Walther P1 purchase advice

[thrilldo higgins]

On one of my frequent excursions to the local gun shop I noticed that they finally got in a WW2ish gun that tickled my fancy. The Walther P1 in question was going for $275. There was a broken one for $300 sitting next to it,hmmh. Anyway, I would like to know about any problems that these weapons have. Any vanity, or SERIOUS mechanical issues, ie putting the slide in the foreheads of the users, or how to obtain spare magazines ect. Any advice or testemonials in general would be loverly.

 

[PX15]

I purchased a surplus P1 a year or so ago from www.Impactgun.com for (I think) $199.00

The Walther came in pristine condition, with used holster, cleaning kit, and a new (still in wrap) 2nd Walther magazine. Visually you could not tell the weapon had ever been fired. There was a test target with it, so it had been fired at some time but you couldn't tell by looking at it.

My P1 was a later model with the better 3 dot white sights, fat slide conversion, hex bolt. My understanding is that all of those are plusses.. My Walther seems to be top notch, high quality, and shoots like a dream.

If there is one negative to the Walther P1 it is that it is a bit too large for concealed carry, but makes an excellent vehicle, or home pistol. I am more than satisfied with my P1 and wouldn't hesitate to recommend the fine pistol to anyone.

I do think there are enough surplus P1's on the market to take your time and get a very good one, as opposed to just accepting what you might see for sale.

I'm an old fart, and my vision is going south, as well as the steadiness of my hands, so the better sights are a plus for me. I would recommend you hold out for one of the fat slide conversion, hex bolt versions as they are an improvement over the WW2 pistols.

Best Wishes,
JP

And since I'm semi-senile senior citizen it doesn't even bother me that this thread about a pistol is posted in the wrong place. Heck flexability is a good thing in old people.....

 

[Onmilo]

My P-1 isn't my first choice for anything, but several times a year I enjoy getting it out of the toybox and playing with it.

 

[carolinaman]

Hi there,

Nice handguns.

My shooting friend ordered one from SOG and it turned out pretty nice.

However, two months later, a genuine Nazi P-38 came up for sale and he bought it for $100.00 more than the aluminum frame P-1.

Good shooter though.

Chris

 

[PX15]

Hi there,

Nice handguns.

My shooting friend ordered one from SOG and it turned out pretty nice.

However, two months later, a genuine Nazi P-38 came up for sale and he bought it for $100.00 more than the aluminum frame P-1.

Good shooter though.

Chris

Just my two cents worth, but if I ran up on a nice ww2 Nazi marked P38 I would be thinking more in the line of a collectors firearm. I know from reading on the P38 site that the quality of the ww2 P38's ran the gamut from super quality at the beginning of the war to very poor at the end of the war.

My personal interest was in a "shooter" and, for me, the P1 was the better option. I needed the improved sights, and since the beefed up slide and hex bolt was an improvement too, I wanted those changes in my shooter.

Either choice at the present prices represent a great firearms bargain in my estimation. Very high quality firearms. It's fun to take out some of my modern semi-auto's and compare the quality between those and the old Walther.

Best Wishes,
JP

 

[carolinaman]

Hi there,

The quality of the P-38 my friend bought was indeed rougher than the P-1.

It was a late war manufactured pistol and did not exhibit the nicer pre-war polish of earlier guns. As a matter of fact, it does appear to have been polished.

He does indeed use the P-1 for a shooter and the P-38 as a "safe queen", which was why he bought the second P-38.

Chris