Upon its introduction in 1915 for service in World War I, the holster-sized Model 4 was mechanically identical to the smaller pocket-sized Model 3. It had the same slide assembly (including left-handed ejection) as the Model 3, but its deeper frame held a larger 8-shot magazine. It also had a longer barrel and matching barrel extension, making the Model 4 better suited as a service pistol for soldiers and, later, police officers as well.

The first of many Walther pistols built primarily for military use, the Model 4 was, as a consequence, the largest pistol the company had made up to that time. It measured 5.9 inches (150mm) long, had a 3.5-inch (88mm) barrel, and weighed 18.5 ounces (525g) unloaded. The caliber, like the Model 3, was 7.65mm (32 ACP), which was thought to be underpowered by American standards. Until the 1970s, though, the .32 ACP was considered adequate among Europeans for civilian, police and even military use. Today, thanks to modem developments in ammunition, the .32 ACP has become quite effective as an antipersonnel round (see also Appendix 4 for a fuller discussion of ammunition used in Walther pistols).

Despite its longer barrel, the Model 4 was able to use the same slide arrangement found on the Model 3. Walther had made the muzzle bushing at the front end of its slide half an inch longer to accommodate the longer barrel-an inexpensive but effective expedient that allowed Walther to tool up for Model 4 production without delay Several variations in sights were involved in its construction. Early models used the same simple sighting groove found on the Model 3 series along with a pointed front sight. While perfectly adequate for self-defense at close range, this arrangement proved unsatisfactory for military and police work, where a longer shot was sometimes needed. As a result, a rear sight was soon added, taking the form of a V-shaped notch attached to the rear of the slide in a dovetail mount. The front sight, meanwhile, was rounded into a hemispherical shape. This setup, being more conspicuous than that found on the Model 3 and earlier Model 4s, proved quite adequate. The rear sight variants produced during the postwar period remained the same, but the front sight reverted to the pointed triangular type used in the earliest Model 4s.

Despite being an enlargement of an earlier pistol, the Model 4 appeared neither clumsy nor ugly. Actually, it was rather sleek and elegant, with no unnecessary protrusions to mar its clean appearance. As with other early Walther pistols, the Model 4 came in a blued finish with checkered hard-rubber grips marked on both sides with the "CW" motif. What few exceptions there are came in early Model 3/4 transitional pistols, where the right grip was sometimes (though not always) marked "Caliber 7,65." Those Model 4s built in the late 1920s had more expensive options, such as nickel finishes and mother-of-pearl grips.

Another change in Model 4 design over the years was visible in the serrations found at the rear of the slide. The slide serrations on early Model 4s were identical to those on the Model 3; i.e., they were vertical, with 11 raised portions. Walther soon replaced this pattern with a coarser one; the slide serrations were angled forward and the raised portions reduced to six in number. They were also made flat to eliminate any sharp edges. Throughout World War 1, the Model 4s contained this second pattern of slide serrations. After the war, the pattern changed a third time, with the number of serrations increased to 15. They were also finer and sharper, in much the same fashion as the earliest Model 4s. And, in common with all other Walther pistols through the Model 9 and the later P38 and P5, the Model 4 employed a heelmounted magazine release at the bottom rear of the frame. To facilitate its removal, the magazine's floorplate was extended slighted ahead of the front gripstrap.

Soon after its introduction, the Model 4 gained importance as a substitute for the standard service pistol in Germany It was the first Walther pistol to receive an order from the German army and was kept in production for nearly 15 years. Indeed, it was this pistol, born in wartime, that put Walther on the map as a serious handgun manufacturer.

At least four major variations of the Model 4 exist. The first variation closely resembles the Model 3 and is therefore often referred to by collectors as the "Model 3/4." Walther built the earliest Model 4s simply by assembling them from leftover Model 3 parts whenever possible. Like the Model 3, this first-variation Model 4 had no rear sight. Instead, it featured a groove that ran along the top of the slide, giving the shooter a clear view of the front sight, which was ramped or triangular. It also had a Model 3-type release catch on the right front portion of the slide.

Early first-variation Model 4s retained the 11 vertical slide serrations found on the Model 3; but when production reached serial number 34,000 Walther switched to six slide serrations in a pattern that produced coarser angles. Walther retained this pattern in its second variation, which became the primary service pistol throughout the war years. The left side of the slide was marked typically: "SELBSTLADE-PISTOLE CAL. 7,65. WALTHER'S- PATENT" on one line, with the Walther banner displayed below. The right side was either left blank (during the initial period) or was marked "CARL WALTHER WAFFENFABRIK ZELLA SULASIT" on one line. The trigger bar, which connected the trigger to the sear, lay partially exposed along the left side of the trigger; it was kept in place by the left grip and a slot milled into the trigger. For a pistol designed to endure the rough conditions of military service, this arrangement proved unsatisfactory The exposed trigger bar allowed mud and sand to invade the lockwork; moreover, it could easily be lost once the grips were removed for disassembly Despite these problems, Walther did not get around to changing the trigger bar configuration until the postwar era.

The second variation of the Model 4 saw the bulk of the pistol's service during World War I and was thus the most common variation in terms of numbers produced. It included the same six slide serrations introduced earlier in the first variation. The rear sight was changed to a raised pattern in a dovetail mount, while the front sight was almost always hemispherical (a few early second-variation pistols kept the original triangular front sight). The left side of the slide read: "SELBSTLADE -PI STOLE CAL. 7,65. WALTHER'S-PATENT" on one line with the Walther banner displayed below, The right side of the slide was either left blank (in early models) or bore the inscription, "CARL WALTHER WAFFENFABRIK ZELLA ST.BLASIF' on one line.

The third variation represented all Model 4s built in the early postwar period up to about 1923. The changes made reflected Walther's experiences with the Model 4 as well as disruptions within the German government. It retained the raised rear sight found on the second variation along with the ranped (triangular) front sight found on the earliest Model 4s. There were 15 slide serrations on this variation, all of them fine and angled forward. Walther inscribed the left side of the slide, "WALTHER'S-PATENT CAL. 7.65." on one line, with the Walther banner placed beneath. The right side read, "WAFFENFABRIK WALTHER ZELLAMEHLIS," also in a single line. It was in this thirdvariation period that Walther finally eliminated the exposed trigger bar in favor of one wholly concealed within the frame.

The fourth major variation of the Model 4, produced during the 1928-1929 period, produced only about 20,000 pistols. Its sights and slide serrations were identical to the third variation, but Walther changed the pattern of slide markings to match those used on its Models 8 and 9, which were then in full production. The left side of the slide on these final Model 4s read; "Walther's Patent Cal. 7,65," with the Walther banner displayed below What made this inscription different from earlier variations was the use of lower-case letters, with no hyphen used between the words "Walther's" and "Patent." The right side of the slide read, in italic script, "Wafffenfabt~k Walther Zella-Mehlis (Thar)," "Thur" referred to ThiAringia, the region in eastern Germany where Walther's factory was once located.

Since no mechanical changes were made in this fourth variation, some experts consider it simply a re-marked third variation. Because the new markings indicate Walther had eliminated the older dies for marking the slide, and because production occurred several years after the third variation, the case can be made that these last Model 4s represent a noteworthy transition from the earlier Walther pistols (designed in the pre-World War I era) to the postwar pistols.

In the absence of detailed factory records, which were destroyed in 1945, it's impossible to determine the exact numbers of any model built by Walther. Firearms researcher James Stewart has been successful, however, in sorting out the probable serial number sequences of pre-World War 11 Walther pistols. Based on his extensive study, Stewart concluded that Model 4 serial numbers began around 29,000, and that between 29,000101,000 Walther shared its serial numbers among the Models 4, 5 and 7. The Model 4 then took up an entire serial number range, from 101,000 to 375,000, the highest number occurring around 1923. This indicated that Walther may actually have exceeded the German government's original request in 1915 for 250,000 pistols by as many as 25,000 additional Model 4s.

The final production run-identified above as the fourth variation---comprised serial numbers ranging from 480,000 to 500,000. Since the Models 8 and 9, both postwar designs, were already in production by this time, and had taken up earlier serial number blocks, it seems apparent that Walther made this limited production run of Model 4s in 1928-1929. It was clearly an attempt on the company's part to satisfy customers who demanded a medium-frame pistol that was more powerful and, at the same time, more comfortable to shoot than Models 8 and 9 in .25 caliber-that is, until the new double-action .32 caliber Models P and PPK came on line.

Production of the Model 4 finally ended with the perfection of the Model PP, but it remained in German police and military service long after production stopped. As late as 1945, thousands of German policemen and soldiers were carrying the Model 4 as a personal weapon. Many of these same pistols now found in the US, came to this country after World War 11, not from World War I surplus as one might expect given the age of its design. The Model 4 was also a mainstay of the post-World War 11 surplus arms trade; prior to passage of the Gun Control Act of 1968, in fact, it was imported extensively into the U.S. by arms dealers, including Interarms. As a result, the Model 4 remains by far the most affordable early Walther handgun for collection purposes.

Even by modern standards, the Model 4 was a well-made gun with many positive qualities, including good handling. It was handy, easy to carry and lightweight (21 ounces fully loaded). Its clean, uncluttered lines prevented snagging on the draw. These characteristics also enabled the Model 4 to point well in the hand, a useful quality for instinctive shooting. Overall, it was superior to the .32 caliber pistols imported from Spain by the French for military use during World War I. In fact, of all the early .32 caliber automatic pistols, only the Colt Pocket Model, FNs Mo&le 1910 and the Savage Model 1907 were its equal in quality and handling.

The Model 4s accuracy proved more than acceptable as well. At distances appropriate for a small pistol-i.e., out to 50 feet- two Model 4s test-fired for this book proved completely reliable wi th full metal jacket (ball) ammunition, jamming only on rare occasions with modem hollowpoint ammunition. Its accuracy when fired in five-shot offhand groups at 25 feet was consistently around 1.5 inches; and five-shot groups fired at 50 feet yielded 2.5-inch groups, which is considered very good for such a small handgun.

Early Walther literature stressed with some justification the accuracy of the company~ handguns, citing their fixed barrels and comfortable grips. In that respect, Walther's claims were anything but exaggerations; indeed, they were absolutely correct. But still, a few negative characteristics of the Model 4 remained, among them its undersized sights. Fortunately the gun pointed well instinctively, else the sights would have been next to worthless in any kind of situation requiring a fast reaction. The triggerguard was also undersized, leaving insufficient room for a gloved trigger finger without running the risk of firing the pistol prematurely. Any firearm intended for military use needs to bear this design parameter in mind. Soldiers frequently are forced to serve in primitive conditions and inclement weather. To its credit, Walther has remedied this problem in its newest designs.

Finally, all Model 4s suffer from a stiff trigger pull, and all have a strong recoil for such a lowpowered gun. Other weak points in its design include the location and operating method of its safety Before firing the gun, its manual safety (located at the left rear of the frame) had to be moved up and back until it covered the letter E an awkward motion even for a right-handed shooter. Since the Model 4 was a single-action design, which meant it had to be cocked manually before the first shot, it made sense to carry the pistol in "Condition Three" (hammer uncocked, firing chamber empty but with a full magazine already inserted into the grip). The shooter then had to load and cock the gun by drawing back the slide immediately before shooting, rather than cocking the gun and relying on the safety Unlike other pistols, including the famed Colt Model 1911, the Russian Makarov and the CZ-75, the Model 4s manual safety locked the hammer and trigger, but not the slide. Thus it could be kept in the safe setting while still allowing the shooter to operate the slide.

Many shooters, particularly in the United States and perhaps Great Britain, consider any .32 caliber pistol, including the Model 4, grossly underpowered for military use. This alleged weakness never seemed to bother the police or the armed forces of many European countries-at least, not until recently For decades after its introduction in 1899, numerous military and police forces around the world considered the .32 ACP round more than adequate for self-defense. It was also deemed a major advance in power over the much smaller .25 ACP round used in most other early Walther pistols.

The direct influence of the Model 4 on later Walther pistols has been limited, at least from a design standpoint. None of the construction techniques or methods used in the Model 4 have appeared in any other Walther pistol made since the late 1920s. Its lasting legacies remain high quality sleek lines and ruggedness. Even more important was its contribution to Walther's realization that fortunes were to be made in creating successful service pistols for military and police use. This important and profitable lesson is one that Walther has never forgotten. More than any other pistol, the Model 4 firmly established Walther in the handgun business. In so doing, it helped create a climate in which all Walther pistols-having followed the lead of its illustrious ancestor-flourished and became famous around the world.