[MLB]

Does anyone know for certain if the "K" in PPK stands for Kriminal or Kurz? I was pretty sure it was Kurz (short), but often run into info that says otherwise.

 

[P88]

Polizeipistole Kriminal.

 

[uncut]

wikipedia info
Not sure if you speak German or not... anyhow

according to this info it is both...."Polizeipistole Kriminalmodell" or in German slang "Plizeipistole Kurtz"

 

[MLB]

Regrettably I don't, but there is an English page for uneducated Americans

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walther_PPK

It seems to say that either is correct. I'd have to imagine that it would be one or the other though. Thanks P88.

 

[banddr2]

According to Dieter Marschall on the P38forum it is "kriminal" which is german for detective, which is what the pistol was originally designed for. Which makes sense, since the modell PP was designed for police use.

 

[michael t]

Quote[/b] (banddr2 @ Feb. 16 2006,20:49)]According to Dieter Marschall on the P38forum it is "kriminal" which is german for detective, which is what the pistol was originally designed for.  Which makes sense, since the modell PP was designed for police use.

thats the correct interpertation The 380 is a 9mm krutz (short) and of course the /S is because of our gun control act of 1968

 

[MLB]

Thanks for the help guys.

 

[Johnmickel]

Does anyone know for certain if the "K" in PPK stands for Kriminal or Kurz? I was pretty sure it was Kurz (short), but often run into info that says otherwise.

Kriminal... Kurz would only apply to the 9mm/380ACP while Kriminal applies to all calibers.

 

[Absalom]

Pre-war factory literature which has been posted in the forum before proves beyond a doubt that „Kriminalmodell“ is the word behind the K. For real language nerds, it is worth noting that there is no indication that PPK was actually a true abbreviation for the complete term „Polizeipistole Kriminalmodell“, but just the model code. Walther never seems to have written it out like that, and it would be very inelegant in German. If they didn‘t use PPK, it was just the Kriminalmodell.

 

[XRing]

Kurz Kriminal, short criminal like character played by Joe Pesci in Goodfellas.

 

[Absalom]

Kurz Kriminal, short criminal like character played by Joe Pesci in Goodfellas.

Alternately, Kriminal Kurtz, a character from a Joseph Conrad novel.

 

[Kar98]

Kurz Kriminal, short criminal like character played by Joe Pesci in Goodfellas.

You've been hit by—
You've been hit by—
A Kurz Kriminal!

 

[Sergeant127]

Among my other bad habits. I collect Police badges. This is an East German Kriminal Polizei warrant disc. The secret police were referred to as the KRIPO. And, generally refers to all Detectives and undercover Officers.

I’ve always believed the K in PPK stood for Kriminal. Much like the Colt .38 duty gun with a short barrel and round grip became the Detective Special.

 

[Absalom]

This is an East German Kriminal Polizei warrant disc. The secret police were referred to as the KRIPO......
I’ve always believed the K in PPK stood for Kriminal. ....

But of course the Kripo of the Vopo did not carry the PPK at any point

Nice disc. You know the story behind the Berlin 9?

 

[Sergeant127]

Maybe. The logo on the back is different because they had to work in a city that was split in the middle. Any info you’ve got would be appreciated.

I was about 7 years old when we went back and visited Germany. (I was born there). We still had relatives on the east side. My mother and I were not allowed off the train as we had American passports but, my grandmother was still a German citizen and was allowed to meet her family, briefly in East Germany.

I swear, you could feel the change as we crossed the border into East Germany. Colors were subdued.Sounds were muted. It felt oppressive. You could actually feel it.

But, even unified Germany uses the same title.

 

[GeMor]

Among my other bad habits. I collect Police badges. This is an East German Kriminal Polizei warrant disc. The secret police were referred to as the KRIPO. And, generally refers to all Detectives and undercover Officers.

I’ve always believed the K in PPK stood for Kriminal. Much like the Colt .38 duty gun with a short barrel and round grip became the Detective Special.
View attachment 97805

In the former "DDR", GDR in English, the " Kriminalpolizei (KRIPO)", Criminal Police in English, belonged to the "Volkspolizei (VOPO)", People's Police in English, and had nothing to do with the secret police, called "Staatssicherheit (STASI)", State Security in English.

 

[Balogh]

Pre-war factory literature which has been posted in the forum before proves beyond a doubt that „Kriminalmodell“ is the word behind the K. For real language nerds, it is worth noting that there is no indication that PPK was actually a true abbreviation for the complete term „Polizeipistole Kriminalmodell“, but just the model code. Walther never seems to have written it out like that, and it would be very inelegant in German. If they didn‘t use PPK, it was just the Kriminalmodell.

There is one hint that PPK is a abbreviation: In Walther's own pre-far factory publications we can read sometimes "P.P.K." which seems to be more than just a model code like "PPK" could be and for example "PPX" really is. I agree completely that the term "Kriminalmodell" was the gun's common name used often in the mentioned literature. But reading the slide's inscription "Mod. PPK" leads me conclusively to "Modell Polizeipistole Kriminal" instead of "Modell Polizeipistole Kriminalmodell" whith the full common name. The repetition of "Modell" sounds terrible in my ears.

For this reason I prefer the following nomenclature:
Mod. PP = Modell Polizeipistole, simply called Polizeipistole or just PP
Mod. PPK = Modell Polizeipistole Kriminal, simply called Kriminalmodell or just PPK

 

[Absalom]

Maybe. The logo on the back is different because they had to work in a city that was split in the middle. Any info you’ve got would be appreciated.

Indeed. The numbers 1 through 8 were assigned to the districts making up East Germany and issued to the Vopo-Kripo in 1950. Number 1 was (East)-Berlin.
The back said “Volkspolizei der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik”. For the Berlin discs, that became an immediate issue as East Berlin under Four-Power status was not legally part of the “German Democratic Republic”.
I don’t know who complained, but the 1 discs were immediately withdrawn and replaced by the 9 discs like yours, which just said “Deutsche Volkspolizei” on the back.

 

[Absalom]

For this reason I prefer the following nomenclature:
Mod. PP = Modell Polizeipistole, simply called Polizeipistole or just PP
Mod. PPK = Modell Polizeipistole Kriminal, simply called Kriminalmodell or just PPK

I’ve always liked the explanation that they attached the K to the back rather than the front (KPP = Kriminalpolizeipistole) because around 1930 in Germany any abbreviation with the letter sequence KP would have triggered the wrong associations within the prospective customer circles

 

[Martin]

Now I have to ask, what's about the Walther KPK?