Walther PPK/S NICKEL made in Germany white grips? - The Firearms Forum

tooldawg99 · 04-28-2009, 01:13 PM

I will pay off a German-made Walther later this week, and was very curious about its history. It is supposed to be a nickel plated, not stainless steel version, with a serial number in the 139000 series. It has the eagle/N stamp visible on the barrel as seen thru the ejection port, and sports white grips with the WALTHER banner at the top, no cracks, just some light wear. The magazine is flush mounted, and it has the Interarms import stamp on the side of the slide, made in Germany on the other side.

I found a site that sells white grips, priced at $295! These grips are original, and there is only minor surface wear to the nickel finish, with one small area at the top of the backstrap where it must have dinged or dropped against something. No flaking to the finish, no deep scratches or excessive wear and the barrel looks pristine.

I can post pics when I pick it up on Friday or Saturday, but was wondering if anyone can give me mfg details, and rarity info> I have found NONE in this finish, on searches on ********* and am greatly concerned that I may have WAY overpaid for this pistol. Since the grips seem to be on the rare side, I will likely replace them for plain black, and get some mags that have the finger grips on the base, as I plan to make this a backup CCW to give my Glock 26 a rest...

Any info would be appreciated, and if you need specific info or stamps, tell me where it is and I will post it up.

Thanks in advance!

Big ugly · 04-28-2009, 02:32 PM

unfortunately for you there has been a lot of fakes done on these. To give you a better idea of value we eill need some more details on stamps and markers on the firearm and some picks.

tooldawg99 · 04-28-2009, 02:53 PM

No problem: I will post some pics and go over the gun with a magnifying glass to get whatever stamps and marks there are. I am not expecting it to be super-rare, and the dealer told me it was a 1960's import, but I'd still like to know more about it.

tooldawg99 · 04-29-2009, 06:23 PM

Well. I hope to pick up the Walther on Friday... but my research on the Net has been discouraging to say the least. I know the white grips are rare, and were only offered on specially finished guns from the factory... but I have also read that Nickel plating was not offered on post WWII PPK/S models! If that is true, then I am screwed. The gun shows the Interarms stamp, and has some eagle over an N, but I don't have a pic to match up yet. Since the slide has the Interarms stamp, it has to be post WWII, and I am wondering if someone re-finished it and destroyed any value it has as a german made walther...
definitely having some deposit-non-refundable concerns about exactly what value this thing has... and wondering if I should apply the $200 deposit to something else instead of dropping another $400 to take it home. If it was re-finished, would it still be worth $600 as a german made .380 walther?
I need a little re-assurance here!

Thanks

RJay · 04-29-2009, 10:15 PM

The Eagle over an N is the standard German proof mark since 1941. Interarms came into existestn after 1956. Your Walther was made by the French firm of Manurhin and shipped to Germany for final fitting and proof. Walther restarted the production of PPs and PKs in 1985/6 starting with serial number 700,001, so your pistol dates from 1956 to 1985/6. Only a few Manurhin pistols were made with a Gold. Silver, Nickle or Chrome finish. I have no information on the White grips. I'm also having a little trouble with serial number. No prefixes or suffix ? Danny is the real knowledgeable one on Walther's, I hope \he will jump in.

tooldawg99 · 04-29-2009, 11:23 PM

I will post the complete serial number once I pick it up: thanks for the info so far.

tooldawg99 · 04-30-2009, 02:04 PM

well.... the guys on the Walther Board informed me that Nickel was NOT offered as a factory option on German made walthers imported by Interarms... only on German made PPK's pre WWII.

Can anyone confirm that?

I am seriously considering backing out of the purchase if the nickel finish is not a factory job, as was stated by the seller prior to comitting to the sale.

If it is not a factory finish, is the price of $600 a bargain for an Interarms German import? If so, I can sell it on ********* and maybe break even...

If it;s not factory-finished, I would rather spend the same $600 on a german blued version and know it is a factory-made version.

Advise me, PLEASE!

tooldawg99 · 04-30-2009, 02:13 PM

Serial number 139886 S, and has the eagle over the N in the ejection port along with a single antler and the numbers 70.

PLEASE tell me if you can, is the nickel finish an after-market job or could it be factory original? As it has the white grips with the Walther logo, it seems like it could be legit!

Thanks

tooldawg99 · 05-01-2009, 12:54 PM

Got a full refund from the seller, who admitted there is no proof that the nickel finish was factory applied.

Will continue my search!

RJay · 05-01-2009, 10:30 PM

The serial number shows it was made in 1969 to 1987. It would be one of the last Manurhin guns roll marked with the Walther name since Walther resumed production in Germany in 1985/86. The s suffix designates it was steel.

04-28-2009, 01:13 PM	#1
tooldawg99 Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Spartanburg, SC Posts: 10	Walther PPK/S NICKEL made in Germany white grips? I will pay off a German-made Walther later this week, and was very curious about its history. It is supposed to be a nickel plated, not stainless steel version, with a serial number in the 139000 series. It has the eagle/N stamp visible on the barrel as seen thru the ejection port, and sports white grips with the WALTHER banner at the top, no cracks, just some light wear. The magazine is flush mounted, and it has the Interarms import stamp on the side of the slide, made in Germany on the other side. I found a site that sells white grips, priced at $295! These grips are original, and there is only minor surface wear to the nickel finish, with one small area at the top of the backstrap where it must have dinged or dropped against something. No flaking to the finish, no deep scratches or excessive wear and the barrel looks pristine. I can post pics when I pick it up on Friday or Saturday, but was wondering if anyone can give me mfg details, and rarity info> I have found NONE in this finish, on searches on ********* and am greatly concerned that I may have WAY overpaid for this pistol. Since the grips seem to be on the rare side, I will likely replace them for plain black, and get some mags that have the finger grips on the base, as I plan to make this a backup CCW to give my Glock 26 a rest... Any info would be appreciated, and if you need specific info or stamps, tell me where it is and I will post it up. Thanks in advance! --> Last edited by tooldawg99; 04-28-2009 at 01:16 PM..

04-28-2009, 02:32 PM	#2
Big ugly Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Knoxville Tennessee Contributor Posts: 2,603	Re: Walther PPK/S NICKEL made in Germany white grips? unfortunately for you there has been a lot of fakes done on these. To give you a better idea of value we eill need some more details on stamps and markers on the firearm and some picks. __________________ "You say the Devil made do it with a smile. Raisin' hell and howlin at the moon. Well I'm gonna put your @$$ back in line. I'm gonna scare the Devil out of you." BlackBerry Smoke Song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R513dA4peMg Nothing is "proof" against a truly talented fool. Swanshot

04-28-2009, 02:53 PM	#3
tooldawg99 Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Spartanburg, SC Posts: 10	Re: Walther PPK/S NICKEL made in Germany white grips? No problem: I will post some pics and go over the gun with a magnifying glass to get whatever stamps and marks there are. I am not expecting it to be super-rare, and the dealer told me it was a 1960's import, but I'd still like to know more about it.

04-29-2009, 06:23 PM	#4
tooldawg99 Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Spartanburg, SC Posts: 10	Re: Walther PPK/S NICKEL made in Germany white grips? Well. I hope to pick up the Walther on Friday... but my research on the Net has been discouraging to say the least. I know the white grips are rare, and were only offered on specially finished guns from the factory... but I have also read that Nickel plating was not offered on post WWII PPK/S models! If that is true, then I am screwed. The gun shows the Interarms stamp, and has some eagle over an N, but I don't have a pic to match up yet. Since the slide has the Interarms stamp, it has to be post WWII, and I am wondering if someone re-finished it and destroyed any value it has as a german made walther... definitely having some deposit-non-refundable concerns about exactly what value this thing has... and wondering if I should apply the $200 deposit to something else instead of dropping another $400 to take it home. If it was re-finished, would it still be worth $600 as a german made .380 walther? I need a little re-assurance here! Thanks

04-29-2009, 10:15 PM	#5
RJay Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Arizona Posts: 3,487	Re: Walther PPK/S NICKEL made in Germany white grips? The Eagle over an N is the standard German proof mark since 1941. Interarms came into existestn after 1956. Your Walther was made by the French firm of Manurhin and shipped to Germany for final fitting and proof. Walther restarted the production of PPs and PKs in 1985/6 starting with serial number 700,001, so your pistol dates from 1956 to 1985/6. Only a few Manurhin pistols were made with a Gold. Silver, Nickle or Chrome finish. I have no information on the White grips. I'm also having a little trouble with serial number. No prefixes or suffix ? Danny is the real knowledgeable one on Walther's, I hope \he will jump in. __________________ RonJames

04-29-2009, 11:23 PM	#6
tooldawg99 Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Spartanburg, SC Posts: 10	Re: Walther PPK/S NICKEL made in Germany white grips? I will post the complete serial number once I pick it up: thanks for the info so far.

04-30-2009, 02:04 PM	#7
tooldawg99 Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Spartanburg, SC Posts: 10	Re: Walther PPK/S NICKEL made in Germany white grips? well.... the guys on the Walther Board informed me that Nickel was NOT offered as a factory option on German made walthers imported by Interarms... only on German made PPK's pre WWII. Can anyone confirm that? I am seriously considering backing out of the purchase if the nickel finish is not a factory job, as was stated by the seller prior to comitting to the sale. If it is not a factory finish, is the price of $600 a bargain for an Interarms German import? If so, I can sell it on ********* and maybe break even... If it;s not factory-finished, I would rather spend the same $600 on a german blued version and know it is a factory-made version. Advise me, PLEASE!

04-30-2009, 02:13 PM	#8
tooldawg99 Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Spartanburg, SC Posts: 10	Serial and markings info Serial number 139886 S, and has the eagle over the N in the ejection port along with a single antler and the numbers 70. PLEASE tell me if you can, is the nickel finish an after-market job or could it be factory original? As it has the white grips with the Walther logo, it seems like it could be legit! Thanks

05-01-2009, 12:54 PM	#9
tooldawg99 Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Spartanburg, SC Posts: 10	Re: Walther PPK/S NICKEL made in Germany white grips? Got a full refund from the seller, who admitted there is no proof that the nickel finish was factory applied. Will continue my search!

05-01-2009, 10:30 PM	#10
RJay Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Arizona Posts: 3,487	Re: Walther PPK/S NICKEL made in Germany white grips? The serial number shows it was made in 1969 to 1987. It would be one of the last Manurhin guns roll marked with the Walther name since Walther resumed production in Germany in 1985/86. The s suffix designates it was steel. __________________ RonJames