14 Bug-Out Bag Guns for Self Defense<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Top Nine 9mm 1911 Guns<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Top 5 .22 Caliber 1911 Handguns","post_excerpt":"These 1911s combine classic style and handling with affordable ammo to make the ultimate sidekicks to your big bores.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"top-5-1911-22-trainers","to_ping":"","pinged":"https:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/top-10-rimfire-companions-ccw-self-defense\/\nhttps:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/12-best-undercover-pocket-pistols\/","post_modified":"2023-11-15 11:30:36","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-15 16:30:36","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2014\/12\/08\/top-5-1911-22-trainers\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":145958,"post_author":"645","post_date":"2014-12-08 08:59:30","post_date_gmt":"2014-12-08 13:59:30","post_content":"\r\n\r\nFritz Walther, owner and lead designer for Walther Arms<\/a>, created a number of semi-automatic pistols known for their elegant lines, compact size, reliable operation and revolutionary design. From the factory founded by his father, Carl Walther, in Thuringen, he created the legendary PP series of pistols, the first successful semi-automatics with a double-action (DA) trigger. Shortly after the PP series appeared on the market, the German Army let Walther know that it was starting a search for a new standard 9mm service pistol that would replace the P.08 Parabellum, better known as the \u201cLuger.\u201d\r\n\r\n\t
\u201c<\/b>While the P.38 as adopted by the German Army came with Bakelite grips, which were produced in both\u00a0<\/b>black and brown, these post-war P.1s had\u00a0<\/b>black plastic grips with molded checkering.<\/b>\u201d<\/b><\/em><\/blockquote>\r\nThe pivoting locking block helps make the P.38 a very rugged and reliable gun. Unlike most recoil-operated semi-automatic pistols, which use a titling barrel that drops out of battery, the P.38\u2019s barrel travel is strictly linear. The position of the external ejector on the left side of the ejection port is another oddity. The shooter is unlikely to notice this during firing, however, given that the slide is almost skeletonized forward of the breech face. This allows a great deal of space for case travel during ejection. In fact, cases ejected from a P.38 pistol tend to follow a vertical, rather than a lateral, trajectory.\r\n\r\nA stamped-steel sliding magazine release is located on the heel of the frame, at the rear of the magazine well. The magazine is a single-column design that holds eight rounds. Index holes cut in the side of the stamped steel magazine body show the number of loaded rounds remaining in the magazine.\r\n\r\nOn the left side of the frame there is a slide-stop lever at the top rear of the trigger well. It is partially fenced by an abbreviated thumb shelf that is molded into the grip panel. The slide stop is also automatically engaged by a rising magazine follower, so the slide automatically locks open after the last round is fired.\r\n\r\nA pivoting safety lever is mounted to the left side of the slide just below the rear sight. Sweeping the safety lever downward exposes a white \u201cS\u201d for \u201csicher<\/i>,\u201d which means \u201csafe\u201d and engages the safety. Pushing upward on the lever reveals a red \u201cF\u201d for \u201cfeuer<\/i>,\u201d which means \u201cfire\u201d and, of course, readies the gun to fire. When the safety lever is rotated from the \u201cfire\u201d position to the \u201csafe\u201d position (when the hammer is cocked), it falls on a locked firing pin. So, the safety lever also functions as a hammer release or decocker. Returning the safety lever to the \u201cfire\u201d position readies the trigger for double-action firing.\r\n\r\nAt the top of the hammer well is a loaded-chamber indicator that consists of a pin that projects from the top-rear of the slide when there is a round in the chamber. The pin is relatively small and unobtrusive, but it is large enough to be seen or alternatively felt in the dark.\r\n\r\nIn an effort to save weight, the P.38 design used a frame without a backstrap. The backstrap was formed by a pair of grips that wrapped around the frame in a clamshell fashion, which helped protect the mainspring, trigger bar and other internal components.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nPost-War Realities\u00a0<\/b>\r\n\r\nAt the end of World War II, the Walther factory was overrun by the Red Army and wound up in the Soviet occupation zone. Fritz Walther, designer of the P.38 Walther and son of founder Carl Walther, was left with little more than his drawings and patents. With his factory behind the Soviet \u201cIron Curtain,\u201d Fritz Walther chose to start over again by setting up shop in Ulm, which is just southeast of Stuttgart in southern Germany.\r\n
\u201c<\/b>A shooter with a proper grip will notice a heavier \u2018push,\u2019 but I\u00a0<\/b>found the difference in control to be marginal.<\/b>\u201d<\/b><\/em><\/blockquote>\r\nIn order to equip the new West German Army, which was reformed and renamed the Bundeswehr, Walther resumed production of the P.38 (renamed as the P.1) in 1957. With little in the way of production facilities, Fritz Walther set up a cooperative endeavor with Manurhin, a French manufacturer in Strasbourg, which is right on the French border with Germany. The alliance with Manurhin was critical in that it gave Walther access to metal forgings. At the same time, Walther started making guns for the commercial market.\r\n\r\nWalther substituted the P.38\u2019s steel frame for an aluminum frame to reduce weight. While the P.38 as adopted by the German Army came with Bakelite grips, which were produced in both black and brown, these post-war P.1s had black plastic grips with molded checkering. As with the original, the P.1\u2019s sights are excellent. The rear sight is broad blade with a deep U-shaped notch, while the front is a tall post. Both are fixed, but easy to acquire.\r\n\r\nThe new P.1 was adopted by the Bundeswehr<\/i> as the P.1. Despite the name change, the guns from the first six years of production were still marked P.38. This was probably because they had already been stamped P.38 for the commercial market. In 1970, Walther improved the P.1 by reinforcing the aluminum frame with a steel hex bolt. It also beefed up the slide with thicker dimensions, but its contours remained nearly identical. Additionally, Walther refitted or upgraded many older P.1s with these features. The P.1 was the standard sidearm of the Bundeswehr<\/i> and Bundespolizei<\/i> until the turn of the century.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nRange Time<\/b>\r\n\r\nIn the past, P.1s were imported by Interarms, but they are currently available from Century Arms. They make great shooters, and if you find one in good condition it can be an excellent choice for a low-cost self-defense sidearm. Just recently, Century sent me a P.1 that was re-chambered for 9x21mm.\r\n\r\nThe 9x21mm has a following in countries where ownership of firearms chambered for military calibers is severely restricted or completely prohibited. The 9x21mm is compatible with 9mm mags, but the two rounds cannot be used interchangeably. Ballistic performance between the two is fairly equal. In my experience, 9x21mm ammunition comes and goes, but it is far from scarce. That said, you need to pick it up when you see it. I managed to score a couple of boxes of 9x21mm from Fiocchi at a local gun show.\r\n\r\nMy test gun proved to have a good trigger pull. There was just a little take-up at the start and a little creep just before the break, but no stacking. Most importantly, it was very consistent. The DA pull was stellar\u2014short with a crisp let-off. My groups were dead on windage-wise, but about 3 inches high at 15 yards. It is a well-balanced gun with an ergonomically shaped grip, and even though I find the extra weight of the P.38\u2019s steel frame makes shot-to-shot recovery easier, that doesn\u2019t mean that the lighter P.1 is unmanageable. That said, the extra recoil transmitted through the aluminum frame, combined with the extra energy of the 9x21mm chambering, will break down a grip that is less than solid. A shooter with a proper grip will notice a heavier \u201cpush,\u201d but I found the difference in control to be marginal. The extra recoil energy did not hamper my endurance on the range. In fact, I ran out of ammo long before I tired of shooting the P.1.\r\n\r\nPROVEN PERFORMANCE<\/b>\r\n\r\nBy any standard, the P.1 and its parent, the P.38, are important benchmarks in firearms history. The P.38 was Walther\u2019s first pistol in 9mm and the first DA semi-automatic pistol adopted by a military service, while the P.1 was the first military issue semi-automatic handgun with an aluminum frame. Both share a simple, rugged design compatible with mass production. They are proven performers having remained in service with the German military and police for more than 50 years, so they present students of firearms design with a rich collecting field. These German surplus P.1s have been on the market for many decades, and the well is starting to run dry. So, if you are interested, the time to buy is now.\r\n\r\nFor more information, visit centuryarms.com<\/a> or call 800-527-1252.","post_title":"Examining the Post-War P.1 Walthers","post_excerpt":"A time-tested 9mm design reinvented by the realities of a post-war Europe.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"post-war-p-1-walthers","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-31 23:01:35","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-01 03:01:35","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2014\/12\/08\/post-war-p-1-walthers\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":112354,"post_author":"270","post_date":"2014-11-24 13:20:42","post_date_gmt":"2014-11-24 18:20:42","post_content":"\n\nThe first time I fired the Walther CCP<\/a> I had to sign a confidentiality agreement. It was a little more than a year before the gun was planned for introduction and I was at the Walther factory test range in Arnsberg, Germany. The secrecy behind the then \u201cProject X 9mm handgun\u201d (later to be officially named the CCP for \u201cConcealed Carry Pistol\u201d) was because of the new design technology Walther had developed to build a lighter weight, lighter recoiling and more manageable 9mm pistol than any previous Walther semi-auto pistol in history. And that history dates back to the very early 20th century when Walther introduced its very first semi-automatic pistol. In 1929, the company revolutionized the world of semi-auto pistols with the introduction of the first double-action (DA) model, the Walther PP. This was followed in 1930 by the slightly more compact Walther PPK<\/a>.\r\n\r\nWhy this little bit of Walther historical trivia? It\u2019s relevant to the 21st-century Model CCP because a great deal of this new, polymer-framed, lightweight 9mm semi-auto\u2019s design is based on the 84-year-old Walther PPK!\r\n\r\nNext-Gen Nine<\/strong>\r\n\r\n
![\"Walther](\"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/walther-ccp-2.jpg\")
Picatinny rail supports tactical light or light\/laser combinations.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe new Walther 9mm is an innovative design that offers compact pistol dimensions for ease of carry. And like other popular Walther models such as the striker-fired P99<\/a> and subcompact Walther PPS<\/a>, the CCP also utilizes a polymer frame. However, unlike these other Walther models, the CCP combines a blowback action (used on models like the PPK) with an innovative, Walther-designed gas-piston recoil system.\r\n\r\nRELATED: Walther\u2019s Lightweight Compacts for Everyday Defense<\/a><\/strong>\r\n\r\nThe CCP was designed to be easier to use than conventional 9mm pistols. It aimed to be smaller, lighter and feel more like a .380 than a 9mm, and achieving these goals began on the inside. Field stripping the CCP reveals an amalgamation of old and new technology, with a PPK-style fixed barrel mounted to the frame and a single, large recoil spring surrounding the barrel, also like the PPK. That is the old technology that comprises one half of the gun\u2019s action. The overall operation of the CCP, however, is quite modern.\r\n\r\nThe CCP utilizes Walther\u2019s \u201cSoftCoil\u201d gas-delayed blowback action. When the gun is fired, a portion of the gas pressure developed by the ignited cartridge is shunted downward through a port in the bottom of the barrel and into a chamber molded into the polymer frame. Think of it as a secondary recoil system that is otherwise passive when the gun is not being discharged. When chambering a round, or clearing the CCP, the only resistance to the slide is the single, large recoil spring around the barrel. This lightweight recoil spring reduces resistance, making the gun significantly easier to handle than any other 9mm semi-auto.\r\n\r\n![\"Walther](\"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/walther-ccp-3.jpg\")
The SAO trigger has a quick reset and a 4.5-pound average pull.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nWhen the CCP is fired, recoil is also significantly reduced by the gas-delayed blowback action\u2019s piston, which is attached to the underside of the slide. The piston slides into the chamber in the frame, where gasses from the discharged round are redirected. With the chamber sealed by the piston, the blowback action driving the slide rearward is slowed as the piston pushes against the compressed gasses in the chamber. This resistance is maintained until the bullet exits the barrel and releases remaining internal pressures, after which the slide continues its rearward motion at full speed, opening the breech and ejecting the empty cartridge case as it reaches its full rearward travel. The large recoil spring around the barrel then takes over, pulling the slide forward to strip a new round from the magazine, chamber the round and bring the action back into battery.\r\n\r\nOf course, you never know all of this is transpiring; all you realize after pulling the trigger is that the recoil was lighter than anticipated. The gas-delayed blowback action decreases muzzle lift, and commensurately, the energy transferred to the shooting hand, thus allowing faster sight reacquisition and more manageable control of the pistol.\r\n\r\nAlthough field stripping the CCP is a bit of a chore, requiring a special takedown tool provided with the gun (a small screwdriver will work in a pinch, but the tool is much easier), the CCP is very simple to clean and maintain. While larger than many subcompacts, it has very concealable dimensions: an overall length of 6.41 inches with a 3.54-inch barrel, width of 1.18 inches and a leggy 5.12-inch height, which allows for an eight-round magazine, giving the CCP an impressive 8+1 capacity and carry weight of only 22.24 ounces (unloaded).\r\n\r\nFiring The CCP<\/strong>\r\n\r\n![\"Walther](\"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/walther-ccp-8.jpg\")
Lighter recoil makes the CCP faster to get back on target after the shot.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe striker-fired 9mm pistol has an interchangeable white-dot front sight and an adjustable white-dot rear sight that are easy to pick up. The CCP also has a reversible magazine release for left- or right-handed operation, and a very slim manual thumb safety that proved easy to operate on the draw. There is also an internal firing pin block (drop safety). Trigger pull on the test gun averaged 4.5 pounds, with 0.5 inches take-up. There was 0.125 inches of overtravel. Reset required only a partial let-off of the trigger, with a firm, perceptible \u201cclick\u201d as it reengaged.\r\n\r\nRELATED: Walther PPK\/S .22: James Bond\u2019s Sidearm Gets An Upgrade<\/a><\/strong>\r\n\r\nFor the range test I fired traditional 115-grain FMJ rounds from Winchester<\/a>, Speer Gold Dot Personal Protection<\/a> 115-grain GDHP, and Federal Premium Personal Defense<\/a> 124-grain Hydra-Shok JHP. Speer cleared the ProChrono<\/a> traps at 1,074 feet per second (fps), Winchester at 1,034 fps and Federal clocked 1,010 fps. Best groups from a range of 15 yards fired off-hand at one-second intervals measured 2 inches with Winchester FMJ, 2.25 inches for Speer and 2.3 inches with Federal JHP.\r\n\r\nThe new Walther CCP is a great blend of old school and new school engineering that results in a shooter-friendly and all-day-carry handgun. Perhaps the biggest plus for today\u2019s shooter is the CCP\u2019s modest price. The new Walther 9mm is available in two-tone and Cerakote black. Suggested retail ranges from $469 to $489.\r\n\r\nFor more information visit http:\/\/www.waltherarms.com<\/a> or call 479-242-8500.","post_title":"Walther's New Lightweight, Striker-Fired CCP 9mm","post_excerpt":"Walther's hardcore, soft-coil CCP 9mm packs the power without the unwanted punch.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"walthers-new-lightweight-striker-fired-ccp-9mm","to_ping":"","pinged":"https:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/walthers-lightweight-compacts\/#walther-ccp-3\nhttps:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/walther-ppks-22\/#walther-ppks-22-composite","post_modified":"2023-05-31 12:29:13","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 12:29:13","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2014\/11\/24\/walthers-new-lightweight-striker-fired-ccp-9mm\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":112386,"post_author":"243","post_date":"2014-11-24 09:00:08","post_date_gmt":"2014-11-24 14:00:08","post_content":"\n\nUnderestimation can prevent you from using an object to its potential. Do not underestimate the value of the pocket rimfire pistol in your defensive handgun lineup as it can serve as a highly effective training tool.\n\n[in_content post=\"94971\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\n\nOccasional ammo shortages notwithstanding, the .22 LR cartridge tends to be very affordable to shoot. A rimfire version of a defensive pistol can allow the shooter to improve both accuracy and weapon manipulation skills.\n\nIn addition, for anyone with significant upper body strength deficiencies or physical ailments, a gun chambered in .22 LR might be the only handgun that can be reliably operated. While few people would claim that a .22 will be as effective as a 9mm or .45 ACP at stopping a determined attacker, a pistol loaded with .22-caliber rounds and effectively employed can be a life saver.\n\nScroll through the gallery above for a few of the .22-caliber rimfire handguns on the market that are worth your consideration when it comes to CCW self-defense.\n\nRELATED STORIES<\/strong>\n\nConcealed Carry Gun Laws By State<\/a>\n\n12 Best Undercover Pocket Pistols<\/a>\n\nMassad Ayoob's 10 Commandments of Concealed Carry<\/a>","post_title":"Top 10 Rimfire Guns for CCW Self Defense","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"top-10-rimfire-companions-ccw-self-defense","to_ping":"","pinged":"https:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/12-best-undercover-pocket-pistols\/\nhttps:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/concealed-carry-gun-laws-by-state\/#alabama-concealed-carry","post_modified":"2023-05-31 12:29:30","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 12:29:30","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2014\/11\/24\/top-10-rimfire-companions-ccw-self-defense\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":18},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};
12 Best Undercover Pocket Pistols<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n 14 Bug-Out Bag Guns for Self Defense<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Top Nine 9mm 1911 Guns<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Top 5 .22 Caliber 1911 Handguns","post_excerpt":"These 1911s combine classic style and handling with affordable ammo to make the ultimate sidekicks to your big bores.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"top-5-1911-22-trainers","to_ping":"","pinged":"https:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/top-10-rimfire-companions-ccw-self-defense\/\nhttps:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/12-best-undercover-pocket-pistols\/","post_modified":"2023-11-15 11:30:36","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-15 16:30:36","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2014\/12\/08\/top-5-1911-22-trainers\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":145958,"post_author":"645","post_date":"2014-12-08 08:59:30","post_date_gmt":"2014-12-08 13:59:30","post_content":"\r\n\r\nFritz Walther, owner and lead designer for Walther Arms<\/a>, created a number of semi-automatic pistols known for their elegant lines, compact size, reliable operation and revolutionary design. From the factory founded by his father, Carl Walther, in Thuringen, he created the legendary PP series of pistols, the first successful semi-automatics with a double-action (DA) trigger. Shortly after the PP series appeared on the market, the German Army let Walther know that it was starting a search for a new standard 9mm service pistol that would replace the P.08 Parabellum, better known as the \u201cLuger.\u201d\r\n Top 10 Rimfire Guns for CCW Self Defense<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n 12 Best Undercover Pocket Pistols<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n 14 Bug-Out Bag Guns for Self Defense<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Top Nine 9mm 1911 Guns<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Top 5 .22 Caliber 1911 Handguns","post_excerpt":"These 1911s combine classic style and handling with affordable ammo to make the ultimate sidekicks to your big bores.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"top-5-1911-22-trainers","to_ping":"","pinged":"https:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/top-10-rimfire-companions-ccw-self-defense\/\nhttps:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/12-best-undercover-pocket-pistols\/","post_modified":"2023-11-15 11:30:36","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-15 16:30:36","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2014\/12\/08\/top-5-1911-22-trainers\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":145958,"post_author":"645","post_date":"2014-12-08 08:59:30","post_date_gmt":"2014-12-08 13:59:30","post_content":"\r\n\r\nFritz Walther, owner and lead designer for Walther Arms<\/a>, created a number of semi-automatic pistols known for their elegant lines, compact size, reliable operation and revolutionary design. From the factory founded by his father, Carl Walther, in Thuringen, he created the legendary PP series of pistols, the first successful semi-automatics with a double-action (DA) trigger. Shortly after the PP series appeared on the market, the German Army let Walther know that it was starting a search for a new standard 9mm service pistol that would replace the P.08 Parabellum, better known as the \u201cLuger.\u201d\r\n Related<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Top 10 Rimfire Guns for CCW Self Defense<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n 12 Best Undercover Pocket Pistols<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n 14 Bug-Out Bag Guns for Self Defense<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Top Nine 9mm 1911 Guns<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Top 5 .22 Caliber 1911 Handguns","post_excerpt":"These 1911s combine classic style and handling with affordable ammo to make the ultimate sidekicks to your big bores.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"top-5-1911-22-trainers","to_ping":"","pinged":"https:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/top-10-rimfire-companions-ccw-self-defense\/\nhttps:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/12-best-undercover-pocket-pistols\/","post_modified":"2023-11-15 11:30:36","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-15 16:30:36","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2014\/12\/08\/top-5-1911-22-trainers\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":145958,"post_author":"645","post_date":"2014-12-08 08:59:30","post_date_gmt":"2014-12-08 13:59:30","post_content":"\r\n\r\nFritz Walther, owner and lead designer for Walther Arms<\/a>, created a number of semi-automatic pistols known for their elegant lines, compact size, reliable operation and revolutionary design. From the factory founded by his father, Carl Walther, in Thuringen, he created the legendary PP series of pistols, the first successful semi-automatics with a double-action (DA) trigger. Shortly after the PP series appeared on the market, the German Army let Walther know that it was starting a search for a new standard 9mm service pistol that would replace the P.08 Parabellum, better known as the \u201cLuger.\u201d\r\n The Rimfire Super from Kimber delivers a high-end, 1911-pattern pistol with just about every feature the discerning shooter would want. From its flat-topped slide with flutes and fully adjustable sights to its 30-lpi checkering on the frontstrap to its match-grade premium aluminum trigger, the Rimfire Super exudes elegance and refinement. The pistol, of which the slide and frame are manufactured from lightweight aluminum, weighs in at 23 ounces unloaded and is guaranteed to shoot a five-shot group of 1.5 inches or smaller at 25 yards. kimberamerica.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Related<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Top 10 Rimfire Guns for CCW Self Defense<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n 12 Best Undercover Pocket Pistols<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n 14 Bug-Out Bag Guns for Self Defense<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Top Nine 9mm 1911 Guns<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Top 5 .22 Caliber 1911 Handguns","post_excerpt":"These 1911s combine classic style and handling with affordable ammo to make the ultimate sidekicks to your big bores.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"top-5-1911-22-trainers","to_ping":"","pinged":"https:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/top-10-rimfire-companions-ccw-self-defense\/\nhttps:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/12-best-undercover-pocket-pistols\/","post_modified":"2023-11-15 11:30:36","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-15 16:30:36","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2014\/12\/08\/top-5-1911-22-trainers\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":145958,"post_author":"645","post_date":"2014-12-08 08:59:30","post_date_gmt":"2014-12-08 13:59:30","post_content":"\r\n\r\nFritz Walther, owner and lead designer for Walther Arms<\/a>, created a number of semi-automatic pistols known for their elegant lines, compact size, reliable operation and revolutionary design. From the factory founded by his father, Carl Walther, in Thuringen, he created the legendary PP series of pistols, the first successful semi-automatics with a double-action (DA) trigger. Shortly after the PP series appeared on the market, the German Army let Walther know that it was starting a search for a new standard 9mm service pistol that would replace the P.08 Parabellum, better known as the \u201cLuger.\u201d\r\n The Rimfire Super from Kimber delivers a high-end, 1911-pattern pistol with just about every feature the discerning shooter would want. From its flat-topped slide with flutes and fully adjustable sights to its 30-lpi checkering on the frontstrap to its match-grade premium aluminum trigger, the Rimfire Super exudes elegance and refinement. The pistol, of which the slide and frame are manufactured from lightweight aluminum, weighs in at 23 ounces unloaded and is guaranteed to shoot a five-shot group of 1.5 inches or smaller at 25 yards. kimberamerica.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Related<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Top 10 Rimfire Guns for CCW Self Defense<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n 12 Best Undercover Pocket Pistols<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n 14 Bug-Out Bag Guns for Self Defense<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Top Nine 9mm 1911 Guns<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Top 5 .22 Caliber 1911 Handguns","post_excerpt":"These 1911s combine classic style and handling with affordable ammo to make the ultimate sidekicks to your big bores.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"top-5-1911-22-trainers","to_ping":"","pinged":"https:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/top-10-rimfire-companions-ccw-self-defense\/\nhttps:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/12-best-undercover-pocket-pistols\/","post_modified":"2023-11-15 11:30:36","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-15 16:30:36","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2014\/12\/08\/top-5-1911-22-trainers\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":145958,"post_author":"645","post_date":"2014-12-08 08:59:30","post_date_gmt":"2014-12-08 13:59:30","post_content":"\r\n\r\nFritz Walther, owner and lead designer for Walther Arms<\/a>, created a number of semi-automatic pistols known for their elegant lines, compact size, reliable operation and revolutionary design. From the factory founded by his father, Carl Walther, in Thuringen, he created the legendary PP series of pistols, the first successful semi-automatics with a double-action (DA) trigger. Shortly after the PP series appeared on the market, the German Army let Walther know that it was starting a search for a new standard 9mm service pistol that would replace the P.08 Parabellum, better known as the \u201cLuger.\u201d\r\n\r\n\t
\u201c<\/b>While the P.38 as adopted by the German Army came with Bakelite grips, which were produced in both\u00a0<\/b>black and brown, these post-war P.1s had\u00a0<\/b>black plastic grips with molded checkering.<\/b>\u201d<\/b><\/em><\/blockquote>\r\nThe pivoting locking block helps make the P.38 a very rugged and reliable gun. Unlike most recoil-operated semi-automatic pistols, which use a titling barrel that drops out of battery, the P.38\u2019s barrel travel is strictly linear. The position of the external ejector on the left side of the ejection port is another oddity. The shooter is unlikely to notice this during firing, however, given that the slide is almost skeletonized forward of the breech face. This allows a great deal of space for case travel during ejection. In fact, cases ejected from a P.38 pistol tend to follow a vertical, rather than a lateral, trajectory.\r\n\r\nA stamped-steel sliding magazine release is located on the heel of the frame, at the rear of the magazine well. The magazine is a single-column design that holds eight rounds. Index holes cut in the side of the stamped steel magazine body show the number of loaded rounds remaining in the magazine.\r\n\r\nOn the left side of the frame there is a slide-stop lever at the top rear of the trigger well. It is partially fenced by an abbreviated thumb shelf that is molded into the grip panel. The slide stop is also automatically engaged by a rising magazine follower, so the slide automatically locks open after the last round is fired.\r\n\r\nA pivoting safety lever is mounted to the left side of the slide just below the rear sight. Sweeping the safety lever downward exposes a white \u201cS\u201d for \u201csicher<\/i>,\u201d which means \u201csafe\u201d and engages the safety. Pushing upward on the lever reveals a red \u201cF\u201d for \u201cfeuer<\/i>,\u201d which means \u201cfire\u201d and, of course, readies the gun to fire. When the safety lever is rotated from the \u201cfire\u201d position to the \u201csafe\u201d position (when the hammer is cocked), it falls on a locked firing pin. So, the safety lever also functions as a hammer release or decocker. Returning the safety lever to the \u201cfire\u201d position readies the trigger for double-action firing.\r\n\r\nAt the top of the hammer well is a loaded-chamber indicator that consists of a pin that projects from the top-rear of the slide when there is a round in the chamber. The pin is relatively small and unobtrusive, but it is large enough to be seen or alternatively felt in the dark.\r\n\r\nIn an effort to save weight, the P.38 design used a frame without a backstrap. The backstrap was formed by a pair of grips that wrapped around the frame in a clamshell fashion, which helped protect the mainspring, trigger bar and other internal components.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nPost-War Realities\u00a0<\/b>\r\n\r\nAt the end of World War II, the Walther factory was overrun by the Red Army and wound up in the Soviet occupation zone. Fritz Walther, designer of the P.38 Walther and son of founder Carl Walther, was left with little more than his drawings and patents. With his factory behind the Soviet \u201cIron Curtain,\u201d Fritz Walther chose to start over again by setting up shop in Ulm, which is just southeast of Stuttgart in southern Germany.\r\n
\u201c<\/b>A shooter with a proper grip will notice a heavier \u2018push,\u2019 but I\u00a0<\/b>found the difference in control to be marginal.<\/b>\u201d<\/b><\/em><\/blockquote>\r\nIn order to equip the new West German Army, which was reformed and renamed the Bundeswehr, Walther resumed production of the P.38 (renamed as the P.1) in 1957. With little in the way of production facilities, Fritz Walther set up a cooperative endeavor with Manurhin, a French manufacturer in Strasbourg, which is right on the French border with Germany. The alliance with Manurhin was critical in that it gave Walther access to metal forgings. At the same time, Walther started making guns for the commercial market.\r\n\r\nWalther substituted the P.38\u2019s steel frame for an aluminum frame to reduce weight. While the P.38 as adopted by the German Army came with Bakelite grips, which were produced in both black and brown, these post-war P.1s had black plastic grips with molded checkering. As with the original, the P.1\u2019s sights are excellent. The rear sight is broad blade with a deep U-shaped notch, while the front is a tall post. Both are fixed, but easy to acquire.\r\n\r\nThe new P.1 was adopted by the Bundeswehr<\/i> as the P.1. Despite the name change, the guns from the first six years of production were still marked P.38. This was probably because they had already been stamped P.38 for the commercial market. In 1970, Walther improved the P.1 by reinforcing the aluminum frame with a steel hex bolt. It also beefed up the slide with thicker dimensions, but its contours remained nearly identical. Additionally, Walther refitted or upgraded many older P.1s with these features. The P.1 was the standard sidearm of the Bundeswehr<\/i> and Bundespolizei<\/i> until the turn of the century.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nRange Time<\/b>\r\n\r\nIn the past, P.1s were imported by Interarms, but they are currently available from Century Arms. They make great shooters, and if you find one in good condition it can be an excellent choice for a low-cost self-defense sidearm. Just recently, Century sent me a P.1 that was re-chambered for 9x21mm.\r\n\r\nThe 9x21mm has a following in countries where ownership of firearms chambered for military calibers is severely restricted or completely prohibited. The 9x21mm is compatible with 9mm mags, but the two rounds cannot be used interchangeably. Ballistic performance between the two is fairly equal. In my experience, 9x21mm ammunition comes and goes, but it is far from scarce. That said, you need to pick it up when you see it. I managed to score a couple of boxes of 9x21mm from Fiocchi at a local gun show.\r\n\r\nMy test gun proved to have a good trigger pull. There was just a little take-up at the start and a little creep just before the break, but no stacking. Most importantly, it was very consistent. The DA pull was stellar\u2014short with a crisp let-off. My groups were dead on windage-wise, but about 3 inches high at 15 yards. It is a well-balanced gun with an ergonomically shaped grip, and even though I find the extra weight of the P.38\u2019s steel frame makes shot-to-shot recovery easier, that doesn\u2019t mean that the lighter P.1 is unmanageable. That said, the extra recoil transmitted through the aluminum frame, combined with the extra energy of the 9x21mm chambering, will break down a grip that is less than solid. A shooter with a proper grip will notice a heavier \u201cpush,\u201d but I found the difference in control to be marginal. The extra recoil energy did not hamper my endurance on the range. In fact, I ran out of ammo long before I tired of shooting the P.1.\r\n\r\nPROVEN PERFORMANCE<\/b>\r\n\r\nBy any standard, the P.1 and its parent, the P.38, are important benchmarks in firearms history. The P.38 was Walther\u2019s first pistol in 9mm and the first DA semi-automatic pistol adopted by a military service, while the P.1 was the first military issue semi-automatic handgun with an aluminum frame. Both share a simple, rugged design compatible with mass production. They are proven performers having remained in service with the German military and police for more than 50 years, so they present students of firearms design with a rich collecting field. These German surplus P.1s have been on the market for many decades, and the well is starting to run dry. So, if you are interested, the time to buy is now.\r\n\r\nFor more information, visit centuryarms.com<\/a> or call 800-527-1252.","post_title":"Examining the Post-War P.1 Walthers","post_excerpt":"A time-tested 9mm design reinvented by the realities of a post-war Europe.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"post-war-p-1-walthers","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-31 23:01:35","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-01 03:01:35","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2014\/12\/08\/post-war-p-1-walthers\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":112354,"post_author":"270","post_date":"2014-11-24 13:20:42","post_date_gmt":"2014-11-24 18:20:42","post_content":"\n\nThe first time I fired the Walther CCP<\/a> I had to sign a confidentiality agreement. It was a little more than a year before the gun was planned for introduction and I was at the Walther factory test range in Arnsberg, Germany. The secrecy behind the then \u201cProject X 9mm handgun\u201d (later to be officially named the CCP for \u201cConcealed Carry Pistol\u201d) was because of the new design technology Walther had developed to build a lighter weight, lighter recoiling and more manageable 9mm pistol than any previous Walther semi-auto pistol in history. And that history dates back to the very early 20th century when Walther introduced its very first semi-automatic pistol. In 1929, the company revolutionized the world of semi-auto pistols with the introduction of the first double-action (DA) model, the Walther PP. This was followed in 1930 by the slightly more compact Walther PPK<\/a>.\r\n\r\nWhy this little bit of Walther historical trivia? It\u2019s relevant to the 21st-century Model CCP because a great deal of this new, polymer-framed, lightweight 9mm semi-auto\u2019s design is based on the 84-year-old Walther PPK!\r\n\r\nNext-Gen Nine<\/strong>\r\n\r\n
Picatinny rail supports tactical light or light\/laser combinations.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe new Walther 9mm is an innovative design that offers compact pistol dimensions for ease of carry. And like other popular Walther models such as the striker-fired P99<\/a> and subcompact Walther PPS<\/a>, the CCP also utilizes a polymer frame. However, unlike these other Walther models, the CCP combines a blowback action (used on models like the PPK) with an innovative, Walther-designed gas-piston recoil system.\r\n\r\nRELATED: Walther\u2019s Lightweight Compacts for Everyday Defense<\/a><\/strong>\r\n\r\nThe CCP was designed to be easier to use than conventional 9mm pistols. It aimed to be smaller, lighter and feel more like a .380 than a 9mm, and achieving these goals began on the inside. Field stripping the CCP reveals an amalgamation of old and new technology, with a PPK-style fixed barrel mounted to the frame and a single, large recoil spring surrounding the barrel, also like the PPK. That is the old technology that comprises one half of the gun\u2019s action. The overall operation of the CCP, however, is quite modern.\r\n\r\nThe CCP utilizes Walther\u2019s \u201cSoftCoil\u201d gas-delayed blowback action. When the gun is fired, a portion of the gas pressure developed by the ignited cartridge is shunted downward through a port in the bottom of the barrel and into a chamber molded into the polymer frame. Think of it as a secondary recoil system that is otherwise passive when the gun is not being discharged. When chambering a round, or clearing the CCP, the only resistance to the slide is the single, large recoil spring around the barrel. This lightweight recoil spring reduces resistance, making the gun significantly easier to handle than any other 9mm semi-auto.\r\n\r\n The SAO trigger has a quick reset and a 4.5-pound average pull.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nWhen the CCP is fired, recoil is also significantly reduced by the gas-delayed blowback action\u2019s piston, which is attached to the underside of the slide. The piston slides into the chamber in the frame, where gasses from the discharged round are redirected. With the chamber sealed by the piston, the blowback action driving the slide rearward is slowed as the piston pushes against the compressed gasses in the chamber. This resistance is maintained until the bullet exits the barrel and releases remaining internal pressures, after which the slide continues its rearward motion at full speed, opening the breech and ejecting the empty cartridge case as it reaches its full rearward travel. The large recoil spring around the barrel then takes over, pulling the slide forward to strip a new round from the magazine, chamber the round and bring the action back into battery.\r\n\r\nOf course, you never know all of this is transpiring; all you realize after pulling the trigger is that the recoil was lighter than anticipated. The gas-delayed blowback action decreases muzzle lift, and commensurately, the energy transferred to the shooting hand, thus allowing faster sight reacquisition and more manageable control of the pistol.\r\n\r\nAlthough field stripping the CCP is a bit of a chore, requiring a special takedown tool provided with the gun (a small screwdriver will work in a pinch, but the tool is much easier), the CCP is very simple to clean and maintain. While larger than many subcompacts, it has very concealable dimensions: an overall length of 6.41 inches with a 3.54-inch barrel, width of 1.18 inches and a leggy 5.12-inch height, which allows for an eight-round magazine, giving the CCP an impressive 8+1 capacity and carry weight of only 22.24 ounces (unloaded).\r\n\r\nFiring The CCP<\/strong>\r\n\r\n Lighter recoil makes the CCP faster to get back on target after the shot.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe striker-fired 9mm pistol has an interchangeable white-dot front sight and an adjustable white-dot rear sight that are easy to pick up. The CCP also has a reversible magazine release for left- or right-handed operation, and a very slim manual thumb safety that proved easy to operate on the draw. There is also an internal firing pin block (drop safety). Trigger pull on the test gun averaged 4.5 pounds, with 0.5 inches take-up. There was 0.125 inches of overtravel. Reset required only a partial let-off of the trigger, with a firm, perceptible \u201cclick\u201d as it reengaged.\r\n\r\nRELATED: Walther PPK\/S .22: James Bond\u2019s Sidearm Gets An Upgrade<\/a><\/strong>\r\n\r\nFor the range test I fired traditional 115-grain FMJ rounds from Winchester<\/a>, Speer Gold Dot Personal Protection<\/a> 115-grain GDHP, and Federal Premium Personal Defense<\/a> 124-grain Hydra-Shok JHP. Speer cleared the ProChrono<\/a> traps at 1,074 feet per second (fps), Winchester at 1,034 fps and Federal clocked 1,010 fps. Best groups from a range of 15 yards fired off-hand at one-second intervals measured 2 inches with Winchester FMJ, 2.25 inches for Speer and 2.3 inches with Federal JHP.\r\n\r\nThe new Walther CCP is a great blend of old school and new school engineering that results in a shooter-friendly and all-day-carry handgun. Perhaps the biggest plus for today\u2019s shooter is the CCP\u2019s modest price. The new Walther 9mm is available in two-tone and Cerakote black. Suggested retail ranges from $469 to $489.\r\n\r\nFor more information visit http:\/\/www.waltherarms.com<\/a> or call 479-242-8500.","post_title":"Walther's New Lightweight, Striker-Fired CCP 9mm","post_excerpt":"Walther's hardcore, soft-coil CCP 9mm packs the power without the unwanted punch.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"walthers-new-lightweight-striker-fired-ccp-9mm","to_ping":"","pinged":"https:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/walthers-lightweight-compacts\/#walther-ccp-3\nhttps:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/walther-ppks-22\/#walther-ppks-22-composite","post_modified":"2023-05-31 12:29:13","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 12:29:13","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2014\/11\/24\/walthers-new-lightweight-striker-fired-ccp-9mm\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":112386,"post_author":"243","post_date":"2014-11-24 09:00:08","post_date_gmt":"2014-11-24 14:00:08","post_content":"\n\nUnderestimation can prevent you from using an object to its potential. Do not underestimate the value of the pocket rimfire pistol in your defensive handgun lineup as it can serve as a highly effective training tool.\n\n[in_content post=\"94971\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\n\nOccasional ammo shortages notwithstanding, the .22 LR cartridge tends to be very affordable to shoot. A rimfire version of a defensive pistol can allow the shooter to improve both accuracy and weapon manipulation skills.\n\nIn addition, for anyone with significant upper body strength deficiencies or physical ailments, a gun chambered in .22 LR might be the only handgun that can be reliably operated. While few people would claim that a .22 will be as effective as a 9mm or .45 ACP at stopping a determined attacker, a pistol loaded with .22-caliber rounds and effectively employed can be a life saver.\n\nScroll through the gallery above for a few of the .22-caliber rimfire handguns on the market that are worth your consideration when it comes to CCW self-defense.\n\nRELATED STORIES<\/strong>\n\nConcealed Carry Gun Laws By State<\/a>\n\n12 Best Undercover Pocket Pistols<\/a>\n\nMassad Ayoob's 10 Commandments of Concealed Carry<\/a>","post_title":"Top 10 Rimfire Guns for CCW Self Defense","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"top-10-rimfire-companions-ccw-self-defense","to_ping":"","pinged":"https:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/12-best-undercover-pocket-pistols\/\nhttps:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/concealed-carry-gun-laws-by-state\/#alabama-concealed-carry","post_modified":"2023-05-31 12:29:30","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 12:29:30","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2014\/11\/24\/top-10-rimfire-companions-ccw-self-defense\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":18},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};
BROWSE BY BRAND
\r\n\t
\u201c<\/b>While the P.38 as adopted by the German Army came with Bakelite grips, which were produced in both\u00a0<\/b>black and brown, these post-war P.1s had\u00a0<\/b>black plastic grips with molded checkering.<\/b>\u201d<\/b><\/em><\/blockquote>\r\nThe pivoting locking block helps make the P.38 a very rugged and reliable gun. Unlike most recoil-operated semi-automatic pistols, which use a titling barrel that drops out of battery, the P.38\u2019s barrel travel is strictly linear. The position of the external ejector on the left side of the ejection port is another oddity. The shooter is unlikely to notice this during firing, however, given that the slide is almost skeletonized forward of the breech face. This allows a great deal of space for case travel during ejection. In fact, cases ejected from a P.38 pistol tend to follow a vertical, rather than a lateral, trajectory.\r\n\r\nA stamped-steel sliding magazine release is located on the heel of the frame, at the rear of the magazine well. The magazine is a single-column design that holds eight rounds. Index holes cut in the side of the stamped steel magazine body show the number of loaded rounds remaining in the magazine.\r\n\r\nOn the left side of the frame there is a slide-stop lever at the top rear of the trigger well. It is partially fenced by an abbreviated thumb shelf that is molded into the grip panel. The slide stop is also automatically engaged by a rising magazine follower, so the slide automatically locks open after the last round is fired.\r\n\r\nA pivoting safety lever is mounted to the left side of the slide just below the rear sight. Sweeping the safety lever downward exposes a white \u201cS\u201d for \u201csicher<\/i>,\u201d which means \u201csafe\u201d and engages the safety. Pushing upward on the lever reveals a red \u201cF\u201d for \u201cfeuer<\/i>,\u201d which means \u201cfire\u201d and, of course, readies the gun to fire. When the safety lever is rotated from the \u201cfire\u201d position to the \u201csafe\u201d position (when the hammer is cocked), it falls on a locked firing pin. So, the safety lever also functions as a hammer release or decocker. Returning the safety lever to the \u201cfire\u201d position readies the trigger for double-action firing.\r\n\r\nAt the top of the hammer well is a loaded-chamber indicator that consists of a pin that projects from the top-rear of the slide when there is a round in the chamber. The pin is relatively small and unobtrusive, but it is large enough to be seen or alternatively felt in the dark.\r\n\r\nIn an effort to save weight, the P.38 design used a frame without a backstrap. The backstrap was formed by a pair of grips that wrapped around the frame in a clamshell fashion, which helped protect the mainspring, trigger bar and other internal components.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nPost-War Realities\u00a0<\/b>\r\n\r\nAt the end of World War II, the Walther factory was overrun by the Red Army and wound up in the Soviet occupation zone. Fritz Walther, designer of the P.38 Walther and son of founder Carl Walther, was left with little more than his drawings and patents. With his factory behind the Soviet \u201cIron Curtain,\u201d Fritz Walther chose to start over again by setting up shop in Ulm, which is just southeast of Stuttgart in southern Germany.\r\n
\u201c<\/b>A shooter with a proper grip will notice a heavier \u2018push,\u2019 but I\u00a0<\/b>found the difference in control to be marginal.<\/b>\u201d<\/b><\/em><\/blockquote>\r\nIn order to equip the new West German Army, which was reformed and renamed the Bundeswehr, Walther resumed production of the P.38 (renamed as the P.1) in 1957. With little in the way of production facilities, Fritz Walther set up a cooperative endeavor with Manurhin, a French manufacturer in Strasbourg, which is right on the French border with Germany. The alliance with Manurhin was critical in that it gave Walther access to metal forgings. At the same time, Walther started making guns for the commercial market.\r\n\r\nWalther substituted the P.38\u2019s steel frame for an aluminum frame to reduce weight. While the P.38 as adopted by the German Army came with Bakelite grips, which were produced in both black and brown, these post-war P.1s had black plastic grips with molded checkering. As with the original, the P.1\u2019s sights are excellent. The rear sight is broad blade with a deep U-shaped notch, while the front is a tall post. Both are fixed, but easy to acquire.\r\n\r\nThe new P.1 was adopted by the Bundeswehr<\/i> as the P.1. Despite the name change, the guns from the first six years of production were still marked P.38. This was probably because they had already been stamped P.38 for the commercial market. In 1970, Walther improved the P.1 by reinforcing the aluminum frame with a steel hex bolt. It also beefed up the slide with thicker dimensions, but its contours remained nearly identical. Additionally, Walther refitted or upgraded many older P.1s with these features. The P.1 was the standard sidearm of the Bundeswehr<\/i> and Bundespolizei<\/i> until the turn of the century.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nRange Time<\/b>\r\n\r\nIn the past, P.1s were imported by Interarms, but they are currently available from Century Arms. They make great shooters, and if you find one in good condition it can be an excellent choice for a low-cost self-defense sidearm. Just recently, Century sent me a P.1 that was re-chambered for 9x21mm.\r\n\r\nThe 9x21mm has a following in countries where ownership of firearms chambered for military calibers is severely restricted or completely prohibited. The 9x21mm is compatible with 9mm mags, but the two rounds cannot be used interchangeably. Ballistic performance between the two is fairly equal. In my experience, 9x21mm ammunition comes and goes, but it is far from scarce. That said, you need to pick it up when you see it. I managed to score a couple of boxes of 9x21mm from Fiocchi at a local gun show.\r\n\r\nMy test gun proved to have a good trigger pull. There was just a little take-up at the start and a little creep just before the break, but no stacking. Most importantly, it was very consistent. The DA pull was stellar\u2014short with a crisp let-off. My groups were dead on windage-wise, but about 3 inches high at 15 yards. It is a well-balanced gun with an ergonomically shaped grip, and even though I find the extra weight of the P.38\u2019s steel frame makes shot-to-shot recovery easier, that doesn\u2019t mean that the lighter P.1 is unmanageable. That said, the extra recoil transmitted through the aluminum frame, combined with the extra energy of the 9x21mm chambering, will break down a grip that is less than solid. A shooter with a proper grip will notice a heavier \u201cpush,\u201d but I found the difference in control to be marginal. The extra recoil energy did not hamper my endurance on the range. In fact, I ran out of ammo long before I tired of shooting the P.1.\r\n\r\nPROVEN PERFORMANCE<\/b>\r\n\r\nBy any standard, the P.1 and its parent, the P.38, are important benchmarks in firearms history. The P.38 was Walther\u2019s first pistol in 9mm and the first DA semi-automatic pistol adopted by a military service, while the P.1 was the first military issue semi-automatic handgun with an aluminum frame. Both share a simple, rugged design compatible with mass production. They are proven performers having remained in service with the German military and police for more than 50 years, so they present students of firearms design with a rich collecting field. These German surplus P.1s have been on the market for many decades, and the well is starting to run dry. So, if you are interested, the time to buy is now.\r\n\r\nFor more information, visit centuryarms.com<\/a> or call 800-527-1252.","post_title":"Examining the Post-War P.1 Walthers","post_excerpt":"A time-tested 9mm design reinvented by the realities of a post-war Europe.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"post-war-p-1-walthers","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-31 23:01:35","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-01 03:01:35","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2014\/12\/08\/post-war-p-1-walthers\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":112354,"post_author":"270","post_date":"2014-11-24 13:20:42","post_date_gmt":"2014-11-24 18:20:42","post_content":"\n\nThe first time I fired the Walther CCP<\/a> I had to sign a confidentiality agreement. It was a little more than a year before the gun was planned for introduction and I was at the Walther factory test range in Arnsberg, Germany. The secrecy behind the then \u201cProject X 9mm handgun\u201d (later to be officially named the CCP for \u201cConcealed Carry Pistol\u201d) was because of the new design technology Walther had developed to build a lighter weight, lighter recoiling and more manageable 9mm pistol than any previous Walther semi-auto pistol in history. And that history dates back to the very early 20th century when Walther introduced its very first semi-automatic pistol. In 1929, the company revolutionized the world of semi-auto pistols with the introduction of the first double-action (DA) model, the Walther PP. This was followed in 1930 by the slightly more compact Walther PPK<\/a>.\r\n\r\nWhy this little bit of Walther historical trivia? It\u2019s relevant to the 21st-century Model CCP because a great deal of this new, polymer-framed, lightweight 9mm semi-auto\u2019s design is based on the 84-year-old Walther PPK!\r\n\r\nNext-Gen Nine<\/strong>\r\n\r\n
Picatinny rail supports tactical light or light\/laser combinations.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe new Walther 9mm is an innovative design that offers compact pistol dimensions for ease of carry. And like other popular Walther models such as the striker-fired P99<\/a> and subcompact Walther PPS<\/a>, the CCP also utilizes a polymer frame. However, unlike these other Walther models, the CCP combines a blowback action (used on models like the PPK) with an innovative, Walther-designed gas-piston recoil system.\r\n\r\nRELATED: Walther\u2019s Lightweight Compacts for Everyday Defense<\/a><\/strong>\r\n\r\nThe CCP was designed to be easier to use than conventional 9mm pistols. It aimed to be smaller, lighter and feel more like a .380 than a 9mm, and achieving these goals began on the inside. Field stripping the CCP reveals an amalgamation of old and new technology, with a PPK-style fixed barrel mounted to the frame and a single, large recoil spring surrounding the barrel, also like the PPK. That is the old technology that comprises one half of the gun\u2019s action. The overall operation of the CCP, however, is quite modern.\r\n\r\nThe CCP utilizes Walther\u2019s \u201cSoftCoil\u201d gas-delayed blowback action. When the gun is fired, a portion of the gas pressure developed by the ignited cartridge is shunted downward through a port in the bottom of the barrel and into a chamber molded into the polymer frame. Think of it as a secondary recoil system that is otherwise passive when the gun is not being discharged. When chambering a round, or clearing the CCP, the only resistance to the slide is the single, large recoil spring around the barrel. This lightweight recoil spring reduces resistance, making the gun significantly easier to handle than any other 9mm semi-auto.\r\n\r\n The SAO trigger has a quick reset and a 4.5-pound average pull.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nWhen the CCP is fired, recoil is also significantly reduced by the gas-delayed blowback action\u2019s piston, which is attached to the underside of the slide. The piston slides into the chamber in the frame, where gasses from the discharged round are redirected. With the chamber sealed by the piston, the blowback action driving the slide rearward is slowed as the piston pushes against the compressed gasses in the chamber. This resistance is maintained until the bullet exits the barrel and releases remaining internal pressures, after which the slide continues its rearward motion at full speed, opening the breech and ejecting the empty cartridge case as it reaches its full rearward travel. The large recoil spring around the barrel then takes over, pulling the slide forward to strip a new round from the magazine, chamber the round and bring the action back into battery.\r\n\r\nOf course, you never know all of this is transpiring; all you realize after pulling the trigger is that the recoil was lighter than anticipated. The gas-delayed blowback action decreases muzzle lift, and commensurately, the energy transferred to the shooting hand, thus allowing faster sight reacquisition and more manageable control of the pistol.\r\n\r\nAlthough field stripping the CCP is a bit of a chore, requiring a special takedown tool provided with the gun (a small screwdriver will work in a pinch, but the tool is much easier), the CCP is very simple to clean and maintain. While larger than many subcompacts, it has very concealable dimensions: an overall length of 6.41 inches with a 3.54-inch barrel, width of 1.18 inches and a leggy 5.12-inch height, which allows for an eight-round magazine, giving the CCP an impressive 8+1 capacity and carry weight of only 22.24 ounces (unloaded).\r\n\r\nFiring The CCP<\/strong>\r\n\r\n Lighter recoil makes the CCP faster to get back on target after the shot.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe striker-fired 9mm pistol has an interchangeable white-dot front sight and an adjustable white-dot rear sight that are easy to pick up. The CCP also has a reversible magazine release for left- or right-handed operation, and a very slim manual thumb safety that proved easy to operate on the draw. There is also an internal firing pin block (drop safety). Trigger pull on the test gun averaged 4.5 pounds, with 0.5 inches take-up. There was 0.125 inches of overtravel. Reset required only a partial let-off of the trigger, with a firm, perceptible \u201cclick\u201d as it reengaged.\r\n\r\nRELATED: Walther PPK\/S .22: James Bond\u2019s Sidearm Gets An Upgrade<\/a><\/strong>\r\n\r\nFor the range test I fired traditional 115-grain FMJ rounds from Winchester<\/a>, Speer Gold Dot Personal Protection<\/a> 115-grain GDHP, and Federal Premium Personal Defense<\/a> 124-grain Hydra-Shok JHP. Speer cleared the ProChrono<\/a> traps at 1,074 feet per second (fps), Winchester at 1,034 fps and Federal clocked 1,010 fps. Best groups from a range of 15 yards fired off-hand at one-second intervals measured 2 inches with Winchester FMJ, 2.25 inches for Speer and 2.3 inches with Federal JHP.\r\n\r\nThe new Walther CCP is a great blend of old school and new school engineering that results in a shooter-friendly and all-day-carry handgun. Perhaps the biggest plus for today\u2019s shooter is the CCP\u2019s modest price. The new Walther 9mm is available in two-tone and Cerakote black. Suggested retail ranges from $469 to $489.\r\n\r\nFor more information visit http:\/\/www.waltherarms.com<\/a> or call 479-242-8500.","post_title":"Walther's New Lightweight, Striker-Fired CCP 9mm","post_excerpt":"Walther's hardcore, soft-coil CCP 9mm packs the power without the unwanted punch.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"walthers-new-lightweight-striker-fired-ccp-9mm","to_ping":"","pinged":"https:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/walthers-lightweight-compacts\/#walther-ccp-3\nhttps:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/walther-ppks-22\/#walther-ppks-22-composite","post_modified":"2023-05-31 12:29:13","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 12:29:13","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2014\/11\/24\/walthers-new-lightweight-striker-fired-ccp-9mm\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":112386,"post_author":"243","post_date":"2014-11-24 09:00:08","post_date_gmt":"2014-11-24 14:00:08","post_content":"\n\nUnderestimation can prevent you from using an object to its potential. Do not underestimate the value of the pocket rimfire pistol in your defensive handgun lineup as it can serve as a highly effective training tool.\n\n[in_content post=\"94971\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\n\nOccasional ammo shortages notwithstanding, the .22 LR cartridge tends to be very affordable to shoot. A rimfire version of a defensive pistol can allow the shooter to improve both accuracy and weapon manipulation skills.\n\nIn addition, for anyone with significant upper body strength deficiencies or physical ailments, a gun chambered in .22 LR might be the only handgun that can be reliably operated. While few people would claim that a .22 will be as effective as a 9mm or .45 ACP at stopping a determined attacker, a pistol loaded with .22-caliber rounds and effectively employed can be a life saver.\n\nScroll through the gallery above for a few of the .22-caliber rimfire handguns on the market that are worth your consideration when it comes to CCW self-defense.\n\nRELATED STORIES<\/strong>\n\nConcealed Carry Gun Laws By State<\/a>\n\n12 Best Undercover Pocket Pistols<\/a>\n\nMassad Ayoob's 10 Commandments of Concealed Carry<\/a>","post_title":"Top 10 Rimfire Guns for CCW Self Defense","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"top-10-rimfire-companions-ccw-self-defense","to_ping":"","pinged":"https:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/12-best-undercover-pocket-pistols\/\nhttps:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/concealed-carry-gun-laws-by-state\/#alabama-concealed-carry","post_modified":"2023-05-31 12:29:30","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 12:29:30","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2014\/11\/24\/top-10-rimfire-companions-ccw-self-defense\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":18},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};
BROWSE BY BRAND
\r\n\t
\u201c<\/b>While the P.38 as adopted by the German Army came with Bakelite grips, which were produced in both\u00a0<\/b>black and brown, these post-war P.1s had\u00a0<\/b>black plastic grips with molded checkering.<\/b>\u201d<\/b><\/em><\/blockquote>\r\nThe pivoting locking block helps make the P.38 a very rugged and reliable gun. Unlike most recoil-operated semi-automatic pistols, which use a titling barrel that drops out of battery, the P.38\u2019s barrel travel is strictly linear. The position of the external ejector on the left side of the ejection port is another oddity. The shooter is unlikely to notice this during firing, however, given that the slide is almost skeletonized forward of the breech face. This allows a great deal of space for case travel during ejection. In fact, cases ejected from a P.38 pistol tend to follow a vertical, rather than a lateral, trajectory.\r\n\r\nA stamped-steel sliding magazine release is located on the heel of the frame, at the rear of the magazine well. The magazine is a single-column design that holds eight rounds. Index holes cut in the side of the stamped steel magazine body show the number of loaded rounds remaining in the magazine.\r\n\r\nOn the left side of the frame there is a slide-stop lever at the top rear of the trigger well. It is partially fenced by an abbreviated thumb shelf that is molded into the grip panel. The slide stop is also automatically engaged by a rising magazine follower, so the slide automatically locks open after the last round is fired.\r\n\r\nA pivoting safety lever is mounted to the left side of the slide just below the rear sight. Sweeping the safety lever downward exposes a white \u201cS\u201d for \u201csicher<\/i>,\u201d which means \u201csafe\u201d and engages the safety. Pushing upward on the lever reveals a red \u201cF\u201d for \u201cfeuer<\/i>,\u201d which means \u201cfire\u201d and, of course, readies the gun to fire. When the safety lever is rotated from the \u201cfire\u201d position to the \u201csafe\u201d position (when the hammer is cocked), it falls on a locked firing pin. So, the safety lever also functions as a hammer release or decocker. Returning the safety lever to the \u201cfire\u201d position readies the trigger for double-action firing.\r\n\r\nAt the top of the hammer well is a loaded-chamber indicator that consists of a pin that projects from the top-rear of the slide when there is a round in the chamber. The pin is relatively small and unobtrusive, but it is large enough to be seen or alternatively felt in the dark.\r\n\r\nIn an effort to save weight, the P.38 design used a frame without a backstrap. The backstrap was formed by a pair of grips that wrapped around the frame in a clamshell fashion, which helped protect the mainspring, trigger bar and other internal components.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nPost-War Realities\u00a0<\/b>\r\n\r\nAt the end of World War II, the Walther factory was overrun by the Red Army and wound up in the Soviet occupation zone. Fritz Walther, designer of the P.38 Walther and son of founder Carl Walther, was left with little more than his drawings and patents. With his factory behind the Soviet \u201cIron Curtain,\u201d Fritz Walther chose to start over again by setting up shop in Ulm, which is just southeast of Stuttgart in southern Germany.\r\n
\u201c<\/b>A shooter with a proper grip will notice a heavier \u2018push,\u2019 but I\u00a0<\/b>found the difference in control to be marginal.<\/b>\u201d<\/b><\/em><\/blockquote>\r\nIn order to equip the new West German Army, which was reformed and renamed the Bundeswehr, Walther resumed production of the P.38 (renamed as the P.1) in 1957. With little in the way of production facilities, Fritz Walther set up a cooperative endeavor with Manurhin, a French manufacturer in Strasbourg, which is right on the French border with Germany. The alliance with Manurhin was critical in that it gave Walther access to metal forgings. At the same time, Walther started making guns for the commercial market.\r\n\r\nWalther substituted the P.38\u2019s steel frame for an aluminum frame to reduce weight. While the P.38 as adopted by the German Army came with Bakelite grips, which were produced in both black and brown, these post-war P.1s had black plastic grips with molded checkering. As with the original, the P.1\u2019s sights are excellent. The rear sight is broad blade with a deep U-shaped notch, while the front is a tall post. Both are fixed, but easy to acquire.\r\n\r\nThe new P.1 was adopted by the Bundeswehr<\/i> as the P.1. Despite the name change, the guns from the first six years of production were still marked P.38. This was probably because they had already been stamped P.38 for the commercial market. In 1970, Walther improved the P.1 by reinforcing the aluminum frame with a steel hex bolt. It also beefed up the slide with thicker dimensions, but its contours remained nearly identical. Additionally, Walther refitted or upgraded many older P.1s with these features. The P.1 was the standard sidearm of the Bundeswehr<\/i> and Bundespolizei<\/i> until the turn of the century.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nRange Time<\/b>\r\n\r\nIn the past, P.1s were imported by Interarms, but they are currently available from Century Arms. They make great shooters, and if you find one in good condition it can be an excellent choice for a low-cost self-defense sidearm. Just recently, Century sent me a P.1 that was re-chambered for 9x21mm.\r\n\r\nThe 9x21mm has a following in countries where ownership of firearms chambered for military calibers is severely restricted or completely prohibited. The 9x21mm is compatible with 9mm mags, but the two rounds cannot be used interchangeably. Ballistic performance between the two is fairly equal. In my experience, 9x21mm ammunition comes and goes, but it is far from scarce. That said, you need to pick it up when you see it. I managed to score a couple of boxes of 9x21mm from Fiocchi at a local gun show.\r\n\r\nMy test gun proved to have a good trigger pull. There was just a little take-up at the start and a little creep just before the break, but no stacking. Most importantly, it was very consistent. The DA pull was stellar\u2014short with a crisp let-off. My groups were dead on windage-wise, but about 3 inches high at 15 yards. It is a well-balanced gun with an ergonomically shaped grip, and even though I find the extra weight of the P.38\u2019s steel frame makes shot-to-shot recovery easier, that doesn\u2019t mean that the lighter P.1 is unmanageable. That said, the extra recoil transmitted through the aluminum frame, combined with the extra energy of the 9x21mm chambering, will break down a grip that is less than solid. A shooter with a proper grip will notice a heavier \u201cpush,\u201d but I found the difference in control to be marginal. The extra recoil energy did not hamper my endurance on the range. In fact, I ran out of ammo long before I tired of shooting the P.1.\r\n\r\nPROVEN PERFORMANCE<\/b>\r\n\r\nBy any standard, the P.1 and its parent, the P.38, are important benchmarks in firearms history. The P.38 was Walther\u2019s first pistol in 9mm and the first DA semi-automatic pistol adopted by a military service, while the P.1 was the first military issue semi-automatic handgun with an aluminum frame. Both share a simple, rugged design compatible with mass production. They are proven performers having remained in service with the German military and police for more than 50 years, so they present students of firearms design with a rich collecting field. These German surplus P.1s have been on the market for many decades, and the well is starting to run dry. So, if you are interested, the time to buy is now.\r\n\r\nFor more information, visit centuryarms.com<\/a> or call 800-527-1252.","post_title":"Examining the Post-War P.1 Walthers","post_excerpt":"A time-tested 9mm design reinvented by the realities of a post-war Europe.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"post-war-p-1-walthers","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-31 23:01:35","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-01 03:01:35","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2014\/12\/08\/post-war-p-1-walthers\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":112354,"post_author":"270","post_date":"2014-11-24 13:20:42","post_date_gmt":"2014-11-24 18:20:42","post_content":"\n\nThe first time I fired the Walther CCP<\/a> I had to sign a confidentiality agreement. It was a little more than a year before the gun was planned for introduction and I was at the Walther factory test range in Arnsberg, Germany. The secrecy behind the then \u201cProject X 9mm handgun\u201d (later to be officially named the CCP for \u201cConcealed Carry Pistol\u201d) was because of the new design technology Walther had developed to build a lighter weight, lighter recoiling and more manageable 9mm pistol than any previous Walther semi-auto pistol in history. And that history dates back to the very early 20th century when Walther introduced its very first semi-automatic pistol. In 1929, the company revolutionized the world of semi-auto pistols with the introduction of the first double-action (DA) model, the Walther PP. This was followed in 1930 by the slightly more compact Walther PPK<\/a>.\r\n\r\nWhy this little bit of Walther historical trivia? It\u2019s relevant to the 21st-century Model CCP because a great deal of this new, polymer-framed, lightweight 9mm semi-auto\u2019s design is based on the 84-year-old Walther PPK!\r\n\r\nNext-Gen Nine<\/strong>\r\n\r\n
Picatinny rail supports tactical light or light\/laser combinations.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe new Walther 9mm is an innovative design that offers compact pistol dimensions for ease of carry. And like other popular Walther models such as the striker-fired P99<\/a> and subcompact Walther PPS<\/a>, the CCP also utilizes a polymer frame. However, unlike these other Walther models, the CCP combines a blowback action (used on models like the PPK) with an innovative, Walther-designed gas-piston recoil system.\r\n\r\nRELATED: Walther\u2019s Lightweight Compacts for Everyday Defense<\/a><\/strong>\r\n\r\nThe CCP was designed to be easier to use than conventional 9mm pistols. It aimed to be smaller, lighter and feel more like a .380 than a 9mm, and achieving these goals began on the inside. Field stripping the CCP reveals an amalgamation of old and new technology, with a PPK-style fixed barrel mounted to the frame and a single, large recoil spring surrounding the barrel, also like the PPK. That is the old technology that comprises one half of the gun\u2019s action. The overall operation of the CCP, however, is quite modern.\r\n\r\nThe CCP utilizes Walther\u2019s \u201cSoftCoil\u201d gas-delayed blowback action. When the gun is fired, a portion of the gas pressure developed by the ignited cartridge is shunted downward through a port in the bottom of the barrel and into a chamber molded into the polymer frame. Think of it as a secondary recoil system that is otherwise passive when the gun is not being discharged. When chambering a round, or clearing the CCP, the only resistance to the slide is the single, large recoil spring around the barrel. This lightweight recoil spring reduces resistance, making the gun significantly easier to handle than any other 9mm semi-auto.\r\n\r\n The SAO trigger has a quick reset and a 4.5-pound average pull.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nWhen the CCP is fired, recoil is also significantly reduced by the gas-delayed blowback action\u2019s piston, which is attached to the underside of the slide. The piston slides into the chamber in the frame, where gasses from the discharged round are redirected. With the chamber sealed by the piston, the blowback action driving the slide rearward is slowed as the piston pushes against the compressed gasses in the chamber. This resistance is maintained until the bullet exits the barrel and releases remaining internal pressures, after which the slide continues its rearward motion at full speed, opening the breech and ejecting the empty cartridge case as it reaches its full rearward travel. The large recoil spring around the barrel then takes over, pulling the slide forward to strip a new round from the magazine, chamber the round and bring the action back into battery.\r\n\r\nOf course, you never know all of this is transpiring; all you realize after pulling the trigger is that the recoil was lighter than anticipated. The gas-delayed blowback action decreases muzzle lift, and commensurately, the energy transferred to the shooting hand, thus allowing faster sight reacquisition and more manageable control of the pistol.\r\n\r\nAlthough field stripping the CCP is a bit of a chore, requiring a special takedown tool provided with the gun (a small screwdriver will work in a pinch, but the tool is much easier), the CCP is very simple to clean and maintain. While larger than many subcompacts, it has very concealable dimensions: an overall length of 6.41 inches with a 3.54-inch barrel, width of 1.18 inches and a leggy 5.12-inch height, which allows for an eight-round magazine, giving the CCP an impressive 8+1 capacity and carry weight of only 22.24 ounces (unloaded).\r\n\r\nFiring The CCP<\/strong>\r\n\r\n Lighter recoil makes the CCP faster to get back on target after the shot.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe striker-fired 9mm pistol has an interchangeable white-dot front sight and an adjustable white-dot rear sight that are easy to pick up. The CCP also has a reversible magazine release for left- or right-handed operation, and a very slim manual thumb safety that proved easy to operate on the draw. There is also an internal firing pin block (drop safety). Trigger pull on the test gun averaged 4.5 pounds, with 0.5 inches take-up. There was 0.125 inches of overtravel. Reset required only a partial let-off of the trigger, with a firm, perceptible \u201cclick\u201d as it reengaged.\r\n\r\nRELATED: Walther PPK\/S .22: James Bond\u2019s Sidearm Gets An Upgrade<\/a><\/strong>\r\n\r\nFor the range test I fired traditional 115-grain FMJ rounds from Winchester<\/a>, Speer Gold Dot Personal Protection<\/a> 115-grain GDHP, and Federal Premium Personal Defense<\/a> 124-grain Hydra-Shok JHP. Speer cleared the ProChrono<\/a> traps at 1,074 feet per second (fps), Winchester at 1,034 fps and Federal clocked 1,010 fps. Best groups from a range of 15 yards fired off-hand at one-second intervals measured 2 inches with Winchester FMJ, 2.25 inches for Speer and 2.3 inches with Federal JHP.\r\n\r\nThe new Walther CCP is a great blend of old school and new school engineering that results in a shooter-friendly and all-day-carry handgun. Perhaps the biggest plus for today\u2019s shooter is the CCP\u2019s modest price. The new Walther 9mm is available in two-tone and Cerakote black. Suggested retail ranges from $469 to $489.\r\n\r\nFor more information visit http:\/\/www.waltherarms.com<\/a> or call 479-242-8500.","post_title":"Walther's New Lightweight, Striker-Fired CCP 9mm","post_excerpt":"Walther's hardcore, soft-coil CCP 9mm packs the power without the unwanted punch.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"walthers-new-lightweight-striker-fired-ccp-9mm","to_ping":"","pinged":"https:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/walthers-lightweight-compacts\/#walther-ccp-3\nhttps:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/walther-ppks-22\/#walther-ppks-22-composite","post_modified":"2023-05-31 12:29:13","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 12:29:13","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2014\/11\/24\/walthers-new-lightweight-striker-fired-ccp-9mm\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":112386,"post_author":"243","post_date":"2014-11-24 09:00:08","post_date_gmt":"2014-11-24 14:00:08","post_content":"\n\nUnderestimation can prevent you from using an object to its potential. Do not underestimate the value of the pocket rimfire pistol in your defensive handgun lineup as it can serve as a highly effective training tool.\n\n[in_content post=\"94971\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\n\nOccasional ammo shortages notwithstanding, the .22 LR cartridge tends to be very affordable to shoot. A rimfire version of a defensive pistol can allow the shooter to improve both accuracy and weapon manipulation skills.\n\nIn addition, for anyone with significant upper body strength deficiencies or physical ailments, a gun chambered in .22 LR might be the only handgun that can be reliably operated. While few people would claim that a .22 will be as effective as a 9mm or .45 ACP at stopping a determined attacker, a pistol loaded with .22-caliber rounds and effectively employed can be a life saver.\n\nScroll through the gallery above for a few of the .22-caliber rimfire handguns on the market that are worth your consideration when it comes to CCW self-defense.\n\nRELATED STORIES<\/strong>\n\nConcealed Carry Gun Laws By State<\/a>\n\n12 Best Undercover Pocket Pistols<\/a>\n\nMassad Ayoob's 10 Commandments of Concealed Carry<\/a>","post_title":"Top 10 Rimfire Guns for CCW Self Defense","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"top-10-rimfire-companions-ccw-self-defense","to_ping":"","pinged":"https:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/12-best-undercover-pocket-pistols\/\nhttps:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/concealed-carry-gun-laws-by-state\/#alabama-concealed-carry","post_modified":"2023-05-31 12:29:30","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 12:29:30","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2014\/11\/24\/top-10-rimfire-companions-ccw-self-defense\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":18},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};
BROWSE BY BRAND
\r\n\t
\u201c<\/b>While the P.38 as adopted by the German Army came with Bakelite grips, which were produced in both\u00a0<\/b>black and brown, these post-war P.1s had\u00a0<\/b>black plastic grips with molded checkering.<\/b>\u201d<\/b><\/em><\/blockquote>\r\nThe pivoting locking block helps make the P.38 a very rugged and reliable gun. Unlike most recoil-operated semi-automatic pistols, which use a titling barrel that drops out of battery, the P.38\u2019s barrel travel is strictly linear. The position of the external ejector on the left side of the ejection port is another oddity. The shooter is unlikely to notice this during firing, however, given that the slide is almost skeletonized forward of the breech face. This allows a great deal of space for case travel during ejection. In fact, cases ejected from a P.38 pistol tend to follow a vertical, rather than a lateral, trajectory.\r\n\r\nA stamped-steel sliding magazine release is located on the heel of the frame, at the rear of the magazine well. The magazine is a single-column design that holds eight rounds. Index holes cut in the side of the stamped steel magazine body show the number of loaded rounds remaining in the magazine.\r\n\r\nOn the left side of the frame there is a slide-stop lever at the top rear of the trigger well. It is partially fenced by an abbreviated thumb shelf that is molded into the grip panel. The slide stop is also automatically engaged by a rising magazine follower, so the slide automatically locks open after the last round is fired.\r\n\r\nA pivoting safety lever is mounted to the left side of the slide just below the rear sight. Sweeping the safety lever downward exposes a white \u201cS\u201d for \u201csicher<\/i>,\u201d which means \u201csafe\u201d and engages the safety. Pushing upward on the lever reveals a red \u201cF\u201d for \u201cfeuer<\/i>,\u201d which means \u201cfire\u201d and, of course, readies the gun to fire. When the safety lever is rotated from the \u201cfire\u201d position to the \u201csafe\u201d position (when the hammer is cocked), it falls on a locked firing pin. So, the safety lever also functions as a hammer release or decocker. Returning the safety lever to the \u201cfire\u201d position readies the trigger for double-action firing.\r\n\r\nAt the top of the hammer well is a loaded-chamber indicator that consists of a pin that projects from the top-rear of the slide when there is a round in the chamber. The pin is relatively small and unobtrusive, but it is large enough to be seen or alternatively felt in the dark.\r\n\r\nIn an effort to save weight, the P.38 design used a frame without a backstrap. The backstrap was formed by a pair of grips that wrapped around the frame in a clamshell fashion, which helped protect the mainspring, trigger bar and other internal components.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nPost-War Realities\u00a0<\/b>\r\n\r\nAt the end of World War II, the Walther factory was overrun by the Red Army and wound up in the Soviet occupation zone. Fritz Walther, designer of the P.38 Walther and son of founder Carl Walther, was left with little more than his drawings and patents. With his factory behind the Soviet \u201cIron Curtain,\u201d Fritz Walther chose to start over again by setting up shop in Ulm, which is just southeast of Stuttgart in southern Germany.\r\n
\u201c<\/b>A shooter with a proper grip will notice a heavier \u2018push,\u2019 but I\u00a0<\/b>found the difference in control to be marginal.<\/b>\u201d<\/b><\/em><\/blockquote>\r\nIn order to equip the new West German Army, which was reformed and renamed the Bundeswehr, Walther resumed production of the P.38 (renamed as the P.1) in 1957. With little in the way of production facilities, Fritz Walther set up a cooperative endeavor with Manurhin, a French manufacturer in Strasbourg, which is right on the French border with Germany. The alliance with Manurhin was critical in that it gave Walther access to metal forgings. At the same time, Walther started making guns for the commercial market.\r\n\r\nWalther substituted the P.38\u2019s steel frame for an aluminum frame to reduce weight. While the P.38 as adopted by the German Army came with Bakelite grips, which were produced in both black and brown, these post-war P.1s had black plastic grips with molded checkering. As with the original, the P.1\u2019s sights are excellent. The rear sight is broad blade with a deep U-shaped notch, while the front is a tall post. Both are fixed, but easy to acquire.\r\n\r\nThe new P.1 was adopted by the Bundeswehr<\/i> as the P.1. Despite the name change, the guns from the first six years of production were still marked P.38. This was probably because they had already been stamped P.38 for the commercial market. In 1970, Walther improved the P.1 by reinforcing the aluminum frame with a steel hex bolt. It also beefed up the slide with thicker dimensions, but its contours remained nearly identical. Additionally, Walther refitted or upgraded many older P.1s with these features. The P.1 was the standard sidearm of the Bundeswehr<\/i> and Bundespolizei<\/i> until the turn of the century.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nRange Time<\/b>\r\n\r\nIn the past, P.1s were imported by Interarms, but they are currently available from Century Arms. They make great shooters, and if you find one in good condition it can be an excellent choice for a low-cost self-defense sidearm. Just recently, Century sent me a P.1 that was re-chambered for 9x21mm.\r\n\r\nThe 9x21mm has a following in countries where ownership of firearms chambered for military calibers is severely restricted or completely prohibited. The 9x21mm is compatible with 9mm mags, but the two rounds cannot be used interchangeably. Ballistic performance between the two is fairly equal. In my experience, 9x21mm ammunition comes and goes, but it is far from scarce. That said, you need to pick it up when you see it. I managed to score a couple of boxes of 9x21mm from Fiocchi at a local gun show.\r\n\r\nMy test gun proved to have a good trigger pull. There was just a little take-up at the start and a little creep just before the break, but no stacking. Most importantly, it was very consistent. The DA pull was stellar\u2014short with a crisp let-off. My groups were dead on windage-wise, but about 3 inches high at 15 yards. It is a well-balanced gun with an ergonomically shaped grip, and even though I find the extra weight of the P.38\u2019s steel frame makes shot-to-shot recovery easier, that doesn\u2019t mean that the lighter P.1 is unmanageable. That said, the extra recoil transmitted through the aluminum frame, combined with the extra energy of the 9x21mm chambering, will break down a grip that is less than solid. A shooter with a proper grip will notice a heavier \u201cpush,\u201d but I found the difference in control to be marginal. The extra recoil energy did not hamper my endurance on the range. In fact, I ran out of ammo long before I tired of shooting the P.1.\r\n\r\nPROVEN PERFORMANCE<\/b>\r\n\r\nBy any standard, the P.1 and its parent, the P.38, are important benchmarks in firearms history. The P.38 was Walther\u2019s first pistol in 9mm and the first DA semi-automatic pistol adopted by a military service, while the P.1 was the first military issue semi-automatic handgun with an aluminum frame. Both share a simple, rugged design compatible with mass production. They are proven performers having remained in service with the German military and police for more than 50 years, so they present students of firearms design with a rich collecting field. These German surplus P.1s have been on the market for many decades, and the well is starting to run dry. So, if you are interested, the time to buy is now.\r\n\r\nFor more information, visit centuryarms.com<\/a> or call 800-527-1252.","post_title":"Examining the Post-War P.1 Walthers","post_excerpt":"A time-tested 9mm design reinvented by the realities of a post-war Europe.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"post-war-p-1-walthers","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-31 23:01:35","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-01 03:01:35","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2014\/12\/08\/post-war-p-1-walthers\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":112354,"post_author":"270","post_date":"2014-11-24 13:20:42","post_date_gmt":"2014-11-24 18:20:42","post_content":"\n\nThe first time I fired the Walther CCP<\/a> I had to sign a confidentiality agreement. It was a little more than a year before the gun was planned for introduction and I was at the Walther factory test range in Arnsberg, Germany. The secrecy behind the then \u201cProject X 9mm handgun\u201d (later to be officially named the CCP for \u201cConcealed Carry Pistol\u201d) was because of the new design technology Walther had developed to build a lighter weight, lighter recoiling and more manageable 9mm pistol than any previous Walther semi-auto pistol in history. And that history dates back to the very early 20th century when Walther introduced its very first semi-automatic pistol. In 1929, the company revolutionized the world of semi-auto pistols with the introduction of the first double-action (DA) model, the Walther PP. This was followed in 1930 by the slightly more compact Walther PPK<\/a>.\r\n\r\nWhy this little bit of Walther historical trivia? It\u2019s relevant to the 21st-century Model CCP because a great deal of this new, polymer-framed, lightweight 9mm semi-auto\u2019s design is based on the 84-year-old Walther PPK!\r\n\r\nNext-Gen Nine<\/strong>\r\n\r\n
Picatinny rail supports tactical light or light\/laser combinations.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe new Walther 9mm is an innovative design that offers compact pistol dimensions for ease of carry. And like other popular Walther models such as the striker-fired P99<\/a> and subcompact Walther PPS<\/a>, the CCP also utilizes a polymer frame. However, unlike these other Walther models, the CCP combines a blowback action (used on models like the PPK) with an innovative, Walther-designed gas-piston recoil system.\r\n\r\nRELATED: Walther\u2019s Lightweight Compacts for Everyday Defense<\/a><\/strong>\r\n\r\nThe CCP was designed to be easier to use than conventional 9mm pistols. It aimed to be smaller, lighter and feel more like a .380 than a 9mm, and achieving these goals began on the inside. Field stripping the CCP reveals an amalgamation of old and new technology, with a PPK-style fixed barrel mounted to the frame and a single, large recoil spring surrounding the barrel, also like the PPK. That is the old technology that comprises one half of the gun\u2019s action. The overall operation of the CCP, however, is quite modern.\r\n\r\nThe CCP utilizes Walther\u2019s \u201cSoftCoil\u201d gas-delayed blowback action. When the gun is fired, a portion of the gas pressure developed by the ignited cartridge is shunted downward through a port in the bottom of the barrel and into a chamber molded into the polymer frame. Think of it as a secondary recoil system that is otherwise passive when the gun is not being discharged. When chambering a round, or clearing the CCP, the only resistance to the slide is the single, large recoil spring around the barrel. This lightweight recoil spring reduces resistance, making the gun significantly easier to handle than any other 9mm semi-auto.\r\n\r\n The SAO trigger has a quick reset and a 4.5-pound average pull.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nWhen the CCP is fired, recoil is also significantly reduced by the gas-delayed blowback action\u2019s piston, which is attached to the underside of the slide. The piston slides into the chamber in the frame, where gasses from the discharged round are redirected. With the chamber sealed by the piston, the blowback action driving the slide rearward is slowed as the piston pushes against the compressed gasses in the chamber. This resistance is maintained until the bullet exits the barrel and releases remaining internal pressures, after which the slide continues its rearward motion at full speed, opening the breech and ejecting the empty cartridge case as it reaches its full rearward travel. The large recoil spring around the barrel then takes over, pulling the slide forward to strip a new round from the magazine, chamber the round and bring the action back into battery.\r\n\r\nOf course, you never know all of this is transpiring; all you realize after pulling the trigger is that the recoil was lighter than anticipated. The gas-delayed blowback action decreases muzzle lift, and commensurately, the energy transferred to the shooting hand, thus allowing faster sight reacquisition and more manageable control of the pistol.\r\n\r\nAlthough field stripping the CCP is a bit of a chore, requiring a special takedown tool provided with the gun (a small screwdriver will work in a pinch, but the tool is much easier), the CCP is very simple to clean and maintain. While larger than many subcompacts, it has very concealable dimensions: an overall length of 6.41 inches with a 3.54-inch barrel, width of 1.18 inches and a leggy 5.12-inch height, which allows for an eight-round magazine, giving the CCP an impressive 8+1 capacity and carry weight of only 22.24 ounces (unloaded).\r\n\r\nFiring The CCP<\/strong>\r\n\r\n Lighter recoil makes the CCP faster to get back on target after the shot.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe striker-fired 9mm pistol has an interchangeable white-dot front sight and an adjustable white-dot rear sight that are easy to pick up. The CCP also has a reversible magazine release for left- or right-handed operation, and a very slim manual thumb safety that proved easy to operate on the draw. There is also an internal firing pin block (drop safety). Trigger pull on the test gun averaged 4.5 pounds, with 0.5 inches take-up. There was 0.125 inches of overtravel. Reset required only a partial let-off of the trigger, with a firm, perceptible \u201cclick\u201d as it reengaged.\r\n\r\nRELATED: Walther PPK\/S .22: James Bond\u2019s Sidearm Gets An Upgrade<\/a><\/strong>\r\n\r\nFor the range test I fired traditional 115-grain FMJ rounds from Winchester<\/a>, Speer Gold Dot Personal Protection<\/a> 115-grain GDHP, and Federal Premium Personal Defense<\/a> 124-grain Hydra-Shok JHP. Speer cleared the ProChrono<\/a> traps at 1,074 feet per second (fps), Winchester at 1,034 fps and Federal clocked 1,010 fps. Best groups from a range of 15 yards fired off-hand at one-second intervals measured 2 inches with Winchester FMJ, 2.25 inches for Speer and 2.3 inches with Federal JHP.\r\n\r\nThe new Walther CCP is a great blend of old school and new school engineering that results in a shooter-friendly and all-day-carry handgun. Perhaps the biggest plus for today\u2019s shooter is the CCP\u2019s modest price. The new Walther 9mm is available in two-tone and Cerakote black. Suggested retail ranges from $469 to $489.\r\n\r\nFor more information visit http:\/\/www.waltherarms.com<\/a> or call 479-242-8500.","post_title":"Walther's New Lightweight, Striker-Fired CCP 9mm","post_excerpt":"Walther's hardcore, soft-coil CCP 9mm packs the power without the unwanted punch.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"walthers-new-lightweight-striker-fired-ccp-9mm","to_ping":"","pinged":"https:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/walthers-lightweight-compacts\/#walther-ccp-3\nhttps:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/walther-ppks-22\/#walther-ppks-22-composite","post_modified":"2023-05-31 12:29:13","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 12:29:13","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2014\/11\/24\/walthers-new-lightweight-striker-fired-ccp-9mm\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":112386,"post_author":"243","post_date":"2014-11-24 09:00:08","post_date_gmt":"2014-11-24 14:00:08","post_content":"\n\nUnderestimation can prevent you from using an object to its potential. Do not underestimate the value of the pocket rimfire pistol in your defensive handgun lineup as it can serve as a highly effective training tool.\n\n[in_content post=\"94971\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\n\nOccasional ammo shortages notwithstanding, the .22 LR cartridge tends to be very affordable to shoot. A rimfire version of a defensive pistol can allow the shooter to improve both accuracy and weapon manipulation skills.\n\nIn addition, for anyone with significant upper body strength deficiencies or physical ailments, a gun chambered in .22 LR might be the only handgun that can be reliably operated. While few people would claim that a .22 will be as effective as a 9mm or .45 ACP at stopping a determined attacker, a pistol loaded with .22-caliber rounds and effectively employed can be a life saver.\n\nScroll through the gallery above for a few of the .22-caliber rimfire handguns on the market that are worth your consideration when it comes to CCW self-defense.\n\nRELATED STORIES<\/strong>\n\nConcealed Carry Gun Laws By State<\/a>\n\n12 Best Undercover Pocket Pistols<\/a>\n\nMassad Ayoob's 10 Commandments of Concealed Carry<\/a>","post_title":"Top 10 Rimfire Guns for CCW Self Defense","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"top-10-rimfire-companions-ccw-self-defense","to_ping":"","pinged":"https:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/12-best-undercover-pocket-pistols\/\nhttps:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/concealed-carry-gun-laws-by-state\/#alabama-concealed-carry","post_modified":"2023-05-31 12:29:30","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 12:29:30","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2014\/11\/24\/top-10-rimfire-companions-ccw-self-defense\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":18},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};
BROWSE BY BRAND
![\"KIMBER](\"https:\/\/cdn.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/kimber-rimfire-super.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\r\n\t
\u201c<\/b>While the P.38 as adopted by the German Army came with Bakelite grips, which were produced in both\u00a0<\/b>black and brown, these post-war P.1s had\u00a0<\/b>black plastic grips with molded checkering.<\/b>\u201d<\/b><\/em><\/blockquote>\r\nThe pivoting locking block helps make the P.38 a very rugged and reliable gun. Unlike most recoil-operated semi-automatic pistols, which use a titling barrel that drops out of battery, the P.38\u2019s barrel travel is strictly linear. The position of the external ejector on the left side of the ejection port is another oddity. The shooter is unlikely to notice this during firing, however, given that the slide is almost skeletonized forward of the breech face. This allows a great deal of space for case travel during ejection. In fact, cases ejected from a P.38 pistol tend to follow a vertical, rather than a lateral, trajectory.\r\n\r\nA stamped-steel sliding magazine release is located on the heel of the frame, at the rear of the magazine well. The magazine is a single-column design that holds eight rounds. Index holes cut in the side of the stamped steel magazine body show the number of loaded rounds remaining in the magazine.\r\n\r\nOn the left side of the frame there is a slide-stop lever at the top rear of the trigger well. It is partially fenced by an abbreviated thumb shelf that is molded into the grip panel. The slide stop is also automatically engaged by a rising magazine follower, so the slide automatically locks open after the last round is fired.\r\n\r\nA pivoting safety lever is mounted to the left side of the slide just below the rear sight. Sweeping the safety lever downward exposes a white \u201cS\u201d for \u201csicher<\/i>,\u201d which means \u201csafe\u201d and engages the safety. Pushing upward on the lever reveals a red \u201cF\u201d for \u201cfeuer<\/i>,\u201d which means \u201cfire\u201d and, of course, readies the gun to fire. When the safety lever is rotated from the \u201cfire\u201d position to the \u201csafe\u201d position (when the hammer is cocked), it falls on a locked firing pin. So, the safety lever also functions as a hammer release or decocker. Returning the safety lever to the \u201cfire\u201d position readies the trigger for double-action firing.\r\n\r\nAt the top of the hammer well is a loaded-chamber indicator that consists of a pin that projects from the top-rear of the slide when there is a round in the chamber. The pin is relatively small and unobtrusive, but it is large enough to be seen or alternatively felt in the dark.\r\n\r\nIn an effort to save weight, the P.38 design used a frame without a backstrap. The backstrap was formed by a pair of grips that wrapped around the frame in a clamshell fashion, which helped protect the mainspring, trigger bar and other internal components.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nPost-War Realities\u00a0<\/b>\r\n\r\nAt the end of World War II, the Walther factory was overrun by the Red Army and wound up in the Soviet occupation zone. Fritz Walther, designer of the P.38 Walther and son of founder Carl Walther, was left with little more than his drawings and patents. With his factory behind the Soviet \u201cIron Curtain,\u201d Fritz Walther chose to start over again by setting up shop in Ulm, which is just southeast of Stuttgart in southern Germany.\r\n
\u201c<\/b>A shooter with a proper grip will notice a heavier \u2018push,\u2019 but I\u00a0<\/b>found the difference in control to be marginal.<\/b>\u201d<\/b><\/em><\/blockquote>\r\nIn order to equip the new West German Army, which was reformed and renamed the Bundeswehr, Walther resumed production of the P.38 (renamed as the P.1) in 1957. With little in the way of production facilities, Fritz Walther set up a cooperative endeavor with Manurhin, a French manufacturer in Strasbourg, which is right on the French border with Germany. The alliance with Manurhin was critical in that it gave Walther access to metal forgings. At the same time, Walther started making guns for the commercial market.\r\n\r\nWalther substituted the P.38\u2019s steel frame for an aluminum frame to reduce weight. While the P.38 as adopted by the German Army came with Bakelite grips, which were produced in both black and brown, these post-war P.1s had black plastic grips with molded checkering. As with the original, the P.1\u2019s sights are excellent. The rear sight is broad blade with a deep U-shaped notch, while the front is a tall post. Both are fixed, but easy to acquire.\r\n\r\nThe new P.1 was adopted by the Bundeswehr<\/i> as the P.1. Despite the name change, the guns from the first six years of production were still marked P.38. This was probably because they had already been stamped P.38 for the commercial market. In 1970, Walther improved the P.1 by reinforcing the aluminum frame with a steel hex bolt. It also beefed up the slide with thicker dimensions, but its contours remained nearly identical. Additionally, Walther refitted or upgraded many older P.1s with these features. The P.1 was the standard sidearm of the Bundeswehr<\/i> and Bundespolizei<\/i> until the turn of the century.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nRange Time<\/b>\r\n\r\nIn the past, P.1s were imported by Interarms, but they are currently available from Century Arms. They make great shooters, and if you find one in good condition it can be an excellent choice for a low-cost self-defense sidearm. Just recently, Century sent me a P.1 that was re-chambered for 9x21mm.\r\n\r\nThe 9x21mm has a following in countries where ownership of firearms chambered for military calibers is severely restricted or completely prohibited. The 9x21mm is compatible with 9mm mags, but the two rounds cannot be used interchangeably. Ballistic performance between the two is fairly equal. In my experience, 9x21mm ammunition comes and goes, but it is far from scarce. That said, you need to pick it up when you see it. I managed to score a couple of boxes of 9x21mm from Fiocchi at a local gun show.\r\n\r\nMy test gun proved to have a good trigger pull. There was just a little take-up at the start and a little creep just before the break, but no stacking. Most importantly, it was very consistent. The DA pull was stellar\u2014short with a crisp let-off. My groups were dead on windage-wise, but about 3 inches high at 15 yards. It is a well-balanced gun with an ergonomically shaped grip, and even though I find the extra weight of the P.38\u2019s steel frame makes shot-to-shot recovery easier, that doesn\u2019t mean that the lighter P.1 is unmanageable. That said, the extra recoil transmitted through the aluminum frame, combined with the extra energy of the 9x21mm chambering, will break down a grip that is less than solid. A shooter with a proper grip will notice a heavier \u201cpush,\u201d but I found the difference in control to be marginal. The extra recoil energy did not hamper my endurance on the range. In fact, I ran out of ammo long before I tired of shooting the P.1.\r\n\r\nPROVEN PERFORMANCE<\/b>\r\n\r\nBy any standard, the P.1 and its parent, the P.38, are important benchmarks in firearms history. The P.38 was Walther\u2019s first pistol in 9mm and the first DA semi-automatic pistol adopted by a military service, while the P.1 was the first military issue semi-automatic handgun with an aluminum frame. Both share a simple, rugged design compatible with mass production. They are proven performers having remained in service with the German military and police for more than 50 years, so they present students of firearms design with a rich collecting field. These German surplus P.1s have been on the market for many decades, and the well is starting to run dry. So, if you are interested, the time to buy is now.\r\n\r\nFor more information, visit centuryarms.com<\/a> or call 800-527-1252.","post_title":"Examining the Post-War P.1 Walthers","post_excerpt":"A time-tested 9mm design reinvented by the realities of a post-war Europe.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"post-war-p-1-walthers","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-31 23:01:35","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-01 03:01:35","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2014\/12\/08\/post-war-p-1-walthers\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":112354,"post_author":"270","post_date":"2014-11-24 13:20:42","post_date_gmt":"2014-11-24 18:20:42","post_content":"\n\nThe first time I fired the Walther CCP<\/a> I had to sign a confidentiality agreement. It was a little more than a year before the gun was planned for introduction and I was at the Walther factory test range in Arnsberg, Germany. The secrecy behind the then \u201cProject X 9mm handgun\u201d (later to be officially named the CCP for \u201cConcealed Carry Pistol\u201d) was because of the new design technology Walther had developed to build a lighter weight, lighter recoiling and more manageable 9mm pistol than any previous Walther semi-auto pistol in history. And that history dates back to the very early 20th century when Walther introduced its very first semi-automatic pistol. In 1929, the company revolutionized the world of semi-auto pistols with the introduction of the first double-action (DA) model, the Walther PP. This was followed in 1930 by the slightly more compact Walther PPK<\/a>.\r\n\r\nWhy this little bit of Walther historical trivia? It\u2019s relevant to the 21st-century Model CCP because a great deal of this new, polymer-framed, lightweight 9mm semi-auto\u2019s design is based on the 84-year-old Walther PPK!\r\n\r\nNext-Gen Nine<\/strong>\r\n\r\n
Picatinny rail supports tactical light or light\/laser combinations.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe new Walther 9mm is an innovative design that offers compact pistol dimensions for ease of carry. And like other popular Walther models such as the striker-fired P99<\/a> and subcompact Walther PPS<\/a>, the CCP also utilizes a polymer frame. However, unlike these other Walther models, the CCP combines a blowback action (used on models like the PPK) with an innovative, Walther-designed gas-piston recoil system.\r\n\r\nRELATED: Walther\u2019s Lightweight Compacts for Everyday Defense<\/a><\/strong>\r\n\r\nThe CCP was designed to be easier to use than conventional 9mm pistols. It aimed to be smaller, lighter and feel more like a .380 than a 9mm, and achieving these goals began on the inside. Field stripping the CCP reveals an amalgamation of old and new technology, with a PPK-style fixed barrel mounted to the frame and a single, large recoil spring surrounding the barrel, also like the PPK. That is the old technology that comprises one half of the gun\u2019s action. The overall operation of the CCP, however, is quite modern.\r\n\r\nThe CCP utilizes Walther\u2019s \u201cSoftCoil\u201d gas-delayed blowback action. When the gun is fired, a portion of the gas pressure developed by the ignited cartridge is shunted downward through a port in the bottom of the barrel and into a chamber molded into the polymer frame. Think of it as a secondary recoil system that is otherwise passive when the gun is not being discharged. When chambering a round, or clearing the CCP, the only resistance to the slide is the single, large recoil spring around the barrel. This lightweight recoil spring reduces resistance, making the gun significantly easier to handle than any other 9mm semi-auto.\r\n\r\n The SAO trigger has a quick reset and a 4.5-pound average pull.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nWhen the CCP is fired, recoil is also significantly reduced by the gas-delayed blowback action\u2019s piston, which is attached to the underside of the slide. The piston slides into the chamber in the frame, where gasses from the discharged round are redirected. With the chamber sealed by the piston, the blowback action driving the slide rearward is slowed as the piston pushes against the compressed gasses in the chamber. This resistance is maintained until the bullet exits the barrel and releases remaining internal pressures, after which the slide continues its rearward motion at full speed, opening the breech and ejecting the empty cartridge case as it reaches its full rearward travel. The large recoil spring around the barrel then takes over, pulling the slide forward to strip a new round from the magazine, chamber the round and bring the action back into battery.\r\n\r\nOf course, you never know all of this is transpiring; all you realize after pulling the trigger is that the recoil was lighter than anticipated. The gas-delayed blowback action decreases muzzle lift, and commensurately, the energy transferred to the shooting hand, thus allowing faster sight reacquisition and more manageable control of the pistol.\r\n\r\nAlthough field stripping the CCP is a bit of a chore, requiring a special takedown tool provided with the gun (a small screwdriver will work in a pinch, but the tool is much easier), the CCP is very simple to clean and maintain. While larger than many subcompacts, it has very concealable dimensions: an overall length of 6.41 inches with a 3.54-inch barrel, width of 1.18 inches and a leggy 5.12-inch height, which allows for an eight-round magazine, giving the CCP an impressive 8+1 capacity and carry weight of only 22.24 ounces (unloaded).\r\n\r\nFiring The CCP<\/strong>\r\n\r\n Lighter recoil makes the CCP faster to get back on target after the shot.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe striker-fired 9mm pistol has an interchangeable white-dot front sight and an adjustable white-dot rear sight that are easy to pick up. The CCP also has a reversible magazine release for left- or right-handed operation, and a very slim manual thumb safety that proved easy to operate on the draw. There is also an internal firing pin block (drop safety). Trigger pull on the test gun averaged 4.5 pounds, with 0.5 inches take-up. There was 0.125 inches of overtravel. Reset required only a partial let-off of the trigger, with a firm, perceptible \u201cclick\u201d as it reengaged.\r\n\r\nRELATED: Walther PPK\/S .22: James Bond\u2019s Sidearm Gets An Upgrade<\/a><\/strong>\r\n\r\nFor the range test I fired traditional 115-grain FMJ rounds from Winchester<\/a>, Speer Gold Dot Personal Protection<\/a> 115-grain GDHP, and Federal Premium Personal Defense<\/a> 124-grain Hydra-Shok JHP. Speer cleared the ProChrono<\/a> traps at 1,074 feet per second (fps), Winchester at 1,034 fps and Federal clocked 1,010 fps. Best groups from a range of 15 yards fired off-hand at one-second intervals measured 2 inches with Winchester FMJ, 2.25 inches for Speer and 2.3 inches with Federal JHP.\r\n\r\nThe new Walther CCP is a great blend of old school and new school engineering that results in a shooter-friendly and all-day-carry handgun. Perhaps the biggest plus for today\u2019s shooter is the CCP\u2019s modest price. The new Walther 9mm is available in two-tone and Cerakote black. Suggested retail ranges from $469 to $489.\r\n\r\nFor more information visit http:\/\/www.waltherarms.com<\/a> or call 479-242-8500.","post_title":"Walther's New Lightweight, Striker-Fired CCP 9mm","post_excerpt":"Walther's hardcore, soft-coil CCP 9mm packs the power without the unwanted punch.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"walthers-new-lightweight-striker-fired-ccp-9mm","to_ping":"","pinged":"https:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/walthers-lightweight-compacts\/#walther-ccp-3\nhttps:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/walther-ppks-22\/#walther-ppks-22-composite","post_modified":"2023-05-31 12:29:13","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 12:29:13","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2014\/11\/24\/walthers-new-lightweight-striker-fired-ccp-9mm\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":112386,"post_author":"243","post_date":"2014-11-24 09:00:08","post_date_gmt":"2014-11-24 14:00:08","post_content":"\n\nUnderestimation can prevent you from using an object to its potential. Do not underestimate the value of the pocket rimfire pistol in your defensive handgun lineup as it can serve as a highly effective training tool.\n\n[in_content post=\"94971\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\n\nOccasional ammo shortages notwithstanding, the .22 LR cartridge tends to be very affordable to shoot. A rimfire version of a defensive pistol can allow the shooter to improve both accuracy and weapon manipulation skills.\n\nIn addition, for anyone with significant upper body strength deficiencies or physical ailments, a gun chambered in .22 LR might be the only handgun that can be reliably operated. While few people would claim that a .22 will be as effective as a 9mm or .45 ACP at stopping a determined attacker, a pistol loaded with .22-caliber rounds and effectively employed can be a life saver.\n\nScroll through the gallery above for a few of the .22-caliber rimfire handguns on the market that are worth your consideration when it comes to CCW self-defense.\n\nRELATED STORIES<\/strong>\n\nConcealed Carry Gun Laws By State<\/a>\n\n12 Best Undercover Pocket Pistols<\/a>\n\nMassad Ayoob's 10 Commandments of Concealed Carry<\/a>","post_title":"Top 10 Rimfire Guns for CCW Self Defense","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"top-10-rimfire-companions-ccw-self-defense","to_ping":"","pinged":"https:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/12-best-undercover-pocket-pistols\/\nhttps:\/\/www.personaldefenseworld.com\/2014\/11\/concealed-carry-gun-laws-by-state\/#alabama-concealed-carry","post_modified":"2023-05-31 12:29:30","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 12:29:30","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2014\/11\/24\/top-10-rimfire-companions-ccw-self-defense\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":18},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};