[Que]

I'm not quite sure where this should go, but here seems as good a place as any.

Below is my Walther collection to date, plus one and a half. The top row is my "Bond Collection". It isn't perfect. At left is a Beretta 1935 (.32ACP). While in the books Bond uses a Beretta 418 in .25 ACP until he changes over to the PPK, in the movie Dr. No the pistol that Bond turned over to M was a Beretta 1934 or 1935 (would have to know the caliber to know, and even then you wouldn't know for sure). Having found a 1935 in outstanding shape I opted for it. They had a 1934 in far less desirable shape in .380, but a .32 seemed more appropriate and I've wanted a .32. It's actually a sweet gun that feels great in the hand. Actually, the 1934 or 1935 in either .380 or .32 would have been a fine gun for Bond. Next is an Interams PPK (.380) followed by a P5, and then a first generation all German P99 AS in .40. I hope to acquire a black 1st gen. P99 AS in 9mm.

Next row down is an Interarms PPK/S (.380, an Interarms PP Super in 9x18 Ultra, and a SW99 in .45 (counts as 1/2).

The bottom row is a P99C QA in 9mm, and a P1 ex police.

Beyond those guns I hope to add a P88 and possibly a PPS.

 

[photohause]

Really nice collection you have there, you are quite lucky! What, no pen gun!

 

[Que]

Thanks Photohause. I just wish I could get a better photo.

One nice little surprise has been that the Bond part of the collection led me to the Beretta 1935 which is turning out to be an absolutely outstanding little pistol, as much as I can tell not having shot it yet. Everything that I have read indicates that I should be in for a treat. It's also interesting that the 1934/35 was made by the Italians in response to the PP and PPK as they wanted to keep their military contracts in Italy. The size comparison surprised me. It's also surprising how much larger the SW99 in .45 is than the P99 in .40. One thing is clear to me from the photo and that is that Walther has never really made guns that are particularly large. The more time that I spend with my P99 AS the more I can understand how some are using them for carry.

BTW, it was news of Moneypenny's death yesterday that finally motivated me to buy the 1935. I recalled that after Bond turned in his Beretta he handed the empty PPK box to Moneypenny. Funny how one thing leads to another.

Q

 

[153]

Que,

Nice collection, THANKS for the photos.

The Beretta '34 is indeed a very nice pistol, rugged and dependable. The P5 is also a great pistol, it has always been underrated. I wish I had never sold mine!

 

[photohause]

Que - great recall on the empty box to Penny! As to the photo of your collection, you done great. It is very near impossible, if not hours and hours, to shoot that many pieces, without distractions of reflections and shadows - all at once. You gots to have LOTS of studio lights, or, shot individually, and pasted together in a composite ... old days, on press press film, now in the computer.

 

[mm6mm6]

Terrific collection Que!

 

[David S]

Moneypenny died?!?!?!?!

 

[Que]

Moneypenny died?!?!?!?!

Sadly...

http://www.waltherforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=6230

 

[Que]

Que,

Nice collection, THANKS for the photos.

The Beretta '34 is indeed a very nice pistol, rugged and dependable. The P5 is also a great pistol, it has always been underrated. I wish I had never sold mine!

The 34/35 is really a surprising piece. I think I'm going to try and find a 34 in .380 in comparable condition. Below I'm going to show a better photo of the 35 that I took late yesterday.

As to the P5, it's funny how I never considered one before now. I think that overlooking the P5 was a sign of the times. Back in the 80's and 90's everything was about magazine capacity, the age of the WunderNines. Even though I have always appreciated Walthers almost everything that I was acquiring had a capacity of 15 to 18, except for my 45's. It really wasn't until the P88/99 that I seriously considered owning a Walther, and since then I have now chosen lower capacity Walthers. I think also the proliferation of concealed carry laws has changed our thinking to accept lower capacity as a trade-off, and I suspect this has made Walthers a more attractive choice than they once were.

 

[mjp13]

Que-

How's the recoil on the PP Super?
It's a great looking piece and impossible to find.
I've been looking for one for a long time.

-Michael

 

[Que]

Que-

How's the recoil on the PP Super?
It's a great looking piece and impossible to find.
I've been looking for one for a long time.

-Michael

I haven't shot it yet. I hope to this weekend. I was set to shoot it this past weekend but had to go out of town for a funeral. Getting to the range has been a very tricky proposition lately. I've also been trying to put together a supply of 9x18 Ultra as I only have 150 rounds. But, everything that I've heard from those who have shot the PP Super tell me that it's a very smooth shooter. I'll post a full range report.

Q

 

[Deputy]

Nice collection Que!!!

 

[Que]

Nice collection Que!!!

Thanks Deputy. A good part of it has been due to this forum and the wealth of knowledge that you guys share.

Q

 

[mm6mm6]

Que: A good friend of mine had a 1935 .380 Beretta like yours given to him. An aquaintance knew he liked guns. The guy was around 85 years old. He said he took it from an Italian troop during WWII. He said he carried it while on leave in Paris. He said he wasn't supposed to bring his issued 1911A1 with him on leave so he shoved the little Beretta inside the back of his waistband. He said he was on the street with some buddies when a bunch of anti-American folks started harassing them. He said the next thing he knew, people had disappeared and it was just his buddies and the folks who were doing the harassing. When the talk started to become physical, he yanked out the Beretta and popped a couple rounds in the air and then pointed at the bad news folks. Who then prompted ran away.

I told my friend to take good care of that little Italian .380! Pretty neat story!

 

[Que]

Que: A good friend of mine had a 1935 .380 Beretta like yours given to him. An aquaintance knew he liked guns. The guy was around 85 years old. He said he took it from an Italian troop during WWII. He said he carried it while on leave in Paris. He said he wasn't supposed to bring his issued 1911A1 with him on leave so he shoved the little Beretta inside the back of his waistband. He said he was on the street with some buddies when a bunch of anti-American folks started harassing them. He said the next thing he knew, people had disappeared and it was just his buddies and the folks who were doing the harassing. When the talk started to become physical, he yanked out the Beretta and popped a couple rounds in the air and then pointed at the bad news folks. Who then prompted ran away.

I told my friend to take good care of that little Italian .380! Pretty neat story!

Thanks for sharing that story. I can see that gun being one that could get you out of a scrap. That's why I can see Bond using it.

From what I understand the 1934 was considered to be quite a war prize. I may well go back and pick up a 1934 they have in .380. The finish isn't nearly as good as my 1935 but there is no pitting, and, a re-blue might be justified as collector value isn't particularly high.

Q

 

[mm6mm6]

I guess it is probably a 1934 instead of a '35...whichever, is the .380....

Sure felt good in the hand too!

 

[Deputy]

Que: Just wondered if you fired any hollowpoints out of the Berettas? I know it was designed for FMJ, but I wondered if it was "HP friendly"

Dep

 

[Que]

Que: Just wondered if you fired any hollowpoints out of the Berettas? I know it was designed for FMJ, but I wondered if it was "HP friendly"

Dep

Hey Deputy. I haven't shot the 1935 yet as I just picked it up earlier this week. As to the 1934, I just put some $$ down on it an hour ago and will pick it up Monday when some spare money hits my account. I won't use plastic on guns. The 1934 turns out to be a wartime era gun from 1943 in .380. The 1935 is a .32ACP. The feed ramps on both are very rough as they are on all of them. It looks to me that hollowpoints may be an issue as they may hang up on the horizontal tool marks. I bought some hollowpoint .380 some time back so I'll give them a try and let you know. For the .32 I only have FMJ.

As to the 1934, the gun is in great shape with only loss of bluing. After I make certain it's just a common 1934 I may have it blued. Right now it's at about 65% but has no pitting. Part of me says to leave it alone and enjoy its history and signs of service untouched. That's probably the wiser part of me

These guns are such closely related guns (in history) to the Walthers they will be part of my Walther collection, that is until I find a 418, 1931 and M70

Q

 

[Deputy]

Thanks for that info Que. Even if they just fire FMJ, both are VERY COOL

Dep

 

[Que]

Thanks for that info Que. Even if they just fire FMJ, both are VERY COOL

Deo

Here's the 1934. I used my phone camera to take a photo of it on the shop counter. I hope to have it off layaway this weekend or Monday. Since the finish on my 1935 is so nice I'm going to leqave this one as-is. It only seems right to let a gun that has served for 64 years show its age.

As an interesting aside, the gun is marked 1943XXI. For these fascist era guns the "XXI" is added to 1922, the year that Mussolini took power, to get the date of 1943. Also, it seems the Italians were in the habit of deriding domestic products so they really made the effort to produce an outstanding gun in light of the PP and PPK which could have won their military contract. The gun that the 1934 became was a direct result of the PP/PPK.