The Walther P5 is a 9mm

semi-automatic pistol A semi-automatic pistol is a type of repeating single-chamber handgun ( pistol) that automatically cycles its action to insert the subsequent cartridge into the chamber (self-loading), but requires manual actuation of the trigger to actuall ...

developed in the mid-1970s by the German small arms manufacturer

Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen (), or simply known as Walther, is a German firearm manufacturer, and a subsidiary of the PW Group. Founded by Carl Walther in 1886, the company has manufactured firearms and air guns at its facility in Germany ...

. 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

9×19mm Parabellum The 9×19mm Parabellum (also known as 9mm Parabellum or 9mm Luger or simply 9mm) is a rimless, tapered firearms cartridge. Originally designed by Austrian firearm designer Georg Luger in 1901, it is widely considered the most popular handgun a ...

. A subsequent bid resulted in the Walther P5 being introduced into service alongside the

SIG Sauer P225 The SIG Sauer P220 is a semi-automatic pistol. Designed in 1975 by the SIG Arms AG division of Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (now SIG Holding AG), and produced by J. P. Sauer & Sohn, in Eckernförde; it is currently manufactured by both ...

(designated P6 within the West German Federal Police) and

Heckler & Koch P7 The Heckler & Koch P7 is a German 9×19mm semi-automatic pistol designed by Helmut Weldle and produced from 1979 to 2008 by Heckler & Koch GmbH (H&K). It was revealed to the public for the first time in 1976 as the PSP (''Polizei-Selbstlade-Pis ...

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 is an operating mechanism used to implement locked breech, autoloading firearms. Recoil operated firearms use the energy of recoil to cycle the action, as opposed to gas operation or blowback operation using the pressure of the p ...

, locked-breech, 9 mm semi-automatic

pistol A pistol is a handgun, more specifically one with the chamber integral to its gun barrel, though in common usage the two terms are often used interchangeably. The English word was introduced in , when early handguns were produced in Europe, an ...

. It utilizes the same design principles as the

Walther P38 The Walther P38 (originally written Walther P.38) is a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol that was developed by Carl Walther GmbH as the service pistol of the Wehrmacht at the beginning of World War II. It was intended to replace the costly Luger P08, ...

pistol of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

fame. The barrel does not tilt following firing in the way that Browning's system does, but rather moves straight back approximately . 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 Close-up shot of a safety of an M16A2 rifle In firearms, a safety or safety catch is a mechanism used to help prevent the accidental discharge of a firearm, helping to ensure safer handling. Safeties can generally be divided into subtypes suc ...

and is found on the left side of the

frame A frame is often a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction and/or steel frame that limits the construction's extent. Frame and FRAME may also refer to: Physical objects In building construction *Framing (con ...

. Pressing it once will release the slide, pressing it a second time will safely de-cock the hammer. Manufactured in

Ulm Ulm () is a city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Danube on the border with Bavaria. The city, which has an estimated population of more than 126,000 (2018), forms an urban district of its own (german: link=no, ...

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

, 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.

Variants

Walther P5 Compact

The Walther P5 Compact is the shorter and lighter version of the full-size P5. Approx 6,500 units were made for the commercial market with the "P5 Compact" slide marking.

Walther P5 Lang

Walther P5 Lang - also known as P5L - is a variant with an extended barrel whose shape is reminiscent of that of the P38.

Reception

Although the P5's successful and functional design and high level of functional reliability were confirmed by experts, there was no great sales success within Germany nor for export. As such, while successor of the P38, the P5's popularity limited compared to its predecessor. Reason for this is believed to be its high price.Chris McNab, Handfeuerwaffen des 20. und 21. Jahrhunderts, Neuer Kaiser Verlag, Neuauflage von 2009 Domestically, only the police of

Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...

and

Rhineland-Palatinate Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; german: link=no, Rheinland-Pfalz ; lb, Rheinland-Pfalz ; pfl, Rhoilond-Palz) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the ...

procured the standard model in 9x19mm between 1976-1979. The compact version were issued to few criminal police departments in

. Due to pricing, the

generally outbid Walther P5 in the domestic law enforcement sales. 3,000 units of Walther P5 Compact were adopted in the 1980s by the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

as Pistol L102A1 and were marked as such with the British military model number on the left side and NATO number on the right side instead of the standard Walther model markings. They were issued to the Royal Irish Regiment (Home Service) as a Personal Protection Weapon, also a small number may have been issued to 14 Intelligence Company, a unit active in Northern Ireland. Unknown variant of Walther P5 was utilized by the 39th Special Forces Detachment "Detachment A" of the US army, which was part of

Berlin Brigade The Berlin Brigade was a US Army brigade-sized garrison based in West Berlin during the Cold War. After the end of World War II, under the conditions of the Yalta and Potsdam agreements, the Allied forces occupied West Berlin. This occupat ...

during Cold War.

Users

*: Standard version was adapted by police of Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. Compact version adopted by criminal police departments in Baden-Württemberg.Diez, Octavio (2000). ''Armament and Technology: Handguns''. Lema Publications, S.L. .VISIER-Sonderheft Deutsche Polizeipistolen *:Marchington, James (2004). ''The Encyclopedia of Handheld Weapons''. Lewis International, Inc. . Standard issue firearm of the

Dutch police National Police Corps ( nl, Korps Nationale Politie), colloquially in English as Dutch National Police or National Police Force, is divided in ten regional units, a central unit, the police academy, police services center, and national control ...

until 2013 when it was replaced by the Walther P99Q. * * *: Detachment A / 39th Special Forces Operational Detachment. Various

police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...

forces. *: British Army; P5 Compact as Pistol L102A1 (see above)

References

External links

Walther P5 instruction manual

Walther P5 spare parts drawing
*
Walther P5 Compact spare parts drawing

{{Walther 7.65×21mm Parabellum semi-automatic pistols 9mm Parabellum semi-automatic pistols 9×21mm IMI semi-automatic pistols Cold War weapons of Germany Police weapons Short recoil firearms Walther semi-automatic pistols