POTD: A Prized Rarity – The Walther Model 6 Pistol
Sam.S 12.06.23
Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! The Walther Model 6 semi-automatic pistol represented the company’s first attempt to break into the 9mm military sidearm market in 1915. Essentially an upscaled version of their successful .32 caliber Model 4 blowback pistol, the Model 6 retained the basic unlocked action but with a heavier slide and spring to contend with the 9mm Parabellum cartridge’s greater power. However, over 1,000 manufactured through 1917, the simplistic blowback system proved ill-suited for the round’s pressures, leading to rejection by German forces who preferred a locked breech. So while a number were privately purchased and saw use, the Model 6 never achieved widespread adoption. Yet it kickstarted Walther’s move toward full-size military handguns, presaging their subsequent P38 and PPK fame. The Model 6 ultimately faced obsolescence as combat pistol design progressed.
“Manufactured in limited numbers during the First World War, the Model 6 was Walther’s first move into the full-size military pistol market. In overall design the Model 6 shows a very strong mechanical resemblance to Walther’s vest pocket guns, while also meriting comparison to the Fabrique Nationale product of the time as well as later developments by Star with full-power straight blowback semi-automatic military pistols. Blade front and notch rear sights, with the left side of the slide marked “Selbstlade-Pistole Cal.9m/m. Walther’s-Patent.” over the Walther banner ahead of a small “GERMANY” export stamp and the early one-line address “Carl Walther, Waffenfabrik, Zella St. Bl.” on the right. Zella-St. Blasii was one of the communities merged together to form Zella-Mehlis in 1919, which would remain Walther’s headquarters until the post-WWII Soviet occupation.”
Lot 479: Rare Walther Model 6 Semi-Automatic Pistol – Very Scarce Walther Model 6 Semi-Automatic Pistol with Inscribed Grip Strap. (n.d.-l). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved December 5, 2023, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/74/479/rare-walther-model-6-semi-automatic-pistol.
