Description
Item Description
Bryant Ridge Co. is pleased to present this iconic German semi-automatic pistol today for a penny-start auction, this is the surplus Walther Bundeswehr Model P1!
If you want to experience a WW2 handgun without paying antique prices, the Walther P1 is a direct descendant of the iconic P38. The Walther P1 is the aluminum-framed copy of the WWII Walther P38 pistol and has its own history. For 25 years, these pistols served with the Bundeswehr and West German police. During the 1990s, the Germans began phasing out the P1, fielding the P8 (a military version of the H&K USP), and finally retiring the weapon altogether in 2004.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Manufacturer: Walther
Model: P1
Serial: 022694
Date of Manufacture: 1965
Caliber: 9mm
Finish: Phosphate
Barrel Length: 5"
Optics/Sights: White Dot Front with White Bar Rear
Stock/Grips: Black Plastic Grips with Checkering
Action: Semi-Automatic
Markings: Standard / The right side of the slide is stamped with the date of manufacture “11/65”, along with two faint proof marks. The left side of the slide and the front of the barrel are stamped with the “Dot in Circle,” the Walther factory stamp indicating the marked parts were inspected to military/police standards. The left side of the slide is stamped “Carl Walther Waffenfabrik Ulm/Do. / P1 Cal 9mm / 694”. The left side of the frame is stamped with the "Bw" mark, which is the Bundeswehr property marking, along with the serial number “022694”. The right side of the frame is stamped with the letter “W” beside “5.92”, and two proof marks.
Bryant Ridge's Analysis:
In the aftermath of the Second World War, the German nation found itself destroyed. Total warfare had consumed the country, leaving it stripped of basic resources and devastated by ferocious fighting. The once-mighty German military, the Wehrmacht, was likewise in ruins, and it was not until 1955 that an independent German army would be raised, this time in the service of the West German Federal Republic. Known as the Bundeswehr (Federal Defense Forces), this force found itself in need of handguns and other equipment. The standard service pistol of the old Wehrmacht was the Walther P38, an excellent 9x19mm design that could well be argued to be the best all-around design of the Second World War. Walter’s factory in Zella-Mellis had fallen into the Soviet Occupation Zone, although production of the firm’s designs had actually continued for the French at Manurhin, with tooling taken as war reparations.
Model: P1
Serial: 022694
Date of Manufacture: 1965
Caliber: 9mm
Finish: Phosphate
Barrel Length: 5"
Optics/Sights: White Dot Front with White Bar Rear
Stock/Grips: Black Plastic Grips with Checkering
Action: Semi-Automatic
Markings: Standard / The right side of the slide is stamped with the date of manufacture “11/65”, along with two faint proof marks. The left side of the slide and the front of the barrel are stamped with the “Dot in Circle,” the Walther factory stamp indicating the marked parts were inspected to military/police standards. The left side of the slide is stamped “Carl Walther Waffenfabrik Ulm/Do. / P1 Cal 9mm / 694”. The left side of the frame is stamped with the "Bw" mark, which is the Bundeswehr property marking, along with the serial number “022694”. The right side of the frame is stamped with the letter “W” beside “5.92”, and two proof marks.
Bryant Ridge's Analysis:
In the aftermath of the Second World War, the German nation found itself destroyed. Total warfare had consumed the country, leaving it stripped of basic resources and devastated by ferocious fighting. The once-mighty German military, the Wehrmacht, was likewise in ruins, and it was not until 1955 that an independent German army would be raised, this time in the service of the West German Federal Republic. Known as the Bundeswehr (Federal Defense Forces), this force found itself in need of handguns and other equipment. The standard service pistol of the old Wehrmacht was the Walther P38, an excellent 9x19mm design that could well be argued to be the best all-around design of the Second World War. Walter’s factory in Zella-Mellis had fallen into the Soviet Occupation Zone, although production of the firm’s designs had actually continued for the French at Manurhin, with tooling taken as war reparations.
The company’s owner, Fritz Walther, had escaped to the west and set up a new operation in Ulm, resuming production in 1949, the same year that the independent West German government was founded. The new Walther was immediately investigated by the new Bundeswehr as a potential source of new handguns, with that body having selected the P38 as their standard issue. Deliveries of new pistols began in 1957, but a series of changes culminated in a designation in 1963, with the new P1 being most obviously distinguished by its aluminum frame. A hexagonal bolt was later added to the frame, starting in 1970, intended to prevent cracking. The P1 also featured a slightly thicker frame and a redesigned firing pin, intended to solve the breakage issues that occurred in wartime P38s.
The P1 would equip not just the three branches of the Bundeswehr but also the West German police and Grenzschutzen (border guards) for the duration of the Cold War. It remained the standard sidearm of unified Germany until 2004, when the H&K P8 replaced it. Another interesting variation of the P1 was assembled in France with German-made parts to arm the West Berlin Police, as they were required by treaty not to carry German-made arms. P1 pistols, often equipped with special white leather holsters, remain in service with the German ceremonial Wachtbattalion.
Contents:
Contents:
This example will ship with a black leather holster and two magazines!
Return Policy:
We gladly offer a 3 day unfired inspection policy from the time that the firearm is delivered to your FFL. Refunds are available for all qualifying orders.
Shipping Details
Handgun Standard Shipping with Insurance $50.00
Long Gun Standard Shipping with Insurance $70.00
Any orders placed with magazines that are not compliant with your state, county, or city regulations will not ship with your order.
We strive to ship orders within the close of the following business day after payment and documentation is received.
Payment Details
We accept all forms of Payment including Personal Check, Business Check, PO Money Orders, Certified Check, Etc.
Please note we place a 7 business day hold on shipment, for all non-certified payments.
Payment MUST be received within 14 days.
Return Policy
We gladly offer a 3 day unfired inspection policy from the time that the firearm is delivered to your FFL. Refunds are available for all qualifying orders.
Additional Details
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About Us
From a small town hobby, to a leader in the investment and collector grade firearms industry. Bryant Ridge Firearms is here to offer the best in quality and customer service when you are looking to unload your collector grade firearm collection.
