Walther Model PPK Pre-War Commercial, Rare 7 Digit Serial No., Blued 3 5/16” DA Semi-Automatic Pistol, MFD 1937 C&R
SOLD FOR: 1,805.00
LSB#: 160134WM52
Make: Walther
Model: PPK Commercial
Serial Number: 1002268
Year of Manufacture: ca 1937 (According to “Walther”, Vol. II pg. 125, by James Rankin, 7000-10000 Walther PPK’s were made with 7 digit serial numbers prior to the K suffix serial numbers being used, which started in 1938.)
Caliber: .32 A.C.P. (7.65mm Browning)
Action Type: Single or Double Action Semi-Auto with 7 Round Removable Magazine
Markings: The left side of the slide is marked with the Walther “Banner” logo, “Waffenfabrik Walther, Zella-Mehlis (Thur) / Walther’s Patent Cal. 7,65m/m” and “MOD. PPK”. The right side of the slide below the port opening and the barrel at the port opening are marked with a “Crowned N” commercial nitro proof as used prior to 1940. The right side of the frame behind the trigger is marked “1002268”. The right side of the barrel at the muzzle is marked with a “Crown / N” proof. The inside of the slide opposite the port is scratched with “268”.
Barrel Length: 3 5/16”
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a low profile blade fixed to the slide. The rear sight is a “U” groove in a raised boss at the top rear of the slide. The top of the slide has a full length rib, which is serrated to reduce glare.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grip is a one piece brown checkered plastic with streaks of black that encloses the backstrap. There is a Walther Banner Logo at the top of the grip on each side. There appears to be a short hairline crack at the upper edge of the grip screw on both sides of the grip. The smooth edges of the grip show several light handling marks with two dings in the bottom rear corner on the left side. The checkering shows light wear without mars The grips rate in about Fine condition.
Type of Finish: The finish is blued.
Finish Originality: All Original
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion.in the bore, but there is a tiny tool mark in one of the lands near the muzzle.
Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 87% of its metal finish. There is surface loss at the front of the slide and thinning on the remaining edges of the slide and those of the frame. There are spots of pinprick surface erosion visible in the areas of surface loss at the front of the slide. There are also several light handling marks in the sides of the slide and the trigger guard. The hammer and safety serrations show light wear and the slide serrations and magazine release checkering are sharp. The grips screw is sharp and the markings are clear. Overall, this handgun rates in about Fine condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. This pistol has a slide mounted de-cocker that blocks the hammer. The double action trigger pull is a little stiff and the single action pull is light and crisp. This pistol was not designed with a magazine disconnect, but the slide does lock back on an empty chamber. We did not fire this handgun.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes with a total of one 7 round blued factory magazine. The magazine is marked with a Walther banner logo and “PPK 7,65 m/m” on the lower left side and has a flat blued floorplate. The magazine shows minimal with two tiny marks in the floorplate. The magazine is in about Excellent condition.
Our Assessment: PPK stood for “Polizei Pistole Kriminal modell” (Police Pistol Detective Model) and was used by the German police detectives (street cops carried the larger PP chambered in .380 A.C.P.). The PPK Model was also very popular in the civilian market. Adolf Hitler committed suicide with a PPK and a PPK was used by the fictional spy James Bond after “M” made him trade-in skeletonized Beretta. The pre-war pistols are considered more collectible than any other period except for those made during the war, and the quality and workmanship on these pistols is outstanding. This Walther Model PPK was made in about 1937. The standard German marking at the time for PP and PPK models was for the use of a six-digit serial number, followed by a letter suffix as necessary. When the PP pistol sequence reached 999,999, Walther switched to a P suffix. But, in the PPK series the six digit numbers transitioned into 7 digit numbers for a short while before the K suffix was adopted. James Rankin, in his book “Walther”, Vol. II, indicates 7000-10,000 were manufactured with 7 digit numbers. This pistol is in Fine condition with about 87% of its original finish remaining. It shows surface loss and pinprick surface erosion at the front of the slide, with thinning on the edges of the slide and frame. There are light handling marks on the sides of the slide and on the trigger guard. The grips are checkered brown plastic with traces of black running through them. The checkering shows light wear without mars. There is a short hairline crack on both sides of the grip at the upper edge of the grip screw, several light handling marks in the left side of the grip and a two dings at the bottom rear left corner. The bore is bright with sharp rifling and a tiny tool mark in one of the lands near the muzzle. This pistol has a de-cocker that blocks the hammer. This is a very collectible pistol, nice looking and correctly marked. This is sure to end up in a collection of high-end pre-war automatics. There were a lot of 6 digit and K suffixed PPK’s made prior to and during WWII, but very few 7 digit serial number guns in comparison.
