The Finest Collector's Pistol

[Jim K]

FYI, the information on the pistols used in the 1914 Sarajevo assassination is well known in Europe, and has been known here for years. I have seen the information in DWJ, although my immediate source was a January 2000 AUTOMAG article by Jiri T. Vojta.

The story about a .32 Browning Model 1900 appeared in one American magazine article decades ago and has been slavishly repeated ever since by other writers.

I can only suggest that it would be a mistake to accept anything on The History Channel at face value. Their research is pitiful, a lot of their "real" footage is fake or from movies, and their "experts", even when allowed a complete sentence, are often better at story telling than at knowing the facts. The silliest was THC showing an SKS and an AK-47 in their story of Bonnie and Clyde.

Jim

 

[Hkmp5sd]

but Walther employees who have supposedly authenticated it called that nonsense

Can you point me toward any references to how the pistol was authenticated? I'd be interested in how they proved the gun was actually the one Hitler used.

Both Otto Gunsche, Hitler's personal adjutant, and Heinz Linge, Hitler's valet, testified that Hitler had two pistols in the room. One was a 6.35mm Walther Model 8 and the other was a 7.65mm Walther, either a PP or PPK (they were not sure with model it actually was). Gunsche picked up and unloaded both pistols and in the process, noted the 7.65mm had been fired, the 6.35mm had not.

In addition to these two, Erich Kempa, Hitler's chauffeur, testified he also saw both pistols following the suicide. All three stated they did not know what happened to the pistols.

Given that it was the Soviets that first captured the bunker (and stripped it clean), it's hard to believe the Walther somehow made it out and into a western gun collector's possession.