How About the P 38

DocB · Jun 12, 2015

The Luger gets so much attention. How about those getting-harder-to-find German P 38's. If you can't find or afford a collectable Luger, you may be able to locate a P 38 from WWII. They don't have serial numbers in many places that have to match. The military issued ones don't even have a serial number on the magazine. The chances are that if you have one, it is in collector quality; and, you can use it as a shooter too since they are really hard to damage. The one I've pictured is a 1943 Mauser that was brought back by a vet with it's holster and spare magazine. It's a 98% gun but I can shoot it all I want. I paid a little over $500 for it a few years ago. A Luger in this grade would have cost me at least $2000. If you're a WWII fan, the P 38 will have seen about as much history as any small arm you can own. I'll bet a lot of you already have one; and, if you're looking for one, you will probably be successful at a very moderate price. The poor old P 38 just doesn't get the glory bestowed upon the Luger. I like mine as much or more than my Luger.

BearBio · Jun 12, 2015

But, they SURE ARE ugly! Shoot nice but UGLY!

Surely like a girl you'd take to a drive-in movie but not to a dance!

gwpercle · Jun 12, 2015

BearBio said:
But, they SURE ARE ugly! Shoot nice but UGLY!

Surely like a girl you'd take to a drive-in movie but not to a dance!

I beg to differ! Ugly is a GLOCK!

I take my WWII era P 38 out dancing every trip to the range.
She just got some new shoes...Altamont, fancy black walnut, lined wood grips , she looks like a million bucks!
Fathers Day is going to be spent at the range with her and we going to have fun, fun, fun.
Ugly indeed.... bite your tongue!

Gary

RobzGuns · Jun 12, 2015

I got my WWII issue P-38 back in the early 70s... Matching part #s and matching Duty Holster. It gets to the range at least annually and still shoots great. It never fails to draw attention from the other shooters.

I gotta say though, that I've loved the looks of the P-38 ever since "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." in the 60s. I only wish it were legal to modify it like they did on the show.

gordondewolf · Jun 12, 2015

Ugly? The P.38 is a true classic. Just to mention a few great things about the P.38 is that it looks great and has design features that were way ahead of it's time. I'd stack a P.38 against just about any modern military grade pistol in the same caliber.

On the practical side, the springs and pins on a War Time P.38 are getting old, and so they are a little more prone to breaking a small part (or loosing an extractor) than are the newly minted pistols. These are extremely well designed weapons.

Stranglehold · Jun 12, 2015

I have been given the distinct pleasure of assuming the role of temporary caretaker for this WWII Walther P-38. It comes from the estate of the father of a good friend. This P-38 wears the markings "byf 43" indicating it was actually made at the Mauser factory in, of course, 1943. The pistol is in exceptionally good condition, remarkable considering it is both a war trophy and over 70 years of age.

As nice as the pistol is, it's the stories behind these guns that make them priceless as the heirlooms they are. My friend's father, John, served as a sergeant in the European Theater of Operations. Wounded and burned in a ammo dump explosion, he was able to recover and rejoin his unit as US forces entered Germany and began discovering the concentration camps. John's ability to speak fluent German landed him the job of interviewing survivors and documenting their stories. The horrors uncovered by these interviews affected him throughout his life and he seldom talked of his service. The P-38 was recovered from one of those camps during this period.

Dedication to service runs deep in that family. John's brother George was a Lieutenant in the 2nd Ranger Battalion and led his men up the cliffs of Point Du Hoc on the morning of June 6th, 1944. The Lieutenant hit the beaches with 67 men in his company. At the end of five days of heavy fighting, cut off from other units, 15 remained. George received both the Distingushed Service Cross and the Bronze Star for his actions there, but like many of The Greatest Generation, was very modest and played down his heroism.

This P-38, along with the Remington Rand 1911A1 my father carried in WWII, may not command the the dollars some of the other guns in my collection would, but they will always be the most valuable ones I own.

Roe

gregintenn · Jun 12, 2015

I'd like to have one. I do not think they have the looks, ergonomics, or mystic of a Luger, but are a well made piece of history. Sort of like a Broomhandle Mauser.

italiansport · Jun 12, 2015

RobzGuns said:
I got my WWII issue P-38 back in the early 70s... Matching part #s and matching Duty Holster. It gets to the range at least annually and still shoots great. It never fails to draw attention from the other shooters.

I gotta say though, that I've loved the looks of the P-38 ever since "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." in the 60s. I only wish it were legal to modify it like they did on the show.

There is NO law I'm aware of the would prevent you shortening the barrel on your P 38 like the ones used on the Man From Uncle. However; this would be a very bad move financially for you as you've just disfigured a very collectible pistol.
If you really want a short one buy one of the many Post war P1s floating about and chop the barrel on that.
Jim

RobzGuns · Jun 12, 2015

italiansport said:
There is NO law I'm aware of the would prevent you shortening the barrel on your P 38 like the ones used on the Man From Uncle. However; this would be a very bad move financially for you as you've just disfigured a very collectible pistol.
If you really want a short one buy one of the many Post war P1s floating about and chop the barrel on that.
Jim

Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of a the extended barrel and Shoulder Stock... But that would make it a long gun modification. A whole nuther can o' worms.

... and yeah... I'd pick up on a Post War P1 for 'tinkering'.

Speaking of TMFU... The Movie remake is due out in Aug.
Trailers look interesting.

moosedog · Jun 12, 2015

Love the P-38s. Here's a couple of mine. L to R AC 45 / AC 41 / CYQ / AC 42 with a matching numbered magazine / Spreewerke.

Early P-38s 40, 41 and about mid production 42 had two matching numbered magazines. Hard to find still together.

Cyrano · Jun 12, 2015

Here's my two. Both were assembled under French occupation of Oberndorf after WW II. First is a svw 45, with French 1948/50 holster. Next is a svw 46. these are rather scarce as in answer to Russian pressure, France stopped production of the P 38 in March 1946. This one is stamped BH (Bundesheer), or Austrian Army, and has had the safety modified by the Austrians. France supplied P-38s to Austria when it rearmed after WW II. It came in a G. Reise, Berlin, drop down holster. I don't know whether the grips and the holster indicate it went to the German Army after the Austrian.

fyimo · Jun 12, 2015

I always like the looks of the P38 and I heard they were great shooters but I never got around to buying one. I don't have Luger either because they were always just to much money for me to buy one. The closest thing I have is a Browning HP and I realize that doesn't count but I love shooting it and I think it's an awesome design. I'm sorry in advance if this is thread drift and I would buy a P38 if I could find a clean one for a reasonable price.

2152hq · Jun 13, 2015

My dad brought back a Walther Banner marked P38 w/ holster from WW2. An early production gun for sure. But it's gone now, a victim of the 'it's not registered' hysteria in this state. What a shame.

I have an AC42 marked pistol w/holster yet. Sold off another,,I believe it was an AC44.
I don't shoot the WW2 era gun anymore as I've seen more than a few crack the slides right at the over-arch tunnel.
Don't know if it's just a weak spot (there is a thin portion there), old fatiguing metal or what. But I hate to destroy a nice example like this for no reason other than my own need to shoot it. I'd feel terrible if I did.
I've shot plenty of them and I now use a post-war P-1 for range time and occasional carry.
One of the few semi-autos I can still comfortably handle and I always thought they were a nice looking pistol. Very accurate too.
My P-1 is an early one w/o the locking lug reinforcement 'hex' plug nor the 'fat slide' upgrade. The latter was done by Walther to avoid the problem of the cracked slides described above that are sometimes observed on war-time guns. The same problem came to light on the post war guns too when the round count got up there.

The post war guns were inexpensive for a time but even those are climbing in value fast. Still a good value though,,unless you can't stand their looks!

Have fun..

DWalt · Jun 13, 2015

I have a BYF 44 in about as good a condition as could be found, along with what I was told was the original soft flap holster. Also with a 1944 date. I have three mags, none are SNed to the gun. I have more or less retired it from active duty for about the last 5 years because of its excellent confition. I bought it at a gun show in Midland TX back in the late 1970s for, as I remember, about $100. I've had several other P-38s (and Lugers) at earlier times, but not in as good condition. I remember buying them for about $25 back in the early 1960s, every pawn shop had some hanging on the wall. Lugers, too. I wish I had kept them all, but the P-38 is the only Nazi pistol I still have. No idea what they are selling for these days, as I never see them at gun shows anymore.

Rifleman762 · Jun 13, 2015

I love Walther P38s (and I don't think they are ugly). I remember as a teenager (back in the mid 90's) looking at one at the local gun store with my dad. He had always wanted a Luger 9mm, as his uncle had brought one back from WWII. I talked him into picking up the P38 for $299. Years later as a young man I was giving it a good inspection... found it was a made in the Walter factory, 1941 (if I remember correctly). I also noticed several Nazi proof marks, something we had both missed years before.

I think that's what started my love of collecting military surplus handgun and rifles.

STCM(SW) · Jun 13, 2015

This is the only P38 I have.
Never shot it, sit's in the box made for it in the safe.

pawncop · Jun 13, 2015

I can pretty agree with DocB on all points but still think the Luger is just so dang cool.

Ματθιας · Jun 13, 2015

I have a P1. I'm seriously considering one of the Russian Capture P38s rather than a true collector piece, but keep finding other stuff to buy with the money I've saved.

GoHogs · Jun 13, 2015

I have a AC42 (Walther) with all matching numbers and the capture papers. I marvel at its design every time I coon finger it.
Wish it could tell its stories.
If you shoot one of these fine WWII era trophies, be sure and change the springs (but keep your originals).

bgrafsr · Jun 13, 2015

BearBio said:
But, they SURE ARE ugly! Shoot nice but UGLY!

Surely like a girl you'd take to a drive-in movie but not to a dance!

I don't agree. They are a classic and were made to take punishment, as they are not finicky like the Lugers.

My Dad brought back one from WWII, a CYQ I believe. He let me have it when I was around 17 or 18, and I took it to a local smith and had it high polished blued

. Wish I had never done that, but at the time I didn't know better. Ended up asking my Dad if I could sell it and he said go ahead. Another regret of mine.

How About the P 38

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