In the autumn of 1886 Carl Walther laid the foundation stone of todays Walther Works in Zella-Mehlis, a traditional site for many German factories. Carl Walther's greatest interest was in the design of the self loading pistols. Breaking new ground in firearms technology, the first usable German self-loading pistol was released in 1908 as the "Walther Model 1, caliber 6.35mm". Virtually every World War I German officer carried one of the small Walther pocket pistols.

After Carl Walther's death in 1915, his sons continued his work for his company. Fritz inherited his father's passion for self-loading technology. In 1929, he succeeded in the production of the first pistol with a single/double action trigger - the Walther Model PP - and shortly thereafter, the compact model PPK. When the German military called for the more powerful 9mm cartridge in 1938 the Model P38 was developed. This pistol is still used today and its classic design is imitated by numerous firearms companies.

The original Walther factory was destroyed in WWII, but Fritz Walther managed to save a handful of design documents and bring them to West Germany after the war.

Building again from the ground up, he was able to construct a new factory in 1953 in the city of Ulm, where most of today's Walther production is located.

After celebrating its centennial as a family enterprise, Walther entered into the new globalization era by merging with Umarex in 1993. The Umarex Sportwaffen GmbH & Co KG, under the management of Wulf-Heinz Pflaumer and Franz Wonisch, has a history that is truly unequaled in the weapons business. The success of the merger guaranteed the future of the Walther tradition. This has been demonstrated repeatedly by such accomplishments as winning gold medals at the Atlanta Olympics and developing the acclaimed police and defense Model P99 - "The First Pistol for the Next Century.™"

History and legend had a way of weaving together throughout the story of the development of a firm as famous as that of Carl Walther. Tradition has shaped the firm and Walther has had its hand in shaping history. Military, police and other governmental security groups in every country of the world have relied on the high quality craftsmanship and rugged durability of Walther products. At the same time, hunters and target shooters everywhere are familiar with the name Walther. Excellent service and superior quality have always been the benchmarks for Walther's success.

In 1999, another step was taken to bring the Walther name into the new millennium. Smith & Wesson of Springfield, Massachusetts and Carl Walther GmbH of Germany announced a joint plan to form Walther USA to distribute Walther branded firearms, air guns and accessories in the United States.