WWII Walther PPK Value - Page 3 - The Firearms Forum

Danny · 07-15-2009, 02:02 PM

Hi Vince,
Your pistol was manufactured in 1944. It is a rare police pistol, being made that close to war's end. It should have black grips with the magazine having the Walther banner & 7.65mm under that. It should also have a small w stamped on the spline of the mag.
If you have the holster and two numbered mags I could see well over 2500 or more in good condition. Hope this helps ya?
Regards
Danny

marc79 · 07-15-2009, 08:53 PM

I found one of these Walther PPK 7.65's while cleaning out my wife's Great Aunt's basement. My in-laws told me to keep it. SN 848117 It has the "crown over the N" mentioned in previous posts on this thread. However it has something else on the side that I didn't see in other pics that were posted. It has a design that has an "RZ" with an "M" below it. Is this significant? Is this worth anything? Does anyone know what I'm talking about?

Danny · 07-15-2009, 11:27 PM

Yes indeed it means something! Your PPK is a party leader RZM and manufactured in 1934 before the party leader went with the swastika & eagle on the grips. An RZM in good condition could bring over 2 grand if not more. On the other hand a party leader with real grips & not fake would be over 6. I have one of the first ones sn#804xxx and holster to match & I would not take over 3 for mine. Post a pic if you can?
Hope this info helps ya?
Kind Regards
Danny

marc79 · 07-16-2009, 08:12 AM

Danny,

Here are some pics I took this morning. They're not the greatest. If I knew more about guns I'd try to relay the condition. It looks really clean. It sat in a shoe box since at least 1993.

Thanks,
Marc

Danny · 07-16-2009, 09:25 AM

Hello Marc,
That is a fine looking RZM & I would rate it 90% or better if I could see the grip strap. The holster in my opiinion is not from that time period, however I could be wrong. The reason I say this is that snaps were not used by the Germans until later on. Is there any markings or letters on the back of the holster & can you get a close up of the circle on the bottom half of it? I also wanted to point out that after I checked my little sn# book, your pistol may have been made in early 1935, notice I said maybe. Please get back to me on the holster pics, as you may have something very rare.
Kind Regards
Danny

Re

marc79 · 07-16-2009, 11:30 AM

Danny,

Below are a few more pictures. Two of them are zoomed in. Hopefully they're helpful. I have the pics but I'm at work now and the gun is at home so I couldn't take anymore pictures. If you want anymore pictures I'll have to take them when I get home.

Thanks for all the help.

Marc

wonderwhippet · 07-16-2009, 03:20 PM

Set your camera on the Macro mode and you'll get much clearer closeups.

Danny · 07-16-2009, 10:10 PM

Marc I must admitt the holster looks post war to me. The markings do not match any of the holsters from that era that I have or have ever seen. However I would like to see a better close up of the circle, if possible?
Regards
Danny

streetscraper1 · 08-10-2009, 11:56 PM

hey guys im new to this forum and ive been reading and doing alot of research but i still have a couple of questions...i father recently gave me a walther ppk that he has had for as long as i can remember and well i just wanted to see what you all could tell me about it...the serial number is 121052A ive seen that most serial numbers end with K so what does the A mean? oh and it has the crown over N and its in real good condition..its has some holster wear on the front and a couple of scratches on it but nothing major...im not wanting to sell it right now but times are hard so id like to know what the value is..thanks..i'll post some pics...oh and its chambered in 9mm kurz...or .380...

JBNUT · 09-01-2009, 06:21 PM

I just saw this very original PPK with a great story. I was wondering what the experts thought of the originality of the gun and yes of course the price.
Yup, i am new here

wonderwhippet · 09-01-2009, 08:56 PM

Streetscraper, looks like you have a nice postwar PPK .380 probably made in the mid sixties. Without the box, accessories, and spare mag it is worth somewhere between $750 and $1000.

j.hemby · 01-12-2010, 09:45 AM

Hi, I have recently come into possession of a PPK I believe is from 1944. I am told that my grandfather returned from WWII in Germany with it but I never heard how exactly he got it. It is chambered in 7.65mm and to me, the untrained observer it seems to be in pretty good condition. I will post some pictures of the gun and holster. If I could get some estimate of the value it would be appreciated.

wonderwhippet · 01-12-2010, 12:18 PM

You have a very nice late war police issue PPK. The back of the grip is cracked, but this is unfortunately a very common condition in such pistols. The value would be in the neighborhood of $1000, but some buyers might be willing to pay more. The holster is not correct for this pistol, but it does have an additional value of $125, give or take.

Danny · 01-12-2010, 03:40 PM

Wonder I beg to differ, but the holster is a police issued holster. Not from 1945 when the pistol was manufactured, but still police. Even though the pistol is a 80% in condition, a end of the war police pistol, with correct holster, and maybe serial numbered mag? would attract serious Walther collectors to pay 1500-2000 for this rig.
Near the end of the war they were making alot of pig skin & even paper holsters. You have a nice collector grade pistol there. If you scan Ebay you may find some original black grips for it. Hope this info helps?
Kindest Regards
Danny

By the way, could you send a closer pic of the mag?

wonderwhippet · 01-12-2010, 06:11 PM

Danny, those grips are very hard to find, and if you did, they would cost upwards of $300. As for the condition of the pistol, it is hard to tell because of the blurriness and poor lighting of the photos, but it does look better than 95% to me, even though it has those late war tool marks. I don't doubt that if it was put up for sale that eventually someone might crawl out of the woodwork with a fistful of money and pay $1400 or so, but finding such a novice customer would take a lot of time and perserverance. As for the holster, it is shown on page 101 of "Military Holsters of World War II" by Eugene J. Bender, and it is for a Sauer Model 38(H).

j.hemby · 01-12-2010, 06:50 PM

Thanks for all the input. I am planning on taking my ppk to a local gun shop to get it cleaned and checked for safety and functionality since it hasn't been fired for over 40 years. Sorry about the poor quality of the pics. the screen of my camera broke so I was really just guessing while taking the pictures.
I looked at the mag and it doesnt have any other markings on it besides the walther banner and the caliber.
After I get this cleaned and checked out what are you opinions about shooting some with it. I like the idea of firing a piece of history.

j.hemby · 01-12-2010, 06:52 PM

Also who do you think would have used this weapon in the war?

Danny · 01-14-2010, 01:22 AM

Yes it is possible a wounded or deceased policeman was found & the weapon taken to war.
Wonder the holster is indeed a 38h, but a police, as I have one. All the police holsters for the 38h & ppk were the same. Here is a nice example from a well known collector selling one on Ebay, item 150404443988.
Take Care
Danny

wonderwhippet · 01-14-2010, 11:04 AM

Good info, Danny. Thanks.

dakotaTex · 02-08-2010, 11:43 AM

I hope I can add to this thread with yet another PPK question.

I have what I think is a 1939 Walther PPK RZM model. I would like to shoot it occasionally. I realize the grips are somewhat fragile and would like to replace them first. I've removed the grip screw but it didn't really seem to make much difference. I have three manuals that detail how to field and detail strip the gun, but none make any mention of the removing the grips, other than removing the screw. I don't want to damage them, so I would appreciate any help. As I've seen mentioned, the grips do have a very small crack at the top of the backstrap.

The gun belonged to my dad, and as he is now in his eighties, we are shooting some of the guns he's had but never shot. He has several other PPK's including a .22LR. His grip isn't what it used to be so I'm looking at smaller caliber pistols that will be easy for him to shoot.

Any idea as to it's value would also be greatly appreciated. There seems to be quite a bit of variability in price, so I've not been able to get a good handle on what it may be worth.

Thanks for any and all help you can provide.

dakotaTex

valbehaved · 02-08-2010, 11:51 AM

Your RZM is actually a mismatch with an RZM slide and a frame from a later gun. The frame was refinished...I would not worry about the grip as the refinished frame, cracked grip and a mismatch put this gun in a shooter category with estimated value of $700
Enjoy it.

dakotaTex · 02-08-2010, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by valbehaved

Your RZM is actually a mismatch with an RZM slide and a frame from a later gun. The frame was refinished...I would not worry about the grip as the refinished frame, cracked grip and a mismatch put this gun in a shooter category with estimated value of $700
Enjoy it.

Thanks for the reply. So if I check the slide, the serial number won't match the frame? Funny, I've had it apart a couple of times and never even looked. I'll do that tonight.

Even if it's not very valuable, I'd still like to replace the grips. Any suggestions? I found a wood pair for about $50 that I think would feel better than the plastic ones. Or, I suppose I could use a Houge wrap.

In a way I'm glad it's worth what it is. I can shoot it without worrying about it quite as much. A shooter is exactly what I wanted.

dakotaTex

valbehaved · 02-08-2010, 02:20 PM

You should be able to slide of the grip if you remove the grip screw and pull the grip to the rear and down - at about 35 degree angle to the horizontal. If it does not want to go - try to spread the front edges of the grip away from the frame by a millimeter or so and pull on the grip again with the front edges slightly spread..
good luck.

dakotaTex · 02-08-2010, 04:58 PM

valbehaved,
Can you tell me what leads you to your conclusion about the mismatched frame and slide? My dad will want to know, since he bought the gun. He has quite a few other PPKs, all purchased years ago, mostly in the '70's at gun shows. (His records show he paid $175 for this gun.) Is there a good reference work that I can use to quickly evaluate his other PPKs? He did his collecting by setting up a table at gun shows and buying pretty much anything a WWII vet would bring in. I'm sure it was a crapshoot as to what he got.

Thanks for your help.

dakotaTex

valbehaved · 02-08-2010, 05:51 PM

If you pull off the slide and shine some light trough the ejection port to illuminate the inside of the slide opposite the ejection port - you should see 3 digits lightly scribed with a sharp tool. They would be the last 3 digits of the serial number and should match the last 3 digits of the serial on the frame. They can be very faint but shoul be there.. about 1/2 inch tall numbers..
let me know what you find..

07-15-2009, 02:02 PM	#51
Danny Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: West Va Contributor Posts: 594	Re: WWII Walther PPK Value Hi Vince, Your pistol was manufactured in 1944. It is a rare police pistol, being made that close to war's end. It should have black grips with the magazine having the Walther banner & 7.65mm under that. It should also have a small w stamped on the spline of the mag. If you have the holster and two numbered mags I could see well over 2500 or more in good condition. Hope this helps ya? Regards Danny

07-15-2009, 08:53 PM	#52
marc79 Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 3	Re: WWII Walther PPK Value I found one of these Walther PPK 7.65's while cleaning out my wife's Great Aunt's basement. My in-laws told me to keep it. SN 848117 It has the "crown over the N" mentioned in previous posts on this thread. However it has something else on the side that I didn't see in other pics that were posted. It has a design that has an "RZ" with an "M" below it. Is this significant? Is this worth anything? Does anyone know what I'm talking about?

07-15-2009, 11:27 PM	#53
Danny Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: West Va Contributor Posts: 594	Re: WWII Walther PPK Value Yes indeed it means something! Your PPK is a party leader RZM and manufactured in 1934 before the party leader went with the swastika & eagle on the grips. An RZM in good condition could bring over 2 grand if not more. On the other hand a party leader with real grips & not fake would be over 6. I have one of the first ones sn#804xxx and holster to match & I would not take over 3 for mine. Post a pic if you can? Hope this info helps ya? Kind Regards Danny

07-16-2009, 08:12 AM	#54
marc79 Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 3	Re: WWII Walther PPK Value Danny, Here are some pics I took this morning. They're not the greatest. If I knew more about guns I'd try to relay the condition. It looks really clean. It sat in a shoe box since at least 1993. Thanks, Marc Attached Images

07-16-2009, 09:25 AM	#55
Danny Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: West Va Contributor Posts: 594	Re: WWII Walther PPK Value Hello Marc, That is a fine looking RZM & I would rate it 90% or better if I could see the grip strap. The holster in my opiinion is not from that time period, however I could be wrong. The reason I say this is that snaps were not used by the Germans until later on. Is there any markings or letters on the back of the holster & can you get a close up of the circle on the bottom half of it? I also wanted to point out that after I checked my little sn# book, your pistol may have been made in early 1935, notice I said maybe. Please get back to me on the holster pics, as you may have something very rare. Kind Regards Danny Re

07-16-2009, 11:30 AM	#56
marc79 Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 3	Re: WWII Walther PPK Value Danny, Below are a few more pictures. Two of them are zoomed in. Hopefully they're helpful. I have the pics but I'm at work now and the gun is at home so I couldn't take anymore pictures. If you want anymore pictures I'll have to take them when I get home. Thanks for all the help. Marc Attached Images

07-16-2009, 03:20 PM	#57
wonderwhippet Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 1,599	Re: WWII Walther PPK Value Set your camera on the Macro mode and you'll get much clearer closeups.

07-16-2009, 10:10 PM	#58
Danny Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: West Va Contributor Posts: 594	Re: WWII Walther PPK Value Marc I must admitt the holster looks post war to me. The markings do not match any of the holsters from that era that I have or have ever seen. However I would like to see a better close up of the circle, if possible? Regards Danny

08-10-2009, 11:56 PM	#59
streetscraper1 Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 2	Re: WWII Walther PPK Value hey guys im new to this forum and ive been reading and doing alot of research but i still have a couple of questions...i father recently gave me a walther ppk that he has had for as long as i can remember and well i just wanted to see what you all could tell me about it...the serial number is 121052A ive seen that most serial numbers end with K so what does the A mean? oh and it has the crown over N and its in real good condition..its has some holster wear on the front and a couple of scratches on it but nothing major...im not wanting to sell it right now but times are hard so id like to know what the value is..thanks..i'll post some pics...oh and its chambered in 9mm kurz...or .380... Last edited by streetscraper1; 08-11-2009 at 03:00 AM..

09-01-2009, 06:21 PM	#60
JBNUT Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1	Re: WWII Walther PPK Value I just saw this very original PPK with a great story. I was wondering what the experts thought of the originality of the gun and yes of course the price. Yup, i am new here Last edited by JBNUT; 09-01-2009 at 06:35 PM..

09-01-2009, 08:56 PM	#61
wonderwhippet Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 1,599	Re: WWII Walther PPK Value Streetscraper, looks like you have a nice postwar PPK .380 probably made in the mid sixties. Without the box, accessories, and spare mag it is worth somewhere between $750 and $1000.

01-12-2010, 09:45 AM	#62
j.hemby Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 3	Re: WWII Walther PPK Value Hi, I have recently come into possession of a PPK I believe is from 1944. I am told that my grandfather returned from WWII in Germany with it but I never heard how exactly he got it. It is chambered in 7.65mm and to me, the untrained observer it seems to be in pretty good condition. I will post some pictures of the gun and holster. If I could get some estimate of the value it would be appreciated. Attached Images

01-12-2010, 12:18 PM	#63
wonderwhippet Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 1,599	Re: WWII Walther PPK Value You have a very nice late war police issue PPK. The back of the grip is cracked, but this is unfortunately a very common condition in such pistols. The value would be in the neighborhood of $1000, but some buyers might be willing to pay more. The holster is not correct for this pistol, but it does have an additional value of $125, give or take.

01-12-2010, 03:40 PM	#64
Danny Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: West Va Contributor Posts: 594	Re: WWII Walther PPK Value Wonder I beg to differ, but the holster is a police issued holster. Not from 1945 when the pistol was manufactured, but still police. Even though the pistol is a 80% in condition, a end of the war police pistol, with correct holster, and maybe serial numbered mag? would attract serious Walther collectors to pay 1500-2000 for this rig. Near the end of the war they were making alot of pig skin & even paper holsters. You have a nice collector grade pistol there. If you scan Ebay you may find some original black grips for it. Hope this info helps? Kindest Regards Danny By the way, could you send a closer pic of the mag? __________________ THE GUN HAS PLAYED A CRITICAL ROLE IN HISTORY. AN INVENTION WHICH HAS BEEN PRAISED & DENOUNCED...SERVED HERO & VILLAIN ALIKE...AND CARRIES WITH IT MORAL RESPONSIBILITY...TO UNDERSTAND THE GUN IS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HISTORY. Last edited by Danny; 01-12-2010 at 03:42 PM.. Reason: more info

01-12-2010, 06:11 PM	#65
wonderwhippet Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 1,599	Re: WWII Walther PPK Value Danny, those grips are very hard to find, and if you did, they would cost upwards of $300. As for the condition of the pistol, it is hard to tell because of the blurriness and poor lighting of the photos, but it does look better than 95% to me, even though it has those late war tool marks. I don't doubt that if it was put up for sale that eventually someone might crawl out of the woodwork with a fistful of money and pay $1400 or so, but finding such a novice customer would take a lot of time and perserverance. As for the holster, it is shown on page 101 of "Military Holsters of World War II" by Eugene J. Bender, and it is for a Sauer Model 38(H).

01-12-2010, 06:50 PM	#66
j.hemby Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 3	Re: WWII Walther PPK Value Thanks for all the input. I am planning on taking my ppk to a local gun shop to get it cleaned and checked for safety and functionality since it hasn't been fired for over 40 years. Sorry about the poor quality of the pics. the screen of my camera broke so I was really just guessing while taking the pictures. I looked at the mag and it doesnt have any other markings on it besides the walther banner and the caliber. After I get this cleaned and checked out what are you opinions about shooting some with it. I like the idea of firing a piece of history.

01-12-2010, 06:52 PM	#67
j.hemby Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 3	Re: WWII Walther PPK Value Also who do you think would have used this weapon in the war?

01-14-2010, 01:22 AM	#68
Danny Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: West Va Contributor Posts: 594	Re: WWII Walther PPK Value Yes it is possible a wounded or deceased policeman was found & the weapon taken to war. Wonder the holster is indeed a 38h, but a police, as I have one. All the police holsters for the 38h & ppk were the same. Here is a nice example from a well known collector selling one on Ebay, item 150404443988. Take Care Danny __________________ THE GUN HAS PLAYED A CRITICAL ROLE IN HISTORY. AN INVENTION WHICH HAS BEEN PRAISED & DENOUNCED...SERVED HERO & VILLAIN ALIKE...AND CARRIES WITH IT MORAL RESPONSIBILITY...TO UNDERSTAND THE GUN IS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HISTORY.

01-14-2010, 11:04 AM	#69
wonderwhippet Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 1,599	Re: WWII Walther PPK Value Good info, Danny. Thanks.

02-08-2010, 11:43 AM	#70
dakotaTex Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 6	Re: WWII Walther PPK Value I hope I can add to this thread with yet another PPK question. I have what I think is a 1939 Walther PPK RZM model. I would like to shoot it occasionally. I realize the grips are somewhat fragile and would like to replace them first. I've removed the grip screw but it didn't really seem to make much difference. I have three manuals that detail how to field and detail strip the gun, but none make any mention of the removing the grips, other than removing the screw. I don't want to damage them, so I would appreciate any help. As I've seen mentioned, the grips do have a very small crack at the top of the backstrap. The gun belonged to my dad, and as he is now in his eighties, we are shooting some of the guns he's had but never shot. He has several other PPK's including a .22LR. His grip isn't what it used to be so I'm looking at smaller caliber pistols that will be easy for him to shoot. Any idea as to it's value would also be greatly appreciated. There seems to be quite a bit of variability in price, so I've not been able to get a good handle on what it may be worth. Thanks for any and all help you can provide. dakotaTex

02-08-2010, 11:51 AM	#71
valbehaved V.I.P. Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 238	Re: WWII Walther PPK Value Your RZM is actually a mismatch with an RZM slide and a frame from a later gun. The frame was refinished...I would not worry about the grip as the refinished frame, cracked grip and a mismatch put this gun in a shooter category with estimated value of $700 Enjoy it.

02-08-2010, 02:20 PM	#73
valbehaved V.I.P. Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 238	Re: WWII Walther PPK Value You should be able to slide of the grip if you remove the grip screw and pull the grip to the rear and down - at about 35 degree angle to the horizontal. If it does not want to go - try to spread the front edges of the grip away from the frame by a millimeter or so and pull on the grip again with the front edges slightly spread.. good luck.

02-08-2010, 04:58 PM	#74
dakotaTex Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 6	Re: WWII Walther PPK Value valbehaved, Can you tell me what leads you to your conclusion about the mismatched frame and slide? My dad will want to know, since he bought the gun. He has quite a few other PPKs, all purchased years ago, mostly in the '70's at gun shows. (His records show he paid $175 for this gun.) Is there a good reference work that I can use to quickly evaluate his other PPKs? He did his collecting by setting up a table at gun shows and buying pretty much anything a WWII vet would bring in. I'm sure it was a crapshoot as to what he got. Thanks for your help. dakotaTex

02-08-2010, 05:51 PM	#75
valbehaved V.I.P. Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 238	Re: WWII Walther PPK Value If you pull off the slide and shine some light trough the ejection port to illuminate the inside of the slide opposite the ejection port - you should see 3 digits lightly scribed with a sharp tool. They would be the last 3 digits of the serial number and should match the last 3 digits of the serial on the frame. They can be very faint but shoul be there.. about 1/2 inch tall numbers.. let me know what you find..