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A Comparison of the
Walther Model 7 and the Walther Model 8
by Ed Buffaloe
The Walther Model 7
 I’d first seen a model 7 in the collection of a friend, and immediately liked the
way it felt in my hand. I guess I have a medium-sized man’s hand, and the gun feels quite natural to me. Two fingers wrap around the grip and my little finger
curls beneath the magazine. The backstrap has a gentle curve that tucks right into my palm.
The bad news for collectors is that the Model 7 is kind of hard to come by. They were only made for four years, between 1915 and 1919, with a total
production run of just over 31,000. (Several sources say they were only made for a year between 1917 and 1918, but I’m going to defer to Gene
Gangarosa, my primary source.) There is some indication that production actually ceased in 1918, but after the war
remaining parts continued to be assembled into whole guns until they were gone. There are two variants. The first and
more common variant, made during the Great War, is marked with the Walther address (in lower case letters) at “Zella St
Blasii” and has 9 coarse slide serrations. The second variant, made after the war, has the Walther address (in upper case
letters) at “ZELLA-MEHLIS,” and 16 fine slide serrations. The Model 7 saw some use by German staff officers in World War I.
The Model 7 may be considered the last in a series of guns that began with the Model 2. It is closely related to the Models 2, 3, 4 and 5, being a larger version of the 6.35mm
(.25 caliber) Models 2 and 5, having a deeper grip and a longer barrel, with an appropriately longer muzzle bushing, and a scaled-down version of the 7.65mm (.32 caliber)
Model 4, which is itself a larger version of the 7.65mm Model 3. All these guns are of a similar design, with a fixed barrel and concentric recoil spring, concealed hammer, and
a positive safety that locks the cocked hammer. They are designed in such a way that the slide is locked to the frame and cannot be blown off the gun either to the front or to the
rear. Models 2 through 7 utilize a barrel bushing that locks into a lug inside the slide to retain the recoil spring around the barrel (some versions of the Model 3 and 4 utilized a
latch to hold the bushing on). Some sources indicate that the Model 7 was a commercial failure and was replaced because Walther decided it was underpowered, but the
6.35mm Browning cartridge (.25 ACP) was very popular in Europe, and the more likely reason is that Walther wanted to make an improved pistol, which had been in the works for some time.
The Walther Model 8
In 1919 Walther secured six patents on various features which were incorporated into the Model 8, including the hammer axle safety, the triggerguard which served as a takedown latch, the manner of
attaching the grips using medallions, and the separate breech block with integral firing pin and extractor. The Walther
Model 8 was produced from late 1920 to around 1943, with a total production run of approximately 265,000 pistols, in
three variants. Some sources claim that total production was closer to 500,000. The gun was sleek and modern looking
and became an instant commercial success. The Model 8 was often carried by staff officers during World War II, and as
a backup gun by aviators, tank crewmen, and SS who required weapons that could be used in confined spaces. Presentation Model 8’s were sometimes given to very high-ranking Nazi officials. A Model 8 engraved with Dr.
Goebbels’ name appeared for sale on the GunsAmerica site in 2007 with a price tag of $260,000!
While incorporating most of the internal features of earlier Walthers, the design for the Model 8 was carefully re-thought,
with an eye toward fewer parts and an easier take-down. The slide extends to the end of the barrel, with no bushing, and
the trigger guard doubles as a take-down lever. The Model 8 served as a prototpye for the later PP (Polizei Pistole)
and its descendants, which have been widely copied, and is the last single-action-only Walther other than target pistols.
 The first Model 8 variant (approximately 1920-1930) had a breech assembly
which could be removed from the slide, containing the firing pin, its spring, and the internal extractor. A projection on the extractor retained the firing
pin. The second variant (approximately 1930-1940) had the breech as an integral part of the slide and an external extractor retained by a spring and
plunger. The firing pin was retained by a plate and screw. Both the first and second variants had a small latch button on the right side of the trigger guard
to allow take-down. The third variant (approximately 1940-1943) eliminated the latch button and added a spring near the pivot point of the trigger guard to
hold it in place. The trigger was modified slightly to accommodate the new trigger guard and spring. Beginning in April of 1940 the proofmark was changed from the traditional ‘crown over N’ to
the Nazi ‘eagle over N’. In addition to the standard blued finish, the Model 8 was also offered in nickle-plate or gold
plate, with various wooden or ivory grips, and with various levels of engraving. The finish quality on the Model 8 was very high
 Comparing the Models 7 and 8
The Models 7 and 8 appear to be exactly the same size to me, though Gangarosa states (incorrectly) that the Model 8 is slightly smaller. The Vestpocket Pistol Collector gives both
models’ length (in all variants) at 132mm (5.196 inches). My own measurements show the frame width of the Model 7 at 16.3mm (.641 inches) and the Model 8 at 17.1mm (.673
inches), so the Model 7 is a bit slimmer. The grips on the Model 7 flare out at the base, whereas the Model 8 grips are uniform from top to bottom. The Model 8 has no curve on
the backstrap of the grip and, while I like its feel, the Model 7 with its curved backstrap and flared grips is more ergonomically designed and feels more natural in the hand.
The Model 7 sights have a slight edge in visibility over those of the Model 8. The Model 8’s are fixed, whereas the rear sight on the Model 7 can be drifted horizontally to adjust for windage. The
grips on the Model 8 are held on rather precariously, and I’ve seen several instances of loose grips, broken grips, and
warped grips. The Model 7 grips, with only a single screw, don’t come loose quite as badly, but still are not optimal.
Variants of both pistols weigh between 335 and 360 grams (10.7 to 11.5 ounces). Apparently, a few Model 8s were
made with aluminum frames and only weighed about 280 grams (9 ounces), but these are scarce and I have been unable to examine one.
I wasn’t able to obtain an original magazine for my Model 7, but my Model 8 did come with its original magazine, which
is easily identified because it has the Walther logo on the bottom. My collector friend who owns a Model 7 also has the
Walther logo on his original magazine. In comparing the Models 7 and 8, we quickly realized that the guns use identical 8-shot magazines that are interchangeable.
 My Model 7 would not feed reliably when I first got
it, with something going wrong on at least 2 or 3 rounds out of every 8-shot magazine. However, the original Model 8 magazine functioned flawlessly in my Model 7. Since I had discovered that the
Models 7 and 8 use identical magazines, I ordered a +5% replacement spring for a Model 8 from Wolff Springs, and installed it the model 7 magazine. I also
bent the front of the magazine follower down a tiny bit, though I doubt this had much effect. However, with the new spring and slightly bent follower, my Model 7 now feeds reliably. Both the Model 7 and
Model 8 occasionally have a stovepipe jam, but they are generally more reliable than the smaller .25’s I have. (I could have ordered a new Model 8 replacement magazine to go in my Model 7, but I
figured it probably wouldn’t be any more reliable than the magazine I already have, so I just went with the stronger spring.)
Both guns have internal hammers, which seem to me more reliable than inertial strikers. You can see from the photograph
that the Model 7 has a slightly longer barrel. Both guns show excellent workmanship. The Model 7 seems to have
particularly close tolerances. The safety on the Model 7 seems more robust and less likely to be accidentally disengaged
than that of the Model 8, but is also slower to disengage. I’d be more likely to carry the Model 7 cocked and locked
than the Model 8. Niether gun remains open after the last round is fired, a distinct disadvantage in tactical situations. Of course, I have no plans to carry either gun, so the issue is moot.
Copyright 2007 by Ed Buffaloe. All rights reserved.
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References
Handguns of the World, by Edward C. Ezell. Barnes & Noble, New York: 1981.
NRA Illustrated Firearms Assembly Handbook, 1962.
The Walther Handgun Story, by Gene Gangarosa, Jr. Stoeger Publishing Co., 1999.
Walther Pistols, by W.H.B. Smith, Stackpole Co., Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: 1946.
Historic Firearm of the Month - March 2000: Walther PP
The Unofficial Walther Homepage
The Vestpocket Pistol Collector
Walther Model 8 Photos and Parts Diagram
Walther Model 7 Second Variant
Walther Models 4 and 7
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