Walther KK500: the end of a successful year
Walther introduced the KK500 bolt-action competition carbine in early 2016 – and is wrapping the year up with a rich Palmarès of high-profile victories
Danish shooter Torben Grimmel won the Silver medal at the ISSF World Cup finals in Italy
A close-up of the KK500's fully adjustable stock
The first year for competitors with Walther’s new top-of-the-line KK500 .22 rimfire bolt-action competition rifle has come to an end with several big successes added to a young Palmarès. Danish shooter Torben Grimmel won a silver medal at the ISSF World Cup finals for the prone rifle discipline in Bologna (Italy), early on in October.
Grimmel received his KK500 at the start of this season, and immediately scored victores at the previous World Cup matches in Bangkok, Munich, and Baku.
The Walther KK500 – featuring an innovative rearwards position of the breech as well as the capabilities of conversion from right-handed to left-handed operation without tools – is now becoming more and more popular by top shooters all around the world.
The Walther KK500 rifle is available in five different variants
The bolt handle of the KK500
Among the high-level shooters who opted to switch to the new and innovative Walther KK500 for competition in their disciplines are the Serbian Milenko Sebic and Hungarian ex–world champion Peter Sidi. With his KK500, Sebic went to win the second place in 3x40 shooting at the World Cup in Munich, back in May.
Among women, the Walther KK500 was adopted by multiple-times World Cup winner, Serbian shooter Ivana Maksimovic, as well by Austrian shooter Franziska Peer – winner of the silver medal at the World Cup match in Baku, back in June.
One of the many versions of the adjustable shoulder piece available for the Walther KK500
The Walther KK500 can be converted from right-handed to left-handed operation without tools
The modular design of the Walther KK500 .22 Long Rifle carbine is one of the main reason why so many competition shooters are reverting to it.
Walther makes four different barrel lenghts available for the design – a 690mm long, blued carbon steel version like the one used by Torben Grimmel being the most popular. The same barrel length configuration is also available in stainless steel.
A 650mm barrel configuration – four centimetres shorter, manufactured out of carbon steel – is available with a standard or a "light", slimmer barrel profile.
While the choice of the barrel will affect the balance in firing position, all four versions will deliver the same level of accuracy and performance with selected ammunition – making barrel selection basically a choice tied to individual shooter's needs and demands depending from the peculiarities of each discipline.
The Walther KK500's modular design is covered by many patents
Two different stock designs – the Expert, with an aluminum profile, and the Anatomic, with a laminated wood stock – are also available. An electronic trigger is also an optional; it can also be purchased separately and installed in lieu of the factory mechanical trigger module. These options cover most of the imaginable needs of competition shooters in ISSF disciplines.
Most important of all, the Walther KK500 can be converted from right-handed to left-handed operation in a matter of minutes by switching to a left-handed pistol grip as well as to a left-handed bolt, including cartridge feed and spent case ejection.
The KK500 .22 Long Rifle bolt-action competition carbine is already available worldwide through Walther's distribution network.