researching for an article on RFP I have run into a problem with the start date for the round barrel OSP - I doubt it was the 1968 date that many websites quote - probably about 10 years earlier as the 300x150x50 box brought in after 1956 Olympics had to be given a 5% allowance to accomodate the OSPs.
anybody know?
anybody know when the original Walther OSP was introduced?
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- john bickar
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Re: anybody know when the original Walther OSP was introduce
OSP? Now, that's a name I've not heard in a long time. A long time.Spencer wrote:researching for an article on RFP I have run into a problem with the start date for the round barrel OSP - I doubt it was the 1968 date that many websites quote - probably about 10 years earlier as the 300x150x50 box brought in after 1956 Olympics had to be given a 5% allowance to accomodate the OSPs.
anybody know?
Re: anybody know when the original Walther OSP was introduce
What do you mean? I've converted some to .22lr for local shooters, they're chugging along nicely!john bickar wrote:OSP? Now, that's a name I've not heard in a long time. A long time.
While on the subject of OSPs, I hope everyone is still looking out for my one that was stolen by the baggage handlers at LAX in 1999. #31396
I shot one of the original Walther OSP (Olympische Schnellfure Pistol - ?? cotrrect spelling) which came with an aluminum slide and followed the lines of the pre WWII models similar to the Hammerli 208. I had a similar pistol in 22LR which I used for bullseye pistol matches. They were ca 1955 purchases. Both of them had much longer barrels than the 208 and removeable barrel weights.
TonyT:TonyT wrote:I shot one of the original Walther OSP (Olympische Schnellfure Pistol - ?? cotrrect spelling) which came with an aluminum slide and followed the lines of the pre WWII models similar to the Hammerli 208. I had a similar pistol in 22LR which I used for bullseye pistol matches. They were ca 1955 purchases. Both of them had much longer barrels than the 208 and removeable barrel weights.
You're probably mistaking the OSP (Olympische SchnellFeuer Pistole= Olympic Rapid Fire Pistol) with the Walther-Hammerli Olympia, which was a licensed evolution from the original Walther Olympia that made its debut at Berlin 1936 (Gold - Cornelius van Oyen; Silver - Heinz Hax) and that follows the "traditional" lines for a pistol, with the magazine running through the grip and so it resembles the Hammerli 208.
The OSP can't be confused as it was the first to popularize the "magazine-ahead-the-triggerguard" concept, and thus started a design that can be followed until today, including the Hammerli 280 in the way.
As a previous poster stated, there was no OSP's before 1961. I still have one in the three-digit bracket, with the short slide that can't be converted to .22 L.R., and still shoots perfectly (if cared for).