Walther No. 4 auto 32 cal Very Rare, Nice pistol

Description

Walther no. 4 auto – 7.65 auto WaffenFabrik Zella – Mehlis VGC Good History

The Walther Company was founded in 1886 by Carl Walther in the town of Zella St. Blasii, Thuringia, a traditional metalworking and weapon-making area in Central Germany.  (The town was renamed Zella-Mehlis after 1919.)  The company manufactured rifles and shotguns that were hand fitted, and quickly gained a reputation for superior quality that has remained associated with the Walther name to this day.  Three of Carl’s five sons, Fritz, Georg, and Hans Erich, took over the family business after the death of their father in 1915.

In late 1899, the first 7.65mm Browning (.32 A.C.P.) pistol was manufactured by Fabrique Nationale of Belgium, and became known as the Model 1900.  Though the Bergmann, Mannlicher, and Mauser pistols preceded it, they were primarily military pistols.  The 1900 FN Browning was the first commercially successful “pocket” self-loading pistol.  In 1906, FN began production of a 6.35mm Browning (.25 A.C.P.) pistol, which was the first true “vest pocket” semi-automatic pistol.  These two guns gained worldwide attention, and almost everyone in the firearms industry began to design pistols for the two cartridges, hoping to cash in on the success and popularity of the Browning guns and cartridges.

By 1908, Carl and his son Fritz had produced prototypes of both a .32 and a .25 caliber pistol.  According to some sources, the .32 was designated the Venus-Pistole and had its recoil spring mounted over the barrel, like the 1900 Browning.

Fourth Variant (Limited production, 1924-1929, just prior to introduction of the PP.)

• Approximate serial number range:  252,258 – 266,000 and 480,000 to
  500,000.*
• The same as Third Variant, except:
  • Left side of slide marked (in lower case italic) “Walther’s Patent Cal. 7,65” on one line above the Walther banner.
  • Right side of slide marked (in lower case italic) “Waffenfabrik Walther Zella-Mehlis (Thür.)” on one line.
  • High polish blue finish.

It has a crown and N on the left side of the slide and frame and Walther’s Patent Cal 7.65 on the left side of the slide.

You can view a video on this firearm at:

Stock 254 – SN 262519