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Vlim · 01-22-2004, 02:31 PM

The Germans were quite sensible and continued on the route they already took during WW2. The P38 was cheaper to manufacture and was reintroduced as the P1. I believe in 1954 for the bundeswehr.

The Walther PP-series was also reintroduced, mainly for police use. Most European states received US and British military surplus material as part of the Marshall Aid plan. Since most German plants were either 'borrowed' by the Russians or bombed back to the stone age and US ammo supplies were plentiful, this was a sensible thing to do.

Most European countries introduced heavy penalties on civilian weapons possession after WWII in order to get them out of circulation as soon as possible. Most of it was recycled (i.e. melted down).

I know some material ended up in countries like Israel (who used ex-German K98 rifles and bayonets for some time). We have an Ex-wehrmacht, ex-Israeli army K98 at our shooting range and also a number of Surplus M1 carabines, that came from the Dutch army.

01-22-2004, 02:31 PM	#5
Vlim Moderator Lifetime LugerForum Patron Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Europe Posts: 5,053 Thanks: 1,036 Thanked 3,990 Times in 1,205 Posts	The Germans were quite sensible and continued on the route they already took during WW2. The P38 was cheaper to manufacture and was reintroduced as the P1. I believe in 1954 for the bundeswehr. The Walther PP-series was also reintroduced, mainly for police use. Most European states received US and British military surplus material as part of the Marshall Aid plan. Since most German plants were either 'borrowed' by the Russians or bombed back to the stone age and US ammo supplies were plentiful, this was a sensible thing to do. Most European countries introduced heavy penalties on civilian weapons possession after WWII in order to get them out of circulation as soon as possible. Most of it was recycled (i.e. melted down). I know some material ended up in countries like Israel (who used ex-German K98 rifles and bayonets for some time). We have an Ex-wehrmacht, ex-Israeli army K98 at our shooting range and also a number of Surplus M1 carabines, that came from the Dutch army.