Walther P5
Encyclopedia
The Walther P5 is a 9mm semi-automatic pistol developed in the mid-1970s by the German
small arms manufacturer Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen. It was designed with the German police forces in mind, who sought to replace existing 7.65mm pistols with a modern service sidearm incorporating enhanced safety features and chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum. A subsequent bid resulted in the Walther P5 being introduced into service alongside the SIG-Sauer P225 (designated P6 within the West German Federal Police
) and Heckler & Koch P7.
The Walther P5 is a recoil-operated
, locked-breech, 9 mm semi-automatic
pistol
. It utilizes the same design principles as the Walther P38 pistol of World War II
fame. The barrel does not tilt following firing in the way that John Browning
's system does, but rather moves straight back approximately 5 mm (0.196850393700787 in). This system results in a very accurate pistol since the barrel is kept parallel with the frame during/after firing. The trigger is a standard double action/single action trigger. The slide lock also doubles as the decocker and is found on the left side of the frame
. Pressing it once will release the slide, pressing it a second time will drop the hammer without firing the gun.
Manufactured in Ulm
, West Germany
, by Carl Walther Sportwaffen GmbH, the P5 was a further development of the famous Walther P38 and P1 series. Development began following requests by German police and federal agencies for a new sidearm. Walther engineers decided to use the P1 model as the basis of the P5 and gave it a similar locking system, reinforced frame, and dual recoil springs. In addition, the Walther improved the extractor, shortened the barrel, and increased the slide length. Safety was enhanced by utilizing an innovative pivoting firing pin that can move forward only when the trigger is pulled. In addition, the P1's slide-mounted decocker/safety was moved to a frame mounted decocker/slide stop multi-lever.
Unlike most modern semi-automatic pistols, the P5 ejects spent casings to the left. This may make it a more attractive firearm for left-handed shooters.
as Pistol L102A1 (NATO Stock Number 1005-99-978-4952) for issue to the Royal Irish Regiment (Home Service) as a Personal Protection Weapon. A small number may have been issued to 14 Intelligence Company, an all-arms unit active in Northern Ireland.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
small arms manufacturer Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen. It was designed with the German police forces in mind, who sought to replace existing 7.65mm pistols with a modern service sidearm incorporating enhanced safety features and chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum. A subsequent bid resulted in the Walther P5 being introduced into service alongside the SIG-Sauer P225 (designated P6 within the West German Federal Police
German Federal Police
The Bundespolizei is a uniformed federal police force in Germany. It is subordinate to the Federal Ministry of the Interior...
) and Heckler & Koch P7.
Design details
The pistol incorporates many new design features, including a new aluminum alloy frame, trigger mechanism, dual-control mechanism, firing pin safety (US patent number 4313274 dated 1979, authored by Walter Ludwig).The Walther P5 is a recoil-operated
Recoil operation
Recoil operation is an operating mechanism used in locked-breech, autoloading firearms. As the name implies, these actions use the force of recoil to provide energy to cycle the action...
, locked-breech, 9 mm semi-automatic
Semi-automatic firearm
A semi-automatic, or self-loading firearm is a weapon which performs all steps necessary to prepare the weapon to fire again after firing—assuming cartridges remain in the weapon's feed device or magazine...
pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
. It utilizes the same design principles as the Walther P38 pistol of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
fame. The barrel does not tilt following firing in the way that John Browning
John Browning
John Moses Browning , born in Ogden, Utah, was an American firearms designer who developed many varieties of military and civilian firearms, cartridges, and gun mechanisms, many of which are still in use around the world...
's system does, but rather moves straight back approximately 5 mm (0.196850393700787 in). This system results in a very accurate pistol since the barrel is kept parallel with the frame during/after firing. The trigger is a standard double action/single action trigger. The slide lock also doubles as the decocker and is found on the left side of the frame
Receiver (firearms)
In firearms terminology, the receiver is the part of a firearm that houses the operating parts. The receiver usually contains the bolt carrier group, trigger group, and magazine port. In most handguns, the receiver, or frame, holds the magazine well or rotary magazine as well as the trigger mechanism...
. Pressing it once will release the slide, pressing it a second time will drop the hammer without firing the gun.
Manufactured in Ulm
Ulm
Ulm is a city in the federal German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube. The city, whose population is estimated at 120,000 , forms an urban district of its own and is the administrative seat of the Alb-Donau district. Ulm, founded around 850, is rich in history and...
, West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
, by Carl Walther Sportwaffen GmbH, the P5 was a further development of the famous Walther P38 and P1 series. Development began following requests by German police and federal agencies for a new sidearm. Walther engineers decided to use the P1 model as the basis of the P5 and gave it a similar locking system, reinforced frame, and dual recoil springs. In addition, the Walther improved the extractor, shortened the barrel, and increased the slide length. Safety was enhanced by utilizing an innovative pivoting firing pin that can move forward only when the trigger is pulled. In addition, the P1's slide-mounted decocker/safety was moved to a frame mounted decocker/slide stop multi-lever.
Unlike most modern semi-automatic pistols, the P5 ejects spent casings to the left. This may make it a more attractive firearm for left-handed shooters.
Walther P5 Compact
Walther P5 Compact: This is the shorter and lighter version of the full-size P5. Approx 3,000 examples of this pistol were adopted in the 1980s by the British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
as Pistol L102A1 (NATO Stock Number 1005-99-978-4952) for issue to the Royal Irish Regiment (Home Service) as a Personal Protection Weapon. A small number may have been issued to 14 Intelligence Company, an all-arms unit active in Northern Ireland.
Users
- Used by the Dutch police. Are to be replaced with the SIG Sauer PPNL, modified for the Dutch Police: Various policePoliceThe police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
forces.