I'm looking to get myself a P-38 but I really don't know much about them and my experience is limited to shooting a couple mags through one. Any pointers? What to look for, which variant, etc. Are they all the same, or are there differences in quality.

Thanks in advance.

All I really remember is they had twin tails and twin engines with a single fuselage. Nickname was “ Lightening” as I recall. Cool looking aircraft, though the P-51 was sexier and the P-47 tougher.

Sorry. Couldn’t resist.

I'd ask at the Walther forum. They have a sub forum for the P-1/P-38.

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Who watches the watchers?

They'll open a can just fine, but I prefer the mechanical type.

I couldn't resist, either.

For shooting purposes a post war P1 service gun will be a good choice. If you plan to shoot them a lot, you should look for a gun that has the reinforced frame and slide.

The P1 used to be my service gun and I sighted dozens and dozens in. Some are more accurate than others.

I don't plan on shooting it a lot, but I'd like the option of putting some downrange with it. I'd also like a wartime example, just because that's the kind of pistol I'm interested in.

I suppose I should do some legwork on the differences between wartime/postwar production and go from there.

First, the split Wartime/Post-War isn't as clean as you might think. Lots of parts at various Nazi factories ended up being assembled after the war. Go to the Walther Forums, you can kearn as much there as you could ever want on this subject.

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Who watches the watchers?

I bought a WWII (AC 43) P-38 that someone had hard chromed. It was "flashy" to say the least, but it was cheap, and I didn't care about production, etc. I just felt like having a P-38 as a toy and the collector ones were kinda pricey. It shot fine and was a ton of fun, but a guy I knew just had to have it and absolutely loved the hard chrome. It had post-war black plastic grips on it, and once you got used to the idea of a hard chrome P38, it wasn't bad. Oddly enough, I've seen two more that were hard chromed as well.

I have since bought a post-war alloy frame one. I think the steel frame one shot softer (duh), but there's nothing wrong with the later ones. As stated above, get one that has the reinforcing pin in the frame if you get one of those.

If you want one, get one. They're fun guns with some history no matter which one you get. It will be worth learning the in's and out's about them if you want a collectible.

Not much more to add.

Walther Forum is the place for info. or google.

RTG Parts has good deals on mags.

Walther P1 P38 Parts, German Accessories, RTG Parts

I picked up this excellent condition 1977 P1 a few years ago for cheap, but I can understand the desire for an earlier P38.

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Watch & Pray

It will come down to price. On wartime guns, even a relatively rough late-war Spreewerke “cyq” can set you back $700 or more. You can get a post-war P1 shooter with the hex bolt in very good condition for a few hundred less.

The Walther forum is a good place to go; there is also another specialized P38 forum. Lots to learn.

P 38 & PP-PPK Collector Forum

The Classics - WaltherForums

And I think you are already optimistic on the Spreewerke values.

These days, it's becoming less common to see a good Nazi P-38 than it was even 5 or 10 years ago. And prices are getting way up there even for a mismatched parts gun. I have a very nice (but not mint) byf-44 with a pretty good original soft leather holster that I was recently offered $1200 cash for. I retired it from shooting some years ago when the prices started climbing.

Check out this site Welcome to the P38 Web Site....
Lots of info on them and variants plus the PP and PPK .
I joined and learned everything about a WWII P38 my father passed along to me.
It's not a collector item worth much...just a shooter grade import. Which is great because both Dad and I have been shooting it for a few years....now I don't have to worry.
Gary

My only experience was with a post War P-1 variant in nice condition. FWIW, unless I had to have an actual wartime example, I would definitely look for one with the beefed up slide. The slide side walls are slightly higher/more steel. Mine, with the traditional style slide, soon cracked in the thin area where the locking-piece locks into the slide side walls. This, after light use with standard pressure ammunition. Hated to see that happen as the gun fit me well and, unlike the couple of Lugers I've owned, the P-1 was reliable.

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NRA Life, COTEP 640

I've retired both my War time mfg P38's from shooting. Just too much risk in a slide cracking for me. ,,and that comes from me who regularly shoots a bunch (around a dozen) different Lugers of all different eras with no thoughts of breaking anything.
I've seen the cracked slide P38's in hand.

The correct mfg & era parts are much more easy to find for the Lugers than for a P38, though none are inexpensive.
A slide being a ser#'d part if replaced really brings a nice collectible down to a simple shooter grade gun too,,and again not inexpensively.

I do have P1's that I do shoot. They are earlier non-reinforced frame and 'thin slide' pistols & are still in one piece dispite warnings from others that they'd fall apart.
I realize the shortcomings of the design and their history, the updated 'fixes' and all that.

I really like the P38/P1. It's just a comfortable, accurate pistol for me to shoot and one of just a few semiautos I can still manipulate OK.
I don't expect it to carry on thru 100's of 1000's of rounds. Just be a range toy and have some fun with it. I do carry it as a SD gun now and again and am perfectly comfortable with it,, and for these expectations the P1 fills the need.
The 40's mfg'r P38's get to rest.

I'll pile on and say that The Walther Forum is a great place to learn about the different variations, mfg'rs, wartime, postwar era mfg and all the minutia inbetw.

Have fun!

my experience is with post war examples... reliable shooters... just use the correct ammo... nothing hot... lots of info on the Walther websiteshttp://p38forum.com/forums/index.php

I had a great one about the post war versions translated from German... but just found the link is now dead... I wish I had printed the info out...

good luck and report back... don't forget the photos

I bought this one from a WWII vet who brought it back after the war. Sadly, he had cancer and was selling off his stuff so his wife wouldn't have to do it after he died. He died shortly after he sold it to me.

The holster is from the 1960's, made for the West German police.

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Hmmm, I just wanted one because I thought they were a neat piece of Axis history and they are pretty exotic looking. Maybe I don't want to dig too deep into another collecting area, I have a hard enough time keeping my head above water with my humble collection of 1911s.

I'll keep my eyes open for what's out there and do some research in the meantime. Thanks to all of you for your insight.

There are LOTS of P-38 variations to collect (if you have enough money and time to find them).

I have owned five different P-38s, of which I have one left. Most of them I paid $25-$30 for, back in the 1960s. I also bought several Lugers for the same price at the same time. I have none of them at present.

Where was that, Andyd?

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Oh well, what the hell.

PzGrenBtl 173, Hamburg, Germany but the photo of the gun is in my backyard. I had five WWII P38s at one time and none shot consistently as well as the P1 that I kept.

So we were in the same general neighborhood ... JgBtl 391, Putlos/Ostholst., then PzPiKp 180, Lübeck

Yes, indeed close by. 1978 and 1979 Fermeldeausbildungskompanie 4/6 in Neumünster, afterwards Panzergrenadierbatallion in Hamburg.

I remember Putlos especially from January 1979, during the snow catastrophy. Man, did we shovel snow to clear the firing ranges! The slogan "Klagt nicht, kämpft" ( don't whine, fight ) that was put up in the Third Reich at the barracks was taken down by liberals sometime in the 1980s but is back up again.

I was in Lübeck by that time. Our M113‘s seemed to be the only vehicles capable of moving at times and were in high demand by local authorities. Our platoon spent most of that time digging out tracks and de-icing switches around the Lübeck Hbf (train station).

(That‘s not us in the picture )

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Oh ! I thought you meant one of these.

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CSM, U S Army(Ret) 1963-1990

Understandable, since the OP mis-spelled the subject of this thread. The Walther pistol is not a P-38 (with hyphen); that‘s the airplane. The pistol is either a P.38 (original, with period) or P38 (more common later version with no punctuation).

In 1981 I bought a N.I.B. Walther P38. It set me back $750, which was a big chunk of money for any gun at the time. Sadly and stupidly, I let it go. I still regret that.

I now have a Manhurin P1. It is very well made and a great shooter, but not particularly valuable.

When researching the P38, I suggest spending some time looking in to the historical relationship between Walther and Manhurin. It's an interesting story with more than a few angles.

Whats the can opener...P38, P.38 or P-38 and why is it called a P38 anyways .

I did reverse learning, as I bought mine and then did the research.
Watch for a stamped X on the slide, it denotes a Russian capture gun, which collectors find less desirable than a documented Veteran bring back.
Still the Russian capture guns are a documented part of history, so I am fine with my purchase.
[IMG][/IMG]

The can opener is a P-38, just like the Lightning. And it's called that way maybe because is 38 mm long. There is also the P-51 can opener. It's larger and it's 51mm long.

my limited knowledge

AC - code name Walther made P38's from the HP to post war variations -
BYF - code name for Mauser made them in WW2
CYQ - code name for the Chekslovakian company made them in WW2

post war west germany used them for their defense forces - you'll find straight examples - mixed parts examples and then even marked P38 for a couple years (?) after the war - then P1 - they are dated so that is cool finding a holster same month and year

French put together and made P38's for several yrs, thus you see the SVW 45 and SVW 46's.

Best Book: WALTHER PISTOLS MODELS 1 to PPX by Dieter H. Marschall.
Sold By: www. Legacy Collectibles.com Outstanding information on Walther pistols.
This is the new edition that has been on the sales list just a few months.

JaboG 'F' Friesland in Jever here, don't care much for what was called P-1 in the 80s. Big bulky piece of kit. Better to collect Walther PPs I think.

Went through a P.38 phase and still have quite a few.
I break them down into the following categories:

1) Early pre military varients including pre P38 versions are rare and BIG time collectable $$$


2) First military production version up to 1942 with straight frame beneath trigger pin, IIRC heavy use hogged out the trigger pin leading to the first frame improvement.


3) post 1943 production guns have an improved frame that slightly dips down just below the trigger pivot pin.


4) Late production guns which usually appear with rough machine marks as allied bombing campaign interrupted normal production .


5) post 1945 (stamped steel grip) parts guns made under French sector occupation some with Manhurin name .


6) Early post war aluminum frame production IIRC appear in mid to late 1950's and early 60's with slides marked P38, (supposedly the original blueprints were lost and these guns were reverse engineered by Walther from WWII examples).


7) Post GCA 1968 commercial US import slides will have Interarms sunburst marked slides, CIA German Military and police imports will have a small importer stamp on the frame or slide but not the early style below .


8) Late production P1 with improved white dot sites, thicker slide rails and frame hex nut, IMO this is the most robust version if you are looking for a shooter.


9) P4 with 1" shorter barrel, improved decock trigger disconnect safety system and new rear site unit (Mags interchange with P38/P1 otherwise different guns that look the same).


Snub barrel P4 versions exist marked P38"K" (for Klein) and are very collectible.



10) P5 which IMO is the cream of the Walther crop , although they bear little resemblance to their P38 lineage and have no parts interchangeability including magazines if you are familiar with the P38 you will be at home with the P5,,, (notice the large frame mounted combination decock/slide stop release and enclosed barrel with left side ejection port).


On a side note when Germany dumped their surplus guns on the market CIA import P1's could easily be had for $350 and import P5's for $500.
As a word of caution with any P38 or P1 to be safe when decocking do NOT ever allow the hammer to fall with a live round in the chamber, instead decock while slowly lowering the hammer with your thumb to be safe as in time the P38/P1 decocker can allow the gun to fire, also (like the early Model 39/59) while the safety lever arrests and blocks the firing pin when engaged IIRC the pre P4 versions can be inertia fired if dropped with the safety in the off position.

If you can find one, get a P-4. They're much better built than their predecessors.

Between the first and second picture you left out the first military contract guns that went to Sweden.

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Ive actually never seen a Swedish P38,
besides the checkered take down lever , Model HP marked slide and early style grips are there any other mechanical differences with the German military guns ?

I guess not. You nailed the diferences. Never saw one "in the flesh" either, only pictures.

And of course the Swedish guns are not technically P38s that's the German Military nomenclature.

Post war examples came in both Kal 9mm and Cal 9mm... lol
the variations can make your head spin... like most military weapons, they changed over time as they learned what was problematic... or expensive... or when stamps wore out...

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As with all things firearms related it really depends on how fine you set the microscope,
With so many P38 variations my focus is thankfully very very vague....

A true P38 fanatic could have a collection of hundreds of guns representing variants from every year of manufacture and manufacturer...

"As a word of caution with any P38 or P1 to be safe .... also (like the early Model 39/59) while the safety lever arrests and blocks the firing pin when engaged IIRC the pre P4 versions can be inertia fired if dropped with the safety in the off position."

16 posters will probably prove me wrong ... but I think they all had the firing pin block.

While Im totally going off memory, IIRC the Model 39/59 and P38/P1 safety will lock down the firing pin and block the hammer when engaged , the problem is when the gun is decocked and carried with a live round in the chamber with the slide mounted safety in the "Fire" position as it does not arrest the firing pin which opens it up to an inertia discharge if dropped onto the muzzle.

This shortfall was addressed in the P4 and 2nd gen S&W designs which require the trigger to be pulled fully back to align the firing pin with the cartridge primer which eliminates the inertia fire possibility
.

I refer to the firing pin block #9 in the picture.

If you mean that the P4 system is better - no argument.

The S&W 439/459 firing pin block is different than the P4 system, of course, just in case some misinterpret.

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I have had one for about 60 years. It was originally issued to the German Navy according to the serial number. It is in mint condition. I carried it for awhile in a Shoulder Holster. I have fired several magazines through it. It is extremely accurate and fast firing. Also has a hair trigger which causes me concern as it is a Double Action on the first shot and then the hammer remains rearward until lowered or fired. I have retired it due to safety reasons. Also the butt is extremely large for my hands. They were really beautiful pistols and made very well. They were made for War but not the safest weapon for peace-time.
Semi-Autos require careful handling, and the new striker pistols are no exception. Online the 1911 and other SA's with exterior hammers you can't see if they are ready to fire. Care must be used, especially if the pistol has no 'safety'.

There were also P38s in .30 Luger sold to Italy when private possession of the military 9mm Luger wasn't allowed and a few of those were sold in other countries.

And not to forget the .22 version. As far as I know, the military and police ended up only buying the conversion kit, but the whole pistol was sold commercially. (Photo not mine)

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An impressive line-up. One question about your comment on the SVW gun, though: These were produced at the Mauser plant in Oberndorf in 1945 and 1946 and production ceased after Soviet protests. To my (by no means deep) knowledge these had nothing to do with Manurhin and the later 1960s Manurhin-marked pistols.

Well, as I said in an earlier post, I don't know much about them. I'm aware of an airplane with a similar designation, but didn't know about a can opener. I guess since I posted my question in a firearms and knives subforum, I was expecting the question would be understood. Who knew a hyphen could be so misleading?

It seems there are actually many differences/variations in them, I started out simply wanting a wartime example. The one I've fired was marked AC 42, I'd like something similar.