Walther P88

dfletcher

I have a Walther P88 and am looking for additional magazines and maybe wood grips. Don't know much about the gun, other than factory mags are expensive as heck. I read and am told Walther/Smith 99 magazines can fit, Beretta 92 also and am wondering if anyone has more info or has gone that route.

Regarding grips, do the 88 and the later 88 Compact take the same grips?

mark christian

The P88 and P88 Compact stocks (grips) are not the same. The P88 uses a frame mounted decocker while the P88 Compact uses a slide mounted safety similar to a Beretta 92 or P-38 so the cut-outs are different. P99 magazines will fit in a P88, but the magazine body of the P99 is too short to allow them to work properly in the P88. On the other hand, the P99 magazine body is the same length as the magazine body used in the P88 Compact. The P99 magazine's base plate is thicker than the P88C magazine so you can probably use a P88C magazines in a P99, but not the other way around. Beretta 92 magazines can be made to work in a P88 (not the Compact), but you have to cut a new notch for the magazine release.

dfletcher

^

Thank you. I've since found that Smith 59 magazines can also be used in the P88 by re-configuring the mag release cut. I already have a bunch of those for my Marlin Camp 9. So if I screw it up I can still use them.

Care to take a stab at whether cutting the notch on my old 59 mags would run afoul of "manufacturing" a high cap in CA? Probably best to stick to the 10 rounders.