned out to be too expensive. The creation of P 99 was completed by 1996, and the result was quite successful.

- The pistol "Walter P 99" is built according to the scheme with a short barrel stroke. locking - according to a modified Browning scheme, where the barrel is lowered, interacting with a fixed pin in the frame and engages with the bolt through the window for ejection of cartridges. The trigger mechanism is a striker, double action, however, a QA (Quick Action) modification is also available, in which the drummer is always in a partially cocked state and is cocked with each pull of the trigger (partly similar to the Glocks). this scheme ensures the constancy of the descent force for all shots.

The pistol does not have external non-automatic fuses, instead there is a button for safely removing the firing pin from the cocking (located at the top in the back of the bolt. In addition, there are three automatic safety locks - blocking the firing pin when falling, blocking the firing pin when the bolt is not closed and an automatic safety on the trigger .

The frame of the pistol is made of polymer materials and has a black or dark green (in the "military" version) color. A characteristic feature of the "P 99" is that the back of the handle is removable, and three interchangeable backs of different sizes are supplied with the pistol - to fit the arm of each particular shooter. In addition, a recoil damper is built into the back of the handle. On the front of the frame under the barrel, in accordance with the latest fashion, there are guides for attaching a laser designator or flashlight. According to many reviews, "P 99" is an excellent pistol, characterized by high reliability and good accuracy, especially in the version chambered for 9mm.

It is worth noting that the notorious James Bond, the unsinkable agent 007, after many years replaced the reliable, but already outdated "Walter PPK" with a brand new, brand new, "P 99", which the Walter company was not slow to use for advertising purposes. In terms of its combat qualities, this model surpasses Russian and Japanese pistols - these words belong to one of the most famous experts in the field of weapons, Major Boosroyd, and concerned the Walter PPK model. This statement was adopted by the author of works about James Bond - Ian Fleming. "Walter R 5", cal. 9 mm, "Walter LP 53", "PPK", "PP", "P 38", "P 5", "P 88" were in great demand among directors of Hollywood films. A special place among them was allocated to the indispensable assistant of any agent - the pistol "Walter PPK".

In 1953, their production was restored as purely sporting and hunting rifles. The company "Walter" did not ignore hunting rifles with optical sights. Excellent combat qualities combined with unique German optics allowed Walter rifles to take leading positions among other leaders in the production of sports and hunting small-caliber rifles.

The WA 2000 looks like a prop from Lucas' Star Wars. Released in 1981 by Walter, the WA 2000 sniper rifle immediately made a splash due to its futuristic design. Being a kind of "Rolls-Royce" among other sniper rifles, it also has a corresponding price. WA 2000 is made according to the bullpup scheme. Its automation works due to the energy of powder gases. The main structural element - the barrel - is of particular importance for this weapon, which requires high accuracy. It is rigidly fastened to the frame in front and behind, so that when fired, it would not be taken away from the selected target.

The WA 2000 is usually equipped with a Schmidt and Bender telescopic sight (x2.5-x10), but other sights are also suitable for this rifle. To achieve the best target results, precision-guided munitions should be used.

Of all the cartridges on the market for this rifle, the cartridge .300 Winchester Magnum is best suited. Others, such as the 7.62mm NATO cartridge and the 7.5mm Swiss (Swiss), can only be used if the bolt and barrel are replaced.

Despite its impressive appearance, the WA 2000 can hardly be called a combat weapon. For mass production, this rifle is too heavy and expensive. Nevertheless, it perfectly suits the needs of the police and special services.

The first gas pistols and rocket launchers

Along with gas pistols, starting pistols and rocket launchers appeared. International professionals still consider the rocket launcher to be the best among other designs. Just like the "PPK", the Model "P 99" was redesigned into the signal and gas version "P 99" P.A.K. Sales of this model began in 1996.

In 1993, a message sounded like a bombshell: "Umareks is buying Walter." Umarex, which specializes in gas and signal weapons, decided to expand its production and on January 1, 1993, a subsidiary of Umarex, PW-Interfrms GmBH, bought a 90% stake in Walter. 10% belong to the wife of Karl Walter - Ira and son Iorgan Walter.

The group "UMAREX" includes:
UMAREX Sportwaffen GmbH & Co. KG, Arnsberg
Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen
Mayer & Wonisch GmbH & Co. KG
Pyrotechnik Silberhutte GmbH, Silberhutte
Furstenberg Holzwaren GmbHf Arnsberg
Umarex Sport & Freizeit GmbH & Co. KG, Osterreich
Umarex Moskau GU AG, RuBland
P.W.ARMS GmbH & Co. KG Dortmund
PW ARMS Sportwaffen GmbH & Co. KG, Osterreich

At the same time, the fame of the Walter company is so great in the world that, even after the sale and merger with Umarex, it allowed the Walter logo to be preserved. The fame of "Walter" also affected sporting events in which "Umareks" plays one of the main roles. After the purchase of "Walter" by "Umareks", a decision was made to preserve and increase the value of the trademark "Walter". Initially, "Umarex" allocated 10 million marks to advertise "Walter" as a sporting weapon. For this purpose, the "Walter" weapons cup began to be held. Along with sports weapons, "Umareks" is also engaged in the development and sale of security weapons, which include small-caliber and gas weapons.

Fritz Walter, back in 1920, was engaged in the creation of signal pistols and in 1926 received a patent for the development of a new model. International professionals still consider this model to be the best among other variants of rocket launchers.

In the early 30s, small-caliber semi-automatic rifles "Walter" (KJS, KKJ, KKH) became widespread, which were in great demand.

In 1953, their production was restored as purely sporting and hunting rifles.

The company "Walter" did not ignore hunting rifles with optical sights. The merits of the creators and successors of the company "Walter" did not go unnoticed by the public and government agencies.

So, Fritz Walter (died in 1966 at the age of 77, Karl Walter took his place), the main ideologist of "Walter" accepted the Diesel medal. At the same time, he also refused the well-deserved federal Cross of Merit.

Practically, for a whole century, the trademark "Walter" has ruled the roost in the production of weapons and on the arms market, striking the world with its new technical achievements. The founder from the German side is the UMAREX Arms Concern, which celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2002.

The UMAREX concern owns the famous WALTHER company, whose 100th anniversary was celebrated in 1986, as well as a number of weapons production of gas, pneumatic, short-barreled firearms, pyrotechnic products.