Diagram from the patent.

Personally, I think all gadgets like this are unnecessary. Police departments, on the other hand, love these kind of features. That the Glock requires its trigger to be pulled on disassembly has often been cited as a reason police have switched away from the Glock in favor of its competitors.

The patent application can be viewed online at Scribd.com.

German military pistols are being sold on the black market in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The weapons were sent in 2006 and were intended for local police and army personnel.

Arms dealers in the region told German public radio that hundreds of German weapons were for sale carrying a price tag of over 680 euros a piece ($1,000).

In 2006, the German Defense Ministry shipped 10,000 old Walther-P1 pistols to the Afghan Interior Ministry to equip Afghan police and army. However, both the German government and the responsible US-led security team in Afghanistan reportedly failed to properly monitor the guns' whereabouts.

The US unit said that it only had detailed records of 4,563 pistols out of a total 10,000.

Current and former Afghan soldiers and police officers are said to be among those illegally selling and trafficking the pistols, some of which have ended up in Pakistan's north-west border provinces and neighboring tribal areas.

...

The team of NDR radio reporters who discovered the black market guns said it's not clear exactly how they ended up there.

"Apparently, most of these pistols haven't been stolen, but were simply taken home and sold by former police officers and soldiers after they'd left the service," said Christoph Heinzle, who headed the NDR team. "But corruption and theft cannot be ruled out because neither the Afghan authorities nor the US and German armed forces carry out effective controls to prevent [theft]."

The United States has also come under criticism in the past for losing track of weapons donated to local forces. Short of retina scanning, which is being used to keep track of Iraqi M16 rifles, there is very little that can be done to prevent the end-users stealing the weapons they are issued.

Walther P38 (designated the P1 by the Bundeswehr)

Many thanks to Daniel for the link.

Limited "First" Edition

More more about this .380 ACP pistol here.

Smith & Wesson has identified a condition that may exist in certain PPK and PPK/S pistols which may permit a round to be discharged without the trigger being pulled. When the manual safety is disengaged, Smith & Wesson’s Product Engineering Group has determined that the possibility exists in certain firearms that lowering the hammer may cause a chambered round to fire.

This recall applies to all Walther PPK and PPK/S pistols manufactured by Smith & Wesson from March 21, 2002, until February 3, 2009. The Serial Numbers of the pistol subject to this recall are as follows:

BAB 0010-BAB 9999
BAC 0000-BAC 9999
BAD 0000-BAD 9999
LTD 0000-LTD 0499
PPK 0001-PPK 1500
BAE 0000-BAE 9999
BAF 0000-BAF 9999
WLE 0001-WLE 0459
BAH 0000-BAH 9999
BAJ 0000-BAJ 9999
BAK 0000-BAK 9999
REP 0026-REP 0219
BAL 0000-BAL 5313
BAM 0000-BAM 1320

STOP USING YOUR PISTOL AND RETURN IT TO SMITH & WESSON AT ONCE.

Any unintended discharge of a firearm has the potential for causing injury, and we ask that you stop using your pistol immediately.

To facilitate the repair of your pistol, please contact Smith & Wesson’s customer service department to receive instructions for the return of your pistol to Smith & Wesson.

When you return your pistol to Smith & Wesson, we will replace the existing hammer block feature with a new part at no cost to you. Your firearm will be returned as quickly and efficiently as possible.

To receive a UPS pre-paid billable stamp and shipping instructions to arrange for the modification of your pistol click here or contact Smith & Wesson directly at 1-800-331-0852.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS RECALL, PLEASE CONTACT SMITH & WESSON AT 1-800-331-0852 or email us at PPK_S@smith-wesson.com.

More information at S&W

The M-22 features:

* 3.5″ or 5″ match barrels.
* adjustable rear sight.
* Weaver style rails.
* Multiple safeties (many will call this a bug not a feature).
* All black model or nickel framed two tone model.

The “multiple safeties” probably means a magazine safety like the P22. The pistol will be imported by Austrian Sporting Arms and is said to be available in Spring 2009. MSRP is $400.

Promotional video:

Hat Tip: Shooting Wire

The PK380 features:

• 8+1 capacity
• polymer grip, steel frame and slide
• 3.66" barrel
• Overall length of 6.5"
• Picatinny-style rail
• Ambidextrous mag release and safety.
• Drift-adjustable rear sight.
• Unloaded weight: 19.4 ounces
• Width is 1.2"

Four models will be available:

First Edition: a limited series model with "First Edition markings", holster and two mags. Two tone: nickel-plated slide. Standard: All black Laser model: Standard model with laser

They should be available later this year.

Photo Copyright Ken Lunde. Used with permission.

From the press release:

For 2009, Walther® has once again exceeded expectations with the introduction of the new PK380. Engineered on one of Walther’s most popular platforms, the P22, the PK380 delivers .380 power into a lightweight, ambidextrous pistol. Versatile, comfortable and nearly the same size as the P22, the Walther PK380 continues the company’s longstanding tradition of German innovation and technical expertise.

Suppose that I did not own this PPK; some might ask if I would I run out to purchase a Walther PPK over all other handguns available for home defense or concealed carry. No, I probably would not, but I certainly would not fault anyone who did choose one; the PPK is a fine little pistol.

More here.

Smith & Wesson

Through December 31, 2008, consumers will have the opportunity to take part in two promotions from Smith & Wesson – the Hunting Fall Spectacular and the Holiday Handgun Promo. During the designated months, consumers will be able to receive rebates or free magazines with the purchase of select firearms.

Hunting Fall Spectacular:
· Purchase a new Smith & Wesson Elite Gold or Silver shotgun and receive a free shotgun case
· Purchase a new Model 500 or 460XVR revolver and receive a $75 rebate
· Purchase a new i-Bolt™ rifle and receive a $50 rebate
· Purchase a new 1000 Series shotgun and receive a $50 rebate

Holiday Handgun Promotion:
· Purchase select J-frame revolvers and receive a $30 rebate
· Purchase select revolvers over $500 and receive a $50 rebate
· Purchase a new M&P pistol and receive a $50 rebate or two free magazines
· Purchase a new Sigma pistol and receive a $50 rebate or two free magazines

Thompson/Center Arms

Thompson/Center will offer new incentives this year as part of the Get in the Hunt Promo, which began October 1 and continues through December 31, 2008.

Get in the Hunt:
· Purchase any new Encore barrel and receive a $25 rebate
· Purchase any new Omega Z5 muzzleloader and receive a $50 rebate
· Purchase a select Encore Pro Hunter or Endeavor and receive a $50 rebate
· Purchase a new ICON™ rifle and receive a $50 rebate

Walther

Walther will begin its PPK & PPK/S Promotion starting October 7, 2008 running through January 7, 2009. During the three month long promotion, consumers will receive a $50 rebate or two free magazines with the purchase of a new Walther PPK or PPK/S pistol.

The “RAD” part of the name refers to the hometown of the Lucznik Arms Factory, Radom. Interestingly enough “Rad” was the the unofficial nickname of the Polish Vis semi-automatic pistol used in WWII.

The pistol was designed by the Polish military and I do not know if Walther will sell this design to the public.

Photos taken by Remigiusz Wilk (REMOV).

More here (this page is English, most of site is not)

I have done my best to find accurate information about this firearm on the Polish MSPO 2008 website. I do not speak or read Polish so I had to rely on Google Translate. If I got something wrong, please correct me in the comments.

I like do art in my spare time. Take a look at the attached file. This picture of a p99 was made by x-raying and refinishing with illustrator. Unfortunately it is probably not accurate.

Click to expand.

The Walther G22 has a terrible trigger, lots of take up, and a very mushy break. I saw it as an opportunity to practice my trigger control, and got pretty good with it. After a recent trip to the range I took it apart for cleaning, and decided to spend a bit trying to figure out a cheap, reliable, effective way to shorten the trigger pull. Previous attempts had been fruitless, but this time I actually figured something out.

More here.

So, the real verdict, how does it shoot? Well, for me, it shoots better than any gun I have ever fired, which includes an impressive list of what’s what in the realm of combat handguns (custom or otherwise). I shot 365 rounds (300 of various FMJ rounds and 65 HP’s) today, and I find that I can rapid fire the center out of a 8×10 piece of paper at 10 yards seemingly all day long regardless of what stance or grip I use. Hell, it didn’t matter whether I used the sights, used a threat-focused approach at near eye level or shot from the hip at 4 yards, I was still on paper and in the scoring ring for all but 10 errant shots. I also got to shoot 150 rounds with my Streamlight TLR-1 attached (20 of them in complete darkness aside from the light) and as a bonus, not only is the light useful, but the extra weight up front allowed for faster follow-up shots; never a bad thing. My concentrated accuracy test involved shooting the staple at each corner of my last target to see if I could hit them and thus drop the paper from the target stand. At 10 yards, it took me a mere 6 shots, with both of my misses being less than a few centimeters too low. That’s good enough for a combat or carry gun, it’s certainly good enough for my standards and I doubt I could have done that with any other handgun I own. It’s inexplicable to me why this gun just shoots so much better in my hands than anything else, though everyone that ever shot with me when I had my previous P99 laughs and tells me I should have never sold it, that was the one gun I shot like a pro. Well, here’s to renewing relationships with old friends, this P99, like her predecessor, has earned her rightful place in a holder tucked inside my waistband.

More here.