Frank Buchholz

Dear Mike,


the gun on the picture is definitely no "commercial Nazi gun". As you can on the slide, it was made in "W.Germany" - western Germany. Between trigger and grips you can see the typical "Bundeswehr" (German Federal Armed Forces) proofmarks. The "BWB" is the "Bundesamt fuer Wehrtechnik und Beschaffung" in Koblenz, the Federal Armed Forces Department for proving and purchase of weapons, follower of the "Wehrmacht's" "Heereswaffenamt" - the BWB has a unique collection of guns (everything they ever tested and issued to German forces: pistols, rifles, tanks.....) in Koblenz, if you are ever in Germany, you have to visit it.


I believe you hold a "Pistole 21" in your hand - one of the quite few PPK's issued to flight crews of the western German Airforce. Usually they were issued in 7,65mm, but as well as with the "Pistole 1" (Bundeswehrs adoption of the "Pistole 38) with the "Pistole 21" training systems in .22 were issued. It looks like you have such a "Pistole 21" with a training system on it.


Regards,

Frank