GSP500

[robjob]

the pardini is 2289 euro: https://buinger.com/Pardini-SP-Edition
so gsp500 is only 6% cheaper

According to this, going rate is 2150 Euro, which seems to be about 20% cheaper than pardini.... and that includes the 19% VAT... seems like profit taking to me...

https://buinger.com/Walther-Sportpistol-GSP500-22lr

Apologies, was looking at usa price on pardini, which is 2650. No us sources for walther yet. Regardless, Point stands, 4000+ seems really high.

[brakarzac]

i cannot understand how the prices are so high when the underline base is the SP20. R&D is certainly minimized.

because Australia is such a small market, the importers have us over a barrel and the gun shops don't care about ISSF too much. Not enough business to worry about. They focus more on Clay Target and rifle shooters over here...

Want your first new pistol, buy this Glock 19... only a couple gun dealers have an idea about pistol, most wouldn't know what they were looking at!

[ghostrip]

brakarzac issf 25m is certainly a small market. the situation is not exclusive to Australia. here in Greece prices are also up. what i cant understand is how the gsp500 has a higher MSRP than GSP/SSP in Germany when it is based on SP20. Anyway i don't think it will be my next gun :)

[fc60]

brakarzac issf 25m is certainly a small market. the situation is not exclusive to Australia. here in Greece prices are also up. what i cant understand is how the gsp500 has a higher MSRP than GSP/SSP in Germany when it is based on SP20. Anyway i don't think it will be my next gun :)

Greetings,

I think the GSP/SSP prices are lower to get them out of inventory.

Here in the USA, the auction site GunBroker is flooded with new in the box GSP Expert models.

I am yet to see a GSP500 for sale in the USA.

Cheers,

Dave

[Jeff-France]

Bonjour from France,

I'm looking for a GSP 500 cal .32 owner to get sizes/dimensions (in metric) of this gun, i already design a Hammerli SP20 .32 brass catcher and as i think they make it on the SP20 Basis, same magazine it seems, i need to check if i could adapt or use the SP20 catcher to this one.

Thanks in advance for your help.
JEFF

[fc60]

Greetings,

I wrote to Walther and they confirm the magazines fit the Haemmerli 280, SP-20, and GSP500. The only caveat was the blue magazine cap.

Good question about the case catcher. I look forward to other replies.

Cheers,

Dave

[Jeff-France]

Bonjour, some news,

I finally found somebody to develop the case catcher for the 500, a reseller in Sweden... it's in progress, we're on the second prototype, the first was not sufficient with 60% results, i'll keep you informed when i got the new results.



Cheers
Jean-François

[Sebastian]

Here in Sydney Walther GSP500 .32 is approximately $ 4490 compared to Pardini HP .32 of $ 3890.

Walther is far too expensive in Australia. I went to a European conference in November 2023 and visited a gun shop there; some pistols there appear to be half price we pay in Australia. Bloody robbery! I am a little disillusioned coming back from Europe because there you can buy almost any caliber ammunition comparing to Australia where we have to "chase" certain calibers!

[Sebastian]

I am planning to buy Walther GSP500 but the price stops me. I have FWB AW93 in .22 and I like the long 6" barrel. It is a good pistol.

But, I do like revolvers ( I have 3 in .357/.38 caliber, one of them Manurhin 73 Sport 6" barrel - which I love). I am also keen on 9mm semiautomatics, have 4 of them, two single action with 6" barrels. For me it is more a hobby than competition.

[kate8brett]

Anyone in Australia purchased a GSP500 lately ? Any dealers have them ? Can’t find any for sale. Who is the QLD. dealer/ importer of Walther firearms ?
Regards, B.

[David M]

Walther importer is Frontier Arms in SA, and they are still waiting on the next shipment
(by sea I believe as there is no direct import to Adelaide).

[kate8brett]

Thanks for importers details.

[kate8brett]

Contacted a gun dealer. They contacted the South Australian importers ; 10-12 weeks at earliest ( this means add months to previous figure ) for delivery and not guaranteed. So ordered a Pardini SP ( at least this importer has stock ). Both weapons will outshoot me and both probably equal in capabilities. Wanted to try something different . Alas, not the case. C’est La vie.

[Azmodan]

new GSP500 Rapid Fire variant announced:

https://carl-walther.com/sport/products/p/2877848M

[BobGee]

Good luck with spares. I have been trying to obtain a replacement trigger blade for my GSP two-stage trigger unit for nearly three years now and still no sign of it.

Bob

PS June 2024 - it has arrived at last!

[KosPilot]

Now that the GSP500 has been in circulation for a while, does anyone want to contribute with some experience based pros and cons vs the Pardini SP?

KosPilot

[David M]

Now that the GSP500 has been in circulation for a while, does anyone want to contribute with some experience based pros and cons vs the Pardini SP?

KosPilot

Here are my notes after 18 months of shooting the GSP500. The pistol is highly recomended and I think better than the Pardini in some small ways.
Thinking about getting the .32 barrel add-on in the future.


Walther GSP500 Notes

Trigger
Trigger setup, first stage 800g, second 220g small second stage roll off (trigger point 25-40 deg past let off point) with small transfer bar rattle (clearance for re-set).

Trigger set in lowest bar hole, using wide trigger shoe (side sharp edges removed ).
Trigger blade set full forward, flush with rear edge trigger bar.
Factory second stage spring OD 0.086”,Wire dia. 0.016”, length 0.235”
Factory second stage spring limited to 180g min. (min spring contact).
Spring changed to OD 0.080”, Wire Dia 0.012”, and length increased to 0.250”
This allows a good two to three turn spring contact and down to 100g second stage weight.
Dec 2023- new longer trigger shoe mfg. Alloy with 3.5mm shaft 3mm longer than factory allowing the grip spacer to be removed. Shoe now 10mm wide with slight flattened curve on lower leg.
Update July 2024 - Long alloy trigger cut down to be narrower at 7mm and contoured to finger.
Much improved feel for Std and Rapidfire.

Sights
Front sight, 3.2 mm, 3.6 mm & 3.9 mm
Rear sight, factory min 2 mm / max 4.5 mm
Insufficient rear opening for 3/1 rapid sight, rear sight will not allow the widest front sight to be used, light gap is too narrow. Throw back from using LP500 rear sight, will modify.
Modified rear to be min 3.6 mm / max 6 mm, good width – will allow up to 3/1 sight for Rapidfire.

Modifications
Front plate drilled for foresight hex screw access.
Sights added witness marks engraved and white paint.
Chamber/Feed ramp polished to high mirror finish.

Grip
Grip drilled for first stage weight access. (note hole is off set to centre-line)
Palm shelf rear edge rounded (3mm rad.).
Finger grooves cut bigger, angled slightly and higher up on tips, with little finger deeper.
Thumb rest lowered and flattened.
Trigger finger upper surface cut for clearance.
Aft ply filler added to add trigger finger length, rear grip trimmed to fit box.
(Note- removed after fitting new trigger shoe with longer rod.)
Stipple and Satin poly re-finish , 2 coats.


Weight/Spring Reference Data
Hole 7.18mm dia., 40.3 mm deep.
Barrel screw hole 7.18 mm dia. Depth above bolt 36.56 mm
Barrel weights, Tungsten 0.273” dia (6.93mm), 1.373” long (34.9mm),
Weight spring Wire Dia. 0.020” (0.5mm), 0.254” dia (6.4mm), overall free length 0.295” (7.5mm)
Compressed in hole 5.28 mm
Tension fitted to plate 280-300 g, fully compressed 520g.
4 coils, pitch 0.100” (2.5mm).






Ammo Testing

Chronograph Results - 15 round sample, Fastest to Slowest

Brand Average Extreme Spread Std Deviation
Geco Semi Auto 294 m/s 17.3 m/s 16.2 m/s
CCI Std Velocity 284.3 m/s 15.9 m/s 13.5 m/s
RWS Target Pistol 269.6 m/s 26.1 m/s 23.0 m/s
SK Std Plus 257.5 m/s 36.5 m/s 26.1 m/s
SK Pistol Match 251.0 m/s 28.3 m/s 26.5 m/s
Chrono results show 6-7 m/s faster for same ammo than Pardini (SK Std+ now safely passed)

Malfunctions
So far 600 rounds fired.
Malfunction fail to feed 4th round of RWS Target Pistol (4x) and CCI (1x), stove pipe with dent in case only half fed. Same as problem with Hammerli 280/SP20 believed to be the magazine feed if a round is over length, with nose catching on front face of magazine and dragging nose down.
I will modify an old SP20 magazine, slight vertical groove in front wall and test (which fit perfectly by the way).
After polish fail to feed last round Geco semi-auto (too hard cycle), rest OK.
Update March 2023 - 2000 fired no more malfunctions.
July 2023 now 5000rds, Dec 2023 now 10,000 rds. Only malfunctions failure to fire after hard strike with both new batch Eley Club and Sport, primer totally crushed.
Update June 2024, now approx, 18,000rounds. Only rare ammo fail to fire malfunctions (all brands).
Buffer requires replacement, centre of foam crumbling.


To Do
Play with extra barrel weights and also determine the best way around for weight/spring.
Stainless weights made and fitted, still waiting for tungsten weights.
Good argument about this on German forum. See Rapidfire testing.
Investigate possible interaction of safety with transfer bar feel during rapidfire. (done-nill).

Rapidfire Testing
Now testing as a rapidfire pistol to replace the Tesro TS22.
Best weight settings are Tungsten weights (springs front) in lower holes and S/Steel weights in
upper holes in reverse. (springs to rear).
Best ammo Sk Std + with short re-set trigger two stage.

[KosPilot]

David, that was quite comprehensive. Thank you!

The trigger appears to be very much the same set up as my LP500. Minimum 2nd stage pressure at about 200 grams.
Did you make those springs yourself?

The chrono results are interesting. I am surprised to see that the CCI STD velocity has the least deviation in muzzle velocity. This is my goto training ammo, but I was thinking of switching to SK std plus.

Thank you for the tip about the magazines, and the reasoning behind the misfeeds. This could come in handy!

Cheers,
Arne

[Jeff-France]

Hi, some news of the catcher.

After many months on research and tests (7 prototypes), the catcher is ready (see video) with only one restriction, the standard cartridges like Lapua have a charge that is too powerful and are ejected hazardly.

The majority of shooters use a load between 0.09 and 0.08 grams of BA10 powder for reloading. It is with these parameters that we got the results of the video.

https://youtu.be/6WCfp-5kSgU

Cheers
Jean-François