Float plane,
My first trip to the Rod & Gun Graf was as an enlisted and it was on main post. We were living in a tent city and the Company provided a Deuce-n-a-half that ran back and forth a couple of three times one night. They would not sell to a person less than E7 without the permission slip from your CO so it was not as much fun. The thing they had that night that blew my skirts up was a Vz52 with a high gloss blue finish and in 9x19mm. I have been called a liar over this gun, but apparently Frankonia refinished and rebarreled them for the European market in the early 1970s. As there was this thing called the Iron Curtain back then, shoot the reason 380,000 of us GI were at places like Graf, the US had a "NO IMPORT" policy on all things "red." When you make $346 a month you do not spend $150 on a gun you will have to abandon in two years......though I wish I had. Actually a few folks DID buy Walther PPks knowing they would have to abandon them thanks to GCA'68 and most got the money back. Sort of Cool being stationed in Neu Ulm with Walther only being across the river in Ulm. "Buy Local" and that is how I bought my little Anshutz sporter rifle. I shot a Russian made .22 Trainer/match pistol a good bit at my German SHooting club and Frankonia sold those with a wooden range box, three magazines, a selection of barrel weights, cleaning kit and a Russian instruction book for about the same thing as a Ruger MkI in a card board box. Again I did not get one of my own as I could not import it, besides Herr Meyer let me use his stored at the club whenever I wanted to.
Walther provided the club with a GSP and wanted feed back on the gun, I gather the convertible .22LR/ .32Long WC only was new at the time. I shot it a good bit on the turning targets of the club's Olympic Rapid fire course and did quite well with it, though not well enough to think about that Olympic word. Also shot that course with an ancient High Standard in .22short but you had to work to get close to the scores one shot with modern Rapid Fire course pistol.
Walther also provided the club with an ISU 50 meter rifle I shot a lot and well enough to attract attention with. I have never heard of a Walther center fire rifle elsewhere but we had a .308 bolt action running bore rifle. Nice scope, I think it was a Steiner IIRC and the rifle swung well, but shooting running game with a center fire rather than the .22 or later the air rifle was a bit rough!
I bought my P1 at the Graf Rod &Gun after it moved off post and after I used my GI bill to get commissioned. Walked in with the cash and out with the gun, a spare mag, holster and 100 rounds of Geco FMJ. My boss said he was sure I had something the next morning as he said I had a look about me that made him sure I had access to some sort of weapon. I smiled and went about my business, though I did worry that the P-1 Mexican carried under my BDU blouse might fall down my trouser leg if I had to say do some gyrations to help out in the motor pool or some such. Eventually I found I could carry concealed in the military holster it came with thanks to my wearing Tall BDU shirts and was much more comfortable.
-kBob