Hi,
The refurbishing was done post-war, around 1953. At that time East-Germany started rearming their police force and border guards (the borders were relatively open until 1961). In 1961, when the Berlin Wall was constructed, another wave of rearming followed, but by that time most equipment was either supplied by Russia or produced at their own facilities.
VoPo pistols have long been regarded as 'shooters', but have started to get more collectible the last couple of years. They are a legit sub-variation, but not as highly valued as P08s in their original condition.
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