Walther P-1 Useful for OC or CCW?

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I just picked up a Walther P-1 SA pistol at the local gun show this morning, and I was wondering if anyone has any experience with them concealed or open carry?
It's a mechanically sound, solid pistol sporting the 9mm Luger ammo. Can it handle +p? Would it be easy to find a concealable holster for it? An open holster (without the big leather flap that the issue holster has)


Uh, oh yeah, I'm new here, hellooooooo!

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I was sort of disappointed in the one I picked up. One or more failures to feed per magazine last time I took it shoot. I am used to my Ruger P85 that shoots anything and nary a failure.

My guess is the P1 did not like my reloads, or maybe both mags it came with were problems. never got around to trying other ammo to see if it worked better with different ammo.

You could carry it, but it is not exactly a small handgun.

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If it's a P-1 from the war or a P-4 from after 1953, you should be all set to use 9mm+P in it; German military 9mm loads were higher pressure than commercial loads here in the west until NATO forced them down.

*Edit* - Ilbob, that's exactly what I've seen happen in lots of Lugers and P-38 variants here in the states with relics from the war. The old guns were designed to use the higher pressure loads and often don't have enough energy to reliably cycle the action unless you use +P's in them. If you don't want to handload the higher ones, go out and buy a box just to see if it makes a difference... I guarantee it will!

I did notice, however, that you have Texas listed as your location in your profile; will you be carrying in Texas? If you are, a pistol has to be concealed all the time unless you're on your property, hunting, target shooting, or engaged in self-defense... unquestionably one of the most illogical things our state's ever done if you ask me as a fellow Texan. If the old issue holster you have with you prevents people from knowing there's a gun in it (no printing, no outline, no protruding parts) then you can carry it. I've done that back home in Texas with an old M1911 holster. But if someone can see it under/through the holster or if you carry it plainly open, then some cop is surely going to write you a ticket for failure to conceal.

Didn't mean to spout if you're not in Texas, but best to be safe!

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yep, I'm from Texas, proudly so (though I *do* wish that we had open carry there).
I doubt that the holster would be small enough to carry it concealed, as it's quite large, and very heavy.
What I would want would be (preferrably) an IWB holster, but I can't get over the idea that I'll eventually have to get one specially made for it.

Thanks for the information on the +p ammo. I'm still relatively new to owning firearms, and I'm trying to arm myself with as much knowledge as I can - I know that I will make a 'boo boo' eventually, I just want it to be a small, embarassing one, rather than a large, potentially fatal one.:exclaim:

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seburiel wrote:

I just picked up a Walther P-1 SA pistol at the local gun show this morning, and I was wondering if anyone has any experience with them concealed or open carry?
It's a mechanically sound, solid pistol sporting the 9mm Luger ammo. Can it handle +p? Would it be easy to find a concealable holster for it? An open holster (without the big leather flap that the issue holster has)


Uh, oh yeah, I'm new here, hellooooooo!

Click to expand...

I have a Walther P.38 and I was at a loss for a holster until I realized that the Beretta 92 was inspired by the P.38 (which a P1 is just basically a late model of). So I went to the gun shop and sure enuf a Bianchi thumb-break almost fit. You need t' cut down a tad bit more room for the trigger guard so the thumbbreak will snap but it works beautifully as does the weapon itself. It is my OC weapon when I"m riding my Trek bike.

As to the +p ammo I am pretty sure Carl Walther Waffwenfabrik would reccommend against it, I wouldn't shoot .38+p unless I was shooting a .357. The gun is a 1938 design and they never heard of +p back then. I carry mine loade with Glaser Safety (frangible) rounds which won't go through a wall or ricochet but which will as an Alexandria police officer told me "absolutely devastate" the human body.

Actually I don't know but what I have a half P1 / half P.38 because I have been told that the P1s have an aluminum reciever as does mine, but the slide is marked "P.38 Carl Walther Waffenfabrik Ulm Do." and has the Walther banner. It also has the checkered black plastic grips and not the brown ones so I suspect it was cobbled together out of a P1 and a P.38 Whatever. It is utterly reliable and the only thing I don't like is the way it throws brass sometimes to the left or straight up ur smetimes flips it to the rear. When I take it to the range I usually find spent brass in my shirt pocket (cue the Pretenders) and I,ve gotten a hot one down my shirt a couple times. But otherwise I love that gun. If it could cook nd clean I'd marry it.

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Safe to carry with one in the pipe. It's a double action. Has chamber loaded indicator in the form of a protruding pin directly above the hammer.

Cabbie....yours is as you say.....cobbled mix. VERY fine weapon no matter.