| Walther Model 3 | |||||
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(1913?-1914?) Walther's
6-shot Model 3 was meant to be a concealment pistol packing a
powerful cartridge for its small size. Conceptually and dimensionally,
it was quite similar to the modem Seecamp hideaway, even using
the same 7.65mm (.32 ACP) caliber. Unlike the double-action Seecamp,
though, the Model 3 featured a single-action trigger; hence, it
had to be cocked, by working the slide, before firing was possible. The Model 3 was similar in construction to the Model 2, but it was made larger and heavier in order to handle the more powerful ammunition. It weighed 16.5 ounces (470 grams) unloaded and about 1.5 ounces more when fully loaded with six rounds of .32 caliber ammunition. It measured 5.0 inches (128mm) long with a barrel length of 2.5 inches (66mm), though some specimens have been observed with extended barrels similar to those found in the slightly larger Model 4. The compact dimensions of the Model 3 make it a viable hideaway pistol even today when carried concealed with or without a holster. In keeping with its primary use as a self-defense weapon at extremely close ranges, the sights on the Model 3 were rudimentary. They consisted simply of a groove that ran along the top of the slide, and a small front sight blade located on the muzzle bushing. As with the Model 2, the manual safety consisted of a lever on the left rear corner of the frame which, when rotated to the rear, allowed the gun to fire. Walther later added a capital letter "F" to the rear of each Model 3 frame. Once the "F" was covered by the manual safety, the pistol, when cocked and loaded, was ready to fire. Its safety, again like the Model 2, rotated forward to its safe setting, blocking the hammer from forward movement but without interfering with the slide operation. The safety was set only when the hammer was cocked, another indication of the pistol's state of readiness. As on its Models1 and 2, Walther made the grips on the Model 3 from checkered hard rubber. Those found on Model 3 pistols made by Walther had a "CW" logo at the top of each grip, while some Model 3's that were marketed later by MesserfaMk Vulkan (Vulcan Knife Factory) had a "Caliber 7,65" inscription at the top of each grip. The magazine was a sheet metal box holding up to six .32 caliber cartridges. Its release, located at the bottom ("heel") of the frame, was pushed to the rear, as with the Model 2. Only then could the shooter pull the magazine from the grip. An unusual feature of the Model 3 was its ejection of spent cartridge casings to the left (most automatic pistols eject empty casings to the right side to minimize the chances of hitting right-handed shooters). The Model 3 was also the first Walther-built pistol with its ejection port on the left side of the slide. Walther returned to left handed ejection on a number of its later pistols, including the contemporary Model 4, the P38 of World War 11 fame, and the postwar pistols of the P5 series. Collectors have observed at least three variations of Model 3 markings. Early Model 3's bore the following inscription on the left side of the slide:
The right side of the slide was unmarked. Later Model 3's had the same left-side inscription, but it was placed higher on the slide flat to make room for Walther's banner. This was the "flat"-style banner mentioned in the section on Model 1 (third variation) and strongly suggests as well that manufacture of the Model 3 was limited to the 1913-1914 period. A small number of very late Model 3s had the following left-side markings on the slide:
and right-side slide markings that read:
James Rankin, a Walther researcher, theorizes that this Model 3 (without Walther markings) actually came at the end of its production run, and that Walther sold the guns to the Vulcan Knife Factory in nearby Solingen. It then concentrated on production of the Model 4 intended for Germany's armed forces at the start of World War 1. Despite its useful combination of small size and considerable power, Walther produced the Model 3 in only limited numbers. Firearms authority Ian Hogg maintains that total Model 3 production was probably no more than 3,500 pistols, once again strongly suggesting a later production date, closer to World War I rather than several years before the war's onset. If Walther had begun production in 1910, as the company tradition suggests, then the Model 3 would surely have sold far more than a few thousand pistols, and would therefore be much more common today The truth is, the Model 3, like the Model 2, is one of the rarest of Walther pistols. Although the Model 3 died out quickly, despite its promising design, it did serve as the inspiration for the far more successful Model 4, which established Walther as a world-class pistol manufacturer.
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| © 1999 The Walther Handgun Story; by Gene Gangarosa, Jr. Stoeger Publishing Company. | |||||
