Information please on a Walther brought back from Germany

[SARG]

I went to dinner tonight at a friends and he mentioned a pistol his Dad had brought home from Europe in 1945.

Could anyone please provide information about the origin, date of manufacture and other details that can be determined from the photos ?

[SARG]

More photos

[SARG]

and more including stamp on inside of holster flap.

[SARG]

and more

[SARG]

This is what I've found on the net so far on the model 4.

Second Variant (World War I production.)

Left side of slide marked (in capitals) “SELBSTLADE-PISTOLE CAL. 7,65. WALTHER’S-PATENT” on one line above the Walther banner.
Right side of slide marked (in capitals) “CARL WALTHER WAFFENFABRIK ZELLA ST.BLASII” on one line, or in rare cases blank.
6 vertical slide serrations.
Adjustable raised rear sight in a dovetail mount.
Most front sights were hemispherical, but a few were triangular.

[RJay]

Model 4, first real successful auto pistol by Walther, 1910 to 1928, used by military WWI and the Police after ward up to WWII. Second Variation, Waffenfabrik means Armament Makers. Selbstlake is untranslatable. May be an agency , office or area. About 250,000 Model Fours were made, 75,000 went to the military ( WWI ) I believe yours to be a police pistol. Also used by Austrian Police. Just a WAG but I think the value would start at aroud 600on that gun with holster. Best I can do, hope that helps.

[tsweller]

@ RJay

"Selbstlade" means Automatic. The pistol itself (selbst) chambers/load (lade(n)) a Round.

Gruß
Thomas

[RJay]

tsweller, thanks, I had it spelled wrong, no wonder I couldn't translate it. oh well, my teachers always said I had problems , even with the kings English.

[SARG]

RJay
Does the finish on the pistol make you suspect it was a police issue ? Is the military version different or is the holster an indicator ?

[RJay]

I'm not an expert on these pistols however the military pistols would have the Imperial markings on them . However many officers purchased their own hand weapons and it is very possible that it was used by someone in the military , even as late as WWII. Private purchase or hand down ( father to son ) would be devoid of such markings. Perhaps someone better versed in these matters will chime in.

[SARG]

Bump for more opinions on value and origin.

[SARG]

* It would appear that taking pictures isn't the way to get info either*

[Suicide*Ride]

BUMP

Hang in there SARG!! It sometimes takes a while for someone w/ the knowledge of a specific firearm to make post here..... especially something as old as your friend's Walther. It should have some value w/ the provenance backing it.

You said "A friend's pistol"...... does that mean you're thinking of buying it?

BTW - You took some great pictures!!!

SR

[SARG]

Thanks for the bump.

He indeed is looking to sell the heirloom ..... despite my encouragement to keep it in the family. I do not wish to own it as my safe and shelf are already full ..... and I'm at an age that I have to start thinking about passing on what I have.

Just seeking as much information as possible. It's enjoyable going through all the wartime documents and pictures my friend's Dad accumulated.

[wonderwhippet]

It appears that there is no marking on the pistol which would identify it as being either military or police issue. Therefore, it cannot be valued at more than a standard commercial example, somewhere in the neighborhood of $350. The capture certificate only verifies that it was brought back after WWII, but that is as far as it goes. It certainly may have been carried by an enemy combatant, but it is just as likely that it was confiscated from a civilian. The holster is very interesting, but not military or police marked. It is in nice condition, and is probably worth $100 to $150. I would estimate the value of the entire rig at about $500.

[SARG]

This is a bump to see if any new members have fresh info on this pistol.

[btown]

What a magnificent piece if history. Thanks for posting pics.

[RJay]

I just went back and deleted everthing I typed. If anyone asks, I will deny everything, I wasn't even in town that night and I know nothing about the matter. That's my story and I'm sticking to it

[Jim K]

With that style and color of holster, it would more likely have been carried by a police officer or security guard than by a German officer. I can't read the name of the holster maker, but it appears to be dated 1916.

Jim

[valbehaved]

OK, fellows...this had been a long thread and I just stumbled into it today.
Here is what this pistol is:
Imperial German procurement (!) Walther Model 4 from WWI.
You can see the Imperial army acceptance mark in the first picture of the second post of this tread.
Appears to be a Crown over gothic letter D or an M or a W.
German Army procured a number of small .32 cal semi-autos as secondary weapons during WWI, which were issued to drivers, doctors, support personel, officers(if they did not purchase their own). THese included Walthers, Behollas, Langerhans(sp?), Dreyse, etc, etc...
The holster is a typical German Army holster and is dated 1916, I believe.
The gun was probably reissued during WWII or was possibly in the civilian hands, following the end of WWI.
Nice rig. About $750 retail.

[wonderwhippet]

Absolutely correct. I don't know how I missed that imperial acceptance stamp. I agree with the evaluation.