Walther Pistols

Bond, James Bond, springs into action, and he reaches into his well-tailored jacket to draw a shoulder-holstered Walther pistol. The early big-screen exploits of the fictional secret agent gave us the most memorable image of the Walther handgun, but the German arms manufacturer has long been making precision pistols for law enforcement, military, and security personnel. Walther's first sidearms were made in the early 1900s, when its compact Model 1, which fired the 6.35 mm Browning pistol cartridge, was introduced. Production of Models 2 through 9 would follow in calibers ranging from .25 caliber to 7.65 mm.

During World War I, Walther manufactured only about 1,000 units of the Model 6, its first attempt at a 9 mm Luger-style pistol, making it among the rarest and most sought-after gems on the collectors' market. But it was the late '20s, when the company began producing their iconic PP range of Polizeipistole, that paved the way for Walther P38 to become the standard-issue sidearm of the German military in World War II.

Walther has a storied history and reputation for combining old-world craftsmanship with state-of-the-art technology. This reputation makes Walther pistols hits with avid firearms collectors and enthusiasts around the world.

Quick Facts

• In 2014, an early Walther Armee Pistol estimated to sell between $75,000 and $100,000, realized $155,250 at a James D. Julia auction
• When the gavel came down in 2012, a relief-engraved Walther PP once owned by high-ranking Nazi Victor Lutze sold at a Rock Island Auction for $241,500
• In 2010, the long-barrel Walther Model LP-53 used in early Bond promotional materials sold at Christie's for $437,000