| Walther P5 | |
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Walther P5 |
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| Type | Semi-automatic pistol |
| Place of origin | West Germany |
| Service history | |
| Used by | German Federal Police, Dutch police |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen |
| Designed | 1970s |
| Manufacturer | Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen |
| Produced | 1977 |
| Variants | P5 Compact |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | P5: 0.795 kg (1.75 lb) P5 Compact: 0.750 kg (1.65 lb) |
| Length | P5: 180 millimetres (7.1 in) P5 Compact: 170 mm (6.7 in) |
| Barrel length | P5: 90 mm (3.5 in) P5 Compact: 79 mm (3.1 in) |
| Width | 32 mm (1.3 in) |
| Height | P5: 129 mm (5.1 in) P5 Compact: 130 mm (5.1 in) |
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| Cartridge | 9x19mm Parabellum 7.65x22mm Parabellum 9x21mm IMI |
| Action | Short recoil operated, locked breech |
| Muzzle velocity | P5: approx. 360 m/s (1,181 ft/s) P5 Compact: approx. 350 m/s (1,148.3 ft/s) |
| Feed system | 8-round detachable box magazine |
| Sights | Square rear notch, front blade |
The Walther P5 is a 9mm semi-automatic pistol developed in the mid-1970s by the German small arms manufacturer Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen. It was designed with the German police forces in mind, who sought to replace existing 7.65mm pistols with a modern service sidearm incorporating enhanced safety features and chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum. A subsequent bid resulted in the Walther P5 being introduced into service alongside the SIG-Sauer P225 (designated P6 within the West German Federal Police) and Heckler & Koch P7.
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The pistol incorporates many new design features, including a new aluminum alloy frame, trigger mechanism, dual-control mechanism, firing pin safety (US patent number 4313274 dated 1979, authored by Walter Ludwig).
The Walther P5 is a recoil-operated, locked-breech, 9 mm semi-automatic pistol. It utilizes the same design principles as the Walther P38 pistol of World War II fame. The barrel does not tilt following firing in the way that John Browning's system does, but rather moves straight back approximately 5 mm (0.20 in). This system results in a very accurate pistol since the barrel is kept parallel with the frame during/after firing. The trigger is a standard double action/single action trigger. The slide lock also doubles as the decocker and is found on the left side of the frame. Pressing it once will release the slide, pressing it a second time will drop the hammer without firing the gun.
Manufactured in Ulm, West Germany, by Carl Walther Sportwaffen GmbH, the P5 was a further development of the famous Walther P38 and P1 series. Development began following requests by German police and federal agencies for a new sidearm. Walther engineers decided to use the P1 model as the basis of the P5 and gave it a similar locking system, reinforced frame, and dual recoil springs. In addition, the Walther improved the extractor, shortened the barrel, and increased the slide length. Safety was enhanced by utilizing an innovative pivoting firing pin that can move forward only when the trigger is pulled. In addition, the P1's slide-mounted decocker/safety was moved to a frame mounted decocker/slide stop multi-lever.
Unlike most modern semi-automatic pistols, the P5 ejects spent casings to the left. This may make it a more attractive firearm for left-handed shooters.
Walther P5 Compact: This is the shorter and lighter version of the full-size P5. Approx 3,000 examples of this pistol were adopted in the 1980s by the British Army as Pistol L102A1 (NATO Stock Number 1005-99-978-4952) for issue to the Royal Irish Regiment (Home Service) as a Personal Protection Weapon. A small number may have been issued to 14 Intelligence Company, an all-arms unit active in Northern Ireland.