Walther PPK, RZM Marked

[Rescue190]

I picked this up as a walk in at a local show. It looks good to me besides the cracks in the grips and the chipped mag bottom. Correct serial range for RZM marking using Still's Axis Pistol book. 90 degree safety a plus, I think. Maybe all RZM marked ones had this though. Some finish loss but overall good. I can live with that if the rest is good. This is the only PPK I have. All thoughts on this item are appreciated. Came with a holster as well.
John

[RH1941]

Great pistol

[MAP]

A bit of holster wear to give it some character but otherwise a nice clean pistol. I like it.

Now you need the holster

Congrats

[NSDAP Sammler]

Very nice 1936 pattern PPK "Ehrenwaffe" for political Leaders of the NSDAP. Great find, congrats!

[Poloberst]

Very nice 1936 pattern PPK "Ehrenwaffe" for political Leaders of the NSDAP. Great find, congrats!

Actually the RZM contract began in 1934 and the first pistols were called "Dienstwaffe" for Politischen Leiters. Nice early RZM. Interesting fact is that the RZM production PPKs were also offered to members of other groups in the NSDAP such as the SA. There were notices in SA publications offering the pistols at the same discouted price as offered to Political Leaders. Walther wanted to push the sale of those pistols.

[NSDAP Sammler]

Actually the RZM contract began in 1934 and the first pistols were called "Dienstwaffe" for Politischen Leiters. Nice early RZM. Interesting fact is that the RZM production PPKs were also offered to members of other groups in the NSDAP such as the SA. There were notices in SA publications offering the pistols at the same discouted price as offered to Political Leaders. Walther wanted to push the sale of those pistols.

These PPKs could not simply be bought on request, regardless of the caliber. And certainly not by normal party members, but only by political leaders. Of course, the PLs could buy the pistols upon presentation of a gun license. But only after this had been officially awarded! The weapon could only be worn with the uniform then. (See illustration of the NSDAP Organization Book 1943) - Translation: (without pistol - as it had not yet been awarded).

[NSDAP Sammler]

The Walther company certainly had no need to push sales of the PPK. The weapon - as the name suggests, Polizeipistole (Kriminal) PP(K) - was used by almost all police officers and other officials after 1932 and was considered the best and most reliable pistol ever until well after World War II.

Walther PP - Wikipedia

[Erich S]

True but a huge early customer for the PPK/PP was the Nazi Party.

[Poloberst]

The Walther company certainly had no need to push sales of the PPK. The weapon - as the name suggests, Polizeipistole (Kriminal) PP(K) - was used by almost all police officers and other officials after 1932 and was considered the best and most reliable pistol ever until well after World War II.

Walther PP - Wikipedia

In 1934 when the RZM contract was awarded, the PP and PPK were new handguns on the German market. The Reichsbank and some other banks bought quantities of PPs and PPKs, as did the Police Administration in Munich. But Walther had been shut out of the huge Prussian state police market by Sauer and Fritz and his brothers were anxious to push sales of the new pistol. The PPK was but a few years old and it would be several years before contracts with the national police and military would be forthcoming. The pistols were offered at discount prices!

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These PPKs could not simply be bought on request, regardless of the caliber. And certainly not by normal party members, but only by political leaders. Of course, the PLs could buy the pistols upon presentation of a gun license. But only after this had been officially awarded! The weapon could only be worn with the uniform then. (See illustration of the NSDAP Organization Book 1943) - Translation: (without pistol - as it had not yet been awarded).

I certainly made no mention that normal party members could purchase the Walther. As I wrote above, they were available on request by a Political Leader, or proper member of another formation like the SA, after securing police permits and authorization from the proper senior authority. Authors in the past have written that Hitler "awarded" the Dienstwaffe/Ehrenwaffe to Political Leaders. Nonsense. As party leader, the conferred on those political leaders the right to carry the PPK.

[NSDAP Sammler]

In 1934 when the RZM contract was awarded, the PP and PPK were new handguns on the German market. The Reichsbank and some other banks bought quantities of PPs and PPKs, as did the Police Administration in Munich. But Walther had been shut out of the huge Prussian state police market by Sauer and Fritz and his brothers were anxious to push sales of the new pistol. The PPK was but a few years old and it would be several years before contracts with the national police and military would be forthcoming. The pistols were offered at discount prices!

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I certainly made no mention that normal party members could purchase the Walther. As I wrote above, they were available on request by a Political Leader, or proper member of another formation like the SA, after securing police permits and authorization from the proper senior authority. Authors in the past have written that Hitler "awarded" the Dienstwaffe/Ehrenwaffe to Political Leaders. Nonsense. As party leader, the conferred on those political leaders the right to carry the PPK.

I don't want to argue about the wording, the German language is very specific, but when it says that Hitler awarded a weapon, it doesn't necessarily mean that the weapon was presented by him personally during a ceremony. In this case, it obviously means that the right to carry the honorary weapon was awarded. Service weapons were not common in the party. Never. There were strict laws in Germany about who was allowed to own firearms and who wasn't. Only a few units were armed besides the police and army, and the NSDAP was not one of them. There are also no period photos that would support your theory that these pistols were purchased on a mass scale. At least I don't know of any. If that were the case, then these pistols must have been lying around in German homes in large numbers, because in photos you hardly see a non-soldier or non-police officer with a pistol holster on their uniform belt. But if these RZM pistols were lying around in German homes in such large numbers, why are they so damn rare to find, even in the US!? When everyone knows that the GIs in particular took everything that wasn't nailed down as a "souvenir", especially party items and firearms!?