26By Jerry AhernPhotos by Sharon Ahern

In 2009, it will be 80 years since the first com-mercially successful double action semi-automat-ic pistol ever designed was released to the mar-ketplace. The year was 1929 and the handgunwas the Walther PP, the letter designation stand-ing for “Polizei Pistole.” The new pistol’s caliberwas .32 ACP (which sounds much more formida-ble than 7.65mmBrowning).

The PPK of JamesBond lore is muchmore famous, to besure, PPK standing for“Polizei Pistole Krim-inal,” the weaponshorter in overalllength and overallheight than the PP.The PPK was intend-ed for use by under-cover or plainclothespersonnel, the PP foruniform duty. DuringWorld War II, of course, both handguns wereused by the Nazis as belt pistols. Although thePPK is a little smaller, the PP is not exactly huge.Length overall is just over six and one-half inch-es, weight of the all-steel pistol is 23 and one-half ounces. Barrel length is just under four inch-es and magazine capacity, in its original .32 ACPchambering, is eight rounds. Height is four andone-quarter inches, sans magazine, with stan-dard floorplate and finger-rest extension maga-zines both available.

“Why are you sounding so excited about aneight decades old pistol in .32 Auto?”

Good question. The PP’s a proven design,albeit a bit more complex thanguns engineered these days, hasthe cache of German origin(although various firms have beenlicensed to make Walthers overthe years), the guns tend to beaccurate and – here’s the impor-tant part – Century InternationalArms (centuryarms.com) isimporting German police turn-inWalther PPs in beautiful condi-tion (except for some honest hol-ster wear) which are priced toretail somewhere between $425and $450!

“What a deal!”You’re darn right..32 ACP is nothing to scream

about ballistically, of course, but it’s no betterout of my Seecamp, Sharon’s North AmericanArms Guardian, or someone else’s Kel-Tec orAutauga. Actually, with the longer barrel found

on the PP in .32, both accuracy and perform-ance should, logically, be better than in thesmaller vest-pocket-size pistols.

According to the Evan Marshall and Ed Sanowballistic performance figures, 71-grain .32 ACPWinchester solids have a 50-percent one-shotstop rating, while the Winchester Silvertip 60-grain bullet has a 63-percent rating. If you acquireone of these superb little Walther pistols and it

doesn’t handle hollowpoints (I recommendexperimenting withthe Winchester andthe Federal variants),take it to a competentgunsmith. But, ifyou’re stuck with the.32 ACP solids, youcould do a lot worse.Keep in mind that thelonger sight radius,the basic but ade-quate sights and –usually – a smoothtrigger in DA and an

easy trigger when fired single action all add up.When people complain about smaller calibers, Ihave this all but irresistible urge to ask them ifthey are prepared to volunteer to be shot with oneof these lighter calibers. I don’t bother, because Ialready know the answer I’d get.

The .32 Walther PP from Century InternationalArms is a fantastic buy. If the .32 caliber issue both-ers you, just tell yourself that it’s really 7.65mmBrowning! Sounds much better, doesn’t it?

Not quite as long ago as the Walther PP’sintroduction, Colonel Charles Askins first pub-lished Texans, Guns and History. That was1970. In 2007, Paladin Press (paladin-

press.com) re-published thework, including a new introduc-tion by Askins’ son, William, asThe Gunfighters: True Tales ofOutlaws, Lawmen and Indianson the Texas Frontier. BothSharon and I agree that it’s asensational read. Askins wasalways a great storyteller andnever known for pulling hispunches. Back in the early tomid-1970s, when I was associateeditor of Guns Magazine, I edit-ed a lot of Charlie Askins’ arti-cles. I found him at once fun toread, obsessed with stirring upcontroversy and exceptionallyliterate, despite his reputation for

the rough and tumble side of things. This bookfrom Paladin, which reads like an adventurenovel or a classic western, is something no one

Ahern Under the GunAhern Under the Gun

…continued on Page 51

Askins’book is an excitingread cover to cover.

Right profile of the gentlyused Walther PP .32 ACP.

August 08 Blue Press 20-37 copy 6/13/08 1:51 PM Page 26