Walther PP-PDM Pistol Rig

[SARGE]

Gents,

 

It has been a little quiet here lately so I thought I would post a pistol rig.  Please feel free to post anything you have that you might think is interesting.  

 

I picked up a very nice Walther PP-PDM (Munich Police) 7,65mm pistol at the MVACA show in Kansas City last year that I thought I would show.  This is one of the special order police pistols manufactured by Walther to fulfill a circa 1934 order for PP and PPK pistols from the Munchen Polizei (Polizei Direction Munchen = "PDM").  This is one of the approximately 1800 PP delivered to the Munich PD in what appears to be three orders (according to serial numbers).  According to the serial number this pistol is one of the last shipped from the first 1934 order.  

 

These pistols are different in that they have no loaded indicator, have a 90 degree safety, have a bottom grip magazine release and have a swollen muzzle in order to improve accuracy.  The brown leather holster for these pistols was also different in that they were locally made in Munich, have a flap on the top of the spare magazine pouch and have a plugged muzzle end with a drain hole.  These pistols were worn on the left side (cross draw) on a special Munich produced brown leather police uniform belt with a D ring buckle with a single tongue.  

 

 

[Tony v]

SARGE

 

    That is a beautiful Walther ! Thank you for sharing

 

Tony

 

[SARGE]

Thanks Tony.  Here are a couple of period photographs of Bavarian Police from albums.

 

 

[Tony v]

SARGE

 Great pictures ! Thank you for posting them

 

Tony

 

[Custermen]

On 5/3/2021 at 1:37 PM, SARGE said:

This is one of the approximately 1800 PP delivered to the Munich PD in what appears to be three orders (according to serial numbers).  According to the serial number this pistol is one of the last shipped from the first 1934 order.  

I have the same Walther PP.   It is not marked for use by Police.  However, my Father picked up a Police Helmet in Northern Italy.  There were lots of military police used as anti-partisan control in that area.     

 

This is not my best photo of it.

 

This is a Civilian pistol---i.e., it has the WALTHER Scroll and NO military markings.  I don't think it has the Eagle proof mark, either. 

 

Note the Magazine Release at the bottom of the grip.  Walther moved the mag release to the bottom for 1 or 2 years of production.  That makes this version somewhat more rare than the button release at the top.  Walther made this change so soldiers could train on the PP and then move up to the P-38 without having to learn where the release button was located. 

I need to find the article but I believe the years the Walther PP was produced with the bottom release was about 1942.  The serial number of mine is:  156XXX P.   I wonder what the serial number is on your pistol?

 

[Custermen]

Magazine Releases for the P-38 compared to the typical PP.