Walther Model 53 Serial Numbers series#

It cameĪbout after the Gun Control Act of 1968 forbade importation of the PPK as being “too small. The PPK/S is basically a PPK slide and barrel atop a PP frame.

Smith & Wesson became the licensee to produce the guns beginning in 2001, an arrangement that continued until 2012. Walther licensed Emco in Gasden, Alabama, to manufacture the PPK and PPK/S in 1983, and production continued until 1999. PP and PPK/S guns were imported by Interarms until the early 1990s. Since they were proofed in Germany, these models could be marked as German made. Some of these models were marked with the Manurhin name.įollowing the reunification of Germany in the 1980s, Walther built a new factory in Ulm, Germany, and some of the pistols were finished and proofed there after being machined in France by Manurhin. Manurhin made all the post-war PPs and PPKs until the Gun Control Act of 1968 went into effect. The factory had been destroyed in WWII, and because firearms production was prohibited in Germany after the war, Walther contracted in 1953 with the French company Manurhin to make the guns. Walther produced both the PP and PPK until 1945.

Walther Model 53 Serial Numbers series#

In addition to the Walther company, several other manufacturers have made the PP series of pistols. 22 LR and, with the box, could be worth $7,500. The gold engraving and Nazi markings make this PPK quite rare. While not quite as concealable as a PPK, some shooters find the PPK/S to be more comfortable to shoot. A new model was created that passed the point system and it was named the PPK/S. Walther engineers came up with a simple solution, which was simply to mount a PPK slide onto a PP frame. The ATF came up with a point system that determined whether a gun could be brought into the USA, and the PPK didn’t make the cut. One variant was the result of the infamous Gun Control Act of 1968 that prohibited the importation of small handguns. More than 70 different listings for PP and PPK values are found in Standard Catalog of Firearms, and many are included in the sidebar on the next page. There are many variations of the PP series, with numerous finishes, grips, engraving patterns and special editions, making collecting the PP series somewhat of a challenge. Winchester Model 42 - “The Greatest Little Shotgun”.The Quintessential 22 Pistol: The Colt Woodsman.25 Auto Beretta featured in his novel Casino Royale as Bond’s main gun, was not powerful enough for the job. Serious Bond fans know the story of Geoffrey Boothroyd, a retired Army Major and gun collector, told Ian Fleming that the. Just as Clint Eastwood’s Inspector Harry Callahan in the 1971 film “Dirty Harry” caused prices for S&W Model 29’s to soar, Bond made the PPK a big contributor to Walther’s bottom line. The PPK became famous in the early 1960s as the main sidearm of fictional British spy James Bond. 25 ACP, but these are very rare and pricey.) (A few pre-WWII PP and PPK pistols were chambered for the. Both the PP and the PPK were initially chambered only for the 7.65mm (.32 ACP), but the.

It was designed for undercover use and had a shorter barrel, frame and grip. A popular variant, the PPK (Polizei Pistole Kriminalmodell, or Police Pistol Detective Model) was introduced a few months after the PP. Introduced in 1929, the PP became a popular police sidearm in Germany and later were issued to officers in Hitler’s army. Features included a visible hammer, loaded-chamber indicator, hammer-block safety and a combination safety/decocking lever, all still commonly found on many DA/SA semiauto designs. This type of action has set the standard for double-action pistol manufacturers worldwide during the past 90 years. It operates on a straight blowback system and a double/single action with a double-action trigger pull for the first shot and a lighter single-action pull for follow-up shots. The Walther PP (Polizei Pistole) occupies a significant place in firearms history as the first commercially successful double-action semiauto pistol.

A number of companies have manufacured PP series pistols.

Famously used by Hollywood spy James Bond.

First commercially successful DA/SA pistol.

Why The Walther PP Series Is Collectable: From WWII to the big screen, the Walther PP Series has forever been tied to history.