PP Super

The Walther PP Super is a compact semi-automatic pistol introduced in 1973 as a modernized and enhanced version of the classic Walther PP, developed primarily to meet West German police requirements for a service pistol chambered in 9x18mm Ultra—a cartridge designed as a compromise between the 9mm Makarov and 9mm Parabellum, offering improved terminal performance over the former while remaining compatible with simple blowback operating systems without requiring the locked-breech complexity of the latter.

The PP Super builds on the fundamental architecture of the Walther PP—the blowback operation, double-action/single-action trigger, and decocking safety—but with updated ergonomics including a larger, more comfortable grip, improved sights, and dimensional changes intended to modernize the design while maintaining the essential simplicity and reliability that had made the original PP successful. The 9x18mm Ultra chambering was specifically developed for this application, reflecting West German police interest in a cartridge that provided greater terminal effectiveness than .380 ACP but could still be used in simple blowback pistols that are mechanically simpler and more economical than locked-breech designs.

Unfortunately for the PP Super’s commercial prospects, the 9x18mm Ultra cartridge failed to achieve widespread adoption, making the pistol’s most distinctive characteristic simultaneously its most significant limitation. Without broad cartridge availability, the PP Super was used primarily by the West German Border Police and a limited number of other agencies, and production ended relatively quickly. This limited production makes the PP Super relatively rare on the collector market today.

For Walther collectors and students of Cold War-era European police pistol development, the PP Super represents an interesting attempt to advance beyond the limitations of the original PP design while remaining within the blowback operating system paradigm—a historically specific design response to the specific requirements of a specific moment in German police procurement history.