Tom I love your channel and have learned so much about Walther PPM’s in less than two weeks since I started watching your channel! Great informative video.
I wonder if xray spectroscopy could shed some light on the nickling conundrum. I'd imagine the Nickel plating process, the formulation of the electrolytes, the thickness of the plating, and so on, done in a factory in Germany would differ from that done in a factory in the states, which would differ from that done by a gun Smith or a guy in his garage. If enough genuine article nickel plated Walthers, from around the same period, could be measured, and enough replates also measured, I bet you there are some statistically significant variances in the plated pieces done at home vs those done at the factory. I can tell right off from the camera image that the GI plated gun has a higher thickness of nickel on its surface, as it is more reflective. Another telltail sign, as you point out, would be in the markings; if the wearing down of the markings is beneath the plating (again, xray spectroscopy and other radio imaging methods would likely shed some light on that) then it is almost certainly a replate. The stamp markings, especially of the crown or eagle, would be very consistent accross factory plated parts, maybe consistent enough that the slight changes due to the acids and polishing of the bare metal beneath the factory blued finish might show up in the imaging of the replates. I'd imagine it would dull the sharpness of the edges stamped into the seal, as even if the factory strips the metal with the same process prior to plating, a second deoxidization treatment would be twice as damaging to the stamped edges. Perhaps this isn't all that important and not worth the investment, but it might be an interesting verification process to test historical pieces. I'd imagine there are some significant differences in the plating formulas used in 1930s vs more recent ones. If you can find where walther would attach the electrodes to the components, that might be another place where spectroscopy could give enough of a measuring difference to identify what was plated in the factory vs what was plated later by someone not using the exact walther assembly line style process. Testing for the amount of some telltail remnant of the blued treatment, say a higher than normal composition of certain kinds of bonded oxygen (the blued finish is a special kind of oxidized iron that would have different chemical properties from other rusts and oxidized nickel alloys), that might indicate the presence of bits of blued gun metal beneath the plating (too little to see with they eye but enough to see with a decent resolution instrument). You could probably use a handheld scanner like they use to test precious metal purity to do this. They aren't cheap and I'm not sure what resolution youd need, but it would be an interesting way to test the ww2 collectable firearms you come accross. Might also be a lucrative way to verify and certify items for which there may be no other 100% way to verify as records no longer exist.
I'm not sure if the engraving would take a year. I lightly engrave some of the flintlocks I make and it takes an hour to do a boar and trumpet. The master engravers I know do it in about twenty minutes if not a bit quicker. I bet the engraver that Walter used was just very busy.
Thanks for the info Mike. Yes, I think the issue was that they were backed up on orders. Of course if an order came from a High Ranking Nazi, then all others got put to the sideline.
Hello Tom, Would you know from your PPK.collecting about when Walther went from its high polish blue finish to the duller military finish? Was it around the time of implementing the E/N proofs? Would you have a serial number range?. I’m asking because a guy is trying to sell me a police E/C with Party Leader grips and E/N proofed. While he maintains the finish is high polish his photos don’t seem to bear this out. Were there police marked pistols that had PL grips? Thanks, Phil
It's likely refinished by the Veteran who brought it back from the war. This was common as the GI's liked this shiny look for their captured goods. If you want to make sure, feel free to email us some photos!
Great video! A little long, but fantastic content! Maybe give us a link to your site in the description? The typed link isn't live. I think you need the before it. Make sure to get music credits in that description if you're going royalty-free. You don't want the copyright ninjas on your ass. Love you channel! Been looking for content like this. You guys are gonna be big!
Just curious, and you may have covered this in a video that I haven't seen, did they ever do any engraved in the blue finish? I actually prefer the polished blue finish even though I know the nickel is worth far more to a collector.
Tom I love your channel and have learned so much about Walther PPM’s in less than two weeks since I started watching your channel!
Great informative video.
I wonder if xray spectroscopy could shed some light on the nickling conundrum. I'd imagine the Nickel plating process, the formulation of the electrolytes, the thickness of the plating, and so on, done in a factory in Germany would differ from that done in a factory in the states, which would differ from that done by a gun Smith or a guy in his garage. If enough genuine article nickel plated Walthers, from around the same period, could be measured, and enough replates also measured, I bet you there are some statistically significant variances in the plated pieces done at home vs those done at the factory.
I can tell right off from the camera image that the GI plated gun has a higher thickness of nickel on its surface, as it is more reflective. Another telltail sign, as you point out, would be in the markings; if the wearing down of the markings is beneath the plating (again, xray spectroscopy and other radio imaging methods would likely shed some light on that) then it is almost certainly a replate. The stamp markings, especially of the crown or eagle, would be very consistent accross factory plated parts, maybe consistent enough that the slight changes due to the acids and polishing of the bare metal beneath the factory blued finish might show up in the imaging of the replates. I'd imagine it would dull the sharpness of the edges stamped into the seal, as even if the factory strips the metal with the same process prior to plating, a second deoxidization treatment would be twice as damaging to the stamped edges.
Perhaps this isn't all that important and not worth the investment, but it might be an interesting verification process to test historical pieces. I'd imagine there are some significant differences in the plating formulas used in 1930s vs more recent ones. If you can find where walther would attach the electrodes to the components, that might be another place where spectroscopy could give enough of a measuring difference to identify what was plated in the factory vs what was plated later by someone not using the exact walther assembly line style process.
Testing for the amount of some telltail remnant of the blued treatment, say a higher than normal composition of certain kinds of bonded oxygen (the blued finish is a special kind of oxidized iron that would have different chemical properties from other rusts and oxidized nickel alloys), that might indicate the presence of bits of blued gun metal beneath the plating (too little to see with they eye but enough to see with a decent resolution instrument). You could probably use a handheld scanner like they use to test precious metal purity to do this. They aren't cheap and I'm not sure what resolution youd need, but it would be an interesting way to test the ww2 collectable firearms you come accross. Might also be a lucrative way to verify and certify items for which there may be no other 100% way to verify as records no longer exist.
I'm not sure if the engraving would take a year. I lightly engrave some of the flintlocks I make and it takes an hour to do a boar and trumpet. The master engravers I know do it in about twenty minutes if not a bit quicker. I bet the engraver that Walter used was just very busy.
Thanks for the info Mike. Yes, I think the issue was that they were backed up on orders. Of course if an order came from a High Ranking Nazi, then all others got put to the sideline.
The gold washed one is a vintage Playboy Playmate.
Hello Tom,
Would you know from your PPK.collecting about when Walther went from its high polish blue finish to the duller military finish? Was it around the time of implementing the E/N proofs? Would you have a serial number range?. I’m asking because a guy is trying to sell me a police E/C with Party Leader grips and E/N proofed. While he maintains the finish is high polish his photos don’t seem to bear this out. Were there police marked pistols that had PL grips?
Thanks,
Phil
The Walter
the Sistine Chapel of the firearms world . This gun is still a viable firearm in the 21rst century.
I've git a p38. It's chrome finished and pearl handled grips. Is that a special presentation piece- 🤔???
It's likely refinished by the Veteran who brought it back from the war. This was common as the GI's liked this shiny look for their captured goods. If you want to make sure, feel free to email us some photos!
Fascinating
I would suggest maybe changing the music every few mins if you're going to play any in the back. good video.
Thanks for the feedback. Will adjust that a bit.
Thanks We followed your suggestion on the videos after this one.
I have a Walter 32 cal pistol sr# 322271 p. Can you tell me the year made?
Your Walther PP was made in 1943. Enjoy
Great info ! I what them all!
Great video! A little long, but fantastic content! Maybe give us a link to your site in the description? The typed link isn't live. I think you need the before it.
Make sure to get music credits in that description if you're going royalty-free. You don't want the copyright ninjas on your ass.
Love you channel! Been looking for content like this. You guys are gonna be big!
Verchromt not verchrompt
Yupp - he's correct. sorry for the misspell
Silver and gold have I none....
G.I.ckeled (gi nickeled)
Just curious, and you may have covered this in a video that I haven't seen, did they ever do any engraved in the blue finish? I actually prefer the polished blue finish even though I know the nickel is worth far more to a collector.