Walther P88
Encyclopedia
The Walther P88 was a semiautomatic
pistol
developed by the Walther company of Germany
in 1988, hence the model name P88. Its main feature was a high-capacity double-stacked magazine designed for military and law enforcement use.
In 1996, Walther discontinued the pistol in favour of the slightly lighter and smaller P88 Compact, which was also cheaper to manufacture.
The Walther P88 is highly prized among collectors and sport shooters due to its superb accuracy (1.5 to 2 inch groups at 25 yards) and high-quality construction.
The standard P88 was heavily criticised for being bulky, heavy and expensive; the Compact solved none of these issues. There were many complaints about the full-size model's slide stop as well. It was thought to be hard to reach and manipulate, requiring the user to shift the gun in hand to operate. This was corrected with the P88 Compact at the expense of losing a very popular feature; its unique combination ambidextrous decocker and slide release. It was replaced with a CZ-style combination decocker and conventional slide stop/release. This allowed the pistol to function as a DAO (double action only) or conventional DA/SA.
Both these pistols are fully ambidextrous with the exception of the compact's slide stop/release. Full ambidextrous control was an industry first and the original P88 likely would have sold well were it not for the high cost. Both models remain collectible.
Semi-automatic firearm
A semi-automatic, or self-loading firearm is a weapon which performs all steps necessary to prepare the weapon to fire again after firing—assuming cartridges remain in the weapon's feed device or magazine...
pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
developed by the Walther company of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1988, hence the model name P88. Its main feature was a high-capacity double-stacked magazine designed for military and law enforcement use.
In 1996, Walther discontinued the pistol in favour of the slightly lighter and smaller P88 Compact, which was also cheaper to manufacture.
The Walther P88 is highly prized among collectors and sport shooters due to its superb accuracy (1.5 to 2 inch groups at 25 yards) and high-quality construction.
P88 Compact
Lighter and a bit smaller with only minor differences.The standard P88 was heavily criticised for being bulky, heavy and expensive; the Compact solved none of these issues. There were many complaints about the full-size model's slide stop as well. It was thought to be hard to reach and manipulate, requiring the user to shift the gun in hand to operate. This was corrected with the P88 Compact at the expense of losing a very popular feature; its unique combination ambidextrous decocker and slide release. It was replaced with a CZ-style combination decocker and conventional slide stop/release. This allowed the pistol to function as a DAO (double action only) or conventional DA/SA.
Both these pistols are fully ambidextrous with the exception of the compact's slide stop/release. Full ambidextrous control was an industry first and the original P88 likely would have sold well were it not for the high cost. Both models remain collectible.