[2] In the late 1950s, Walther began designing submachine guns in line with military and police re-arming plans in West Germany.

In addition to being used by US Navy SEALs during the Vietnam War, it is said to have been used in Operation Ivory Coast by the United States Army Special Forces.

The Delta Force used the Walther MP during transitional period of US Army, when the M3 submachine gun was starting to get phased out in favour of the MP5.

In the Walther, most of the mass of the bolt consists of a hollow tubular weight that is actually placed above and parallel to the barrel, housed in a separate channel in which it reciprocates when the gun is fired.

This section is however very small and light in comparison to the bolts of more conventional simple blowback sub-machine guns, as most of the necessary mass and thus inertia is provided by the tubular weight above.

The receiver is made from stamped steel, with plentiful ventilation slots; and the prominent cocking handle is located on its left front.