I think I got taken for a ride...

[Sheldon]

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On a P88. I bought it on Gunbroker sight unseen/based on some blurry photos, but it was described as NIB. On receipt, gun was obviously not NIB but only had minor wear. However, when gazing at some photos I had of other P88s I realized something wasn't quite right.

If I am not mistaken, this gun has been refinished. It is not polished blue, but rather a similar finish to my Beretta's bruniton - a spray-and-bake affair, which many commercial refinishes are.

Hopefully if this does turn out to be the case, either the seller or Gunbroker will make it right, but before I go down that road I wanted to see if any experts here had any input on it. Did Walther ever produce guns that weren't polished and blued? If not, anyone ever get screwed over Gunbroker who can tell me how it went?

It looks okay, but as a collector I am disgusted by the possibility that it could be refinished.

[AoxoMoxoA]

Definitely not NIB... Slide looks like a spray & bake to me. Personally, I wouldn't be pleased with this transaction, and would pursue a full refund.

P88s, when not tampered with, should have polished blue slide flats and a black hardcoat anodized frame.

Here's a pic of mine.
Good luck.



EDIT: Upon looking at your pictures more closely, I'm noticing that the serial number seems to be missing on the frame. It should be at the forward end on the left side under the slide's Walther banner.

More reason to stay away.

[saym14]

seriel number missing from the frame ??? isnt that some BATF violation ?

[Sheldon]

Well crap. I've made overtures both to the seller and GunBroker support, although I can't start Buyer's Protection proceedings until a minimum of 30 days after the end of the auction. Caveat emptor indeed.

[Sheldon]

Do any of you know a reputable gunsmith who can apply a polished blue finish like the OEM finish to the P88 for me in the event that I get stuck with this thing? As much as it sucks, I have too much money in this gun to just hide it away and be ashamed of it, and I'm not gonna pass my mistake onto some other poor soul.

[GonzoGeezer]

Even though it was an as-is sale, I'd still try GB buyer protection. If it can be confirmed that all P88s had blued slides then it is apparent that the title of the listing is inaccurate and deliberately misleading when it says "Walther P88 9mm Perfect NIB/NOS Low Reserve". However, a quick review of P88 images through Google do not appear to bear out the assumption that all slides were blued.

Tough call.

[Rothenfluh]

Well that sucks. At a minimum, I would give him a well written and detailed negative feedback and notify your friends what the name the seller uses on Gunbroker so they can avoid purchases from him. It's not much, but at least something.

R

[AoxoMoxoA]

Originally Posted by Sheldon

Anyway, when you guys look at these pictures of the gun is it clear to you that the finish is not original?

It's hard to tell with the sellers photos as they are dark, but in the photos you supplied in your first post, it's pretty clear to me that it's a refinish... Better photos of the gun posted to this forum would help to confirm.

What IS clear, is that the serial number is nowhere to be found on the frame -- another indication of a refinish, or perhaps the frame is not original to the gun, and the s/n was ground off.

In any event, the gun was definitely misrepresented in the listing, and you should have some traction in pursuing a reversal of the transaction. This gun is most definitely not "Perfect NIB/NOS..."

It's awful that this has happened, and I wish you luck.

[Sheldon]

Got some more pictures of the ugly duckling. Nothing better to do while I'm waiting to get an email back from somebody on this thing. I am an admittedly poor photographer and indeed worse than many of you on this forum, but I think these photos do show that the finish is definitely sprayed on, if nothing else. You can see spots on the back of the gun where the finish has actually been chipped off in flakes. Also, the nice looking machining lines seen on Walther slides don't exist, and instead the slide finish is mottled with tiny spots and inconsistencies in the texture which suggest a hasty bead blast and refinish without proper prep work/cleaning. Also, as you fine folks have noticed, there is no proof mark, date code, or serial on the frame anywhere.

[AoxoMoxoA]

FYI... To compare -- here's a detail shot of the slide on my pistol, which I believe to be very close to the vintage of your pistol. Slide flats should be blued and highly polished, and you see where the serial # should be on the frame. The inset shows the precision machining of the Walther logo on the slide, whereas the slide on yours has that "sunken" look, which refinished slide marks have.

The long and short of it, is that the seller represented this to be...

1) Perfect
2) New in Box
3) New Old Stock

It is none of these, and you should have ample information to prove otherwise.