[wdavid431]

I have a stainless Walther PPK/S by Interarms in 380. Serial Number is S1273XX. I have been unable to find out when it was made. Can anyone help on this or give me directions where to find out.
Thanks for any help.

 

[photohause]

There should be a number on the barrel indicating the
manufacturing date, if it is an Interarms Import, made in Germany.

Welcome to the forum, and enjoy!

 

[Thiokol]

I have more than a few American made Walthers and none of them have a date on the barrel hood.

 

[photohause]

wdavid -Is it American or German made?

 

[Thiokol]

If it's stainless as he says, it's American made.

wdavid -Is it American or German made?

 

[banddr2]

Where did the OP go???

Hey Photohause, is your German PPK/S plated? I know Ulm didn't turn out any stainless steel guns, but yours looks like it is stainless. I can see the import mark is partially buffed out, so it must be refinished, or is the steel just left in the white?

 

[photohause]

It is not buffed out, but, worn out due to the leather covered clip that hung it in an old shoulder rig made in the 70's by Bianchi called a Skeleton shoulder holster..... still have it... will do a pix. It is stainless as far as any can figure out... not nickel...not chrome. Ongoing topic here, ask Uncut. You can see faintly made in Germany.

 

[MGMike]

It is not buffed out, but, worn out due to the leather covered clip that hung it in an old shoulder rig made in the 70's by Bianchi called a Skeleton shoulder holster..... still have it... will do a pix. It is stainless as far as any can figure out... not nickel...not chrome. Ongoing topic here, ask Uncut. You can see faintly made in Germany.

Right, and Carl Walther's mistress was: a) a spy for the OSS during WWII; b) the first woman to walk on the moon, or c) my mother.

C'mon, let's get serious.

Walther/Ulm did not make stainless PPK/s pistols, and whoever hard chromed the gun (the color is a dead giveaway) leaned too hard on the polishing wheel.

M

 

[photohause]

Well my brother was the second owner and carried it in the same rig which came with the gun. I got in in '82 pretty much as it looks now. If it is a refinish, we don't know about it, but, who is to say. Not buffed, worn.

 

[Herr Walther]

The refinisher should have taken a few steps back from the buffer. That is not holster wear.

Nice gun though.

 

[banddr2]

To me it also looks hard chromed, and it is really easy to buff out the acid etchings on the slide because they are very very shallow to begin with. It really made me take a second look because it looks very similar to stainless.

 

[MGMike]

Walther PPK/s pistols made in Germany or in the USA for Interarms were roll-marked, not acid-etched. They are deep and work-hardened. They don't wipe off from holster wear....

This thread has turned moronic.

M

 

[banddr2]

Walther PPK/s pistols made in Germany or in the USA for Interarms were roll-marked, not acid-etched. They are deep and work-hardened. They don't wipe off from holster wear....

This thread has turned moronic.

M

Mike you are wrong, I have two post 68 PPk's and they are both acid etched.

And here is roll marking on a P5:

And do you enjoy insulting people. This thread is off topic, but the OP never came back to answer the questions posed to him. Why don't you start a new thread and explain why my ppk's are not acid etched? If I am wrong I would like to be educated.

 

[MGMike]

Sorry, banddr2, I misjoined two completely separate thoughts. My comment about the thread was NOT directed at you.

I was exasperated that the thread was being drawn into an extended discussion over a stubborn insistence that the gun is not plated and the markings were worn off by holster wear-- notwithstanding the fact the gun is now on its third owner and the actions of the original owner are completely unknown and cannot be accounted for.

The matter of how markings are applied is, I agree, a completely different topic.

M

 

[banddr2]

No problem Mike, I just wanted to make sure things were as I know them.

I have a stainless Walther PPK/S by Interarms in 380. Serial Number is S1273XX. I have been unable to find out when it was made. Can anyone help on this or give me directions where to find out.
Thanks for any help.

To the original poster, there is no official way to date an American made ppk/s. Someone has the records and it can be done, but it is private information.

 

[photohause]

so many experts. Stubborn, not at all, I stated that I did not know if it was plated or not, that the holster wear was a fact. Why the attack on one's integrity?

 

[banddr2]

so many experts. Stubborn, not at all, I stated that I did not know if it was plated or not, that the holster wear was a fact. Why the attack on one's integrity?

I don't know why such a big deal was made of it. I feel partly responsible because I was curious about the finish. We could all do better by reading more carefully and thinking before we reply to posts. I was wondering where the original poster went, well maybe he got scared off by all of the rough language.

Photohause, I still enjoy your pictures, keep buying Walthers .

 

[jehzsa]

Hello photohause,

A couple of things. First, thanks for the reference on the Bianchi Skeleton shoulder holster. Been trying to remember its exact name for awhile now.

Second, what is the date of manufacture of your PPK/S?

Thirdly, fwiw, I don't think that yours is chromed. In chroming, it would be impossible to chrome it and retain the etchings. Any questions about that ask Mr. Cogan of APW or contact Tripps to confirm. Also, it would be rather difficult for the refinisher to duplicate that etching after the work is done. It would be more common and usual to stamp the marks. All through the 70s and today.

Thanks again for the Skeleton reference.

 

[Ramoel]

If you have the test target that came with the gun, it normally has a date on it indicating the date the gun was test fired. That should be close to the actual manufacturing date. Without the test target you're out of luck.