TargetTalk

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?

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?

OSP? Now, that's a name I've not heard in a long time. A long time.

john bickar wrote:OSP? Now, that's a name I've not heard in a long time. A long time.

What do you mean? I've converted some to .22lr for local shooters, they're chugging along nicely!

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 have received a (delightfully prompt) response from Walther

We have produced the OSP with a round barrel from 1961 till 1971.
Best regards
Juergen Oehme

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 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.

TonyT:

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).