Welcome to at present’s Photo of the Day! This strange-looking Walther AP is without doubt one of the rarest pistols from WWII – a prototype AP (Armee-Pistole) with serial quantity “045” that in some way ended up within the holster of a German paratrooper killed close to the Rhine in early 1945. It’s one among fewer than 20 identified to exist and the one one documented as having been captured in fight. What makes this gun’s story distinctive is its documented journey. It was captured by Sergeant Lester Hicks of the 704th Tank Destroyer Battalion, who later traded it to his buddy Sergeant Arden Adams for a digital camera. Each males acknowledged it was one thing uncommon, with Hicks preferring it for its hid hammer design which made it simpler to hold inside a cramped tank destroyer. The obvious oddity is that every one exterior markings have been professionally machined off, leaving brilliant slots the place Walther’s title and mannequin designation would usually be. The serial quantity “45” stays solely on inner components and below the grips. No one is aware of precisely why the markings had been eliminated – maybe Walther didn’t desire a prototype in fight, or possibly the paratrooper who carried it had particular connections. Structurally, this represents the developmental stepping stone between Walther’s earlier designs and the well-known P.38. It options the swinging locking block that might grow to be commonplace on the P.38, twin recoil springs, a 5-inch barrel, and the distinctive hid hammer that disappeared in later manufacturing fashions. After the struggle, Sergeant Adams used this pistol as his “automobile gun” till promoting it in 1995. Its provenance contains intensive documentation from interviews with Adams carried out by creator Warren Buxton, together with wartime pictures exhibiting the pistol being carried in a hand-crafted shoulder holster – making it not only a uncommon prototype, however one with a completely documented fight historical past on either side of the struggle.
“Walther Mannequin AP (Armee-Pistole) Semi-Computerized Prototype Pistol.” Rock Island Public sale Firm, https://www.rockislandauction.com/element/4094/414/walther-model-ap-armeepistole-semiautomatic-prototype-pistol. Accessed 7 Apr. 2025.
Author | TheFirearmBlog
Author | AllOutdoor.com Instagram | sfsgunsmith Previous soul, licensed gunsmith, printed creator, avid firearm historical past learner, and appreciator of previous and distinctive weapons.
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