Question
gun and holster
I just acquired a waltherPP. Inscribed on the safety side is, Waffenfabrik Walther,Zella-Mehlis (thur)
Walters' Patent Cal 7.65m/m ModPP
On the serial# side is a ( N with a crown above it ) Both on the barrel and on the slide. The gun is blue with black grips. I don't see any other markings except for the 6 digit serial# followed by P. I have not field stripped the gun to see if there are any markings on the inside. Along with the gun I also have a brown leather holster which also holds an extra clip. The holster has two flaps that fold out that are held in place with a strap and pin on the top flap. Behind the strap are markings DRGM and two rifles crossed around leaves and AK under the rifles.
I will appreciate any info that you may give me on the background of this pistol including is the 7.65mm still available today or is there another US caliber that I may use safely in this gun. I don't know if you can rate this gun and holster for its value but if you can I would appreciate it even though I have no intentions of selling it.
AnswerJerry,
Your gun appears to be a pre WWII Walther PP manufactured between 1929 and 1939. I don't think you would find anything helpful by field stripping the gun. The 7.65 mm is the european version of what we refer to as .32 caliber ACP. That would be the ammo you would use, but without having the gun examined by a qualified gunsmith, I probably wouldn't fire it.
As far as the holster, it is pretty typical of this period. The DRGM actually stands for Deutsches Reich Gebrauchsmuster which is essentially a German Reich Design Registration. I guess it would be kind of like our patent system, where a design is 'patented' to protect against illegal copies of the design. From the sounds of it, the holster is made by AKAH which was a manufacturer which supplied German Police equipment. When you consider that this was a standard issue gun for German police in the time period we are discussing, it all makes sense. By the way, the AKAH logo is two crossed rifles superimposed on a kind of wreath of leaves.
By the way, does the gun fit well into this holster? It kind of looks a little like a P-38 holster vs. a PP. Hard to tell without actually seeing the gun inside.
In terms of value, it would be very hard to judge without being able to see the condition of the gun, but according to Blue Book values, something in the range of $375 to $450 is not unreasonable. You could probably add another $100 to $150 for the holster as it seems to be in good condition.
Hope this give you a bit more info...sounds like a nice piece.
Cheers,
Doug
