Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! As German pistol production lagged in 1944-45, several companies explored cheaper alternatives to the P38, including Walther’s “Volkspistole” (People’s Pistol) prototype. Walther’s design used a unique rotating barrel locking system, highly unusual for handguns at the time. It aimed to simplify manufacturing with stamped steel frames instead of milled, while still utilizing the existing P38 magazine for commonality. In parallel, Mauser experimented with both gas-delayed blowback and simple blowback actions, while Gustloff-Werke submitted a 9mm variant of an earlier failed design. However, none of the Volkspistole prototypes from Walther, Mauser, or Gustloff progressed beyond a handful of examples before Germany’s surrender. Though unconventional designs, the Volkspistole represented Germany’s last-ditch efforts to field a cost-effective service pistol as WWII resources dwindled. The prototypes remain obscure cultivation designs from the waning years of the conflict.
LOT #2236: *WALTHER VOLKSPISTOLE 9MM SN 3B. (n.d.). Morphy Auctions. photograph. Retrieved March 27, 2024, from https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/LotDetail.aspx?inventoryid=415738.
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