Walther MP (Maschinenpistole)

History

The traditional German company Walther - known for its excellent work in the field of pistols - started with the design of submachine guns/submachine guns in the early 1960s. That was at a time when the German nation was still divided into East and West, and the lines drawn after World War II (1939-1945) had faded. The weapon in question became the Walther MP ("Machine Gun") and combined two different variants in the basic concept - the short-barreled MPK ("K" = "short") and the long-barreled MPL ("L" " = "long" long).

Both versions rely on the proven recoil operating system commonly found in submachine gun designs, as well as the ubiquitous 9x19mm Parabellum pistol cartridge. It is fed by a straight 32-round detachable magazine.

Construction of MP integrated steel presses for a robust one-piece housing. The design is very traditional, with a full pistol grip at the rear, the magazine feed just in front of the grip, and a short handguard that wraps the barrel inside. The sights are mounted in the usual way by a combination of open and open layouts in the upper front and rear of the weapon.

The shoulder rest is an integral wire rack hinged to the rear of the receiver and the bottom of the grip to fold the weapon for a more compact footprint. Selective fire control is mounted on the left side of the frame.

The MPK and MPL variants are more or less the same, the difference being that the latter uses a longer barrel, as well as an extended handguard.

The MPK weighs 6 lbs (MPL is slightly heavier), and the weapon is 26 inches long (14.7 inches with the folded wire rest). By comparison, the MPL is 29 inches long and 18 inches folded. The MPK has a barrel length of 6.8 inches and the MPL has a barrel length of 10.2 inches.

Both designs have the same rate of fire, 550 rounds per minute. The effective range is slightly different - up to 100 meters for the MPK and 200 meters for the MPL.

Walther MP products ultimately failed to match the market success of competitors such as Israel's UZI and Heckler & Koch MP5 series. It was ordered by Brazil, Colombia, Mexico (Navy), Portugal (Navy), South Africa (Police), United States (Special Forces), Venezuela and Zimbabwe.

This type was used by both the West German navy and police forces.

Production of MP weapons was extended until 1987.

Specification

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Changes