INFO ONLY. NOT FOR SALE. P24-8
PHP (Prvi Hrvatski Pistolj - first Croatian pistol) is a weapon which was developed in Croatia during its war for independence in early 1990s. Production and quality of this pistol (which was produced in at least two versions, short-barreled PHP MV 9 and long-barreled PHP MV 17) was sporadic, and it was soon replaced in production and use by the HS 2000 pistol.
By design, this pistol represents a mix between Beretta 92 and Walther P38 pistols. The basic short-recoil operated action with vertically tilting locking piece is similar to both pistols, the general appearance of the open-top slide is close to the Walther but the single return spring below the barrel is apparently an Italian influence. Trigger is of traditional double action type, and the safety consists of a manual decocking lever, located on the left side of the grip frame. Magazines are double-stack and hold 15 cartridges (2 mags total with each pistol).
This Croatian weapon is relatively rare, since production ceased after a short run and did not pick up again until after the breakup of the former Yugoslavia was well underway. The weapon is essentially a version of the Walther P-38; though it looks very different externally, the breech locking, trigger, and decocking system are the same. The only real improvement is the high-capacity magazine and the protection for the barrel.
