Walther P5

Developed in the mid 1970s with the German police’s continued search for a service pistol in mind. It was developed to fit the new police specification for a small, handy pistol which could be brought into action quickly. Walther’s design competed against pistols from Mauser, Heckler & Koch and SIG-Sauer.

The P5′s design evolved from the P38 combining the lock work of the P38 (redesignated the P1 in 1963) with a shortened barrel and a full length slide and and the safety refinements made in the P4. A shortened P38k had been developed as an interim in the early 1970s but the pistols balance was compromised by the shortening of the barrel. The P4 had a recessed hammer face safety which prevented the firing pin from being struck. In addition to this a de-cocker was added to the frame. This was a feature common to many of the pistols entered into the police pistol trials as the removal of the manual safety allowed the weapon to be brought into action quickly with a double action trigger pull.

The P5 had a 3.5 inch barrel and was chambered in 9x19mm, feeding from an 8-round magazine with a heel release. It used a recoil operated system with a locking system very similar to the P38s. The P5 also had a scalloped slide to aid holstering and concealment as well as an improved extractor and ejected spent cases to the left rather than the right, much like the earlier Walther Model 4. In addition to the P5, Walther also developed a compact model for plain clothes use which had a slightly shorter barrel (3.1 inches) and a truncated hammer. It was introduced in 1988 and had a lighter alloy frame with the P5 Compact weighing 75g rather than 80g. While early production pistols retained the heel magazine release the majority had a thumb release.

The P5 proved to be an accurate and reliable pistol and once it was accepted by the police trials (along with the designs from Heckler & Koch and SIG-Sauer) it was adopted by uniformed officers of Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate’s State Police. It also became the standard issue sidearm of the Dutch police who purchased ~50,000 pistols becoming Walther’s largest customer for the pistol. The Dutch P5s were fitted with Houge aftermarket grips and some changes to the hammer safety system were later made in the mid 1990s. The Dutch police retired the P5 in 2013 replacing it with the P99Q. The P5 was also adopted by elements of the Portuguese Army. The P5 Compact was also adopted by the British Army in the late 1980s for for issue as a personal protection side arm. It was designated the Pistol L102A1 and was extensively issued to British troops in Ireland for use while in plain clothes or off duty. 

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Mauser HsP

The HsP (Hahn-selbstlade Pistole or Hammer-fired Self-loading Pistol) represented Mauser’s last attempt to win a service pistol contract. It was offered in response to the West German police’s 1976 specification calling for a new compact service pistol. Mauser’s design would compete with pistols from Walther, Heckler & Koch and SIG-Sauer. 

Before the war Mauser had manufactured the HSc which was widely used by German police and security forces. However, at the end of the war Mauser’s tooling and personnel were dispersed with the machine tools taken to France. In the late 1960s production of the HSc began again in Germany but ceased in the mid 1970s. Mauser began developing a new pistol chambered in 9mm but development suffered from a lack of experienced staff.

The HsP was chambered in 9x19mm and came in two variations a full sized version with a 86mm long barrel and a compact variant (see image #2) for plain clothes officers. The frame remained the same while the barrel and slide could be swapped out to vary the length of the barrel. It had an 8-round single stack magazine and was recoil rather than blowback operated. The HsP was double action and had a large de-cocker lever and a semi-shrouded hammer.

The pistol used a short recoil action  but the method of locking differs depending on source material with some sources stating a single locking lever which is unlocked by a block in the frame as the slide recoils, pushing the lever downwards and unlocking the action. While others suggest a roller-delayed action. After Mauser abandoned the project several companies producd similar pistols. The Norton DP75, was produced in the US while the Korriphila pistol was manufactured in Germany. While the DP75 used the lever locking system the Korriphila used the Budischowsky roller-delayed system.

It is believed up to 20 pistols were made for the police trials but they were dropped at an early stage suffering from durability issues. The pistol project was officially abandoned in 1983 with Mauser’s management believing continued development to not be cost effective with the company focusing on autocannons such as the Mauser BK-27 and on civilian sporting rifles. The HsP’s three rivals from Walther, HK and SIG-Sauer were all selected by the trials.  

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Bulletproof Glass

In the photograph above, dated 1931, a New York police officer fires his .38 service revolver (very possibly a Smith & Wesson Model 10), at almost point blank range, into a piece of bulletproof glass.

Development of 'bulletproof' glass began in 1903 when it was discovered by French chemist Edouard Benedictus during a lab accident when he dropped a beaker containing a Nitrocellulose, an early plastic.  The plastic coated beaker fell to the floor and broke but did not shatter.  Benedictus realising the applications for shatter-proof glass patented his discovery.

First used in gasmask glass and aircraft windscreens during the First World War the toughened glass was soon used by civilian markets.  But the 1920s the process has been developed to the point where a pane of strengthened glass could withstand the impact of a bullet.  As a result it found itself being used in banks during the Great Depression and later by Ford Motor Company.

During World War Two strengthened and 'bulletproof' glass saw increasing use in vehicles and aircraft, a trend which continues to the present day.  The technique by which the glass is made involves layering several layers of glass and plastic together thus forcing any bullet to expend its energy as it penetrates each layer.  

The Enfield Revolver

The Enfield Revolver, MkI & MkII, were the standard British service revolver for 7 years between 1880 and 1887. The Enfield was an unusual design in that it used the Owen Jones selective extraction/ejection system which meant that while being a top breaking revolver the cylinder remained in place on the lower part of the frame and not free floating hinged barrel section as with Webley Revolvers. This means that while the Enfield allowed empty casings to be removed reloading had to be done through a loading gate on the right, one round at a time. This system was supposed to allow users to easily remove empty cartridges while leaving live rounds in the cylinder - making partial cylinder reloads easier. This system however proved unsuitable for the field, where a fast-loading revolver was often needed.  The pistol was also quite heavy and proved to be quite unpopular with many it was issued to.

Loaded with the black powder .476 Enfield cartridge, it was found to be underpowered by many, especially during the Second Anglo-Afghan War and other contemporary conflicts throughout Africa. The Enfield was replaced by the British Army in 1887 but it remained in use with the North-West Mounted Police service in Canada right up to the outbreak of the First World War.

In 1889 the Enfields were replaced by the .455 calibre Webley Mk I which provided a better top-breaking frame and a more powerful bullet which would be in Service with the British Army right up until the end of the Second World War.

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Webley Mk VI .455 in Revolver, 1915

Introduced in 1915 the MkVI was the last of the Webley service pistol designs. It was replaced after the First World War with a .38 Enfield No.2.  The MkVI was extremely popular with British and Empire Officers issued with it during WWI. While not the most accurate pistol the .455 British Service cartridge had more than adequate stopping power in close quarters and was robust and dependable.  

The pistol held 6 .455 rounds and as with all Webley revolvers the pistol broke at the rear of the frame and the cartridges are extracted by the spring loaded extractor plate. 

There were also a range of accessories which officers could purchase privately including an extension stock and a short detachable bayonet which fitted over the pistols 152mm long barrel designed for the confines of trench warfare.   

Source

Military Small Arms, G Smith, 1994

Jane's Guns Recognition Guide, I Hogg, 1996