The same, but quite different; 3 PP 22s

[22hipower]

I'm not a Walther collector but have had a few over the years and always admired the quality of their guns. The allure of the James Bond link aside, I've liked best to shoot, the PP/PPK 22s. Post war, as I understand it, all Walthers were made in France even though many are marked as made in West Germany, built under license to Walther by Manurhin.

As I understand it, feel free to add to or correct, the PP Sport models were the brainchildren of the French and were never built by Walther. These three guns are all Manhurin built and two have that stamp but the third is stamped as a Walther Mark II with no Manurhin stamp although it is marked as "Made in France."

All three are basic blued steel PPs but with significant differences in barrel length, front sights, rear sights, magazines, hammers and grips. The 3 3/4 inch and the 5 7/8 inch are DA/SA while the 8 1/8 is SA. All three have ten round extended magazines but each is different. From what I've read the spur hammer usually indicates SA.

I rarely see these for sale locally, the two sport models had been in a LGS for the last three years or so and I finally brought them home. As I understand it, Manurhin built them as competition pistols although I don't think they were very successful in terms of winning any major matches.

What I find curious is that for guns so rarely seen here, that there are so many variations in configuration. Anyone have any insight as to why so many different configurations would have been built and where these guns built from some time in the 1950s to the '70s or so went? Haven't gotten the two Sport models to the range yet but am looking forward to doing it.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

https://flic.kr/p/2nVPadZ https://www.flickr.com/photos/194934231@N03/

https://flic.kr/p/2nVP95m https://www.flickr.com/photos/194934231@N03/

https://flic.kr/p/2nVP8Sh https://www.flickr.com/photos/194934231@N03/

https://flic.kr/p/2nVLt7Z https://www.flickr.com/photos/194934231@N03/

https://flic.kr/p/2nVMNKc https://www.flickr.com/photos/194934231@N03/

 

[PeteC]

I think it was a popular and reliable design with name recognition. That was why Fritz Walther was able to license the design to Manurhin in France, and eventually restart the family business in Ulm, Germany. According to the American Rifleman, "More than 5 million copies of the PP and PPK pistol have been manufactured." (and sold worldwide)

Walther had as much name recognition around the world as Colt. That was why it was suggested to Ian Fleming to equip James Bond with one of them. Despite popular opinion, the PPK did not become popular because it was the James Bond gun, it became the James Bond gun BECAUSE it was a popular and a brand for "serious" shooters. According to the fictional history, James Bond was issued the Walther because his Beretta 6.35mm (!!) had either jammed and/or had "insufficient stopping power".

In other words, at the time the Walther PP series had a reputation for being a small (concealable), and reliable firearm compared to the competition, like the one shown below.

(Public domain pic of Beretta 418)

 

[Andyd]

The PP Sport came in .22 Short and .22 l.r. with three different barrel lengths; 6 and 8.4 inches for .22 l.r and 6 and 8.25inches in .22 short. The shorter version has a C in the serial number for court and the long one an L. They were also available as single action only and double action. There was a pointed hammer that usually, but not exclusively, came on the guns with micro click adjustable rear sights, the other rear sight option was adjusted with the help of two screws.
From 1961 on Walther started putting the Walther brand on pistols assembled in the Ulm factory, which was sufficient to mark them also as being made in Germany.

The Manurhin Walther PP Sport's biggest draw back are the miserable trigger pull characteristics, even the SAO is not on par with other successful target pistols of the era. Only a stone through from France's southern border, Star came out with the Star F Sport and in France the Unique D.6 Brigant had a similiar sports pistol with a 150mm barrel to conform with UIT rules. Beretta followed suit and offered the Beretta 71 with a 150mm barrel as the 72 and 75, which was later upgraded to the 76.