It is supposed to be the position number in the mold, but it is hard to imagine that there was just one position in the form. In the last circle, the digit 1 will constantly appear.
Walther ppk ww2 grips code#
The third circle from the top contains the MPBD supervision mark, with the company code (V7) in the upper part and the classification marking of the resin molding compound (Z3 or T1) in the lower part.
The second circle from the top contains the number 480, which is probably a parts number of the mold or of the grips. The top circle contains the letters CeWe, a trademark of the Walther firm. These grips can be easily recognized by the black color and the checkering, the left-side grip is characterized by a circular impression with a cut for the lanyard loop.įour circles can be seen on the inside of the majority of these grips.
Walther ppk ww2 grips series#
The 1st variation Walther grips were used on the four variations of the military Walther 0-series and the earliest commercial Walther HP series (incl. 22 LR version was made in some numbers, and so far most rare is the 6.35mm/.25 ACP version, with very few guns made early in the production history of the pistol.Carl Walther in Zella-Mehlis was the only firm that manufactured grips for the P38 pistols that it also produced. It must be noted that most PPK pistols were made in 7.65mm (.32 ACP) caliber, with 9mm Kurz (9×17. Walther PPK pistols are fitted with a loaded chamber indicator, made in the form of a small pin that protrudes from the rear of the slide (above the hammer) when a cartridge is in the chamber. Magazines are single-stack the magazine release button is usually located at the left side of the frame, just below the slide and in front of the grip panel.
Walther ppk ww2 grips manual#
The trigger is double-action, with an exposed hammer and a frame-mounted manual safety/decocker Sights are fixed, with the rear sight blade dovetailed into the slide. A few aluminum-framed PP pistols were built in Germany before the war, and stainless steel versions has been manufactured in the USA under Walther’s licence since the mid-1980s. The Walther PPK is a blowback-operated pistol with a fixed barrel, usually of all-steel construction. This act, in particular, limited the minimum size of a “sporting purpose” pistols that are allowed to be imported in USA, and use of the larger grip frame allowed importing these pistols instead of the smaller PPK pistols, which were banned from importation under this law. These pistols were designed to avoid limitations imposed by the Gun Control Act of 1968. It combines the PP frame with the shorter PPK-style barrel and slide. There also exist a version called the Walther PPK/S, which are a cross-breed between PP and PPK.
While most PPK pistols were made with steel frames, Walther also produced some aluminum-framed PPK/L (Lightweight) pistols in the Postwar era. The Walther PPK pistol is essentially similar to the larger PP pistol, except for the different design of the grip frame – the grip backstrap is integral to the frame and grip panels are two separate items (left and right) on the PP, while on the PPK the grip frame has a rectangular shape of a magazine channel and the backstrap is formed by the single-piece U-shaped grip unit, also usually made of plastic. At the present time, Walther PP, PPK/S and PPK pistols are manufactured in the USA by the Smith & Wesson Company under licence from Walther.
Very close copies of the Walther PP were manufactured after the war by East Germany, Hungary, Romania, Turkey and USA. Later on, production was returned to the re-established Walther factory in the city of Ulm ab Donau (pre-war Walther factory had been located in the city of Zella-Mehlis), and these pistols have seen widespread use by civilians and police, as well as for personal defense by many non-infantry officers in several European armies. After the war, production of the PP and PPK pistols was resumed in France by Manurhin under German licence. The Walther PPK is essentially a smaller version of the Walther PP, and was produced in significant numbers between 19 for use with the German forces.