Walther P32 Finders Keepers - The Firearms Forum

Scooter · 10-06-2003, 11:50 AM

My girlfriend recently bought a house for FAR below market value. The house belonged to a gentleman who spent the last year of his life in a nursing home. Some of the family members removed what they wanted and left the dross, except for.....................

..............A Walther P32 in a leather holster in a dresser between some blankets in the attic. The greedy relatives must have missed it somehow...........darn the luck!

The gun is in Very Good to Excellent condition, has most of the bluing intact (some worn off at the tip of the slide where it entered the holster), brown plastic grips (yuck), brown leather holster with a pocket for a mag on the outside (cool!). No mags for it. Mechanically seems to be in excellent condition. I inspected the barrel and everything looks good there (no apparent wear, no fouling, nice shiny oiled surface) Proper lubricants (grease) at the correct points. I'd be willing to bet money the weapon has not been fired in the last 20 years, and maybe just a few times prior to that. Serial Number 333XXX k. "PPK" stamped on the slide.

So, what do we have here? I'm guessing in the $400 to $450 range.

Anybody want to take a shot at it?

Xracer · 10-06-2003, 03:40 PM

Hi Scooter.......welcome to TFF.

That's a good ballpark price for a run-of-the-mill .32 PPK...but it could possibly be more.

If you can give us ALL of the writing on it (and any proof marks)....does it have a steel or aluminum frame.....High Polish or Milled finish?

Scooter · 10-06-2003, 03:46 PM

Thanks Xracer........

I'll take a second look at it tonight and see if I can post a picture as well. Might give a better idea as to what I'm working with here. It's all in German

As mentioned, the S/N starts off with "333XXX" with a lower case "k" at the end. It's stamped on the right side of the slidem and on the lower portion of the weapon as well.

I'm thinking late 50's to early 60's based on the original owners' age and other factors.

Am I close?

Xracer · 10-07-2003, 07:31 AM

I don't have a source for matching serial #s with manufacturing dates, so I can't tell from that.

The PPK was introduced in 1929 and has been made almost continuously until today. The PPKs made during WWII and bearing Nazi proofs usually bring a premium.

They've been made in Germany, France, Czechoslovakia, and now, here in the U.S.

The only way to tell what you've got is by the markings and proofs on the gun.

Scooter · 10-07-2003, 12:51 PM

Nix on the Pix..........sorry technical problems, BUT I have some more info for you:

RIGHT SIDE

Matching SN on the slide, and on the grip behind the trigger (366XXX k). I mis-typed earlier. It is 366XXX, not 333XXX.

LEFT SIDE

Waffenfabrik Walther, Zelle-Mehlis (Thur)

Walther's Patent Cal 7.65 m/m

Below that is an indecipherable mark that almost looks like an eagle with spread wings like the Post Office uses with Wa4359 in an arc below that. This mark appears on the slide and opposite the SN on the right side. The crest is there, but looks like it was not quite flush with the piece when struck.

So, does that help matters any?

BTW, I would also like to downgrade the finish on the weapon to more like 80% according to the NRA guidelines.

Thanks much for looking, Xracer!!

Scooter · 10-07-2003, 04:53 PM

Well, boys and girls a little dilligent research on the web has lead me to some interesting information about our subject gun.

I have found out that the indecipherable marks located on the left side of the weapon means that it is a wartime gun. I still don't have access to the Serial Number listing to find the exact date, but I have been able to determine that the "Wa4359" has something to do with Model 359, meaning a wartime gun. The crest is indeed an eagle, also meaning wartime manufacture.

The gentleman who owned the house it was found in was indeed a WWII veteran, and it may even be some kind of smuggled war trophy.

Help me out here, guys..............

Smokin Guns · 10-07-2003, 06:22 PM

Welcome Scooter!!!...I'll "Kick" it into gear and see what I can find too!!!...

wonderwhippet · 10-09-2003, 11:22 AM

Your wartime PPK is worth big bucks, could be around $1000. To get an accurate value take your question to the PPK forum:

http://boards.rennlist.com/cgi-bin/pp-k/pp-k.pl?

Scooter · 10-09-2003, 01:51 PM

Wonderwhippet, you may be my hero today. I've been looking all over creation for some more information, and you may have provided it for me.

Thanks for the info!

Scooter

Xracer · 10-10-2003, 08:11 AM

It is, indeed, a wartime gun.

Value will depend on whether it has a high-polished or milled finish.

High-polished finish:

VG - $1200
Good - $700

Milled finish:

VG - $800
Good - $500

An original WWII holster would add to the value, but I'm not sure how much.

Nice find.....and the price was sure right!

Scooter · 10-10-2003, 08:21 AM

Wonderwhippet provided an EXCELLENT site for information on PPs and PPKs. I'm grateful for the information.

Xracer provided some EXCELLENT first hand information on that class of weapon. Great job!

I also appreciate all the other offers of assistance. Thanks guys!

To recap (for future reference):

Walther PPK P32 S/N 366XXX with all the proper markings was produced in 1942 and purchased by a German Wehrmacht (sp) officer. Mill finish, 90% condidtion, excellent mechanical condition, with mag and correct holster for the weapon.

Low-end value $450.00

High-end value $800.00 +

Haven't decided to go shoot it, sell it, or trade it in on something else, like another .45!

Thanks again, guys. I had a ball doing the research. Maybe now I can get something done at work!

tuckerd1 · 10-10-2003, 09:59 AM

Scooter, If you decide to sell, I have seen some of these auction for big dollars on *********.com

pickenup · 10-10-2003, 09:38 PM

Is your girlfriend going to call the last owners and offer to give it to them?

Just kidding. Nice find.

Personally I would trade it (sell) for something I wanted. Depends on what kind of "collector" shooter you are.

Scooter · 10-13-2003, 08:18 AM

I've been able to find a couple of auctions with comparable guns. The highest running one is currently over $1200.00, and doesn't include the original German Officer's holster. Might have something there.

As far as calling the previous owner.....that'd be a good trick. She bought the house out of his estate. No living relatives, except for a distant cousin, that had little contact with the owner. I understand his will specified his estate get split up into some endowments for a local university, the VFW, and some other organizations. Don't really have anybody to return it to, you see.

So, I guess it will have to go into the collection, until she decides what to do with it for sure. You know, Xmas is coming up, and I have my eye on that nice Wilson CQB job at the local store...............

Thanks again for all the help, guys!

gamachinist · 10-13-2003, 12:20 PM

If it's acceptable to do so,ask about turning it over to the VFW for muesem use or to be sold to raise funds for the VFW.
Just a thought if you can't keep it for yourself,Robert.

Scooter · 10-13-2003, 01:09 PM

Good idea, gamachinist.

As a matter of fact, she has donated some other stuff found in the house to the local chapter, the one she believes he belonged to.

Don't know about donating a live untraceable weapon, though.

10-06-2003, 11:50 AM	#1
Scooter Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Des Moines, Iowa Posts: 22	Walther P32 Finders Keepers My girlfriend recently bought a house for FAR below market value. The house belonged to a gentleman who spent the last year of his life in a nursing home. Some of the family members removed what they wanted and left the dross, except for..................... ..............A Walther P32 in a leather holster in a dresser between some blankets in the attic. The greedy relatives must have missed it somehow...........darn the luck! The gun is in Very Good to Excellent condition, has most of the bluing intact (some worn off at the tip of the slide where it entered the holster), brown plastic grips (yuck), brown leather holster with a pocket for a mag on the outside (cool!). No mags for it. Mechanically seems to be in excellent condition. I inspected the barrel and everything looks good there (no apparent wear, no fouling, nice shiny oiled surface) Proper lubricants (grease) at the correct points. I'd be willing to bet money the weapon has not been fired in the last 20 years, and maybe just a few times prior to that. Serial Number 333XXX k. "PPK" stamped on the slide. So, what do we have here? I'm guessing in the $400 to $450 range. Anybody want to take a shot at it? __________________ "When the going gets wierd, the wierd turn pro" -->

10-06-2003, 03:46 PM	#3
Scooter Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Des Moines, Iowa Posts: 22	Markings Thanks Xracer........ I'll take a second look at it tonight and see if I can post a picture as well. Might give a better idea as to what I'm working with here. It's all in German As mentioned, the S/N starts off with "333XXX" with a lower case "k" at the end. It's stamped on the right side of the slidem and on the lower portion of the weapon as well. I'm thinking late 50's to early 60's based on the original owners' age and other factors. Am I close? __________________ "When the going gets wierd, the wierd turn pro"

10-07-2003, 12:51 PM	#5
Scooter Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Des Moines, Iowa Posts: 22	Markings Nix on the Pix..........sorry technical problems, BUT I have some more info for you: RIGHT SIDE Matching SN on the slide, and on the grip behind the trigger (366XXX k). I mis-typed earlier. It is 366XXX, not 333XXX. LEFT SIDE Waffenfabrik Walther, Zelle-Mehlis (Thur) Walther's Patent Cal 7.65 m/m Below that is an indecipherable mark that almost looks like an eagle with spread wings like the Post Office uses with Wa4359 in an arc below that. This mark appears on the slide and opposite the SN on the right side. The crest is there, but looks like it was not quite flush with the piece when struck. So, does that help matters any? BTW, I would also like to downgrade the finish on the weapon to more like 80% according to the NRA guidelines. Thanks much for looking, Xracer!! __________________ "When the going gets wierd, the wierd turn pro"

10-07-2003, 04:53 PM	#6
Scooter Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Des Moines, Iowa Posts: 22	AHA! Well, boys and girls a little dilligent research on the web has lead me to some interesting information about our subject gun. I have found out that the indecipherable marks located on the left side of the weapon means that it is a wartime gun. I still don't have access to the Serial Number listing to find the exact date, but I have been able to determine that the "Wa4359" has something to do with Model 359, meaning a wartime gun. The crest is indeed an eagle, also meaning wartime manufacture. The gentleman who owned the house it was found in was indeed a WWII veteran, and it may even be some kind of smuggled war trophy. Help me out here, guys.............. __________________ "When the going gets wierd, the wierd turn pro"

10-07-2003, 06:22 PM	#7
Smokin Guns Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: "Gun Culture Members Clubhouse"... Posts: 4,463	Welcome Scooter!!!...I'll "Kick" it into gear and see what I can find too!!!... __________________

10-06-2003, 03:40 PM	#2
Xracer TFF Admin Staff Mediator Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Minn-eeee-sota, ya, sure, you bet! Posts: 9,144	Hi Scooter.......welcome to TFF. That's a good ballpark price for a run-of-the-mill .32 PPK...but it could possibly be more. If you can give us ALL of the writing on it (and any proof marks)....does it have a steel or aluminum frame.....High Polish or Milled finish?

10-07-2003, 07:31 AM	#4
Xracer TFF Admin Staff Mediator Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Minn-eeee-sota, ya, sure, you bet! Posts: 9,144	I don't have a source for matching serial #s with manufacturing dates, so I can't tell from that. The PPK was introduced in 1929 and has been made almost continuously until today. The PPKs made during WWII and bearing Nazi proofs usually bring a premium. They've been made in Germany, France, Czechoslovakia, and now, here in the U.S. The only way to tell what you've got is by the markings and proofs on the gun.

10-09-2003, 11:22 AM	#8
wonderwhippet Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 1,582	Your PPK Your wartime PPK is worth big bucks, could be around $1000. To get an accurate value take your question to the PPK forum: http://boards.rennlist.com/cgi-bin/pp-k/pp-k.pl?

10-09-2003, 01:51 PM	#9
Scooter Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Des Moines, Iowa Posts: 22	Thanks! Wonderwhippet, you may be my hero today. I've been looking all over creation for some more information, and you may have provided it for me. Thanks for the info! Scooter __________________ "When the going gets wierd, the wierd turn pro"

10-10-2003, 08:11 AM	#10
Xracer TFF Admin Staff Mediator Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Minn-eeee-sota, ya, sure, you bet! Posts: 9,144	It is, indeed, a wartime gun. Value will depend on whether it has a high-polished or milled finish. High-polished finish: VG - $1200 Good - $700 Milled finish: VG - $800 Good - $500 An original WWII holster would add to the value, but I'm not sure how much. Nice find.....and the price was sure right!

10-10-2003, 08:21 AM	#11
Scooter Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Des Moines, Iowa Posts: 22	Epilogue Wonderwhippet provided an EXCELLENT site for information on PPs and PPKs. I'm grateful for the information. Xracer provided some EXCELLENT first hand information on that class of weapon. Great job! I also appreciate all the other offers of assistance. Thanks guys! To recap (for future reference): Walther PPK P32 S/N 366XXX with all the proper markings was produced in 1942 and purchased by a German Wehrmacht (sp) officer. Mill finish, 90% condidtion, excellent mechanical condition, with mag and correct holster for the weapon. Low-end value $450.00 High-end value $800.00 + Haven't decided to go shoot it, sell it, or trade it in on something else, like another .45! Thanks again, guys. I had a ball doing the research. Maybe now I can get something done at work! __________________ "When the going gets wierd, the wierd turn pro"

10-10-2003, 09:59 AM	#12
tuckerd1 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Paint Rock Valley, Alabama Posts: 3,147	Scooter, If you decide to sell, I have seen some of these auction for big dollars on *********.com

10-10-2003, 09:38 PM	#13
pickenup Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains Posts: 6,837	Is your girlfriend going to call the last owners and offer to give it to them? Just kidding. Nice find. Personally I would trade it (sell) for something I wanted. Depends on what kind of "collector" shooter you are. __________________ The gene pool needs chlorine

10-13-2003, 08:18 AM	#14
Scooter Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Des Moines, Iowa Posts: 22	Continuing followup... I've been able to find a couple of auctions with comparable guns. The highest running one is currently over $1200.00, and doesn't include the original German Officer's holster. Might have something there. As far as calling the previous owner.....that'd be a good trick. She bought the house out of his estate. No living relatives, except for a distant cousin, that had little contact with the owner. I understand his will specified his estate get split up into some endowments for a local university, the VFW, and some other organizations. Don't really have anybody to return it to, you see. So, I guess it will have to go into the collection, until she decides what to do with it for sure. You know, Xmas is coming up, and I have my eye on that nice Wilson CQB job at the local store............... Thanks again for all the help, guys! __________________ "When the going gets wierd, the wierd turn pro"

10-13-2003, 12:20 PM	#15
gamachinist V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Locust Grove GA Posts: 213	If it's acceptable to do so,ask about turning it over to the VFW for muesem use or to be sold to raise funds for the VFW. Just a thought if you can't keep it for yourself,Robert.

10-13-2003, 01:09 PM	#16
Scooter Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Des Moines, Iowa Posts: 22	VFW Donations Good idea, gamachinist. As a matter of fact, she has donated some other stuff found in the house to the local chapter, the one she believes he belonged to. Don't know about donating a live untraceable weapon, though. __________________ "When the going gets wierd, the wierd turn pro"