Walther GSP purchase advice sought

[PatMcD]

I recently handled a Walther GSP that an ex-bullseye shooter that I know owns and is trying to sell. Can I ask about prices on here or is that frowned on? I know some message boards don't allow it.
When I handled it, I wasn't really thinking about buying it, but now I am.
What it is: Nickel GSG in .32 with a blued .22 conversion slide assembly. 2 mags for each. 2 optics mounts to replace the rear sight. Trigger is single-stage, upside down. Did these come drilled and tapped on the slide? Both of these are and it doesn't look factory to me.
Here is a pic he had of the set:

He's asking $1599. I don't really need it as I have a S&W 41 and a HS Victory. But,…there's something about that GSP I liked.
Anyways, fair price or a bit high?
When I go to look at it again (I know I will), can I date this thing? I've read that the later models are better than the early ones. Anything else?

[BobGee]

I can't really comment on the prices in the US but I understand that the nickel plated versions are highly desirable - would love one myself but haven't seen any here down-under. You could try searching TT for posts by "J" who deals in the GSP and its variants for pricing.

WRT your other points, the trigger on the one you show looks normal; I'm not sure what you mean by "drilled and tapped on the slide"; the trigger unit is fitted into the frame and held in place by a half-turn of a screw just forward of the unit on the LHS of the frame.

Your other point about dating: on the LHS of the downward projection of the slide where the barrel locking screw is there will be a two letter code: each lowercase letter represents a number starting with a = 0, b = 2 etc. so, for example, "ie" would be 84, ie 1984. It is known that pre 1980s centrefire slides were prone to cracking but this was fixed in subsequent guns by a design change - don't know what but probably removal of a stress raiser by radiusing a sharp corner.

Hope this all helps. From this side of the world I'd say go for it - and maybe buy a Morini, Rink or Horton grip.

Bob

[PFribley]

The drilling and tapping you speak of my be for a rail to mount optics. Such as a red dot sight. The nickel ones are indeed not seen for sale often. Date is on the left side above serial number. Imho better 22lr. than Smith 41. Not as picky on 22lr ammo. I have on I keep for iron sight matches.

[PatMcD]

Yes, the D&T looked like a typical 4 hole pattern for some slob to put a weaver rail on it. Too bad.

[jaxontarget]

Yes, look for "J" as someone mentioned. He also goes by "Nikita" on other sites. He is a fountain of information on GSP, Hammerli and many other target guns.

The Walther optics mount installs in place of the rear sight using the same two pins. I'm no authority on GSP's by any stretch but did research and buy one, and have done a few minor improvements on it. Depending on the vintage of the pistol you may need to make a slight modification to take the later more current GSP mags (have a rib in front). They are very accurate and are less picky about ammo than my Model 41 is. Magazines are pricey. Your main resource for parts and repair is on the east coast - Earl's Repair Service.

Prices I've seen vary widely by vintage and condition. For a operational pistol and mag, a vintage GSP seems to run between 600-900. Nickel plated and .32 conversion could certainly justify the asking price. They are great target pistols. Subject to prejudice in some states because of the forward location of the magazine. J is your man if you can get in touch.

All that said, I personally prefer my Model 41 - just fits me better. Strictly personal - both are great pistols.

[Mike M.]

GSPs are outstanding guns. There are several versions out there, Walther has been making this for over 50 years. I'd look only at the later units with the grip that secures with a single bolt on the bottom.

No, they aren't tapped for a scope from the factory.

[PatMcD]

I went back today and had another look at it. A few more questions;

Should the serial numbers all match (on the nickel plated set)? The frame, the slide, and the barrel all have different numbers. I'm thinking they should match, but who knows.

The Nickel slide has "II"(capital i) above the number. I'm guessing that stands for 1988. The .22 slide had "HH" (1977?).

[Chia]

I'm no expert with GSPs, but I have some experience with firearm law and a little gun appraisal on the side.

It sounds like you have a GSP that has been the recipient of spare parts from other GSPs. The primary number you want to know is the frame serial number (legally known as the "receiver").

The frame/receiver of a gun is considered the "firearm" under U.S. law and the serial number cannot be altered. Replacing the frame is effectively replacing the entire gun and a new serial number will have to be issued, so the frame is your best bet for dating the original gun. The other parts can be replaced without filing paperwork, but will have different numbers. Replacements could be for a number of reasons: used so much that it had to be replaced, recall on the original part due to design flaws, etc. It could also have been something that occurred before the current owner acquired it. Honestly though, if it's shooting fine, it's shooting fine. It's pretty common for old high standard victors and S&W41s to be broken into component parts for use in repairing old guns. Same probably applies here.

Good luck.

[jaxontarget]

Here's one that's probably more well matched, an old listing long gone. Pretty sure the seller is Julian ("J" here, "nikita" elsewhere) https://www.armslist.com/posts/4898543/ ... xceptional. I guess it depends if you want to shoot with it or want it as a collectible piece whether all the details you mention matters much. I use a mismatched 5" barrel on my Model 41. I also have the original 7". Both shoot great and without issue. The GSP is designed and built very modular (easy to mix and match components). The only fitmebt issues could happen in mixing much older and newer components. The former may require modification (grip, mag, trigger unit).

[fc60]

Greetings,

The number on the lug under the date code is the "Serial Number". Most are six numeric digits greater than 105,000, which was a transition point on the GSP housing.

Underneath the barrel is an assembly number stamped and the same number is stamped on the underside of the upper housing. Usually four characters, a letter followed by three numbers.

If the grip frame has a number, that would be the USA Serial Number. Usually the same as the upper housing number. This would likely be an import to the USA.

The Europeans register the uppers and not the grip frames. Hence, many GSP's have no numbers on the grip frame. This situation would be a gun brought back from Europe or Canada. (Canada also tracks the upper housing, not the grip frames. This may have changed in recent years.)

When Canada banned pistols a few years back, the owner's brought all their guns across the border to the USA to sell. For a while. the USA gun shows had many new GSP offerings.

Cheers,

Dave

[SlartyBartFast]

When Canada banned pistols a few years back, the owner's brought all their guns across the border to the USA to sell. For a while. the USA gun shows had many new GSP offerings.

As a Canadian and current pistol owner and target shooter, and member of a club with many GSP owners that ban is news to me.

[togfish]

I think the GSP is also illegal in NY and some other anti-gun states due to the magazine well being forward of the trigger.

[hundert]

price too high... it's almost a used pardini over here in Europe for that price (from recent production), new pardinis slightly over $2000.

I don't know, 1600 is probably more than twice of what you should be paying for it. Yes, it's a nice gun, but not for that price.

[NuJudge]

The GSP has evolved over time. Do yourself a favor and read up on the design changes. If I remember correctly, those made after 1980 are much more desirable. On these guns, I believe the upper is the pistol under US law, not the lower. I had to fill out a multiple sale 4473 for my used GSP combo.

I bought a similar package early last year for about $1500, and I thought I got a decent price. The .22 upper was original to the frame, and it was made about 1983. The .32 upper was later, about 1993. It came with two triggers, one light and one heavy. It came with one rear sight blade and two front sight blades, but no other optics or mount. It came with two magazines in each caliber.

I have only shot mine at 50 feet. Many shooters say they have difficulty getting them to shoot well at 50 yards, and hand loading .32 S&W-L is supposed to be very demanding. Many comment that the difficulty at 50 yards is because of the slowness of the rifling twist. Others comment that with enough experimentation, good handled results are possible at 50 yards. My .32 barrel is .314", and most .32 bullets are down around .312", even when they say they are .314".

I have been told that one now has to buy two pistols to get .22 and .32.

Earl's is the place to go for parts.

[Zipp0]

I understand that the serial number used to be on the upper and is now on the lower - heard the story of a guy who combined an old lower with a newer upper - and was flummoxed registering for a competition.

Some shooters have rebarreled their GSPs to great effect (some came from Walther after a 2 year wait) so there are always options

[Gregbenner]

duplicate post

[Gregbenner]

I have a newer GSP expert in both 22 and 32, and it is my favorite gun among several. Reloading has been challenging, but fun. I only shoot offhand at 50 yards (not rested) and for me any degradation in accuracy is more than made up by the ease of shooting, and trigger control. At the last match shot better scores with 32 then I did the 22 and that would never happen shooting a 45.

Also, it's legal in California which is nice

[Chia]

If you're unsure about which part of the GSP is legally the firearm, you may want to contact your local ATF office for clarification. While I can't for the life of me figure out why a part other than the frame is considered the firearm under 18 USC § 922, I have been surprised by their rulings before, and I know the GCA has changed over time. Import rules have certainly changed over time.

[Gregbenner]

If you're unsure about which part of the GSP is legally the firearm, you may want to contact your local ATF office for clarification. While I can't for the life of me figure out why a part other than the frame is considered the firearm under 18 USC § 922, I have been surprised by their rulings before, and I know the GCA has changed over time. Import rules have certainly changed over time.

Or Earl at Earl's Repair (authorized US importer/distributor)?