General

[foughtwolf]

My grandmother had me searching through the lower part of my late grandfathers gun safe for some old files, and while looking among the bricks of ammunition for the guns that were long gone, I happened upon this.

Waffenfabrik Walther Zella-Mehlis (Thur.) Model 8. When I enquired it turns out its my true grandfathers that he brought home from the European theater in WW2. Apparently it was lost, and until today I have heard it was at the bottom of the local river where it had been thrown. Its tanrishing but for the most part its still the standard gun blue. I took it apart up there, seems all in working condition and has an exquisite slider trigger.

Anyways, my Searching for info on this is turning up fruitless, though I will continue, I would like anyone here who knows anything about it to please help.

[incynr8]

Walther Model 7 & 8

probably what you're needing.

[foughtwolf]

Originally Posted by incynr8

Walther Model 7 & 8

probably what you're needing.

Wow, yes it was; looks like I was correct in thinking it was a trophy.

I'm going to get it touched up in the near future, This is one of the only guns from my grandfather that someone I do not consider a part of my family did not steal from us, so it means alot.

[Drum]

Those are nifty little guns and it is quite possible that your G-father could have liberated that from a German. If it was ever excepted by the military, there should be some form of "waffenampt" marking/proof tests on the gun in various places. Check the chamber of the barrel as an especially common place to find such.

They are really tiny, but they look like either a Nazi eagle holding a round swastika or a crown over an "N". The latter mark was discontinued around the time that the Nazi's first came to power in 1936.

Your gun would be older than 1936 probably, but if it was taken into military service in an official capacity during WW2, it would likely have the eagle waffenampt or perhaps both.

Neat find!

I was watching a documentary yesterday and an old U.S. paratrooper was recounting the time that he and a few pals finagled an entire German Army corps to surrender to them. He went on to say that he had been permitted to keep the General's sidearm as a memento and one of his kids had "lost" the gun after he returned.




PS: Be sure to have it checked out by a 'smith of some kind before you shoot it. Some of those little guns pre-date the use of modern, more powerful ammunition and might be dangerous under a full load.

[Drum]

Originally Posted by foughtwolf

I'm going to get it touched up in the near future

I would not do anything to change the condition or "improve" this gun, if I were you. The value may not mean much to you, as a permanent family heirloom, but the historical value of the gun may well be compromised by well-meaning restoration efforts.

Picture your great grandkid on "Antiques Roadshow" getting crap from the appraiser over your having polished this or something worse.



Just buy yourself a nice gun sock to put it in and make sure it is well oiled.

Good luck,
D

[incynr8]

second on the 'don't mess with the patina'.
just oil it.

[Azzy]

Originally Posted by Drum

PS: Be sure to have it checked out by a 'smith of some kind before you shoot it. Some of those little guns pre-date the use of modern, more powerful ammunition and might be dangerous under a full load.

Also be careful of the ammo. My great grandfather brought home a pistol that had remained unfired for 40 years, until my grandfather asked me about it.

It took an odd sized and hard to find metric ammo, which luckily was close to 32 auto. Gunsmith told me it was a 50/50 chance that it would work and feed right with 32... and it does

You might find modern ammo, expecially anything that isnt FMJ ball ammo, wont feed.

[foughtwolf]

I'll have to keep it clean then, its got some pretty bad spots on it, but I dont truely plan to shoot it much if at all.

[Azzy]

A functional gun stuck on a wall and never shot or loved is a sad, sad gun.

At least in this man's eyes.

[kidneythief]

Originally Posted by Drum

I was watching a documentary yesterday and an old U.S. paratrooper was recounting the time that he and a few pals finagled an entire German Army corps to surrender to them. He went on to say that he had been permitted to keep the General's sidearm as a memento and one of his kids had "lost" the gun after he returned.

I watched that same show yesterday and that same exact story poped into my head while reading Wolfs post.

-Jake