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Salut,

Do you guys know of this pre-war Walther 22lr rifle please ?



It is labelled as a "Modell 1" , self-loading , 10 rounds detachable mag, and has the particularity to be able to fire both manual using the bolt and blow-back semi-auto.
Except that and a dedicated blog (*) ... I can not find a great deal of info about it .

I read it was well appreciated by our antipodeans friends & exported generously to those sunny parts of the world... You chaps have come across some ?



From this old pre-war catalogue it looks like it was a rather expensive toy for its days ... 81 Reich Marks for a Modell 1 vs RM 49 for a DSM or RM 58 for a Sport Modell V ... Only the Meister & Olympic Mdls are more expensive. (average worker monthly wage RM ~150).




It looks like the scope on the modern photo was actually factory fitted




I must confess I rather like the look for this Modell 1 ...
I like it a looooot ....


(*) http://waltherrifles.blogspot.co.uk/

Up ...

Good God must be rare ... Nobody has seen / used one ?

I had one of those about 10 years ago, Good rifle to shoot use the bolt handle as you would a normal b/a rifle for single shots from the magazine or lift the bolt handle up and use as a semi auto, Only point with it was use any ammunition that was on slightly hot side even a sniff of supersonic and it went full auto all of the time , With std subsonic velocity cartridges maybe 1 in 10 magazine full's would go full auto.
I tried to fix it but the only spares for them were available from Gunparts in America and bolt parts and sears they would not ship never mind the absurd oversea's order surcharge they sting you for.

Salut Andy H,

Many thanks for this hands-on feed-back experience.
Wahooo.... So it sounds like you did have the 1st real German Sturmgewehr ...
Does make sense actually not to use too punchy rounds ...
Did you re-sell it in the end ?

I chopped it in when i purchased a Mosin nagant sniper from Ryton arms.

Just remembered the sights were the full size 98 ramp and foresight and not the small sights shown in the adverts
the main reason i had to get rid of it was the fullauto part ,The club was ok with vintage firearms but the full auto part together with Wedgenock being a pain about it was enough.

Re- Andy ,

Sounds like you had the "delux" Modell II ... 10 RM more expensive than the Mod I ...

Yes to top one is the one i had.

reichsmarks..remember them.?? wonder what happened to them. Sorry topic stray.

Re- Chuck

As a vague and quick comparison, in 1935, about the time of this sale catalogue, the basic pay for an enlisted private would be ~RM 90, a junior NCO ~150 rising to RM 190 at the end of his career.