Walther Assault Gun, Banned in Highland Park (GSP)

The Walther Assault Gun, banned in Highland Park includes their GSP.  One of these, the Expert in .32, is illustrated below.  At this time, this gun is used as a true assault weapon only in SciFi movies.  In the USA, it's a high quality target pistol in .22 or .32 (or .22 short of desired).  In Europe, it's used as that, for police training, and by intelligence units.

The basis of the design is the antique true assault weapon, the Mauser C96.  The C96 was the first immensely successful auto-loading pistol.  Initially magazine fed like the GSP, drums were added later, and a shoulder stock.  Long barrels also became available (primary for Navy-Marine use) turning it into a true assasult rifle.

The cartridge, 7.62x25 had very high penetration and high velocity.  In the higher power Tokarev loading (not to be used in the C96), it can penetrate most body armor, and sheet metal with ease, or can be used as a subcaliber .22 round.  The velocities are very high, and accuracy is excellent, with useful range out to at least 500 yards. 

The Walther version was developed in the 1960's by a Mauser engineer, as a modular system.  The trigger, frame, barrel, and "receiver" section all are totally independent modules.  The trigger shown in this gun is a 2 stage trigger, but the original design is 1 stage.  Both are adjustable for position.  What appears to be a muzzle brake actually is a recoil buffer, added to the  Expert series to emulate the recoil buffer of the AW93 and some of the more recent Italian "clones" of the GSP by Pardini or Morini (actually is Swiss now).  The Expert series also enlarged the standard grip of the GSP for a slightly longer finger than the older forms, and changed the grip to plywood, which is 20% heavier.

The GSP, in Europe, is considered to be the supreme target and training gun due to the end accuracy, durability, insensitivity to ammunition brand, and huge supply of modules.

The Hammerli 208 remains the highest scoring gun evern in .22lr competitions, but that does not necessarily mean it is a better gun for the individual user.

A number of similar styles were made in Sweden, Germany, the Soviet bloc, and other countries.  In general, these were not modular, had far inferior engineering and manufacture, and are not in the same class.  All, of course, are assault weapons, including the original C96.

The magazine position of the C96, of course, is not unique.  Many other guns used that.  However, the combination of features was unique to that gun, and continued "verbatim" in the GSP, witn improvement. 

The GSP is not the only Walther gun banned in Highland Park.  Some of these, like the WA2000 are "neat looking" but relatively unremarkable for accuracy.  Others like the JR and JR-M are excellent guns, so long as their bolt is in good condition.

By and large, there is very little difference in accuracy between models of different ages.  The older frames, however, will not accept .32 caliber magazines easily, and the newer frames require modification to accept the older .22 magazines.  Grips also do not interchange without modification between the eras.

A 10" barrel in .22 is available for the GSP for use as a free pistol or silhouette gun, and two slihgtly different conversion kits to rifle use is available.  The resultant rifle is among the most accurate .22 semi-auto rifles available anywhere.

The latest Walther, the SSP, is not more accurate than the GSP, and has some problems is use.

The GSP is very "front heavy" and has a moderately steep slope to the grip.  Some like this, some do not.  The reason for the slope is increased accuracy in actual use, because it reduces gun rotation after the gun is fired, and before the cartridge leaves the gun.

For comparison, a version select fire C96 may be on display but not for sale.

In many countries, the S&W .32 cartridge has been abandoned for police and self defense use, for quite a while.  The exception to this has been KGB field operatives, pariculary before the PSM became available.  For many of them, the SAKO .32 with a cyanide filled bullet base was the preferred gun for field use as a concealed weapon.  Of course, special reverse loading of the cartridge was needed for this.