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Author Topic: Walther P38/P1 indentification?  (Read 1914 times)

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Offline darkroomdan

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Walther P38/P1 indentification?
« on: March 29, 2007, 10:13:12 AM »
I recently purchased what I though was one of the West German Police used Walther P1s - Gander Mountain advertises them from time to time as such - great deal, the gun with holster two magazines and a cute little cleaning kit for less than $300 including tax. On closer examination when I got home, I noticed that it had Walther Waffenfabrik P38, Cal. 9mm on the slide and the sights are the old style deep "U" rear with a slim blade/post in the front. ( photos I've seen of the P1 show a lower profile square notch rear and square blade front) Anyway, I called Gander Mt. and they didn't know anything about it - also called one of the U.S. importers and they had no info. It also has a 717 and Ulm/Do stamped onto the slide on the same side as the Walther logo and there is what I think is a date on the other side 12/59. Engraved on the front strap of the frame with white filler is PW Arms Redmond WA. The frame also has a six digit serial number ending with 717. The frame seems to be made of the lightweight alloy like a P1, but the hard plastic grips look like an original P38.

So is it P38 or a P1?  I thought all P38 production ended at the end of WW11 with the defeat of the Nazis and anything made after, when Walther was able to set back up after the war was a P1... ???

Anyone got any thoughts on what I might have or know a source for info?
Thanks,
DRD

P.S. It shoots great!
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Offline Mikey

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Re: Walther P38/P1 indentification?
« Reply #1 on: March 30, 2007, 12:28:33 AM »
DRD:  you have a Walther P1.  The alloy slide and the date 12/59 are your immediate clues.  They may have been using WWII parts for many years after the war but yours was made by Walther, in Ulm Donau (????).  The P1 was also made in France, at the end of the war, by  Manhurin (again sp ???). 

You can always e-mail Walther and see if they can tell you if the 12/59 is the manufacture date or what it represents. 

BTW - they do shoot very nicely.  HTH.  Mikey.
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Offline darkroomdan

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Re: Walther P38/P1 indentification?
« Reply #2 on: March 30, 2007, 03:14:57 AM »
Yeah, I got to thinking it was maybe put together with mil-surp parts on a P1 frame - still wonder what the PW Arms Redmond WA could be though...

Thanks for the info,
DRD

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Offline PA-Joe

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Re: Walther P38/P1 indentification?
« Reply #3 on: March 30, 2007, 07:25:09 AM »
PW Arms is the Importer!
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