for personal protection off duty, some soldiers were issued with a walther pp. major ken maginnis acquired permission for some to purchase browning 9mm pistols at £200 each. these were deemed to be more effective. in the late 1980s the walther pp was replaced by the walther p5, considered a more practical weapon because of its size and ballistic capabilities. any soldier considered to be at particularly high risk would be permitted to keep his rifle at home. this policy was known as "weapons out" and was reduced by 75%, when slrs replaced lee–enfields in 1972, due to the high number of rifles stolen by paramilitaries.