On this day in 1945, Adolph Hitler and Eva Braun commited suicide in his Führerbunker in Berlin, after being married for only one day. Some theories say they used cyanide capsules, and others say that Hitler killed himself with a Walther PPK. Perhaps it was a combination of the two methods.
This is what makes history interesting- no one can ever know for sure. Members of their staff burned their bodies, and to further add uncertainty, the bunker was initially taken over by the Soviet Army. Sixty-six years later, the Hitler suicide is still shrouded in mystery.
Militarily, there will never be another war quite like WWII. It was also a classic struggle of good vs. evil. This is one of many reasons why it is of such interest to collectors, filmmakers and reenactors. Even today’s younger generation still likes to act out epic WWII battles, as I did when I was younger.
The Replica Armory supplies both Allied and Axis replica weaponry for reenactors, filmmakers, museums, collectors, or display.
The PPK Story and the Replica
The Walther PPK is one of the most famous small pistols ever made, and most of its fame comes from fiction rather than from history. The claim that it was the weapon used in the bunker in 1945 is repeated so often that it has become fact for many people, but the evidence is contested and the accounts differ on the model and even on the calibre.
What is not contested is the design. The PPK was the first successful small double action pistol, and it set the pattern that every compact carry gun still follows: a short slide, a wrap around grip, a decocker and a magazine that releases at the heel. The replica captures all of that in a piece small enough to sit in a display case beside a holster.
Common questions
Is the PPK replica the same size as the original?
Yes, one to one scale, including the heel magazine release.
Is the double action real?
The trigger moves through both stages, but the internal mechanism is a simplified replica and should not be forced.
Did Hitler commit suicide with a Walther PPK? http://www.historicreplicaguns.com/blog/hitler-suicide-walther-ppk.html