German military pistol models, question?

[k9870]

P1=Post war p38
p5 is the walther p5
p6 is a sig p225 slightly modified
p7 was the neat little squeeze cocker
p8 is the hk usp.

What were the p2,3,4?

[Yournamehere]

P1 = Walther P38
P2 = Sig P210-4
P3 = Astra 600
P4 = Short-barreled Walther P38
P5 = Walther P5
P6 = Sig P225
P7 = Heckler & Koch P7
P8 = Heckler & Koch USP
P9 = Heckler & Koch P9
P10 = Heckler & Koch USP Compact

Source: http://thefiringline.com/forums/show....php?p=3092654

Got it from google. Wiki vouches for the P210-4 and the Astra 400 as the P2 and P3 respectively, but I have seen a P4 in person and it is in fact a P38 with a shorter barrel. It never occured to me that it's P designation was one of many, though I know of all the guns you mention. Just clicked in my head after you pointed it out.

The guy on there makes an interesting statement that the "P" in the designation stands for "Police" and not "Pistol" (or their German translations rather). I don't know which is true, it could be either, but all of those guns were issued to police forces, some of which were specifically made for police like the P7, but some were designed with military in mind like the P1 and P8.

Pretty interesting stuff if you ask me. Glad you started a topic on it so I could research it.

[k9870]

I believe the p1 had an alloy frame instead of steel?

Ive always wondered how u.s. pistols are named, or instance we go from the 1911 to the m9 and m11, and skip all the other guns.

the carbines are accounted for.

The rifles are m1, m14, m16, skipping abunch.

sniper rifles are all over, m40, m21, m24.

I wonder who names these

[mpe2010]

From a google search:

"In the case of the M-16 rifle, Armalite manufactured 14 firearms prior to their AR-15; thus, when the military adapted it, they added military modifications to it, making it different from the AR-15, therefore it was a 16th AR type firearm. Model (M stands for Military Model) 16"