While technically interesting, these kinds of articles are no longer acceptable for general-interest magazines. 99% of the time these guns have ever been fired on another human being it has been murder, or police killing men of color, or Nazis shooting Jews or Allies, etc. They are tools of fascists, those who fetishize fascism, or those willfully oblivious to the history of weaponry. Those "plate-glass windows" are people.

I love when my fellow geeks acknowledge weapons & firearms. Thanks. Classics like the PPK are great, still can be used for defense, but shouldn't we be covering NEW stuff? Not a single picture of the modern PPK or I miss it?

I couldn't disagree more with jsopr's comment. I'm from the UK and find the US gun laws really quite crazy so I'm no huge fan of guns but this sort of article is much more about engineering than any sort of fandom on shooting things. We shouldn't have to hide from how things work just because of how those things are used.

@jsopr
At the end of the day just about all scientific and engineering advances can do harm either intentionally or accidentally. Should we not discuss genetic engineering as it could be used to produce a bio-weapon?

Guns are designed to kill of course, but at the same time those same features can be used to save innocent lives, if used correctly, for example by police forces and others. Whether the specific use is morally right is not a question about the weapon, but about society.

I for one think its great to know how things work, and the Walther PPK is a classic design case.

An interesting, informative article. Thank you!

Tools of fascists? I learned a long time ago that it's the person behind the gun/knife/arrow/lead pipe that can be dangerous not the weapon itself. I have a couple of friends who are gun collectors/enthusiasts and can't help but notice how enthusiastically they worship their guns. Holding a shotgun or rifle in your hands can be an impressive feeling, but a handgun easily lets one feels its power and weight of responsibility. Like many New Atlas readers, I am fascinated with the way things work, and equally fascinated by the way people think.

In the real world of espionage when wet work is required it is a .22lr pistol that is carried. This is because it is virtually impossible to get any ballistics of a .22 lead bullet and they are quieter than centerfire pistol rounds.

Jsope, the PPK may have been used in ways you disapprove of but it is an inanimate object. As many people are murdered with knives, steel-toed boots and even bare fists than with firearms.

Excellent article. Even though it seems that the triggered anti-gun parade is out in force. Some clearly can't accept speech they don't agree with. It's a good thing the US Constitution has both the 1st and 2nd Amendments, though many seem to keep forgetting what those are really about.

It sicks me the American fascination with guns.. all types of guns... MOVE ON humans...

@jsopr,

You seem to be confused. In a free society, we will come across things we disagree with. If we don't like those things, we simply skip them and move on. We do not try to shut them down and keep anyone else from seeing them.

If we attempted to stop anyone else from seeing them, that would be fascism and little different from the book burnings of religious zealots.