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Walther PP Nazi Proofed & Importers Marks??

seb1999seb1999 Member Posts: 343 ✭✭✭
edited June 2002 in Ask the Experts
I am now ready to purchase my Walther PP .32 ACP pistol and there are quite a few to choose from.

My purpose is just to own a .32 and shoot occasionally and I wonder if I should pay a premium for a pistol that has no importer marks on it? Should I pay the premium for a WWll era Nazi proof mark or is a later manfacture preferable given wartime conditions.

Again, I am not a collector of Walthers and have other handguns to shoot but I do want a .32 made by Walther.

Any opinions or advice will be greatly appreciated
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Comments

  • captkirk3@dslextreme.comcaptkirk3@dslextreme.com Member Posts: 3,804
    edited November -1
    Early Pre-War and Early War production Walthers are 1st Class Weapons..The German Proof Marked Models will Bring a Premium..
    The Very Late Production Models are still decent enough, But for the
    serious Collector the Early Models are the ones of choice..I'd suggest that you purchase a Copy of GERMAN SMALL ARMS by AJR Cormack..This Book will give you all the information you'll need to understand what you have or want...Best...

    Captain Kirk, Tech Staff
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  • mattsmilitariamattsmilitaria Member Posts: 51 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Very well put Capt. Kirk!

    I do collect nazi pistols! and I can tell you that if you just want a .32 Walther to shoot, don't waste your $$ on a nazi proofed one!

    The nazi proofed ones are excellent guns by any standards as Capt. Kirk said.

    I own both a PPK and PP, both are pre-war E/N, commercial finished pieces, and they are both beauties!
    However the price of these pistols is very high now! Just to give you an example. An brown colored extension mag for a Walther PPK, WWII original would sell for over $100 alone!! My PPK rig that I have (pistol w/ extension mag, spare mag, and holster) would probably sell for about $900 today! The prices of these Walther pistols has really skyrocketed in the past few years.
    To give you a quick example. About 2 and a half years ago I had a chance to purchase a nazi proofed Walther PPk in 9mm Kurz (.380). I passed on it because the guy wanted $900 for it. Today that same pistol will sell for over $2,500!!
    Boy was I dumb!?

    Since you are not a collector, and just want a shooter, I would recommend you to get a post war PP or PPK. If you really want a nazi .32 pistol to shoot, there are plenty of other types out there. The best ones for the $ are the Browning 1922, CZ-27(called P.27 by the Germans), Berretta 1935, and Femaru P-37. All of these are good quality pistols, all of them shoot 7.65mm (.32), all were used by the Germans during WWII, and all are fairly cheap, and easy to obtain. Good luck, and good shooting!

    Matt
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  • JgreenJgreen Member Posts: 2,579 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If you have to have a Walther .32, DEFINITELY go with a German model. From what I have gathered, they are infinitely superior to the Interarms versions. I have a .32 PPK/s that has already been back to the factory once, and when returned, it not only wasn't fixed, it was worse than before! I have 4 factory mags, and with that being said, it won't stay open after the last shot; sometimes, with a loaded mag, I draw back the slide and it won't grab a cartridge, and now, if I draw back the slide on an empty mag, it will stay open- until I breathe on the slide or drop the mag. A real disappointment.

    If I get another, it will definitely be a German model.
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