Make: Walther

Model: PP

Serial Number: 205249P

Year of Manufacture: 1940-1941

Caliber: .32 ACP, 7.65mm

Action Type: Single/Double Action Semi-Auto Pistol with Removable Magazine

Barrel Length: 3 7/8"

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a short blade integral to the front of the slide. The rear sight is a “U”-notch dovetailed into the slide. The top of the slide has a thin rib that has fine wavy serrations to reduce glare.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered black plastic with Walther banner logos at their tops. The grips show even moderate handling wear. There are scattered light nicks, scuffs and scratches with a few more notable dings at the bottom edge of the left panel. The checkering is generally well defined, the points are smoothed. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Good condition.

Type of Finish: Chrome

Finish Originality: Refinished. The slide and frame are serial-matching.

Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright with sharp rifling. There is some light erosion and stubborn fouling in the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 7+/10.

Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 87% of its current metal finish. There is some flaking at edges, most notable around the grips and on the muzzle. There is oxidation under the grips and on the trigger. There is scattered erosion under the finish. There are some areas of a slightly yellow discoloration. The markings range from clear to worn and obscured by erosion. Overall, this pistol is in Good-Very Good condition as refinished.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this handgun. As with all firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes with a single 8-round Walther magazine, the floorplate has also been finished in chrome.

Our Assessment: The Walther PP, or Polizeipistole, was introduced in 1929 and found great success both commercially and with law enforcement agencies. With the outbreak of WWII, the German military found that its huge demand for sidearms could not be filled only with P38 and Luger pistols, orders for a variety of other models would be placed and the Walther PP was among them. This example is a wartime PP, made 1940-1941 and its slide has a rare and interesting marking.

The Reichsrundfunkzentrale, or Reich Radio Central Office, was the result of Germany's nationalization of their radio broadcasting infrastructure and saw extensive use by the Propaganda Ministry under Goebbels. RRZ marked pistols are exceedingly rare here in the United States, and presumably everywhere else, with few having been authenticated. This pistol is in the correct serial range for authentic pistols and the markings are the same size, placement and font, though this one's property number, 1095, is the lowest of observed numbers we could find. Other numbers we have found were all in the 1100 or 1200 blocks. While this pistol has been refinished, its RRZ marking will make it a great addition to a Walther or WWII era pistol collection. Please see our photos and good luck!