The Walther PP (Police Pistol or Polizeipistole in German) was introduced in 1929 and was designed for the law-enforcement market. It was adopted by police agencies throughout Europe and was embraced by the commercial market prior to WWII. During WWII, the German military issued Walther PP models mainly to Luftwaffe troops, as well as other military organizations. In nearly 100 years of production, it is without doubt one of the most successful semi-automatic pistols ever manufactured. That is because the PP was innovative, with features like an automatic hammer block, a combination safety/decocker, and a loaded chamber indicator. The PP is a safe and reliable pistol that uses a simple blowback mechanism and feeds from a single-stack magazine. It inspired other models like the PPK and PPK/s, which are just as iconic and classic. The design also invited copies from the Eastern Bloc, Turkey, and China. The pistol was licensed in France after WWII by Manurhin. PPK and PPK/s models were built in the U.S. by Ranger Manufacturing in the late 1970s as well as by Smith & Wesson from 2002-2013. In 2024, Walther Arms, Inc. in Fort Smith, Arkansas, reintroduced the model PP to the U.S. market. As of late 2025, Walther announced the suspension of this legacy pistol as well as the PPK and PPK/s models. Walther plans to update the design and reintroduce it at a later date.
