Carl · Rifle
Walther KKW
Bolt action · .22 Long Rifle · introduced 1938
Also known as KKW, Kleinkaliber Wehrsportgewehr, Walther Small-Bore Military Training Rifle
About the Walther KKW
The Walther KKW (Kleinkaliber Wehrsportgewehr, or small-caliber military sport rifle) is a single-shot bolt-action training rifle chambered in .22 Long Rifle. Produced by Carl Walther from 1938 to the end of the Second World War, it was patterned closely on the Mauser Karabiner 98k, sharing its overall dimensions, two-barrel-band stock, tangent rear sight graduated to 200 metres, and an 'H'-style bayonet lug. Developed from Germany's earlier DSM-34 marksmanship program, the KKW improved on its predecessor by matching the handling and appearance of the issue service rifle far more closely, allowing recruits and Hitler Youth members to train economically on rimfire ammunition.
Because the post-WWI Treaty of Versailles restricted German military weapons production, .22 rimfire trainers like the KKW let the Reich quietly maintain a marksmanship base; cadets drilled with a rifle that looked, balanced and bayonet-fixed almost exactly like the Karabiner 98k they would later carry into the field.
Walther KKW specifications
General
- Type
- Rifle
- Action
- Bolt action
- Firing mechanism
- Striker-fired
- Trigger
- Single action
- Calibres
- .22 Long Rifle
- Magazine capacity
- 1 rounds
Dimensions
- Barrel length
- 660 mm (26.0 in)
- Overall length
- 1000 mm (39.4 in)
- Weight (empty)
- 3.60 kg (7.94 lb)
Barrel
- Rifling twist
- 1:16 in (406 mm)
- Rifling
- Right hand
- Grooves
- 6
Materials
- Barrel
- Steel
- Receiver / frame
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- blued
Performance
- Muzzle velocity (typical)
- 330 m/s (1083 fps)
- Muzzle energy (typical)
- 141 J (104 ft·lb)
- Effective range
- 100 m
History
- Introduced
- 1938
- Discontinued
- 1945
- Production status
- Discontinued
- Country of origin
- DE
- Designer
- Carl Walther
Features
- K98 pattern stock
- Bayonet lug
- Tangent rear sight
- Two barrel bands
- Cleaning rod
Safety
- Manual safety
The KKW was also produced under licence by other German makers including Gustloff-Werke, ERMA and BSW; Walther-marked examples are among the scarcest, with fewer than roughly 6,000 made.
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