Latest Find! PL PPK, RZM slide!

[jacklo]

Thanks Matt!

[P08]

Jack & Matt



Thanks for the info.

[fordgpw]

Rzm Ppk

Hi Matt, I just got me one of those PPK,s, but mine is not as nice as yours.
I was noticing the grips on yours, there not correct. The screw should go in front of the left side. Someone has put other grips on it. Maybe at one time it had the PL grips. But it still is a nice looking Walther; Best Regards Danny

[Larry Lipps]

Okay, I need some education. While Rankin's books are old and outdated, it's the only PPK reference I have. According to his book, the Official German Yearbook for 1934 and 1936 shows the RZM Marked pistols with plain grips and the Party Leader grips on standard, Crown N, non RZM marked pieces. So now if the RZM marked pieces are referred to as Party Leader Pistols, what is the terminology for the non RZM marked pistols with Party Leader Grips?

[fordgpw]

Rzm Ppk

Hi Larry, The RZM PPk was introduced in 1934 in the sn# range 800xxx,mine is sn#805xxx.This was the first variation.The second variation was a RZM slide with the PL grips.And finally the last one had the PL grips only. All of these were classified as PL pistols.All of them should have the crown n proof of course. Hope this helps some; Regards Danny

[ramon]

Hi Matt, I just got me one of those PPK,s, but mine is not as nice as yours.
I was noticing the grips on yours, there not correct. The screw should go in front of the left side. Someone has put other grips on it. Maybe at one time it had the PL grips. But it still is a nice looking Walther; Best Regards Danny

Hallo Danny, please clarify your observation concerning the screw going in front of the left side.

The pistol shown by Matt Weber is, in fact, not textbook. My three RZM engraved pistols show the screw going from left grip through to the right grip. Illustrations of PPK RZM variants in both Rankin and Whittington show the same thing. Further, the illustrations of the PPK Ehrenwaffe des Politischen Leiters in the Organisationsbuch der NSDAP show the same left to right orientation.

Am I missing your point? Please advise.

Ramon

[fordgpw]

Rzm Ppk

Hi,Ramon thats what I meant. The screw should go in the left side into the right grip. This was standard on all the ppk,s until I think around 1938, somewhere in that era. Matt,s is not correct. His goes in from the right side to the left.Hope this helps; Best Regards Danny

[Matt Weber]

Danny,

Very good observation, and one, that I must admit, overlooked.
I have looked through several of my reference books, and have found that all RZM PPKs have the screw going through the left grip as you stated.

However, I noticed that all PL grip variations of the PPK have the screw going from right to left. Also I did find a PDM PPK that was early (90 dregree safety), that had the screw going from right to left. Also I have found an early PL grip one (with 90 degree safety as well), that has the screw going from right to left as well.

So, perhaps there was a time period when the screw direction was changed, and perhaps the grips on mine are a transitional period? Or of course, the other answer would be that the grips have been changed. However, I would question that as well, since the pistol is in such good shape, and the grips on it, do have a crack in them (left side, see pics). Why would someone change the grips and put on a cracked one on such a nice pistol? Also the grips color does match perfectly to the extension magazine. This is difficult to match these up. I suppose anything is possible. All I know is that these are original grips, and came with the pistol.

Matt

[fordgpw]

Ppk Grips

HI Matt, I checked with Dieter H. Marschall and in said the grip screw in question was from 776xxx to 843xxx. Hope this helps; Regards Danny