I was recently gifted a Model 4 (early second variant, from what I can tell) while on vacation that has no serial number and no indications of there ever being one (i.e. filed off).
When I picked it up from the shop that I transferred it to back home, the guy there told me he had stripped the entire gun to see if it was stamped in a weird spot and still found nothing. I've asked friends and they have no clue.
The gun does have an interesting history, but still very peculiar to have no #. Any explanation would be helpful.
My WAG, it was removed by a GI, from a "liberated" weapons manufacturer facility.
Just curious, what did the FFL put on the transfer form ser# line? None found?
Yes, he wrote that along with the date they received it.
I have a paper document from December ‘45. It’s a US military customs form declaring “Captured Enemy Material - 1 Pistol”. The US solider, Kidwell (he carved his name on the inside flap of the German hostler that’s with the gun, also the name on the customs form) was present during the liberation of Dachau. I also received a photo taken by Kidwell of the concentration camp. It’s disturbing. I did a little research on Dachau and the US soldiers, along with concentration camp prisoners, killed all the SS there, even when they surrendered. So I assume he took it from a dead German there.
Also, I believe they stopped manufacturing the Model 4 in ‘22, so it I’m not sure it would be a newly fabricated gun that didn’t have a chance to get stamped.
The only other thing I can come up with is that during WWI, Walther outsourced production of the Model 4 to a number of third party manufacturers due to high demand for the pistol. Maybe at one of these places a batch didn’t get stamped, but I truly doubt that.
Hello all,
as all guns, which left the factories had to have a serial number by German law, there are two possibilities: This gun was taken off the production line, before it was serialled. Or it was a so-called "lunchpack special", i.e. put together from stolen parts.
Best wishes,
Dieter H. Marschall.
Take a look under the right grip panel. I have seen two examples where the stamping was partially covered by the grip panel.
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