Walther HP

[Robert L Johnson]

Over the years I have collected WW2 german handguns.
P-08 P-38 PP PPK and others.

About 5 years ago I purchased a Walther HP Commercial model with walnut
grips in beautiful condition, it is a eagle N serial #13xxx and all numbers match
The question is why did they sand factory information off the slide prior to
blueing,the right hand side still shows proof marks as all other areas.

Bob

 

[dfariswheel]

They didn't.

You either have a gun that's been refinished, OR the original slide has been replaced.

You see these sort of things often, and the new owner wants to know if its original or why the factory did something.
Point is, these guns have been through who knows how many hands over the last 60 or so years, and God only knows what they did to them between the time they left the factory and today.

 

[Robert L Johnson]

HP

I agree with what your saying but the slide is serial numbered in the exact
die configuration as other commercials.
I was told that after june 1940 they stoped exporting HP's to the U.S. during this time the code were changed from 480 to the known P-38 that is why
the AC-40's are the first military.
Eagle N codes replaced Crown N in april 1940.
They didnt want factory information on any firearms.
Walther AC
Mauser BYF

TKS

 

[dfariswheel]

True, but the HP was always a commercial firearm with commercial marks.

It was made even late in the war for sales to other countries, specifically Sweden.
Many if not most HP's were imported from there in the 1980's and 90's.
Some of these later HP's were really P-38's with commercial HP stamps and had the same safety system as the P-38, not the early HP's retracting firing pin system.
The HP firing pin is rectangular, the P-38 pin is round.
The HP has a machined slide stop, the P-38 a fabricated type stop.

Bottom line: Its at least in the realm of "possible" your HP left the factory without slide markings, but an HP with number 13XXX isn't that late in production, and it would have had proper markings.

Possibilities are:
The gun did get out of the factory unmarked.
The slide was replaced and re-numbered at some point.
The slide might be a P-38 slide re-numbered. Check the firing pin. If it's round its almost certainly a P-38.
Some previous owner had a rusty gun and polished off everything but the serial number.

Is the FRAME an HP? Could it be an HP slide on a P-38 frame?
Last: Who knows. At this late date, you'll never know for sure. All that's sure is that you have a suspect gun.

I'm NOT an expert on the HP model. I suggest finding the P-38 forum online and asking the real experts for an opinion.
There's one poster there who's THE expert and has written books about it.

http://www.p38forum.com/

 

[Jim K]

The original HP was made prior to adoption of the P.38, and was produced in fairly small numbers.

After the adoption of the P.38 and even into 1943, Walther produced some pistols for commercial sale; those were designate HP, since the P.38 was, by definition, the service pistol. Some of those wartime HPs went to German allies and others were sold inside Germany to authorized buyers. I have been told that some soldiers and officers bought them so they would have a personal pistol that could use standard ammo, magazines and parts, but which they would not have to turn in after the war was won(!). (Some American GIs and officers bought Colt commercial .45s for the same reason.)

For some reason many of those wartime HPs ended up in Austria and were used by the Austrian Bundesheer (Federal army). The Austrians sold those when they went to the Glock, and a lot of them turned up on the US market. Serial numbers apparently were continued from the pre-war HP production and are in the 11000-26000 range, with no prefix or suffix.

The ones from Austria can be readily identified by the BH marking and the Austrian eagle stamping, as well as the fact that they are do not have the features of the original HP, but are identical to the P.38's being made at the same time except for the Walther banner and HP markings and the commercial "eagle/N" proofmarks. There are no WaA stamps.

Grips are the same as the then current P.38 production, but a few have shown up with wood grips, whether factory or not I don't know.

All the BH guns were refinished, and in the process the slide markings were polished down and are often very shallow.

Unfortunately, some of those guns have been sold as pre-war HPs, at a considerable markup.

Jim

 

[Robert L Johnson]

walther

Thanks to all for the comments on this HP
planning to post pictures next week
TKS
Bob