WW2 PDM (Police Dept of Munich) Walther PP & PPKs Story

 

PDM PPKs and PPs

Hey guys, welcome to another educational video about Walther PP's and PPK's. Today I have a very rare variation to show you, called the PDM variation of PP and PPK. 

Secret Compartment Revisited from Party Leader Vinyl Box

Before I get into that let me go back to a previous video that I did and I actually have to laugh at myself; it's kind of humorous. Do you remember when I showed you this vinyl case? A lot of people watched it, it has I think like 15,000 views at this point. I showed you this vinyl video and I opened it up and talked about it and the fact that it had a party leader in it.

And about four of you made comments saying what's under the little pull tab? 

I had no idea what you were talking about. I never pulled the tab. But after your comments, you guys saw it, I didn't. Clueless, just call me clueless. 

There's a little pull tab. So I did pull it up and I found gold bars lined... No, I didn't find any gold bars. I got all excited. I was at home when I read your feedback and I had to rush back to the office the next day. And I pulled a little tab and lo and behold it's very tight fit. There is a manual and the manual is an original manual. Again fits perfectly in here. It's dated April of 1939 inside the box.

So there was a little secret, not so secret to you but secret to me. There was a secret compartment. Also somebody asked why was... I thought you told me there was a finger extension mag with the party leader. Every party leader I've ever seen had the finger extension magazine and this one does not have room for it.

So I believe that the other purpose of this, there would be at least a spare magazine, probably the finger extension magazine would be under here, along with the cleaning rod by the way. I put a cleaning rod in it, it fits perfectly. The manual, the spare magazine or the finger extension magazine. So that's just an update on that previous video. Thanks for being so observant.

Police Department of Munich Gun Talk

PDM stands for Police Department of Munich. Now I'm doing this during the Coronavirus series, so that's just to let you know usually I'd like to take a lot of history and bring it into this. I'm basically going to show you the guns. We will bring in a picture of an infamous Nazi. I will at least pull that in but I won't do all the historical background that I normally do.

But I think this is a good time to do a video about this variation because I just got a boxed PDM PP in the door. So let me show that to you.

Boxed PDM PP

I actually showed you the label on this. When I did the RZM video I said here's one that's marked in black ink. You can see there's the serial number of the gun, so it's an early oval. This is kind of a beat-up box and it's pretty faded pink inside. Just as a quick comparison let me show you the RZM box that I had, that also is an early box.

RZM Quick Comparison Box

So quick comparison, over here is the PDM box. It's an oval label that kind of got destroyed a little bit. It's got the black ink. This was the RZM that I just did, a much better label and then you can see the color of the pink inside versus the PDM. So you can see what happens, over time it faded maybe sunlight that's when they're crisp and like new.

Again a quick comparison you see the separator that's the RZM, the hot pink versus this one the separator is gone, it's just beat up. The separator was there but now it's gone. It does have the dummy rounds which I've talked about before. But let's get to the most important part, the gun. Let me show you that.

The Walther PDM

So this is the Walther PDM. So you can see the PDM marking and right underneath it you see 506 which is a property number. It happens to correspond with the serial number of the gun. If you look at the serial number of the gun you can see that it ends with 506. Now this was a special order and this is where the photograph of an infamous Nazi comes in. 

Heinrich Himmler Head of Munich Police Department

Heinrich Himmler was the chief of police starting in 1933 of the Munich Police Department. But soon his duties with the SS and Hitler became more overwhelming and so he had to move out of that position. But when this gun was ordered, it was ordered by Heinrich Himmler. You all know him by reputation. And the guns were special in a couple of ways.

 
Where’s the Push Button?

First of all the caliber is 7.65. You can see that on the logo, 7.65. It's an early high polish blue, you can see that on the gun. But if you look there is no push-button. Now every 7.65 PP and PPK had the push button release except for the PDM variation.The  PDM variation has the bottom release magazine.

I have no idea why but it was a special order. They ordered it like that with the bottom release. Now what makes then the magazine unique, is when you pull the magazine out, first of all they all have finger extensions and they came with two magazines with a finger extension. 

Flat Bottom Magazines

So let's just talk about that for a minute because if you watched my previous videos I specifically said the police guns and the military guns all had flat-bottom magazines. One rare exception is the PDM PP and PPK. They came with two finger extension magazines and no notch. No notch for the push button.
So this is considered a PDM magazine and if I compare it with any other magazine, every other magazine has the notch for the push button, right here. The PDM magazine for the PP and PPK have no notch. 

PDM Holster Examined and Specially Made

So again, a couple of very unique characteristics about this contract. I have no idea why, other than Himmler or whoever did the order wanted a specially made gun with these characteristics. So that leads me to the holster and the reason that we believe that they came with two finger extension magazines is because the holster was specially made as well.

This is a mint-condition, it did not come with this gun, I bought this separately. But this is a mint-condition PD, specifically, PDM holster. Right here you see this flap that's to cover up the finger extension and no other holster has that feature that I've seen other than the PDM holster. And when I take that out, no notch, fits in here and this Eugen Huber 1935 Munich.

So this was issued in 1935, Randy will get a close-up of that, issued in 1935. It went to the Munich Police Department and it was made by Huber. This holster is so nice that I have to believe it's in unissued condition.

A rare find for me, I paid a lot of money for it and put it away because I figured I'd never find another one like it. Here's what you normally will see when you get a PDM PP.

A Nice Conditioned PDM Holster

This is more like what you're going to find if you buy a really nice condition one off of our site or one of the auction companies. Now this one is brown, the other one clearly was in black. So they must have ordered it in black and brown because neither one of them have been re-dyed. You open it up you see that same flap, you see the spare magazine. I pull that out, there's no notch, so we know that it is the correct magazine.
If I look underneath I do see the maker - Eugene Huber, also 1935 in Munich. So the order again was in 1934. By the time they got the orders out and got the holsters to go with them, holster is exact same style as the black one. 

A Solid Block of PDM PPs

Now let's pull this gun out because this is a different gun and you can see the fire blue,  it actually was fire blue but now it's turned almost a straw color. But this falls within a specific series range by the way. There was 1800 of these mad. So the order was for 1800. So the specific serial range they come in a solid block meaning there's nothing else in there but PDM PPs and they go from 811,000 - 812,600. It's a solid block of PDM PPS. That's 1,800. Now there is actually... When I do the math and I look at the block there's actually 1820. 

What’s with the Extra 20 Guns?

So I'm wondering did they order an off number or did they do an overrun just so they would have enough to fill the contract and in case one of them had a blemish or a problem or didn't pass inspection. I believe it's the latter and here's why. So I have found guns with this exact configuration, it falls in this serial range, it has the bottom release magazine, but is not marked PDM and it falls in this block.

So it basically was sold as a commercial gun but they did an overrun of about twenty. That gives me insights into the factory if somebody ordered 100, they made a 105. In this case somebody ordered 1800, they made 1820. So of the 1800 that were ordered there's only about 80 that have been reported. A little more than 80. 

PDM had Low Survival Rates

Which takes us to almost a 5% survival rate. Now the survival rate is fairly low. Generally when we look at World War II guns, Nazi pistols there's about a 10% survival rate. Of course, the ones made at the end of the war have a higher survival rate than ones made early.
And of course, these were made in 1934, they have a lower survival rate. So the survival rate is about 5% on these guns and probably because Munich went through a lot. They all went through the Munich Police Department early in the war, there was a lot of bombing there and the Americans came in and captured a lot of the guns. So it does have a lower survival rate.

Walther PDM Variation in PPK, Even more Unusual!

Let's take a look at the Walther PDM variation in PPK because this one is even more unusual. Here's a pair of PDM PPK's. Now these, there were only 450 made and again it was an order from 1934.

The serial range is in the 899,0000; there's 450 made in the 899,000. You can see on both of these guns, they fall in that range and what is so unusual is they came with a dural aluminum frame. They also have the bottom release feature. The nicer one actually comes from my safe. And I've talked about dural, remember that line in the ejection port that's where the aluminum frame meets the steel barrel. There's a line there, the color is a little bit different. It's an anodized paint that they put over the aluminum much like they do with aircraft.

They use an anodized paint process. This one is about as good as they come and as I mentioned it comes from my personal safe. If I take the magazine out you'll see no notch. However this other one, the anodized paint... By the way the anodized paint wears pretty easily. You can see the swipes on the front, you can see it beginning to fade and the underlying aluminum showing through. This one is actually on the site.

PDM Magazine Notched vs UnNotched

And if I take the magazine out you will see that it's notched. Now that just means the magazine got swapped and on the PP variation for some reason I always find spare mags that are PDM mags. But on the PPK variation I often find that the gun also has the notch. So I think they just made a lot fewer and so people when they replace the magazine they use the one with the notch. It doesn't interfere with functioning and if you look at the bottom there is a notch on most of the Walther PPK magazines. That's the notch for the bottom release. So all that is to say the magazine on the PPK is a lot rarer to find.

Why Expensive Magazines?

I had a guy who bought one from me, it had the notch, I said it is the best I can do if I ever find one that it's un-notched I will let you know. I did find one. The guy wanted a thousand dollars just for the magazine. So that's how rare it was I called the guy and said listen I can get you one but it's a thousand dollars. He said I'll take it. So that means to him it was worth it, for me I'll just leave the notch in it. It doesn't interfere. 

The Search for PDM Notched Grip

Now speaking of notches, one other thing to notice on these one-piece grips. If we look at the bottom because of the bottom release the grip is also notched. So again I had one of these, it had a huge crack right down the middle of it. The guy asked me hey can you switch the grip to a better one. I go yeah I got plenty of grips. Well when I went to get the grip I quickly realized a regular grip won't fit.

So I went on a quest to find the PDM notched grip. Here's an example. You can see on the regular PPK and I'm not talking about the mag bottom I'm talking about the grip. Right here this is the normal grip, that's the notched grip to accommodate the bottom release. So this grip is also very rare. Now that wasn't $1000 but it took me a long time to find the proper grip. 

Unique Variation Request by a Unique Man

So this special order, it came with bottom release, 7.65. Once again if we look at the property number you see 434 on this one and at the end of the serial number you see 434. And on this one you see 49 and the number on the serial number is number 49. So as you can see this is a very unique variation ordered by a very unique man. Not sure why he added these special features. I''ve never seen a boxed PDM PPK. I know that disappoints you. Never seen one, don't want to have one, I don't have one in the safe. But probably I'll keep this one because this is the only PDM in the original box that I have seen. And by the way just so you know the manual is the early variation like we saw in the RZM. This is the typical variation that we see pre-war and wartime, more common. These are made in 1936-1937, all the way through to '40 - '43 I think I've seen them. So that's the traditional manual this is an earlier manual.

It's not Horsehair, It’s Oakum Dummy!

And also a tin and I'm happy to say two videos I said look inside you see the milk-can and you see it's not horsehair. I couldn't think of the name several people said oakum and I'm like, of course, it's oakum. Thank you so much guys for helping me out there. It's in cellophane and the oakum for the cleaning rod is in there along with a rag. So that's the original cleaning tin. 

PDM Variation in an original box, Small Chances!

So this one is the PDM variation in an original box and just think about the chances of that happening. You can imagine when these were issued to the police the first thing they did is they tore it out of the box, they put it in a holster and threw it away-- threw the box away. And in this case somebody kept it in a desk drawer probably didn't carry it very much but kept the box. Again, probably a little OCD because he kept the box and all the original materials when it was finally captured at the end of the war.

Why the PDM PP and PPK Order Disparity?

Now as I wrap this up let me just bring up one more point that I forgot earlier. Why the difference? First of all 1800 of these and only 450 of these. Both ordered for the police. Why some in PP and some in PPK? I can't prove it but my personal thoughts, first of all, we do have holsters to go with this gun which to me means they were issued to officers in the police department who carried them in a holster. I have not seen a holster for one of these, certainly not a similar holster for the PPK which kind of goes to my theory.

Our Theory Below:

I believe these were ordered for plainclothes policemen who carried them in a vest pocket. There are Akka marked holsters that are made for a vest pocket and I believe for the criminal division, also for Gestapo agents and for plainclothes policemen the PPK was preferred over the PP. It just makes good logic, again, I don't have literature to support that but that's what I believe. Also the reason there's only 450 of these versus 1800 of these.

Keeping you occupied in the pandemic
I hope you enjoyed this educational video in the middle of the pandemic season. I hope you continue to stay safe, stay isolated. Hopefully soon this will all be over and I'll get back to the big production again.

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