MANURHIN (FRANCE)
Manufacture de Machines du Haut-Rhin of Mulhouse, a renowned machine-too maker, has made a particular speciality of ammunition-makeing machinery. In the early 1950's, Manurhin acquired a licence to mfg Walther PP & PPK pistols. Identical with the original Walther products. These could be distinguished only by MANUFACTURE DE MACHINES DU HAUT-RHIN on the seft front of the slide and LIC EXCL. Walther, with model and caliber, on the left rear. The grips had MANURHIN moulded into the upper part and LIC. EXCL. WALTHER in the lowere portion. PP & PPK models were made in .22LR, 7.65mm Auto and 9mm Short, (.380) In addition a long barrelled .22 PP Sport was also mfg'd.
French made Walthers were sold in the USA by the Thalson Import company of San Francisco in the early 1950's. The agency subsequently transferred to Interarms, though the latter's guns had the Walther trade mark on the slide with the words MARK II underneath. The legend MADE IN FRANCE lay on the seft rear of the slide. PP & PPK models were both imported as MARK II though differing little from the Thalson versions.
Manurhin continued to make the PP & PPK under contract to Walther until the middle 1960's partly owing to the duration of the original licensing agreement and partly owing to Walther's reluctance to open a duplicate production line in ULM. French made Walter marked guns cannot be distinguished from the sbsequent Ulm made examples.
HJN