quote:

Originally posted by MacGyver:
SteyrAUG, because your PPK/S lacks the beavertail grip tang, it's most likely a Ranger (Mid-South). The only reason I say "most likely" is that there's some debate about whether or not the last tail-less USA PP-series pistols (marked "Walther USA, LLC" on the other side) were made by S&W. However, if it says Interarms on the other side, it's sure a Ranger.

You might know more than I do though. What's a Bear?

quote:

Originally posted by hjs157:
Great info Mars. I'm proud to claim this early, blued Ranger PPK/s in the 0233xx serial number range. Can you please elaborate on the newer "canoe cut out" trigger guard feature as I am unfamiliar with the more modern production PP/PPK series models. Thanks!

quote:

Originally posted by MacGyver:
^^^There is usually some confusion there because of the way these guns were marked. You can be certain that your gun, like all other PP-series (PP, PPK, and PPK/S) pistols bearing both of the following markings: (“Made in USA”/“Interarms”) - was produced by Mid-South Industries in Gadsden, Alabama. There’s no question about that. There was only one production line in one single physical factory.

However, Mid-South Industries had a number of subsidiaries, one of which was Ranger Manufacturing. There were a few others, and I do believe one of them had a name like Bear Creek or Black Creek (or something like that). Ranger Manufacturing happened to be the specific subsidiary that almost all of these pistols were attributed to strictly for bookkeeping purposes. Sometimes they ended up on the books of one of the other subsidiaries, when production necessitated it. There isn’t really any way to know under whose books yours was (unless someone you know has access to those books), but it doesn’t matter, because as per the first paragraph of this post, there’s zero difference between them anyway.

The reason for all of this is that Interarms (being both the exclusive importer and exclusive distributor of all things Walther at the time) received approval for a “marking variance” from the ATF. Interarms wanted the pistols to be marked both uniformly, and similarly to the German imports. They didn’t want any “new information” marked on the pistols, especially not if it was potentially going to be different from pistol to pistol (some marked “Ranger Manufacturing”, some marked with the names of the other subsidiaries). From an aesthetic and marketability standpoint, it made sense to make them blend in with the established German imports as much as possible. The ATF approves these requests based on their ability to “enforce the law”; they approved this request from Interarms on the basis that all of these pistols were going to be marked with the proper country of origin (hence “Made in USA”), and that they all came from the same singular production line at the same physical factory under the same serial number pattern. The ATF deemed there was no reason to further distinguish them from each other (since the only thing that distinguished them was Mid-South’s own internal company paperwork anyway). Interarms’ proposed markings were also deemed sufficient to distinguish the Mid-South guns from the German imports, which was really what was key to the ATF.

quote:

Originally posted by MacGyver:
The “canoe cutout” I believe refers to the slightly countersunk portion (it really is shaped a lot like a canoe or a running track) on the right side of the frame. It houses the serial number on the Fort Smith, AR (Walther Arms) guns and on the Houlton, ME (Smith & Wesson) guns where it first appeared.