I am trying to find the date of manufactur of a walther P99 with a serial number of 010890 (no other letters ) stamped made in Germany, Interarms Alexandia. The Walther P99 (German: ) is a semi-automatic pistol developed by the German company Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen of Ulm for law enforcement, security forces and the civilian shooting market as a replacement for the Walther P5 and the P88.The P99 and its variants are also made under licence by Fabryka Broni Radom. Aug 17, 2009  Walther Model P88 Compact: Walther Model P99: Walther Model P99 Compact AS/QA: Walther Model P990: Walther Model P99 QPQ: Walther Model P990 QPQ: Walther Model P99 QA: Walther Model P99 Military: Walther Model P99 La Chasse DU: Walther Model P99 La Chasse: Walther Model P99 Commemorative: Walther Model P22 Standard: Walther Model P22 Target. Jan 12, 2014  Small correction to number sequence, in March 1970 I bought a 35D/L serial number 396394, so would suggest number 400000 to be late 1970/early 71. HTH Alec Firstly a request for any more Walther numbers to fill in some of the gaps. The right side of the P99 shows the same MI5 seal and underneath the serial number 007 321. This is the 321st pistol of 1000 of this limited edition. Farther back on the slide is 'Limited Edition' and the proof mark near the end of the slide. The chamber has on it the Walther banner, 9X19, the proofmark and the serial.

The Walther Model 7
and the Walther Model 8

by Ed Buffaloe

The Walther Model 7

I’d first seen a Model 7 in the collection of a friend, and immediately liked the way it felt in my hand. I guess I have a medium-sized hand, and the gun feels quite natural to me. Two fingers wrap around the grip and my little finger curls beneath the magazine. The backstrap has a gentle curve that tucks right into my palm.
The bad news for collectors is that the Model 7 is a bit hard to come by. According to Rankin in Walther Volume III they were only made for twelve months in 1917. Gangarosa, in The Walther Handgun Story, says they were made for four years between 1915 and 1919, and Dieter Marschall, in Walther Pistols: Model 1 Through P99, says they were made from 1917 through 1919, with a question- mark after the 1919. One clear indication that production continued at least into 1919 is that the late examples have the slide address Zella-Mehlis I--the name of the town where the Walther factory was located was Zella St. Blasii, but in 1919 it was changed to Zella Mehlis. Dieter Marschall states that total production was about 45,000.
Rankin states: “Many German officers carried these Walther pistols as a side arm.” Gangarosa says the Model 7 was “intended for military use by high-ranking officers..” Kersten, in Walther: A German Legend, emphasizes that most officers would have preferred the larger-caliber Model 4.
The Model 7 may be considered the last in a series of guns that began with the Model 2. It is closely related to the

Walther Model 4 (top)
Walther Model 7 (middle)
Walther Model 5 (bottom)

Models 2 and 5, having a deeper grip and a longer barrel, with an appropriately longer front barrel bushing. The Models 2 through 7 are of a similar design, with a fixed barrel, concentric recoil spring, concealed hammer, and a positive safety that rotates 180 degrees to block the sear. The Walther Models 2 through 7 are designed in such a way that the slide is locked to the frame and cannot be blown off the gun to the rear. They utilize a front barrel bushing to secure the slide to the frame. The Model 3 and the early version of the Model 4 have a latch to release the bushing, but all the other pistols have bayonette- style fittings that lock onto a lug inside the front of the slide.
Manfred Kersten indicates that the Model 7 was a commercial failure and was replaced because Walther decided it was underpowered, but the gun was immediately followed by the Model 8 in the same caliber. The 6.35mm Browning cartridge (.25 ACP) was very popular in Europe, and it seems more likely that Model 7 production was reduced if not eliminated during World War I because Walther’s priority was fulfilling its wartime contract for the Model 4. By 1919 the Model 8 was being patented, so even during the war Walther continued to innovate.
There are two variants of the Model 7.
First Variant Model 7
The first variant is marked on the left side of the slide in upper case sans-serif characters:

SELBSTLADE PISTOLE CAL 6,35 WALTHER’S-PATENT.

with the Walther banner beneath it. On the right side of the slide in mixed sans-serif characters is the following address:

Carl Walther.WAFFENFABRIK Zella St.Blasii

A few examples I have noted have an abbreviated address:

Carl Walther.WAFFENFABRIK Zella St.Bl.

The first variant has 9 coarse flat milled slide serrations on either side. It has a groove down the top of the slide and a drift- adjustable rear sight. The front sight is part of the front barrel-bushing. The serial number is on the bow of the trigger guard on the right side of the frame. The grip panels are of checkered horn with the CW (Carl Walther) monogram in an oval at the top.
Second Variant Model 7
Some specimens of the second variant, made in the last year of the war, are marked on the left side of the slide in upper case sans-serif characters, like the first variant guns:

SELBSTLADE PISTOLE CAL 6,35.WALTHER’S-PATENT.

with the Walther banner beneath it. These guns are marked on the right side of the slide:

CARL WALTHER.WAFFENFABRIK ZELLA-MEHLIS I

Other specimens are marked on the left side of the slide in all capital sans-serif italic characters:

WALTHER’S-PATENT CAL.6.35

with the Walther banner beneath. The right side of the slide is likewise marked in all upper case sans-serif characters:

WAFFENFABRIK WALTHER ZELLA-MEHLIS

The second variant has 16 fine triangular-cut slide serrations. Most second variant guns have an adjustable rear sight dovetailed into the slide about one-half centimeter from the rear, like the first variant, but a few late second variant guns have a fixed rear sight at the very rear of the slide, much like the sight on the later Model 8. The serial number is moved to the left side of the frame, just behind the trigger.
The Model 7 pistol magazines I have examined are unmarked. They have a U-shaped follower, hold 8 rounds of 6.35mm ammunition and have seven staggered holes drilled on either side for viewing cartridges. I have seen a number of guns with magazines that have a flat (L-shaped) follower and holes drilled only on the right side--I do not know if these are original magazines or not.

Field Stripping the Walther Model 7

  1. Remove the magazine.
  2. Draw the slide back to make sure the chamber is empty and to cock the hammer.
  3. Press in on the barrel bushing, turn it counterclockwise (as you face the front of the gun), and draw it carefully off the end of the barrel under pressure from the recoil spring.
  4. Remove the recoil spring and sleeve by twisting them off the barrel.
  5. Pull the slide all the way to the rear, lifting the front of the slide slightly to get it all the way back, then lift the rear of the slide up and off the rails and pull the slide forward and off the barrel.


The Walther Model 8 In 1919 and 1920 Fritz Walther filed six patents related to the Model 8, covering the safety, the triggerguard which served as a takedown latch, the manner of attaching the grips using medallions, and the separate breech block of the first variant.

These patents are as follows:
DE319461 - grip medallions
DE325374 - single axis-pin for the safety and hammer
DE326373 - improvement for the grip medallions
DE334042 - trigger guard for disassembly of the gun
DE334448 - separated breech block of the first variant
DE335901 - improved spring-supported trigger guard of the thrd variant
The Walther Model 8 was produced from late 1920 to approximately 1940. Production estimates vary. Rankin states that 500,000 were made; Kersten states that 200,000 were made. Dieter Marschall, in his book on Walther Pistols, states that approximately 370,000 were made, but working in collaboration with Earl Mount, a U.S. Walther collector, Marschall has revised the figure down considerably to approximately 145,000.
The gun was sleek and modern looking and became an instant commercial success. Its external look is reminiscent of the Model 1910 FN Browning. The Model 8 was often carried by staff officers during World War II, and as a backup gun by aviators, tank crewmen, and SS, many of whom required weapons that could be used in confined spaces. Presentation Model 8’s were sometimes given to very high-ranking Nazi officials. A Model 8 engraved with Dr. Goebbels’ name appeared for sale on the GunsAmerica site in 2007 with a price tag of $260,000!
While incorporating most of the internal features of earlier Walthers, the design for the Model 8 was carefully re-thought, with an eye toward fewer parts and an easier take-down. The slide extends to the end of the barrel, with no bushing, and the trigger guard doubles as a take-down lever. The Model 8 served as a prototpye for the later PP (Polizei Pistole) and its descendants , which have been widely copied, and is the last single-action-only Walther other than target pistols and the post- war Walther TP.
There are three variants of the Model 8.
First Variant Model 8
The first Model 8 variant was likely made from 1920 to about 1926. Serial numbers run from about 390,000 to 480,000, with an estimated total production of about 84,000 guns. The first variant had a breech assembly which could be removed from the slide, consisting of the breech block, firing pin, firing pin spring, and the extractor. No external extractor is visible on the first variant. A projection on the extractor retains the firing pin in the breech block. There are 16 fine triangular-cut angled slide serrations on each side of the slide. A small latch on the bow of the trigger guard on the right side releases the trigger guard to allow disassembly.
The Model 8 is marked on the left side of the slide in sans-serif upper and lower case italic letters:

Walther’s Patent Mod. 8.

with the Walther banner beneath. The right side of the slide is marked:

Waffenfabrik Walther Zella-Mehlis (Thür.)

The above inscriptions were used on all variants. Grips are of checkered hard rubber with enamel medallions. On the left side medallion is the “CW” monogram, and on the right side medallion is “6.35”. The serial number is on the right side grip tang.

Magazines for the first variant are generally marked with a large W on the bottom. Some have an L-shaped flat follower that is open at the front, and some have a U-shaped swaged follower that is closed at the front. All have seven staggered holes drilled in each side for viewing cartridges.

Second Variant Model 8
The second variant was likely made from 1927 through 1933 or 1934. Serial numbers run from about 700,000 to 715,200, with another couple of thousand or so in the mid-720,000 range, for an estimated total production of only about 24,000. I would like to emphasize that these figures are based on a limited sample and are subject to revision at a later date. Previous estimates for production of this variant were much higher. Please share your serial number information with the author and help make this data more accurate.* The breech block is an integral part of the slide and an external extractor is retained by a spring and plunger in a drilled recess behind it. The firing pin is retained by a plate and screw in the roof of the slide at the rear. The second variant continues to have the latch button on the right side of the trigger guard to allow take-down. In this period the grips began to have the Walther banner at the bottom.
P99
Magazines for the second variant are generally marked with the Walther banner on the bottom, with a U-shaped flat follower that is closed at the front, and have seven staggered holes drilled in each side for viewing cartridges.
Third Variant Model 8
The third variant was likely made from 1933 or 1934 to 1940. Serial numbers run from 715,200 to 745,000, minus the few thousand second variants in the mid-720,000 range, for an estimated total production of about 37,000. Sometime, probably around 1938, the Model 8 serial numbers began to have a letter A suffix. The third variant eliminated the latch button and added a spring near the pivot point of the trigger guard to tension it upward. The trigger was modified slightly to accommodate the new trigger guard and spring, giving it a different profile. Beginning in April of 1940 the proofmark was changed from the traditional ‘crown over N’ to the Nazi ‘eagle over N’. Earl Mount, who has studied these pistols states that he has seen very few Model 8 pistols with the Eagle over N proof, and he believes that production probably ended in 1940. In addition to the standard blued finish, the Model 8 was offered in nickle-plate or gold plate, with various wood or ivory grips, and with various levels of engraving. The finish quality on the Model 8 was very high.
There are minor variations in the design of grip medallions between the early and late variants, but we do not have sufficient information to judge when these changes were made.
Magazines are like the second variant.
Comparing the Models 7 and 8
The Models 7 and 8 appear to be exactly the same size to me, though Gangarosa states that the Model 8 is slightly smaller. The Vestpocket Pistol Collector gives both models’ length (in all variants) at 132mm (5.196 inches). My own measurements show the frame width of the Model 7 at 16.3mm (.641 inches) and the Model 8 at 17.1mm (.673 inches), so the Model 7 is a bit slimmer than the Model 8. The grips on the Model 7 flare out at the base, whereas the Model 8 grips are uniform from top to bottom. The Model 8 has no curve on the backstrap of the grip and, while I like its feel, the Model 7 with its curved backstrap and flared grips is more ergonomically designed and feels more natural in the hand.
The early Model 7 sights have a slight edge in visibility over those of the Model 8. The Model 8’s are fixed, whereas the rear sight on most Model 7’s can be drifted horizontally to adjust for windage. The late second variant Model 7 had fixed sights like the Model 8. The thin hard rubber grips on the Model 8 are held on rather precariously with the patented medallions, and I’ve seen several instances of loose grips, broken grips, and warped grips. The Model 7 horn grips, with only a single screw, don’t come loose quite as badly, but can dry out, crack and discolor, and are also subject to being eaten by small critters.
Variants of both pistols weigh between 335 and 360 grams (10.7 to 11.5 ounces). Apparently, a few Model 8s were made with aluminum frames and only weighed about 280 grams (9 ounces), but these are scarce and I have been unable to examine one.
I wasn’t able to obtain an original magazine for my Model 7, but my Model 8 did come with its original magazine, which is easily identified because it has the Walther logo on the bottom. My collector friend who owns a Model 7 also has the Walther logo on his original magazine. In comparing the Models 7 and 8, we quickly realized that the guns use interchangeable magazines.
My Model 7 would not feed reliably when I first got it, with something going wrong on at least 2 or 3 rounds out of every 8-shot magazine. However, the original Model 8 magazine functioned flawlessly in my Model 7. Since I had discovered that the Models 7 and 8 use identical magazines , I ordered a +5% replacement spring for a Model 8 from Wolff Springs, and installed it the model 7 magazine. I also bent the front of the magazine follower down a tiny bit, though I doubt this had much effect. However, with the new spring and slightly bent follower, my Model 7 now feeds reliably. Both the Model 7 and Model 8 occasionally have a stovepipe jam, but they are generally more reliable than the smaller .25’s I have.
Both guns have internal hammers, which seem to me more reliable than strikers. Both guns have connectors that run inside the frame on the right side of the gun. The Model 7’s connector engages the sear near the top of the frame, whereas the Model 8’s connector engates the sear from below, down inside the grip. You can see from the photograph that the Model 7 has a slightly longer barrel than the Model 8. Both guns have a coil spring at the rear that tensions the hammer and the magazine release. Both guns show excellent workmanship and critically close tolerances. The safety on the Model 7 is much slower to disengage than that of the Model 8.

Field Stripping the Walther Model 8

  1. Remove the magazine and make sure the chamber is empty.
  2. Press the latch on right side of the trigger guard and pull the trigger guard out from the bottom of the frame. The third variant Model 8 has no latch and the trigger guard is spring-loaded, so you must hold the trigger guard down to proceed.
  3. Draw the slide back, lift at the rear, and ease it off the front of the gun.
  4. Twist the recoil spring off the barrel.
Note: Be sure the larger end of the recoil spring is toward the front when you reassemble the gun.

Copyright 2007-2013 by Ed Buffaloe. All rights reserved.* Write to the author at [email protected]

References

Handguns of the World, by Edward C. Ezell. Barnes & Noble, New York: 1981.
NRA Illustrated Firearms Assembly Handbook, 1962.
Walther, A German Legend, by Manfred Kersten. Safari Press, Long Beach, CA: 2001.
The Walther Handgun Story, by Gene Gangarosa, Jr. Stoeger Publishing Co., 1999.
Walther Pistols, by W.H.B. Smith, Stackpole Co., Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: 1946.
Walther Pistols: Models 1 Through P99, by Dieter H. Marschall. Ucross, Los Alamos, N.M.: 2000.
Walther Volume III, by James L. Rankin. Privately Printed: 1981.
Historic Firearm of the Month - March 2000: Walther PP
The Vestpocket Pistol Collector
Special thanks to Earl Mount and Dieter Marschall for their help with dates and serial numbers.
However, I am responsible for any errors that may remain in this article.

nowbotmag.netlify.com › Walther Serial Number Chart ★
Hi,I have a Vintage Walther PP 7.65mm pistol that I recently bought and I'm interested in learning more about it. From what I've already been able to obtain from searching this site and looking at the serial number chart this gun should be dated around 1942. I noticed something strange about the gun though in that it doesn't display any of the engraving on the gun slide. It is virtually unengraved in that it doesn't even have the walther name on it anywhere except on the plastic grips and on one side of the magazine. This struck me as strange because all the ones I've ever seen had something on the slide.
I am going to attempt to upload some pics of the gun for inspection. Any information you can give me about this piece will be greatly appreciated. The serial number can be seen on the side of the grip and on the right side of the slide. There is a mark on the bolt and under the bolt just under the ejection port. These I believe are the same, but I haven't been able to look at them close enough to be sure.
I am not able to post pictures right now but will upload them in the morning when I get to my computer. Thanks Ron for your analysis. I really like the gun, it is very tight and has good action. Very very smooth. I've never seen one without any engraving on it at all, so this would certainly explain why.
For a gun being made on the way out it sure is a good gun though. Sure the engraved ones are nice, but this one has alot of character. Any other opinions are certainly welcome. I will be posting pics soon of an old Damascus Barrel estate shotgun I bought that I haven't alot of information about. It is German though so it will be interesting to learn more about it. My sources date that pistol to late 1944, so it was late, but not one of the last wartime pistols. It does, however, date to a period when the German military was taking all Walther PP production so the commercial marking was dropped entirely and only the Walther code 'ac' was stamped on the slide.
Even so, the proof marks are commercial, not military, as they would be if the gun was made under a military contract rather than simply bought under a purchase order.Just FWIW, the commercial Walther markings (banner, address-model-caliber) on those small pistols were not stamped or roll stamped, they were etched. The serial number and 'ac' on the OP's pistol were stamped.Jim.
I quit making even WAGs on values of Nazi-era German pistols. Every time I give a figure based on what I see at gun shows and on the net, someone informs me (with a pitying tone) that a gun I said was worth $500 is really worth $20 million because it was rumored that it possibly perhaps maybe had been handled at some time by someone related maybe to Hitler's seventh cousin fourteen times removed and when will stupid people like me learn about the real world?I do wonder if the over-the-top guesstimators ever get those fancy figures for their guns.Jim.
I was also thinking 500 but like Jim, I now try and stay away from values. On the dates, Marschall lists ac 356450P as the last for 1944, this is why i stated 44/45.
It could also have been made earlier and not stamped and pushed out the door until 1945. Regardless it was one of the last batches made in the final months before before the bell rang. Because it was made at the final destruction of the Third Reich I feel it has historical value.
Don't know, but it is part of the last chapter. Perhaps, but the information I have seen does not support the idea that 'most' ac-marked Walthers were assembled post-war by GIs.
Mismatched ones might have been but information I have seen indicates that the 'ac' markings began in mid to late 1944, quite a while before U.S. Forces reached the Zella-Mehlis area. It would appear probable that the change of marking was just another means of speeding production at what would have been a critical time for Germany and, with the military taking all the guns that could be produced, there was no need for the normal and time consuming slide markings. 'ac' said it all with regard to the maker, and there was no need for a caliber marking since the German military pistols were made only in 7.65.Jim.The Firearms Forum is on online community for all gun enthusiasts. Join us to discuss firearms of all kinds, gun accessories, legal issues and more.
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Hey everyone,My dad told me about my Grandfather's walther that he brought back from WWII that he took off a German soldier. I was wondering if there are some good databases out there where I could look up the history of the pistol? Any info is appreciated.All I know is that the slide is longer than the modern day PPK and the caliber was not printed anywhere on the pistol itself.
Hopefully one day I'll get to see and shoot it.Quick question on older firearms. Is modern day ammo safe to use in them and for the PP/PPK series of pistols, do current magazines fit in them?Thanks again. Click to expand.You had better check your soures again. Both the PP u. PPK went into the 900,000 range and then, in about 1940, started over with a letter (P or K) after the ser nr. By wars end they were, I believe, again in the 400,000 range with the letter.You left out one caliber for both pistols - 6.35mm (25acp). Many more 7.65 (32acp) pistols were made than the other 3 calibers combined.Thus the 7.65 PP is not at all rare, or even uncommon.
The PPK is a bit more so, but still not rare.Sarge. Click to expand.My GF, a French model whom I met on the internet, assures me that they can't put anything on the internet that isn't true. grinRespectfully, Sarge.My source was posted, take it for what it is. My source for much of my info on PP u.
PPK pistols is James Rankins 3 vol set on Walther pistols. I think he gives a lot more detail than Gangarosa. In fact I don't find a copy of his book in my library for some reason.Well I had thought it was the PPK that started at 750K, but even if they both did there is still 250K+ pistols before the 2nd series = letter after the nr, started since PPKs are known into the 1 Million range.Then from the 100,000 P u. K 2nd series they went into the high 400K range which is another 300,000+ pistols for a total of 750,000+ pistols of both types.I made no claim that all production of either pistol was strictly for the military. There were undoubtably more made for civilian and paramilitary sales than for the military.Does Gangarosa claim that only 83,000 were made for the military?
Sure does seem like a low nr since guns with WaA show up with some regularity.Sarge. Click to expand.Here's my story. My grandfather came back from the war and was bummed about not being able to bring back anything. His cousin was able to bring back a Walther PP and gave to grandpa. Now I am 'borrowing it.'
I took it to a gun shop to see if they could tell me anything about it. All of the numbers match. There is the Nazi eagle, but without the swastika.
So it was made before the war (I was told). The shop told me that after the US leveled the factory and took over in various places, the US started putting together firearms with whatever parts they could find. He said that it is harder to find the PP/PPK's with all matching numbers. He said normal value would be around $600-700 or so, but because of these details (and the excellent condition), it was closer to $1000 for a replacement value. Not looking at selling, but I was curious. Mine shoots the 32acp.

Walther P99 For Sale

It shoots fine other than sometimes it will double fire with a single trigger pull. As soon as the slide racks back into place, the round in waiting will fire. Does anyone know if those firing pins are free floating and I am possibly having a 'slam fire' of sorts?If you are interested, watch the youtube video on how to disassemble the PP.

Walther Pp 5 Digit Serial Number

Me thinks your gun shop is full of it! Sounds like their knowlege of Walthers is about equal to that of the average 3rd grader.If the eagle you are talking about is on the bbl in the ejection port and on the slide below it then there should be an N under the eagles. That is the commercial firing proof. And Yes the gun is wartime since the change from crown N to eagle N came in 1940.The US did Not level the factory! The ruskies did post war.The Germans had begun to assemble mismatched pistols at the very end of the war. Those will have poor finish, wood grips and no slide markings.
Those pistols are very uncommon.I would guestimate that 95% of all Walther PP u. PPK pistols have matching numbers.
Desktop

Walther P99 As Compact

Walther P99 Serial Number Chart

Walther Serial Numbers P99 2

Walther Serial Number Chart P99

Except for those made late in the war any Walther that is mismatched was one done by someone post war.As for the double fire I would guess that the firing pin spg might be broken. An easy fix as parts are available.Sarge.