Mod PPK

[bookman]

Picked up a PPK today brown grips a crown and "N" stamped on the frame and barrel, and the serial no. is2566XX K

"Waffenfabrik Walther, Zella-Mehlis (Thur)
Walther's Patent Cal. 7,65 m/m Mod PPK

Any idea of the date?.

 

[denfoote]

From the place of manufacture and the markings, I would say was made before the start of WW-II. It is a commrecial PPK due to the "eagle over 'N'" proof mark. The NSDAP adapted the "eagle over swastika" proof mark. If it were a post WW-II gun, it would have been a Maurhin. Made in France. When Walther started back up, they had been moved to Ulm-Donau in West Deutschland.

An exact dating is difficult because all of Walther's records were lost during the war.

 

[bookman]

denfoote,

Thanks its older than what I thought..

 

[Jim K]

We can narrow it down a bit more. PPK production started in 1931, and the "crown N" proof mark was used until April 1940. Based on available serial number information, that pistol would have been among the last to have the "crown N" rather than the Nazi "eagle N". It was probably made in late 1939 or early 1940.

Jim