Joined
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157 Posts
Hi Folks:
New to WaltherForum, actually, new to forums in general. Been reading the forum for a short while, ya'll sound like a good group, so I thought I'd join in. Carried the PP series for duty (U/C), Back-up and Off-Duty for 30+ years, so you could say I'm a fan. Still have my '71 PPK/s, W. German/Interarms import, 9mmk, 1502XXS. Switched to a stainless PPK, USA/Interarms, 9mmk, A0509XX in '90 (S. Florida). Just picked-up a somewhat odd French PPK/s pristine condition w/ box/papers (no dates). Left slide reads same as my '71 but without "Made in W. Germany" (obviously) under the banner and it says "Under License of" (like my USA PPK) above the Carl Walther Waffenfabrik. Right slide, my '71 has the Interarms "star" while the French pistol does not and the French Crown proof instead of the Eagle over N proof. The chamber area has the Crown proof with "St. Etienne" vs. the "71 antler" and Eagle over N. On the butt there is a very small Manhurin logo and very small "Made in France". The serial numbers are identical in style and at the usual locations. The French pistol is just over 101,000 numbers higher @ 2516XXS. Now I know all the PP series were made in France from like 1952 through the mid '80's regardless of German proofs and "Made in W. Germany", but I've only seen one other pistol marked like this and that one was a PP within 70 numbers of mine. I've handled plenty of the fully Manhurin marked pistols and the serial number sequence appears different. I understand the French Pistols are hard to date because there is no dated proof stamp like the ones they shipped across the border to Ulm/Dornau for proofing and "Made in W. Germany" marking. Yes, there is a question here...Were the French pistols like this one numbered in sequence with the "German" pistols as it might appear? If so, would it be safe to speculate that the French pistol is a couple years newer than my "German" Pistol. What do ya'll think?
p.s. Sure hope I don't get the boot for such a long post, just got kind of carried away!
New to WaltherForum, actually, new to forums in general. Been reading the forum for a short while, ya'll sound like a good group, so I thought I'd join in. Carried the PP series for duty (U/C), Back-up and Off-Duty for 30+ years, so you could say I'm a fan. Still have my '71 PPK/s, W. German/Interarms import, 9mmk, 1502XXS. Switched to a stainless PPK, USA/Interarms, 9mmk, A0509XX in '90 (S. Florida). Just picked-up a somewhat odd French PPK/s pristine condition w/ box/papers (no dates). Left slide reads same as my '71 but without "Made in W. Germany" (obviously) under the banner and it says "Under License of" (like my USA PPK) above the Carl Walther Waffenfabrik. Right slide, my '71 has the Interarms "star" while the French pistol does not and the French Crown proof instead of the Eagle over N proof. The chamber area has the Crown proof with "St. Etienne" vs. the "71 antler" and Eagle over N. On the butt there is a very small Manhurin logo and very small "Made in France". The serial numbers are identical in style and at the usual locations. The French pistol is just over 101,000 numbers higher @ 2516XXS. Now I know all the PP series were made in France from like 1952 through the mid '80's regardless of German proofs and "Made in W. Germany", but I've only seen one other pistol marked like this and that one was a PP within 70 numbers of mine. I've handled plenty of the fully Manhurin marked pistols and the serial number sequence appears different. I understand the French Pistols are hard to date because there is no dated proof stamp like the ones they shipped across the border to Ulm/Dornau for proofing and "Made in W. Germany" marking. Yes, there is a question here...Were the French pistols like this one numbered in sequence with the "German" pistols as it might appear? If so, would it be safe to speculate that the French pistol is a couple years newer than my "German" Pistol. What do ya'll think?
p.s. Sure hope I don't get the boot for such a long post, just got kind of carried away!