I've never shot one. They're just so cool.

Of course, the P-38's (ww2) are a bit cooler, but I'm not willing to part with that much extra money for a coolness premium.

I hear bad things about the DA trigger, but I also hear that most are pretty reliable. I'm sitting on the fence...Bud's has them for sale.

Any other positives or negatives?

Howdy Jim,
I've had one for about 5 years and it is easily
the most accurate semi I own. Get one with
the hex crosspin through the frame and stay
away from +P fodder. You'll love it.

Chipmunk6

Interesting thread. Saw some of the P-1's at the last gun show. Appreciate the information about the cross-pin. Sincerely. brucev.

__________________
<><

Mine shoots great and is a lot of fun. Sometimes you just need a classic gun.

Walther also thickened the slides on later ones to lessen the liklihood of cracking.

As far as I know, the WWII and the few later all-steel P-38's hold up much better.

I'd darned sure get one with the thicker slide and the frame crosspin, to take recoil forces and not crack the light alloy frame.

If someone really wants one, I guess they're okay, if you get a late one and don't shoot it a lot. If someone just wants a better 9mm, try the CZ-75B or the Beretta M-92FS or M-9. They are fairly modest in price, and endure much better. They'll also handle hotter loads better. And they shoot very well, indeed, surely as well as most P-1's.

I have a surplus P-1 made in 1979. Its a nice gun, but I myself don't find it to be very accurate. I'm a fairly good shot, but it spreads a lot more than when I use a Browning Hi-Power. Not sorry I bought it, but don't know If I'd buy a second.

Yeah, the appeal to me is mostly vintage, but I WON'T own a gun that doesn't work properly or can't be counted on to be reliable in the long run. I have lot's of guns, and I don't see myself putting a TON of ammo thru any one specific pistol, but I will use them all at least moderately.

Still thinking about it.

First handgun I ever fired. Think I was 11 or something...

I own a few of them. I'm just fascinated with the advanced design, the feel, the smooth triggers and the fact that they are Walthers. Mine are all very reliable and at least "service pistol" accurate. I prefer the alloy framed guns. Durability will not be an issue if you limit the use of +P ammo to self defense. Most of these pistols have been well cared for and usually show evidence of upgrades during their service (stampings on the frame and slide).

They don't cost an arm and a leg. They shoot good. They are fun guns with lots of associated history.

Go for it!

Out
West

I've had a Beretta 92F and a Sig 226 for about twenty years. While both are quite dependable and presumably very strong, the P1 gives up nothing to either unless one considers the reduced magazine capacity (and more comfortable grip) a liability. The P1 is considerably more accurate than the Beretta and may equal the accuracy of the Sig. The P1 and a later P4 are my favorite 9mm pistols.

I'm having a hard time telling if the bud's guns have a cross pin or not. And the photo they supply has a caveat "may not represent actual item...."

Nothing against bud's sales folks, they're very nice, but the two I've dealt with in the past didn't really seem to be gun people. Just phone sales people, so I'm not sure they would know the particulars.

Does $329 seem like a good price? Seems fair, but you guys would know better than me. THANKS
Jim

any walther P38 is a good walther, just avoid the abused ones, make sure the double 6.5 pound springs are good, and dont use any +p in it and you should be fine

and if you must it probably wouldnt be a bad idea to change out the recoil springs for something stronger, maybe 8.5 on either side to match that of the springs on most .40 calls.

as the slide cracking thing was because they were using 9mm nato, basically hotrodded ammo along the lines of the +p if not higher and the beretta 92 has had the slide thickened for exactly the same problem with the nato ammo.

Namely on the brigadeer model and with the P38 you can tell if its one of those with the thickened slide from the slide serrations, if they're only behind the safety, not infront like on the normal model plus the Hex pin.

not to mention the area over the top strap is thicker from the look of it

and by the way they did make some of the early P1's with a steel frame and they were made around 59 I believe, I forget what particular mark tells you what year they were made.

actually I think it may be on slide itself with a simple two digit number on the side next to the german eagle.

and they did also make a blued version of the P1 with the typical walther blue job on it and I think they usually go for about a 100 more than the others.


basically this whole slide and frame crack thing is overblown, its like the model 19 mag with the 125 grain super loads moving at 1500 plus wearing down the forcing cone and breaking them, just avoid the nato like ammo and go for the 147 grain fbi load if your worried about stopping power

I mean hell thats on par with .38 special's 158 grain load plus an extra 200 fps with the normal load of 9mm, not even counting the +p version of it.

that should be MORE than enough even with ball ammo like the gun is designed to take, might need a little feeding ramp work to feed hollowpoints if you want to go with that as they were rigged with ball ammo in mind.

Good point! I intended to state the same in my post but forgot. All of mine, no matter what shape they are in when I buy them, get a new set of Wolff recoil springs before I shoot them. It's cheap cheap insurance. Read up on changing the springs before you start the job.

Out
West

Makes me think about the guy who said that a P-1 gave him "eight warning shots and one aimed throw"!

He probably needs more DA trigger time or the gun needed a trigger job

I got a couple of Walther P-4s (shorter barrels than a P-1). They can't hit the broad side of a barn with 115grn 9mm, but are dead on with 124grn NATO ammo.

Good guns for belt carry.

Rule 303

Hmm thats odd, guess it was a good thing I started out with the normal P38 then.

gotta wonder then if that would apply to maybe the P5 Compact as well, probably not but nonetheless its an interesting question

I like the P1 and find it to be a great shooting pistol. Very accurate at 25m off hand.
Mine does not have the hex-pin reinforcement nor is it a 'fat slide' variation. Dated '66 (IIRC) the lack of those features doesn't bother me in the least. Shoot standard off the shelf stuff like Rem/UMC fmj or alot of people like the Winchester 'white box' 9mm.
Mine shoots my lead bulleted reloads w/o a problem.

I wouldn't automaticly dismiss a potential buy if it didn't have either or both of the later characteristics.

The euro style magazine release and slide mounted safety are often bad mouthed as not right for a defense handgun. I don't have a problem with either.


Not a bad idea to replace the 2 recoil springs with new ones. They're cheap.
I'd replace or at least carefully examine the recoil spring guides also. In the Post War guns like the P1 they are a plastic/nylon material. The end that engages the shallow cut in the frame to retain them when the pistol is field stripped gets chewed up and can let the spring(s) launch itself from the frame.
When assembled, the spring & follower is slightly compressed away from that frame slot,,but a damaged follower will allow the spring to over ride the end of it and can score the aluminum frame especially.

The barrels on the post war pistols are a 2-piece design,,a chambered & rifled insert assembled into the profiled barrel itself.
A small cross pin at the bottom rear of the barrel is secondary reinforcement for the assembly which I think is shrink fit together.
Some negative comments about that type barrel construction but I've not seen any problems.

P1 and P38 post war pistols are the same gun aside from the degree of finish applied. I think the P1 designation was for the W.German Govt contract.
Both have aluminum frames but some small number of P38 post war pistols were made with steel frames.

Lots of variations, markings, contracts, ect. Collectors are liking them for that reason and the price & nice condition of most of them.

Are there better 9mm pistols around for CCW? Yes. No arguement there. But I like the P1 and carry it often. It's one of few semi auto's I still can. It shoots & carries very well for me.
For just a 9mm pistol to shoot at the range, hard to beat a real Walther for $300/350.
I've retired the wartime P38's I have from shooting.

AIM Surplus had some nice P1's a short time back. They may still have some.
I had next to new post war P38 commercial non-export pistol w/box ect. not long ago. Too nice to shoot, so I sold that one off.
I'm tempted to buy another P1 shooter just because they're still available at a nice price.