Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! This strange-looking Walther AP is one of the rarest pistols from WWII – a prototype AP (Armee-Pistole) with serial number “045” that somehow ended up in the holster of a German paratrooper killed near the Rhine in early 1945. It’s one of fewer than 20 known to exist and the only one documented as having been captured in combat. What makes this gun’s story exceptional is its documented journey. It was captured by Sergeant Lester Hicks of the 704th Tank Destroyer Battalion, who later traded it to his buddy Sergeant Arden Adams for a camera. Both men recognized it was something unusual, with Hicks preferring it for its concealed hammer design which made it easier to carry inside a cramped tank destroyer. The most obvious oddity is that all external markings have been professionally machined off, leaving bright slots where Walther’s name and model designation would normally be. The serial number “45” remains only on internal parts and under the grips. Nobody knows exactly why the markings were removed – perhaps Walther didn’t want a prototype in combat, or maybe the paratrooper who carried it had special connections. Structurally, this represents the developmental stepping stone between Walther’s earlier designs and the famous P.38. It features the swinging locking block that would become standard on the P.38, twin recoil springs, a 5-inch barrel, and the distinctive concealed hammer that disappeared in later production models. After the war, Sergeant Adams used this pistol as his “car gun” until selling it in 1995. Its provenance includes extensive documentation from interviews with Adams conducted by author Warren Buxton, along with wartime photos showing the pistol being carried in a handmade shoulder holster – making it not just a rare prototype, but one with a fully documented combat history on both sides of the war.
“Walther Model AP (Armee-Pistole) Semi-Automatic Prototype Pistol.” Rock Island Auction Company, https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/4094/414/walther-model-ap-armeepistole-semiautomatic-prototype-pistol. Accessed 7 Apr. 2025.
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