Walther PPK
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Walther_ppk.jpg
The Walther PP and Walther PPK are two pistols made in Germany. Walther PPK (Polizeipistole Kriminalmodell - Police pistol for the criminal investigation department) is a shortened version of the Walter PP (Polizei Pistole) and differs from it only in size (shorter barrel and grip).
The PPK was the weapon of choice for the fictional character James Bond from Dr. No to Tomorrow Never Dies. It is introduced in Dr. No when 007's Beretta is replaced by Major Boothroyd (Q), the armourer of MI6, after a nasty incident when it jammed. Ever since, it has become legendary as the weapon of a secret agent. Its small size with a flat design makes it ideal for concealment, though the 7.65mm calibre with a 6 round magazine is fairly anemic by modern standards. Ian Fleming chose it as Bond's weapon after consulting with a weapons expert named Boothroyd.
The Walther PP was first presented in 1929 and the PPK in 1931; they quickly become very popular among European police agencies and civilian shooters since both guns were reliable, easy to conceal (especially the PPK), but of moderate power. During WW2 those guns were issued to German military police personnel, high military officers and other military personnel. Hitler used his PPK on himself during the final days of the war in Europe.
In fact, the PP and PPK were the world's first successful Double Action autos. They were (and are) copied and still in production by Carl Walther Sportwaffen and other companies.
They are the choice of British military pilots.
Specifications
- Type: Double Action
- Caliber: .22LR or 6.35mm auto (.25 ACP) or 7.65mm (.32ACP) or 9x17mm (.380 ACP, 9mmkz)
- Length overall: 173mm PP, 154 mm PPK
- Mass: 682g PP, 568g PPK
- Barrel length: 99mm PP, 84mm PPK
- Capacity: 8 (PP), 6+1 (PPK) rounds
See also
- Walther P99, James Bond's current pistol.de:PPK (Handfeuerwaffe)