I know my friend is itchin for me to post this.....

[DennisV]

Nice find!

The serial number seems quite late production if I read it correctly (104xxx?). Probably made in 1992?

Very nice gun. Your buddy should be very happy.

Regards,
Dennis

[JPK]

He is VERY happy....... SWMBO......not so much. But, she's a great wife and puts up with his impulse buys.

One thing I noticed about his P5 different from mine. The mag release catch on mine is smooth and almost like a tab while his has a slightly rounded catch with lateral serations on it. Besides the Interarms stamp on the slide and the mag catch, the two are identical.

Can't do a close inspection on it right now. Has a 3 day cool off going and that won't be turned in until monday since he bought it friday afternoon. In addition he's going out of town for a job on monday and won't return until next saturday I believe so he has a bit of a wait until he can take it home. I'll grab some better photos when he gets to take it home.

[DennisV]

The different mag releases are sub variations of the WP5. They changed the design after a specific serial number.

Regards,
Dennis

[Straydave]

Ok, it's me JPK's friend who got the P5. I wanted him to post the thread for the fact that I didn't want to appear boastful and am pretty new on the forum. I wasn't really expecting anything of the P5 until I racked the slide back and saw zero wear and then confirmed by the old man behind the counter. He also knew the story that it was brought in by a widow who discovered that when her husband bought a gun, he bought two and put one of them away. So, I am truely the second owner.
When JPK and I left the store I was so excited I could hardly contain myself after having to keep composed and slightly disinterested in the store.
The only bad thing though is that I don't think I could bring myself to ever fire it!

[JPK]

Shoot it......just shoot it!

It's a gun, not a stock investment. The P5 will go up in price even if it is shot. At least that's the way it seems to me. As long as the gun is well maintained and visually taken care of I think you will always get top dollar for it. Case and paperwork help as well. I had the same thoughts about the P5 I recently got from Scuba Tiger. It would take so long for it to appreciate in value to any degree that it's just better to use it at the range and enjoy it. It certainly won't go down in price over time.

[Pdx boatjockey]

Wow! You two should go buy a lottery ticket!

[MGMike]

I've previously used this analogy, so those who've heard it before will have to forgive me.

Buying a functionally wonderful gun like a P5 and keeping it solely as a safe queen is like marrying a drop-dead gorgeous trophy wife and putting her on a pedestal to show her off to your friends, but never touching her for fear of compromising her purity.

I guarantee you that eventually (sooner than you imagine) somebody else will be enjoying her charms.

M

[Pdx boatjockey]

Originally Posted by MGMike

I've previously used this analogy, so those who've heard it before will have to forgive me.

Buying a functionally wonderful gun like a P5 and keeping it solely as a safe queen is like marrying a drop-dead gorgeous trophy wife and putting her on a pedestal to show her off to your friends, but never touching her for fear of compromising her purity.

I guarantee you that eventually (sooner than you imagine) somebody else will be enjoying her charms.

M

Well said Mike!

[JPK]

Well all I can say is since I've gotten my P5 I have shot it as often as I have been able. Since I aquired it, I have added maybe 300 rounds to the ~less than 100 previous to my buying it. And my friend was encouraging me to shoot it. Now that he has his NIB P5 he's thinking he doesn't want to shoot it because it is an "investment". BS! He needs to shoot the damn thing. I will convince him that it can't be a safe queen. He sure as hell isn't going to add mileage to mine while his sits at home. He can shoot his PPS all day long then at the range if that is going to be the situation.LoL

[searcher451]

I've got three of them. Two see regular range work; they are, in fact, my favorite range companions. The third one is NIB and stays in the safe. I understand MGMike's observation full well, and I don't disagree with him in any way ... but the third one will contine to remain in the safe (or it will for as long as I own the other two). Perhaps there's a lesson in there somewhere ... that everyone should own at least three P5s?