[AutomaticAddict]

Hello all! Been lurking for a bit, first post! Finalizing the purchase of my first P5, overall the firearm looks great and as a left-handed shooter Im excited about being able to throw brass back at the guy to my left who keeps landing them on my head at the range. Kidding. Anyway, i had some concern about the frame wear in the photo, ive contacted the seller to send me a close-up, but Im wondering if this is even worth worrying about. Figured Id try and ask the experts! Thank you for your opinions. 🤙

 

[AutomaticAddict]

Here’s a few more photos, just for eye candy and your P5 viewing pleasure!
;-)

 

[AutomaticAddict]

Seller sent a few close-ups of the area in question. Im leaning towards this is normal wear, from searching these forums. Thoughts?

 

[AutomaticAddict]

Here’s a few photos of the barrel just for the helluvit, since thats the only part I haven't posted already. If anyone is interested to see it.

About ready to “pull the trigger” on this example. The wear in the yellow-highlighted areas on the frame seems uniform to me after viewing the close-ups. 👌🤙

 

[AutomaticAddict]

Still very much interested in anyones opinion on the frame and barrel wear. This is my first Walther, its being shipped to my FFL at the moment for me to inspect. I paid about $1,100 shipped. Appreciate any feedback, it could possibly help someone else in my position for the future. Thanks guys.

 

[GeMor]

Still very much interested in anyones opinion on the frame and barrel wear. This is my first Walther, its being shipped to my FFL at the moment for me to inspect. I paid about $1,100 shipped. Appreciate any feedback, it could possibly help someone else in my position for the future. Thanks guys.

These points on the frame in the area of the locking block are typical for all Walther weapons with this locking system and aluminum frame. At these points only the anodizing of the aluminum frame is gone, which does not affect the function and safety of a P5. You can basically call these places blemishes.
The P5 was used by the police in several German states for decades. These spots could also be seen on these P5s, but were never seen as a problem. The same goes for 50000 P5s for the Dutch police force.
These points were also known on the Walther P1 with an aluminum frame of the German Bundeswehr with the same locking system.
Concerning the early P1s cracks occasionally appeared in the slide after intensive use. But that had nothing to do with the places in the frame where the anodizing was damaged.

 

[Redcat94]

Still very much interested in anyones opinion on the frame and barrel wear.

Welcome to the forum.

I've only got one P5 but it has pretty much the same wear pattern on the frame and barrel as yours does.

 

[AutomaticAddict]

Thank you @GeMor and @Redcat94 for the re-assurance and helpful info!

Excited to finally hold a classic Walther in my hand next week. Silly thing is I wont be able to finally take her home until June, where I live in Hawaii the wait for a “handgun permit to acquire” is currently 2 months! 😂😭

Oh well, currently following leads around here for more of the “rare” 9mm ammunition available... Last place i went was selling 50 rounds for $50!

 

[Redcat94]

How is your local range in Hawaii ? Is it public or do you have to be a member of a club?

 

[AutomaticAddict]

How is your local range in Hawaii ? Is it public or do you have to be a member of a club?

The range here is public, but limited to weekends and only by appointment. Sometimes if lucky, you can get in on “standby” as alot of people book, but only 2/3rds usually show.

The real fun is trap-shooting upcountry, twice a week. They have the best prices for shells on island too.

 

[DeutschlandUberAlles]

Welcome to the Walther P5.
As stated prior, that wear is totally normal and not an issue.
All three of my shooter P5s (a P5 Lang, a 9mm Para, and a 7.65 Para (30 Luger)) have similar wear patterns.
You may want to consider grabbing a 30 Luger barrel for that P5 if you ever see one available. The ammo is less expensive, has slightly less recoil, and has better ballistics/trajectory for range shooting. When 93gr/1300fps 30 Luger is zeroed at 25 yds, the drop at 50 yds is under 1.5" IIRC.

 

[AutomaticAddict]

Welcome to the Walther P5.
As stated prior, that wear is totally normal and not an issue.
All three of my shooter P5s (a P5 Lang, a 9mm Para, and a 7.65 Para (30 Luger)) have similar wear patterns.
You may want to consider grabbing a 30 Luger barrel for that P5 if you ever see one available. The ammo is less expensive, has slightly less recoil, and has better ballistics/trajectory for range shooting. When 93gr/1300fps 30 Luger is zeroed at 25 yds, the drop at 50 yds is under 1.5" IIRC.

Great info @DeutschlandUberAlles!
Thank you for the 30 Luger barrel suggestion, it wouldn't be a bad idea! I’ll have to see what the availability of 30 Luger cartridges looks like around here and keep my eyes open.
Really appreciate everyones responses and the wealth of information contained on this site, its really helped to quell my anxieties.
Now, the two month wait is whats going to be the hardest part! 😂

 

[GeMor]

If you insert a 30 Luger barrel into your P5, you most probably either have to remove one of the two recoil springs or install two weaker recoil springs than the original ones. Otherwise, due to the weaker recoil by the 30 Luger the slide will not go back far enough and no new cartridge is loaded into the chamber. I made this experience with a Walther P38k 9mm Luger, which also had an interchangeable barrel 30 Luger.

 

[Jan whitaker]

Welcome from northern Indiana enjoy the conversation.

 

[DeutschlandUberAlles]

If you insert a 30 Luger barrel into your P5, you most probably either have to remove one of the two recoil springs or install two weaker recoil springs than the original ones. Otherwise, due to the weaker recoil by the 30 Luger the slide will not go back far enough and no new cartridge is loaded into the chamber. I made this experience with a Walther P38k 9mm Luger, which also had an interchangeable barrel 30 Luger.

I was surprised to discover my ex-Deutschbank security P5 (8th variation 9x19/9mm Para) shoots Prvi Partisan 7.65x21 (7.65 Para/30 Luger) without any modifications. IIRC the Prvi Partisan 7.65x21 generates 300 ft/lbs of muzzle energy. This seems sufficient energy to to properly cycle the pair of 6 pound recoil springs (12# total) Walther initially installed in the P5.
I've swapped 8# springs into the P5s I use to shoot 9mm Para. I only shoot slightly hot 124gr/1200fps though.

The P5 on right is my 7.65x21 shooter. The sign out sheet shows it had 7 full mags fired thru it while in service at Deutschbank.

 

[AutomaticAddict]

Thank you! @Jan whitaker Nice to meet you! 🤙

Some good, detailed information in this thread!
Many thanks to @GeMor and @DeutschlandUberAlles for the technical discussion. I am and hopefully many others will soak up this valuable data! If I can find a 30 Luger barrel, your spring pressure experience will become valuable if get cycling issues. Its easy to overlook things like that, until your at the range and the trouble starts! We all appreciate your valuable knowledge that you share! And man, those sure are some beautiful P5’s you've got there in the photo brother!

 

[DeutschlandUberAlles]

The collection........

This is how my two 3.5" barrel shooter P5s are currently configured.......

I put the 6" Lang barrel on the frame with 8# springs.

 

[GeMor]

I was surprised to discover my ex-Deutschbank security P5 (8th variation 9x19/9mm Para) shoots Prvi Partisan 7.65x21 (7.65 Para/30 Luger) without any modifications. IIRC the Prvi Partisan 7.65x21 generates 300 ft/lbs of muzzle energy. This seems sufficient energy to to properly cycle the pair of 6 pound recoil springs (12# total) Walther initially installed in the P5.
I've swapped 8# springs into the P5s I use to shoot 9mm Para. I only shoot slightly hot 124gr/1200fps though.

The P5 on right is my 7.65x21 shooter. The sign out sheet shows it had 7 full mags fired thru it while in service at Deutschbank. View attachment 97857

That is interesting.
My P38k was originally intended for Italy (cat marking) in caliber 30 Luger and was then offered with an additional 9mm Luger barrel in Germany.
That was the P38k, which was subsequently offered in the USA with a Bundeswehr frame (BW marking) and which I had warned against buying.
I remember exactly that in the original frame of the P38k there was only one recoil spring, even though the 9mm Luger barrel and not the 30 Luger barrel was installed when I bought it. That was probably also intended by Walther because of the originally planned sale in 30 Luger in Italy.

Then I put the slide of the P38k on the frame of a Walther P4 because of the German weapons law.
For this P4 I also had another interchangeable barrel 30 Luger in the barrel length of a P38. But even with this barrel, a new cartridge was only loaded into the chamber if a recoil spring was removed. I remember that this problem existed with both Fiocci cartridges and Lapua cartridges 30 Luger. At that time I couldn't get any other cartridges in 30 Luger and try them out.

 

[DeutschlandUberAlles]

This is very interesting.
The gun on the left in the 15th post pic is my unfired Cat 1062 30 Luger P5. This gun was sold on the Ansbach military base to an Army Sargent, and has an unsearializes 9mm Para barrel included in the box.
This P5 Cat 1062 twin barrel package has not been fired or tampered with since purchase, and has both springs installed.
I've read on a few Luger forums that the Prvi Partisan 30 Luger ammo is recommended for guns that have cycling issues with other ammo. It seems to be some hotter stuff.
My 1900 DWM Am Eagle Luger has run flawlessly with this ammo too.
30 Luger guns have really grown on me in the last year. Really enjoyable to shoot.

 

[Redcat94]

I remember exactly that in the original frame of the P38k there was only one recoil spring, even though the 9mm Luger barrel and not the 30 Luger barrel was installed when I bought it. That was probably also intended by Walther because of the originally planned sale in 30 Luger in Italy.

I don't have a P38k but I do have a P4 which is the gun that it's based off of as well as P38's in 9mm Luger, 7.65 Luger, and .22LR and a P5 9mm. All of mine came with two springs installed.

According to the P38 schematics that I have, all three calibers use dual recoil springs (druckfeder). The 9mm uses one part number but the 7.65 and .22 share a second part number. The slide of the P38 .22 will only engage and compress ONE of the two springs. The second spring is basically insurance in case someone puts a centerfire upper on that frame.

Maybe someone was trying to cure function problems in your P38k by screwing around with different spring combinations. My P38 7.65 works great with Prvi Partisan but Fiocchi is underpowered and gives me numerous failures to eject (but works fine in my Sig P210 and Swiss Luger). Weird.

I've got schematics for the P4 and P5 too but not the page with the Walther part numbers. I believe that the P38/P4/P38k 9mm use the same springs. I would assume that the P38/P4/P38k in 7.65 would also share the same springs. I don't know whether the P38 and P5 have compatible springs.

Sorry if I've made this too complicated.