Project Ultra: Germany Wants a Stronger Compact Pistol
This video explores the "Project Ultra" by Walther from the mid to late 1930s, which aimed to develop a more potent compact pistol cartridge than .32 ACP or .380. Walther created the 9x18mm cartridge (later known as 9mm Police or 9mm Ultra) using a standard .355-inch bullet, balancing ballistic performance between 9x17mm Browning and 9x19mm Parabellum. Initial testing involved a blowback PP pistol, which proved insufficient, leading to the development of a rotating barrel, short recoil system. However, by 1939, wartime production needs overshadowed the project, and it was ultimately dropped, though the cartridge was re-introduced post-war.











