Description of the Product The color of the body of this gun matches a gold-plated pistol. Gold plating on a steel pistol protects the steel from rusting, but this can naturally be done with cheaper methods too. Gold plated guns are used to show off wealth and to give a gun a cool and an unusual look. Production of this pistol began in Germany in 1931 and it still continues. The name of the pistol comes from its German name "Polizei Pistole Kurz" (short police pistol) and "Polizei Pistole Kriminalmodell" (detective model police pistol) and from the manufacturer's name Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen. Walther PPK is still in active use by police units here and there, e.g. in Denmark. Walther PPK became a sales success as soon as its manufacturing began. It was one of the first successful double-acting semi-automatic pistols in the world and its model and operating principles were, of course, copied (e.g. Russian Makarov). PPK is a scaled-down version of Walther PP (Polizei Pistole) of a couple of years prior. This smaller version was specifically designed for police officers in civilian clothes who needed a small weapon that could be easily concealed and always carried with them to secure them. The pistol became popular in both police and civilian circles because the weapon was so reliable and as a small pistol it even fit in a pocket. The weapon was not designed as an attack weapon, but as an emergency safety weapon. Small and easy to carry, it was perfect for the intelligence service, for agents and spies, for whom the weapon became standard equipment across the globe. The weapon's popularity was also boosted by the fact that it was the first semi-automatic pistol that you dared to carry loaded, ready for real action, without fear of damage from an accidental shot. Of course, no one wants to shoot themselves inadvertently if they knock the gun into a corner of a table or accidentally drop it on the floor, so extra security was necessary. This pistol is a double-acting mass-sealed semi-automatic pistol, which means that it removes the shell of the fired bullet and charges itself after each bullet fired, using the energy of the combustion for the loading process. Dual operation means that the pistol can be fired without first having to manually pull the striker to the rear position, as squeezing the trigger both sets and triggers the striker. In previous pistols, the striker always had to be manually cocked before the gun could be fired. This pistol was used by the German Air Force (Luftwaffe), high-ranking officers and police during World War II. What makes the pistol famous during World War II, however, is that Adolf Hitler ended his life with this pistol in his Berlin bunker when the defeat of the war was clear and Soviet troops were already in the city. The gun also made headlines in 1979 when the head of the Korean Central Intelligence Service shot South Korea’s authoritarian leader Park Chung-he and his bodyguards with this gun, having considered the power-hoarding leader a threat to democracy and to Korea’s future. PPK fires 7.65mm bullets that fit 7 to a magazine. It is effective for a few dozens of meters. In practice, such a small pistol is always used over very short distances. This pistol is a sure choice for every secret agent and spy. The PPK was used by secret agents in the real world, but naturally the best known user of the Walther PPK is James Bond. In Ian Fleming’s books, Bond initially used a Beretta, but switched to a PPK in Dr. No, when the author received expert help on the gun issue. This gun is an exact replica of the original. The replica matches the original in size and weight, and the mechanisms of the weapon are working. The weapon can be cocked and dry fired like a real one. The slider moves and the magazine can be removed. Due to the materials used, the mechanisms cannot withstand continuous cocking and firing for long periods. Cast metal has been used to make this replica weapon. The handle plates are plastic. Zamac differs from steel in many respects, so the structure of the gun does not withstand pressure, it cannot be used to fire cartridges, nor can it be converted to a functional weapon by any means. The magazine differs slightly from the original, so that it cannot be used with a real gun. Replica guns such as this do not require permits in Finland, nor in many other countries. However, since the gun looks real, it should not be carried in public. A replica gun is perfect for historical re-enactment, on a theater stage, in film productions, for collectors of historical memorabilia, and as decoration. Length: 18 cm Weight: 590 g Manufacturer: Denix, Spain Due to the nature of this item please read about shipping options/restrictions if ordering outside Finland. –More information about international shipping-
