I really enjoy your videos Not a shooter or collector, my limited funds are spent elsewhere (I have 12 trombones), but I find the mechanics and history fascinating and your delivery of information and not politics to be refreshing You should market the ‘universal disassembly tool’
Amazingly enough the Walter PP was also used by the R.A.F., but not during WWII, they were issued to fast jet aircrew for self protection if they were shot down because they were a lot smaller than the standard issue Browning HP, they were designated Pistol L47A1.
When I joined the police in 1986 I was issued with a Walther PP in 9mmK, I often wondered why British police forces would have chosen a German gun? 55957 was issued to me, slightly second hand, but still superb, great shooter and so easy to carry.Sadly replaced with a Glock 17 in 2002, it’s the size of a house brick..
I've seen on US collector's circuit, several separate PPKs, overstamped with a '9K' (for 9mm Kurtz, aka .380ACP) and 'not English make'. I have been curios of these, were PPKs issued to British police and was it their armorers that did caliber conversions from 7.65mm to consistent 9mmK? None of the dealers had any clue. BTW: 'not English make' stamped collector type handguns occasionally seen on US and some European collectors' circuits. When subjects had their handgun seized and confiscated by British government I presumed they all were destroyed, but were some of those with intrinsic historical value sold to other placed rather than destroyed? BTW: We started with Beretta 92, then went to Sig .40s, now to Glock 9mm. Some refer to them as 'staple guns' due to trigger pull. In US they are describe as the 'gun lawyers designed' as negligent discharges are less likely than supposedly with hammer guns on single action. Curiously, 2 common on line videos of negligent discharges both had Glocks, the dancing FBI agent that dropped it on dance floor, picking it up with finger on trigger and the police chief showing off his prowess to reporters by planning to dissassemble, 1)removing it from holster, 2)removing magazine, 4)uncocking it by pulling trigger, oops, forgot to clear chamber first (that was supposed to be step 3)!
but, the US democrats tell us the British Police do not have guns. nobody has a gun. no murders. just lots of rainbows and unicorns dancing in the streets while everybody holds hands and sings kumbaya.
@@MrYfrank14 Most British police do not carry guns. There are specialist units who do, for example airport security, and armed response units who deal with incidents involving firearms. I think I've seen armed police here about 3 times in my life. They are not usually necessary.
There are more handguns in UK (all illegal of course) than at anytime in UK history. Good YT video of UK gun runner claiming he sells 150 guns a month at between 3-5,000 Pounds each. Most coming from Eastern Europe & far East. Most UK big cities have acoustic shot tracking systems in certain areas. In 1985 when handguns & semiauto rifles legal for subjects in UK to own there were 8 gun related murders (Handgun Control,Inc ad 1987) in 2015 there were 79 gun related murders after law abiding subjects almost completely disarmed. Many female officers have concealed Glock 22 in most areas.
I am sure it has been pointed out already, but the Fallschirmjäger also fell under the auspices of the Luftwaffe, having been moved over from the Army in around 1935 or 1936. So, the Luftwaffe also had to arm and equip actual infantry throughout the war, not just the later formations, such as the Hermann Göring Division. Fallschirmjäger soldiers could only carry a few grenades and small a small pistol on their person during a jump, and had to chase their equipment containers out the door of the aircraft, and go find that, to get their machine guns, SMGs, rifles, etc. so, the Fallchirmjägers had reason to need small pistols as well.
Yes, they jumped from such a low level that their chutes opened so violently that a carried or slung weapon would be ripped right off of the paratroopers bodies. The reason they jumped so low was to limit the dispersion during the drop.
I remember when I was young my grandfathers favorite collection piece was an Astra 600 with leather drop style holster that he believed was used by the the Luftwaffe. Though as a dutch detainee during the war in Indonesia it was a purchased piece long after the conflict ended. It was actually a Forgotten Weapons video on the piece that showed me what to look for to discover that it did not fall into the serial number range delivered to the German Military during the war, and supplied to the West German Police force instead several years after that would explain the aged leather holster that came with it. I still love the piece to bits, though the realization that it wasn't what my grandfather believed it was when he got it did bum me out for a while afterwards.
@Ben Woodcock That moment in Dr.NO where Bond tries to sneak his Beretta out of M's office so he doesn't have to use the PPK he just got is still funny to this day.
That was mostly only in the movies. If you read the books and especially those written by John Gardner, Bond usually had a different gun. In the book "License to Kill" for example, Bond carried a S&W ASP 9mm but in the movie he carried a PPK. It wasn't until Pierce Brosnan played Bond that Hollywood finally got on board with the fact that the PPK wasn't really used that long by him.
Usually, with Walther pistols, if the magazines are serialized, they both are. I say usually because even though I've never heard of it, it could potentially have happened that they for some reason didn't adhere to that standard. It's true for all the Walther pistols I know of, but you know, that whole thing with the absolutes.
No Walthers, but I've seen other military pistols with a serial number and 'a' under it representing spare. Early 20th Century self loading pistols had magazine fitted and tested with specific pistol and serial numbered appropriately. I honestly don't know when it started, which guns were involved or when stopped, just know if from exhibits by Auto Pistol Collectors discussions who had some very extensive displays.
In Luftwaffe bombers of this era, the bombardier was usually the plane commander and most likely to be an officer. Both in the Imperial Luftstreitkräfte of WW1 and Luftwaffe of WW2 the pilot was seen like a chauffeur, which really is what he is/was. this meant that in both World Wars a lot of German pilots were enlisted men and NCOs, while observers and bombardiers - the people who were performing the actual mission - usually were officers. Very logic and very German.
The german paratroopers were also part of the Luftwaffe. I suppose a lot of pistols went to them, since they originally jumped armed only with pistols (thus every soldier actually carrying one), having their gear dropped separately. That changed later though.
The Luftwaffe pilots did, indeed, carry a broad assortment of pistols. I seem to recall that in his book "Stuka Pilot," Hans Ulrich Rudel describes carrying a 6.25mm revolver of some sort. I don't know whether it was issued or a private purchase.
I could listen to him say that all day! One of the german words that also sound nice when spoken with american pronunciation. That said, i better stay away from a drinking game like that, while looping Ian's video. 😅
@@AirJimInCT Both Bf and Me are equally correct. The Germans themselves used both designations interchangeably. See this video for more info: ua-cam.com/video/gy9ekBSp1VA/v-deo.html
I still miss my Zella Mehlis manufactured 7.65mm PPK. Cost £12 in 1964 from T. Stensby in Manchester. Price rocketed after a certain Mr. Bond became popular.
My grandpa bought one of these from a soldier getting off a ship from Europe in Norfolk, Virginia during the war. He wanted beer money and held it up and said "anyone want to buy a gun?" My grandpa who was a Navy electrician gave him $20 for it. My dad has it now and it's a family heirloom. I wish this pistol could talk. Would be fascinating to know who had it in the Luftwaffe.
The Majority of Luftwaffe fighter pilots were non-commissioned officers -sgt pilots & corporal pilots. (Corporal in charge of a main battle tank n 3 or 4 other crew , why not an me109 or fw190?) During rearming in the 30s , it was found -no more than 5 commissioned officers per squadron or morale suffered, & when you have too many officers piled together with not enough to do...they start churning out orders n directives!
Read about a Swedish collector whose grandfather ( probably in Swedish military) accepted Luftwaffe pilots that fled to Sweden after Germany surrendered, rather that risk surrender or capture by Soviets. The collector quite proud of the Walther his grandfather had kept and handed down and in article, that was about the capture not gun specifically, spoke of how humanely the surrendered pilots were treated by Swedes.
The FLAK units, whether they were issued 2 cm AA, 8,8 cm AA or larger calibres formed a large part of the Luftwaffe. Those units were actually more likely tae be armed with sidearms than Ground Crews.
A small perhaps nit-pickey point. In German Luftwaffe is the name for the branch of service which we call the Air Force without regard to the time frame involved Today the German Air Force is called the Luftwaffe . The name Luftwaffe does not in any way imply the WWII time frame----although certainly people frequently use the word to imply a WWII connection as you seem to be doing in the video Thanks once again for a great and interesting video and please keep up the good work
The same can be said for referencing the US Army Air Corp as the US Air Force, during WW2. Now the USA has an entirely new US Space Force, even though the US Air Force Space Command has existed for years and was responsible for many operations to include maintaining GPS satelittes.
Swedish Police used the PPK until late 80s when they changed to Sig P226 witha 6 kilo trigger pull. They are however looking to but Glock instead, like civilian security and the Military use.
Not a collector or anything if that sort. I own a basic Glock simply for home defense that's it. But Ian is such an interesting guy he honestly hooked me to the history of firearms and the mechanics and everything
BTW: Rumour has it the blokes at Walther actually wanted to call the pistol "Walther Pew Pew" in the first place to clarify its purpose. But as they were Germans, they just weren't able to get the English spelling right. :-)
After nearly a decade of following you for your vast knowledge of firearms and related material, I suddenly have a whole new respect for you in terms of aircraft knowledge from the single fact that you said Bf109. You have no idea how many people insist that is wrong...
Luftwaffe was also incharge of anti-aircraft artillery batteries and radar installations. And, then there was Hermie Goering's own personal military "division" (really not much larger than a reinforced regiment, and largely the entire Falshirmjaeger corps for truppen).
Iconic pistol + ww2 issued german gear + Luftwaffe specifics + matching pieces. With that combination, I can't imagine what the price tag would be if one was willing to buy one of these. Must be scary.
legacy collectables is an awesome channel been subbed since ian last did a vid talking about them (i dont even know how long ago) was on reddit, someone asked a question about some gun, think he wanted an appraisal, im like i have no idea, but.. theres this place called legacy collectables, maybe give them a call the reply told me they called the guy and he was super friendly and able to help them over the phone crazy how a guy who just watches FW in Australia (because its interesting stuff, ty ian) can help a guy in America get his gun appraised, even though i have no idea on the subject outside youtube, and i can confirm through that redditor that that guys a total champ and will bend over backwards to help you
As a German, I would call these “Luftwaffewaffen” ^^ Always a bit strange to hear an American spell the German Words in German.. but whe also doesn’t translate American Names , and the German Air Force is still the Luftwaffe .. (Air Weapon Weapons)
I've only taken a little German, but in English it's typical to not translate proper names like Luftwaffe, Gendarmerie, etc. Though this tends to go out the window with non-Western organizations, like saying Imperial Japanese Army instead of Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun. This can lead to fun confusions like when you talk about, say, NVA SKS rifles and half the people think the army of the DDR and the other half think the North Vietnamese Army.
@@Barefoot_Joe Well, that may have helped in previous wars which were fought primarily with bladed weapons, but as history obviously teaches us, failing to mark ones firearms doesn't end well in a _shooting_ war. ;-)
Hey Ian, I am sorry to barge in like that but as a German native: It's Luftwaffe - not Luuuftwaffe (the "U" isn't stretched, it's pronounced very short)...I know German is hard for non-native-speakers, but still ;) Otherwise great video as always (well worth my contribution to your patreon :) )
@@narutokun5025 : Bei dem Wort , Luftwaffe' benutze ich die hochdeutsche Aussprache. Luft allein ist Luufd und ein Waffenschein ist ein Waffaschei . Es gibt allerdings auch Worte, bei denen das a langgezogen wird , etwa Naacht oder Baal ( ist nicht der antike orientalische Gott, sondern ,Ball'). Aber ein langgezogenes a kann auch ,ab' bedeuten, z. B. aabrocha- abgebrochen.
Thanks Ian. Another good morning start to my day. Now I can get back to work on my space force shuttle craft. Yes I have really built one. Yes full sized.
You forgot to mention the Fallschirmjager ... German paratroopers were luftwaffe and considered among the best combat units that served in WWII, also the Hermann Goering Division infantry/panzer unit which was not a scratch unit but an excellent combat unit, Hermann took care of his men. I owned many years ago a Saure and Sons luftwaffe marker .380.
I've always wondered why WWII holsters, both Axis and Allied, are usually full coverage with a locking flap over the top of the pistol. Is it to protect the weapon from the elements? It certainly wouldn't be much help if a soldier found himself in an ambush situation where milliseconds count.
Luftwaffe pilots were not necessarily "high ranking". Often they were NCOs: ranking as low as gefreitor; Equivalent to a lance-corporal or PFC. Luftwaffe personnel took part in ground combat from the very start of WW2: the Herman Göring Regiment invading Poland in 1939. Apart the HG division, paratroopers, and flak units there were Luftwaffe Field Divisions who fought as infantry. And Luftwaffe ground staff were often formed into ad-hoc anti-partisan units in Occupied Europe.
I am fairly sure that the Luftwaffe provided troops to Army Groups long before 1944-45. Paratroopers were part of the Luftwaffe, not the Heere, and were used as conventional (but highly regarded) soldiers after the Battle of Crete showed their vulnerability. I believe that the Herman Goring Division was made up with Luftwaffe personnel. Certainly, there was sufficient use of Luftwaffe military ground forces that when the Heere was considering adopting the intermediate cartridge for the weapon that resulted in the Gw.44 that the Luftwaffe commissioned an automatic rifle using rifle cartridges (the one with the magazine to the side - forget its name). Like the SS, Luftwaffe troops were used alongside regular Heere soldiers with all the difficulties that ensued.
I have always wanted a PP in .32 ACP (did they ever make them in .380?). A run of the mill one would be fine. Mil issue guns are always interesting, German ones especially so. German military is not the o ly one to issue small pustols ro high ranking officers. I am sure Ian knows this- until about the early 70's, upon reaching general officer rank, an officer would be issued a Colt 1903 (.32 ACP) or 1908 (380 ACP) pistol, with a distinctive calfskin holster and belt. They often kept them upon retirement. In fact i think he had done a video on them. The other special general officers' pistol was a cut down 1911A1 (5 shot, shorter barrel) made by Frankford Arsenal in the late 60's/early 70's. It was the inspiration for the Colt Officers' ACP which came later. I think he had done a video on it. Anyway, great video as always. Thank you
the easy way to "get it right" when thinking/looking at a picture of the 109, if it's an A/B/C/or D model =Bf. From the "E" onward "officially" (read as "as declared by the party") = Me. but both prefixes were in use through the whole war depending on whose paperwork you were looking at...
How I love the whole PP/PPK platform... if only somebody did a 9mm locked breech single stack PP or PPK with decocker today.. that would be my carry choice... the market is full of striker fired polymer nines... but I love my hammer ( :D )
I like DA/SA guns that are made of metal. Looks like I will be doing all my shopping in the used department in the future. For some reason the market thinks we need 10,000 different polymer glock wannabes. Looks like 1911's will be the only thing you can get made out of metal soon. Pity.
My grandfather gave me a walther pp that he took off of a German officer who was surrendering at the end of the war. The holster has the officers name in it and the same initials are on the gun. Lt. Franz Lackner I’m always hoping to get more insight on the history. Would you be willing to help?
Relative of mine has a WW2 used waffenfabrik kommer zella-mehlis in 7.65, have you ever thought about doing a video about other sidearms that were used in WW2 but not issued rather personal weapons which they brought as backups.
Not all luftwaffe ppks had serial number number on magazine 270989K 1940 My father had one from a pilot shot down by warship in English Channel. I even know the pilot and have a photograph of the pilot
The main reason why the SS did not have standard-issue Wehrmacht weapons: The SS was not part of the army and therefore outside of the army's procurement-system. That is why they had guns made in Czechoslowakia and other places as well as captured guns.
If you were a secret agent who goes uh... undercover... in the line of duty, which pistol would you choose? The Walther PPK and P99, and the ASP 9mm have been suggested. I think they are possibles but I think you might have seen a gun that would be perfect. So, James, uh, I mean Ian, what would you wish? Thanks for sharing! Stay healthy!
"Luftwaffe was second tier in terms of arms procurement" But why would the Germans limit their Airforce's budget? *Remembers the ultra-fine collector level survival rifle for pilots in North Africa, that the Luftwaffe spent a crap load of money on* Yeah, I guess it makes sense
@@constantine2197 > If I was a Heer Feldmarschall I would argue limiting their funding, too 😂😂 Well, experience does tell us that's it's prudent to keep those flyboys (and especially those pesky zoomies with their noisy toys) on a tight leash, right? Regards, an SFC (Ret.) of the Austrian Army's _land_ forces. ;-)
It was honestly a way to keep the various organizations competing against each other to prevent them from conspiring together to throw out the idiots in charge!
I have noticed that sometimes you put Spanish weapons there is a video titled "Weapons of Spain - 1890 to Present" de jmantime in which many ancient weapons appear, some quite ugly and others very beautiful you should take a look.
"The higher your rank, the smaller PP you get..."
*insert mandatory PP joke here*
Олег Козлов 😀😃
So, by that logic, what size pistol Göring gets?
@@Taistelukalkkuna one of those 4mm micro pistols..?? trick would be finding it under all that fat he carried most of the war.
@@Taistelukalkkuna Probably a Kolibri.
Petition to call these Luftwalthers.
I'd sign it
I’d sign
I'd sign
I will sign.
Well done sir
"My uniforms look even better with the right accessories."
- Hugo Boss
@@chrissinclair4442 overdose of ignorance for the masses
@Michael Srite as were their fighting skils.
Hugo boss did actually make and design uniforms for the Germans.
Maksymilian Serwicki the more evil the empire the better the uniforms
@@danielamador5932 Your proctologist must have had a rather tough time trying to remove your head, alas, its still stuck.
I really enjoy your videos
Not a shooter or collector, my limited funds are spent elsewhere (I have 12 trombones), but I find the mechanics and history fascinating and your delivery of information and not politics to be refreshing
You should market the ‘universal disassembly tool’
Damn, you have enough brass to make a cannon
12 trombones? are you sure you have limited funds? those things are expensive!
Here he is ladies and gents, the man from your 3rd Grade math class
@@joet.s.6283 only if he starts selling trombones...
@@kenforte9167 if this man starts selling second hand trombones the stock markets will collapse
I just built a bunch of luftwaffe figures in 1/35 scale. And I didn't know what that tiny pistol holster was. Now I know! Thank you
And now you know what color to paint the holsters!
those things are in incredible condition
Agreed. I'd be willing to bet they've been fired a handful of times.
Amazingly enough the Walter PP was also used by the R.A.F., but not during WWII, they were issued to fast jet aircrew for self protection if they were shot down because they were a lot smaller than the standard issue Browning HP, they were designated Pistol L47A1.
PP style pistols still being made in Turkey I think. Good design for its niche, still ergonomically effective.
Did some also go to Military Intelligence perhaps...? ;)
Especially with guns/accessories that are hard to identify, remember: Buy the gun, not the story.
The story is whatever you believe. The gun isnt changed by it.
When I joined the police in 1986 I was issued with a Walther PP in 9mmK, I often wondered why British police forces would have chosen a German gun? 55957 was issued to me, slightly second hand, but still superb, great shooter and so easy to carry.Sadly replaced with a Glock 17 in 2002, it’s the size of a house brick..
Hey, if it's good enough for Bond it's good enough for the police.
I've seen on US collector's circuit, several separate PPKs, overstamped with a '9K' (for 9mm Kurtz, aka .380ACP) and 'not English make'. I have been curios of these, were PPKs issued to British police and was it their armorers that did caliber conversions from 7.65mm to consistent 9mmK? None of the dealers had any clue. BTW: 'not English make' stamped collector type handguns occasionally seen on US and some European collectors' circuits. When subjects had their handgun seized and confiscated by British government I presumed they all were destroyed, but were some of those with intrinsic historical value sold to other placed rather than destroyed?
BTW: We started with Beretta 92, then went to Sig .40s, now to Glock 9mm. Some refer to them as 'staple guns' due to trigger pull. In US they are describe as the 'gun lawyers designed' as negligent discharges are less likely than supposedly with hammer guns on single action. Curiously, 2 common on line videos of negligent discharges both had Glocks, the dancing FBI agent that dropped it on dance floor, picking it up with finger on trigger and the police chief showing off his prowess to reporters by planning to dissassemble, 1)removing it from holster, 2)removing magazine, 4)uncocking it by pulling trigger, oops, forgot to clear chamber first (that was supposed to be step 3)!
but, the US democrats tell us the British Police do not have guns. nobody has a gun.
no murders.
just lots of rainbows and unicorns dancing in the streets while everybody holds hands and sings kumbaya.
@@MrYfrank14 Most British police do not carry guns. There are specialist units who do, for example airport security, and armed response units who deal with incidents involving firearms. I think I've seen armed police here about 3 times in my life. They are not usually necessary.
There are more handguns in UK (all illegal of course) than at anytime in UK history. Good YT video of UK gun runner claiming he sells 150 guns a month at between 3-5,000 Pounds each. Most coming from Eastern Europe & far East. Most UK big cities have acoustic shot tracking systems in certain areas. In 1985 when handguns & semiauto rifles legal for subjects in UK to own there were 8 gun related murders (Handgun Control,Inc ad 1987) in 2015 there were 79 gun related murders after law abiding subjects almost completely disarmed. Many female officers have concealed Glock 22 in most areas.
I am sure it has been pointed out already, but the Fallschirmjäger also fell under the auspices of the Luftwaffe, having been moved over from the Army in around 1935 or 1936. So, the Luftwaffe also had to arm and equip actual infantry throughout the war, not just the later formations, such as the Hermann Göring Division. Fallschirmjäger soldiers could only carry a few grenades and small a small pistol on their person during a jump, and had to chase their equipment containers out the door of the aircraft, and go find that, to get their machine guns, SMGs, rifles, etc. so, the Fallchirmjägers had reason to need small pistols as well.
Yes, they jumped from such a low level that their chutes opened so violently that a carried or slung weapon would be ripped right off of the paratroopers bodies.
The reason they jumped so low was to limit the dispersion during the drop.
It resulted a lot of german Fallschirmjäger casualties during Operation Merkur (invasion of Crete).
I remember when I was young my grandfathers favorite collection piece was an Astra 600 with leather drop style holster that he believed was used by the the Luftwaffe. Though as a dutch detainee during the war in Indonesia it was a purchased piece long after the conflict ended. It was actually a Forgotten Weapons video on the piece that showed me what to look for to discover that it did not fall into the serial number range delivered to the German Military during the war, and supplied to the West German Police force instead several years after that would explain the aged leather holster that came with it.
I still love the piece to bits, though the realization that it wasn't what my grandfather believed it was when he got it did bum me out for a while afterwards.
Don’t feel bad. It doesn’t need to be a Nazi gun. It’s your grandfather’s gun.
That’s cool enough.
These holsters look so cool...
Ian, has deeply echeloned war reserve videos for these strange times we live in.
For a moment I considered that he was now quarantining at the Rock Island Auction House to keep doing videos.
an exceptionally good segment, thank you !
My grandpa has a Walther ppk bring back. It's pretty interesting, still shoots well.
Germans and their beautiful pistols. No wonder it was James Bond's weapon of choice, such a unique charm to them.
Der name ist Bond.
It was actually used because it looked so slick. It's not that nice to actually use.
@Ben Woodcock That moment in Dr.NO where Bond tries to sneak his Beretta out of M's office so he doesn't have to use the PPK he just got is still funny to this day.
That was mostly only in the movies. If you read the books and especially those written by John Gardner, Bond usually had a different gun. In the book "License to Kill" for example, Bond carried a S&W ASP 9mm but in the movie he carried a PPK. It wasn't until Pierce Brosnan played Bond that Hollywood finally got on board with the fact that the PPK wasn't really used that long by him.
Question. If the holster had a holder for a spare magazine did this have the same serial number as the magazine in the pistol?
That's a damn good question and I'm making this comment just to get an answer as well.
200 IQ Question
Usually, with Walther pistols, if the magazines are serialized, they both are. I say usually because even though I've never heard of it, it could potentially have happened that they for some reason didn't adhere to that standard. It's true for all the Walther pistols I know of, but you know, that whole thing with the absolutes.
@@Phred_Phlintstoner Seconded, lol.
No Walthers, but I've seen other military pistols with a serial number and 'a' under it representing spare. Early 20th Century self loading pistols had magazine fitted and tested with specific pistol and serial numbered appropriately. I honestly don't know when it started, which guns were involved or when stopped, just know if from exhibits by Auto Pistol Collectors discussions who had some very extensive displays.
the guns alone are cool, but what makes these vids great is the history and overview by Ian.
In Luftwaffe bombers of this era, the bombardier was usually the plane commander and most likely to be an officer. Both in the Imperial Luftstreitkräfte of WW1 and Luftwaffe of WW2 the pilot was seen like a chauffeur, which really is what he is/was. this meant that in both World Wars a lot of German pilots were enlisted men and NCOs, while observers and bombardiers - the people who were performing the actual mission - usually were officers. Very logic and very German.
Thanks Tom @ legacy Collectibles for lending these to Ian
1:05-1:36 - Ian goes about different parts of Luftwaffe...
Fallschirmjaegers: Are we a joke to you?
Great collaboration! Two excellent sources of information. 😁👍
The german paratroopers were also part of the Luftwaffe. I suppose a lot of pistols went to them, since they originally jumped armed only with pistols (thus every soldier actually carrying one), having their gear dropped separately. That changed later though.
I have an interarms ppks in blue in my pocket right now😍. Love it!!!
As always, great info, you are allknowing. And impressive that you dont Run adds on the channel. Thank you
The Luftwaffe pilots did, indeed, carry a broad assortment of pistols. I seem to recall that in his book "Stuka Pilot," Hans Ulrich Rudel describes carrying a 6.25mm revolver of some sort. I don't know whether it was issued or a private purchase.
Fun drinking game: Drink every time Ian says luftwaffe
I don’t feel like dying so nah
LOOFTWAFFER
Or "PP".
Graf von Losinj are you ok dude
I could listen to him say that all day! One of the german words that also sound nice when spoken with american pronunciation. That said, i better stay away from a drinking game like that, while looping Ian's video. 😅
Last time I was this early, a pistol was the main aircraft armament
A Luftwalther,if you will
Ah... Great minds think alike.
These videos make lock down bearable
So weird. Just knowing it was owned by an air force, as it were, makes the pistols instantly cooler.
...and more expensive at auctions.
Thank you , Ian .
look at the craftmanship...
Bonus marks for the BF 109, Ian knows his aircraft to
As an aviation historian I’m just glad he said “Bf” instead of “Me”
@@AirJimInCT Both Bf and Me are equally correct. The Germans themselves used both designations interchangeably. See this video for more info: ua-cam.com/video/gy9ekBSp1VA/v-deo.html
I mean it is the most iconic German plane used in WW2.
Well if its a tiny cockpit then surely it's a fw190?
@@AirJimInCT me refers to messerschmitt, being the brand of plane BF is the name, you wouldn't say I drive a jazz you would say you drive a Honda jazz
I still miss my Zella Mehlis manufactured 7.65mm PPK. Cost £12 in 1964 from T. Stensby in Manchester. Price rocketed after a certain Mr. Bond became popular.
My grandpa bought one of these from a soldier getting off a ship from Europe in Norfolk, Virginia during the war. He wanted beer money and held it up and said "anyone want to buy a gun?" My grandpa who was a Navy electrician gave him $20 for it. My dad has it now and it's a family heirloom. I wish this pistol could talk. Would be fascinating to know who had it in the Luftwaffe.
The Majority of Luftwaffe fighter pilots were non-commissioned officers -sgt pilots & corporal pilots. (Corporal in charge of a main battle tank n 3 or 4 other crew , why not an me109 or fw190?)
During rearming in the 30s , it was found -no more than 5 commissioned officers per squadron or morale suffered, & when you have too many officers piled together with not enough to do...they start churning out orders n directives!
Lanse Lithgow “Beobachter“ were in many cases commissioned officers, it could happen that the pilot was an PFC and the Beobachter a 1st Lt.
Read about a Swedish collector whose grandfather ( probably in Swedish military) accepted Luftwaffe pilots that fled to Sweden after Germany surrendered, rather that risk surrender or capture by Soviets. The collector quite proud of the Walther his grandfather had kept and handed down and in article, that was about the capture not gun specifically, spoke of how humanely the surrendered pilots were treated by Swedes.
The FLAK units, whether they were issued 2 cm AA, 8,8 cm AA or larger calibres formed a large part of the Luftwaffe. Those units were actually more likely tae be armed with sidearms than Ground Crews.
A small perhaps nit-pickey point. In German Luftwaffe is the name for the branch of service which we call the Air Force without regard to the time frame involved
Today the German Air Force is called the Luftwaffe .
The name Luftwaffe does not in any way imply the WWII time frame----although certainly people frequently use the word to imply a WWII connection as you seem to be doing in the video
Thanks once again for a great and interesting video and please keep up the good work
The same can be said for referencing the US Army Air Corp as the US Air Force, during WW2.
Now the USA has an entirely new US Space Force, even though the US Air Force Space Command has existed for years and was responsible for many operations to include maintaining GPS satelittes.
The holster stamp doesn't merely say it's for a PP (or PPK), it actually says "Nur für" (Only for ...)
I love my 2020 PPQ lot more plastic on the new ones. Still just a trigger safety double stack mag.
Swedish Police used the PPK until late 80s when they changed to Sig P226 witha 6 kilo trigger pull.
They are however looking to but Glock instead, like civilian security and the Military use.
Many police departments had trouble to accept a pistol without a safety lever, so at least the trigger pull had to be heavy enough to prevent an AD...
Not a collector or anything if that sort. I own a basic Glock simply for home defense that's it. But Ian is such an interesting guy he honestly hooked me to the history of firearms and the mechanics and everything
BTW: Rumour has it the blokes at Walther actually wanted to call the pistol "Walther Pew Pew" in the first place to clarify its purpose.
But as they were Germans, they just weren't able to get the English spelling right. :-)
Thanks for showing these Walther PP and PPK pistols , Gun Jesus !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After nearly a decade of following you for your vast knowledge of firearms and related material, I suddenly have a whole new respect for you in terms of aircraft knowledge from the single fact that you said Bf109. You have no idea how many people insist that is wrong...
Luftwaffe was also incharge of anti-aircraft artillery batteries and radar installations. And, then there was Hermie Goering's own personal military "division" (really not much larger than a reinforced regiment, and largely the entire Falshirmjaeger corps for truppen).
The Luftwaffe also administered and guarded the prisoner of war camps for Allied airmen.
Little known fact - after every video, Ian loads the gun and unloads on the camera.
Iconic pistol + ww2 issued german gear + Luftwaffe specifics + matching pieces. With that combination, I can't imagine what the price tag would be if one was willing to buy one of these. Must be scary.
legacy collectables is an awesome channel
been subbed since ian last did a vid talking about them (i dont even know how long ago)
was on reddit, someone asked a question about some gun, think he wanted an appraisal, im like i have no idea, but.. theres this place called legacy collectables, maybe give them a call
the reply told me they called the guy and he was super friendly and able to help them over the phone
crazy how a guy who just watches FW in Australia (because its interesting stuff, ty ian) can help a guy in America get his gun appraised, even though i have no idea on the subject outside youtube, and i can confirm through that redditor that that guys a total champ and will bend over backwards to help you
As a German, I would call these “Luftwaffewaffen” ^^
Always a bit strange to hear an American spell the German Words in German..
but whe also doesn’t translate American Names , and the German Air Force is still the Luftwaffe .. (Air Weapon Weapons)
I've only taken a little German, but in English it's typical to not translate proper names like Luftwaffe, Gendarmerie, etc. Though this tends to go out the window with non-Western organizations, like saying Imperial Japanese Army instead of Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun. This can lead to fun confusions like when you talk about, say, NVA SKS rifles and half the people think the army of the DDR and the other half think the North Vietnamese Army.
As German, you would say "Handfeuerwaffen der Luftwaffe" because "Luftwaffewaffen" is nonsense.
Viel Glück beim nächsten mal
could you maybe find an old drip fire system and do a video about it?
Haha, he said PP.
Whats the thing with pp the word pp is like glock 17 ar-15 or l-118A1 basically its a designation
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Ben Woodcock LMAO
Pao Gene Bevis and Butthead are laughing out loud!
Shoulda put Luftwaffe eagles on the grips.
No wonder they didn't win.
The knives and bayonets have the Eagle ;)
@@Barefoot_Joe
Well, that may have helped in previous wars which were fought primarily with bladed weapons, but as history obviously teaches us, failing to mark ones firearms doesn't end well in a _shooting_ war. ;-)
Hey Ian, I am sorry to barge in like that but as a German native: It's Luftwaffe - not Luuuftwaffe (the "U" isn't stretched, it's pronounced very short)...I know German is hard for non-native-speakers, but still ;)
Otherwise great video as always (well worth my contribution to your patreon :) )
Vielleicht hat er das Wort Luft von einem Schwaben gelernt ;-)!
Neee da wäre das 'a' gestreckt
It's going to be hard to change that. That is how it's pronounced in the English speaking world. I've not heard it any other way but good luck.
@@narutokun5025 : Bei dem Wort , Luftwaffe' benutze ich die hochdeutsche Aussprache. Luft allein ist Luufd und ein Waffenschein ist ein Waffaschei . Es gibt allerdings auch Worte, bei denen das a langgezogen wird , etwa Naacht oder Baal ( ist nicht der antike orientalische Gott, sondern ,Ball'). Aber ein langgezogenes a kann auch ,ab' bedeuten, z. B. aabrocha- abgebrochen.
I didn't know they made holsters for both the pistol AND the magazine.
I've always known them as being separate.
Anyways that and the gun is cool.
Thanks Ian. Another good morning start to my day. Now I can get back to work on my space force shuttle craft. Yes I have really built one. Yes full sized.
Well, Skyfall taught us that the PPK does good work as a budget AA gun, so it makes sense that the Luftwaffe issued them.
10pm.. nice timing.
Australian?
@@xgford94 yup. Melbourne.
Under the video, there is a mistake in the numbering of the 3rd batch. 204,000k should be 304,000k.
Ad at the beginning dropped me into the video at the 0:12 mark.
Would be great if you could get to do a review of the "Rising Bite" Action double-rifles by John Rigby and Co.
For research, how effective is .32 ACP/7.62 mauser for anti-personell use?
Thank you so much, Ian! Very interesting information. Would you be willing to do a feature on RZM Walthers? Thank you so much.
Eric
You forgot to mention the Fallschirmjager ... German paratroopers were luftwaffe and considered among the best combat units that served in WWII, also the Hermann Goering Division infantry/panzer unit which was not a scratch unit but an excellent combat unit, Hermann took care of his men. I owned many years ago a Saure and Sons luftwaffe marker .380.
DOUG HEINS Otto Skorzeny...
I prefer the looks of the brown grip handle.
wunderbar
Great video, the Russians were not shy about appropriating Walther designs!
Well, they might have followed the principle of: "If it seems to be stupid but works, it isn't". :-)
Those things are incredible guns from James Bond Movies
I've always wondered why WWII holsters, both Axis and Allied, are usually full coverage with a locking flap over the top of the pistol. Is it to protect the weapon from the elements? It certainly wouldn't be much help if a soldier found himself in an ambush situation where milliseconds count.
Luftwaffe pilots were not necessarily "high ranking".
Often they were NCOs: ranking as low as gefreitor; Equivalent to a lance-corporal or PFC.
Luftwaffe personnel took part in ground combat from the very start of WW2: the Herman Göring Regiment invading Poland in 1939.
Apart the HG division, paratroopers, and flak units there were Luftwaffe Field Divisions who fought as infantry. And Luftwaffe ground staff were often formed into ad-hoc anti-partisan units in Occupied Europe.
Is it just me or does that first holster look like the stamp is misspelled? It looks like "Ptsiols"
I am fairly sure that the Luftwaffe provided troops to Army Groups long before 1944-45. Paratroopers were part of the Luftwaffe, not the Heere, and were used as conventional (but highly regarded) soldiers after the Battle of Crete showed their vulnerability. I believe that the Herman Goring Division was made up with Luftwaffe personnel. Certainly, there was sufficient use of Luftwaffe military ground forces that when the Heere was considering adopting the intermediate cartridge for the weapon that resulted in the Gw.44 that the Luftwaffe commissioned an automatic rifle using rifle cartridges (the one with the magazine to the side - forget its name). Like the SS, Luftwaffe troops were used alongside regular Heere soldiers with all the difficulties that ensued.
Mark Slater Flak was in majority Luftwaffe too, and there were Luftwaffe Flak-units fighting as combat units at the “Front“.
I have always wanted a PP in .32 ACP (did they ever make them in .380?). A run of the mill one would be fine. Mil issue guns are always interesting, German ones especially so. German military is not the o ly one to issue small pustols ro high ranking officers. I am sure Ian knows this- until about the early 70's, upon reaching general officer rank, an officer would be issued a Colt 1903 (.32 ACP) or 1908 (380 ACP) pistol, with a distinctive calfskin holster and belt. They often kept them upon retirement. In fact i think he had done a video on them. The other special general officers' pistol was a cut down 1911A1 (5 shot, shorter barrel) made by Frankford Arsenal in the late 60's/early 70's. It was the inspiration for the Colt Officers' ACP which came later. I think he had done a video on it. Anyway, great video as always. Thank you
1st few yrs Bf109 correct term, later Messershmitt was recognized so Me109
the easy way to "get it right" when thinking/looking at a picture of the 109, if it's an A/B/C/or D model =Bf. From the "E" onward "officially" (read as "as declared by the party") = Me. but both prefixes were in use through the whole war depending on whose paperwork you were looking at...
@@rosiehawtrey Everyone loves a pedant. Actually, no, it's the other one: loathes.
Hey Otto what kind of pistol did you get issued.
Iv gotta pp.
Okay well the bathroom is over there.
My Name is Bond...... James Bond !:)
Am I the only one that thinks ,Archer !! Danger Zone !
How I love the whole PP/PPK platform... if only somebody did a 9mm locked breech single stack PP or PPK with decocker today.. that would be my carry choice... the market is full of striker fired polymer nines... but I love my hammer ( :D )
It's the Walther PPS and it's been out since like 2007. hth
@@Hansengineering that's striker fired, no decocker,
@@CzechoslovakGunStories it's the successor to the PP series.
@@Hansengineering correct but not from technical perspective.... which is the reason why I mentioned it above...
I like DA/SA guns that are made of metal.
Looks like I will be doing all my shopping in the used department in the future.
For some reason the market thinks we need 10,000 different polymer glock wannabes.
Looks like 1911's will be the only thing you can get made out of metal soon.
Pity.
My grandfather gave me a walther pp that he took off of a German officer who was surrendering at the end of the war. The holster has the officers name in it and the same initials are on the gun. Lt. Franz Lackner
I’m always hoping to get more insight on the history. Would you be willing to help?
Relative of mine has a WW2 used waffenfabrik kommer zella-mehlis in 7.65, have you ever thought about doing a video about other sidearms that were used in WW2 but not issued rather personal weapons which they brought as backups.
When Luftwaffe's sauer m30 ?
ua-cam.com/video/LnHW3-aDP30/v-deo.html
@@ForgottenWeapons thanks.
Not all luftwaffe ppks had serial number number on magazine
270989K 1940
My father had one from a pilot shot down by warship in English Channel. I even know the pilot and have a photograph of the pilot
The main reason why the SS did not have standard-issue Wehrmacht weapons: The SS was not part of the army and therefore outside of the army's procurement-system. That is why they had guns made in Czechoslowakia and other places as well as captured guns.
Nice pistols very nice
Nice pistols
They still manufacture the PP or not ?
If you were a secret agent who goes uh... undercover... in the line of duty, which pistol would you choose? The Walther PPK and P99, and the ASP 9mm have been suggested. I think they are possibles but I think you might have seen a gun that would be perfect. So, James, uh, I mean Ian, what would you wish? Thanks for sharing! Stay healthy!
Ah Germans, they have stacks of archived ordners in a particular index order. Up to the Walther search machine!
"Luftwaffe was second tier in terms of arms procurement"
But why would the Germans limit their Airforce's budget?
*Remembers the ultra-fine collector level survival rifle for pilots in North Africa, that the Luftwaffe spent a crap load of money on*
Yeah, I guess it makes sense
That drilling was my first thought, also. If I was a Heer Feldmarschall I would argue limiting their funding, too 😂😂
Not necessarily about budget
@@constantine2197
> If I was a Heer Feldmarschall I would argue limiting their funding, too 😂😂
Well, experience does tell us that's it's prudent to keep those flyboys (and especially those pesky zoomies with their noisy toys) on a tight leash, right?
Regards, an SFC (Ret.) of the Austrian Army's _land_ forces. ;-)
@@drops2cents260 What? Not from the famous Mounted Mountain Navy (Berittene Gebirgsmarine)?
It was honestly a way to keep the various organizations competing against each other to prevent them from conspiring together to throw out the idiots in charge!
How is 7.65 millimeter the same as 9 millimeter?
Ian if you get a VSS to review I will give you my child, home and all assets
Were the spare magazines also marked with the serial number?
Yes.
I have noticed that sometimes you put Spanish weapons there is a video titled "Weapons of Spain - 1890 to Present" de
jmantime in which many ancient weapons appear, some quite ugly and others very beautiful you should take a look.
Hm... Soviet Makarov pistols (PM) look kinda same. A coincidence? I don't think so! :)
It is basically a Walther PP copy, however, the safety works the other way around, UP for SAFE, DOWN for FIRE.
Now I love PP and PPK pistols but what difference does it make if it was or was not a Luftwaffe issue?
Cost. Collectors will pay silly money for guns with confirmed provenance. Nazi stuff is particularly desirable for some twisted reason.
Provenance. Collectors care A LOT about that.
Ahh. As soon as I saw pp and ppk I thought LEGACY!
2:37 I hope that day will not be too far away...
Legacy finds some of the coolest collectible firearms I’ve ever seen. They had a Singer 1911 awhile ago that would have melted Ian’s brain lol.