Commercial P38, GI Bring Back, 1977

[Retired W4]

Not what I usually look for but I could not resist. The guy I bought it from bought it at the Army Rod & gun club in Germany. He still had a authorization paper for bringing it back to the States. I'm still trying to remember where I put the box with factory test target and manual. He sure didn't shoot it much.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

What differences are there between your P-38 and my P-4?

I can't see any.

 

[burneyr]

What differences are there between your P-38 and my P-4?

I can't see any.

P-4 has a shorter barrel, and the internals of the slide specifically the safety/firing pin mechanisms are different. Most all the revised internals of the P-4 were carried over to the P-5.

 

[robvious]

nice example of the postwar P1/P38... they make fun shooters as long as you use the correct ammo...

 

[ISCS Yoda]

P-4 has a shorter barrel, and the internals of the slide specifically the safety/firing pin mechanisms are different. Most all the revised internals of the P-4 were carried over to the P-5.

I have to stare really hard to see the barrel length difference but, okay, I see it. I understand everything else is internal. Gracias.

 

[rockquarry]

I have to stare really hard to see the barrel length difference but, okay, I see it. I understand everything else is internal. Gracias.

Based on a sample of one that I bought more than thirty years, the P4 is great shooter and quite accurate with cast bullets. I'm not a fan of the 9mm cartridge, but my pistol has been 100% reliable and the design is far from obsolete. It remains a strong contender even in comparison with much newer designs.

 

[Rudi]

They are all great guns. The OP looks new.

 

[burneyr]

I'd like to have a P-4. You guys are lucky to have them. Think they were only manufactured for two years IIRC. I've only seen them online.

 

[murphydog]

I have to stare really hard to see the barrel length difference but, okay, I see it. I understand everything else is internal. Gracias.

I think the later P38s (and possibly the P4s) also had a larger frame cross pin, seen to the rear of the takedown lever. I recall it had something to do with reducing frame cracking.

 

[Retired W4]

I found the box, extra mag, manual and test target (25M). Every thing but the cleaning rod. After field stripping it appears unfired. The feed ramp has not a scuff on it. The orange Walther label on the box does state P38.

 

[A10]

I've always liked the look of them. Never had the chance to fire one though. They were certainly a worthy successor to the P08.

 

[Hawg Rider]

For comparison, here's a late WWII P-38 that my Dad brought back from Germany. He was in the USAAF and traded for this pistol. Supposedly a few of these were assembled by some soldiers from matching parts in the deserted Spreewerk factory (Berlin-Spandau) in early 1945. The holster is a nice P-08 holster that my Dad picked up someplace else. You can see by the rough finish and manufacturing marks that these were being cranked out in a hurry towards the end of the war. The post-war versions were finished much better.

 

[hdfinder47]

I have an unfired-in-the-box P-38 from 1966 (IIRC). Think I'll shoot it as I don't believe these have that much collector value as shooting value.
Ed

 

[2152hq]

Not what I usually look for but I could not resist. The guy I bought it from bought it at the Army Rod & gun club in Germany. .......

Is only the bbl of the pistol ser#'d and no factory # on the Frame?

I bought a NIB postwar P38 that was numbered like that.
The LockingBolt was #'d as well as an internal part.

It was brought into the USA by a US Diplomat and had all the State Dept(?) paperwork with it clearing it .
As I understand it, the Bbl is the control part on the firearm in most Euro countrys as the Frame is in the USA.
I ran into that when engraving parts on some long-guns that went to Italy and back to the USA. The frames and parts went w/o issue/problems.
The bbl's for same got heavy duty paperwork and delay's as a 'firearm' going to Europe. So much so at one point that it was decided to do those bbls here instead of shipping them back and forth.More work for me.

So the lack of a factory ser# on the frame of the pistol was not something malicious. But rather a gun not made for export. That's what I was informed anyway.
It made for some strange looks from potential buyers when I went to resell it. But collectors of same seemed to know the story and the paperwork helped of course.

Maybe nothing to do with the OP's pistol, but the fine looking P38 jogged my memory.
No export markings of course nor x-PD or Govt ownership markings.

 

[Retired W4]

Is only the bbl of the pistol ser#'d and no factory # on the Frame?

I bought a NIB postwar P38 that was numbered like that.
The LockingBolt was #'d as well as an internal part.

It was brought into the USA by a US Diplomat and had all the State Dept(?) paperwork with it clearing it .
As I understand it, the Bbl is the control part on the firearm in most Euro countrys as the Frame is in the USA.
I ran into that when engraving parts on some long-guns that went to Italy and back to the USA. The frames and parts went w/o issue/problems.
The bbl's for same got heavy duty paperwork and delay's as a 'firearm' going to Europe. So much so at one point that it was decided to do those bbls here instead of shipping them back and forth.More work for me.

Also, in the thread title I mentioned 1977. He bought the gun in 77 and returned to the state in 1980. The SN is 393534 which indicates 1976 manufacture I believe.

So the lack of a factory ser# on the frame of the pistol was not something malicious. But rather a gun not made for export. That's what I was informed anyway.
It made for some strange looks from potential buyers when I went to resell it. But collectors of same seemed to know the story and the paperwork helped of course.

Maybe nothing to do with the OP's pistol, but the fine looking P38 jogged my memory.
No export markings of course nor x-PD or Govt ownership markings.

Your post had me looking the gun over a little closer. The only ser# I could find was on the slide. The front of the barrel is marked 9 PARA. No SN on the frame OR barrel. No export marks either. The Firearms Retention Authorization is in order, complete with a USAREUR stamp.

 

[Engine49guy]

I have to pull a few for observation,
I had thought that the P-38 stamp changed to the P1 marking in the 60's, clearly the OPs gun is marked P-38 and has the strengthening cross bolt that was a later improvement.

While the P4 does have some parts commonality with the P1 like the magazine, grips etc it it a very different firing mechanism and safety, the P4 decocker springs back up won't stay down, the hammer has a channel cut in it, when the trigger is at rest the firing pin face sits over that channel, when the trigger is pulled the firing pin assembly rises up so it will contact the hammer face, the slide is also different on the top ahead of the rear site especially.

On a side note while the P4 and P1share the P38 magazine, The P5 magazine is slightly shorter but if you swap a P38 heel release stirrup into the P5 you can use the P38 magazines instead.

 

[Rpg]

I certainly don’t have the depth of knowledge many of the other guys on this thread have about the P38, but my understanding is that the WW II era hammer dropping safety left something to be desired: it sometimes discharged the pistol. I had a couple years ago that did this. My vague understanding was that this was a design issue.

This feature disqualified them as carry pieces, in my opinion, so they were relegated to range guns.

Which of the subsequent design changes remedied this problem?

 

[A10]

I certainly don’t have the depth of knowledge many of the other guys on this thread have about the P38, but my understanding is that the WW II era hammer dropping safety left something to be desired: it sometimes discharged the pistol. I had a couple years ago that did this. My vague understanding was that this was a design issue.

This feature disqualified them as carry pieces, in my opinion, so they were relegated to range guns.

Which of the subsequent design changes remedied this problem?

Your post reminded me of a mod some criminal gang members were doing to P38s back in the 70s. They would rig the gun so it would fire full auto when you used the hammer drop. I personally thought it a lousy idea...

 

[Retired W4]

Your post reminded me of a mod some criminal gang members were doing to P38s back in the 70s. They would rig the gun so it would fire full auto when you used the hammer drop. I personally thought it a lousy idea...

If you got a P38 to fire full auto there might be a controllability issue. You better get a hit on the first round of that 8 round magazine. Suppressive fire with a 9mm might keep their heads down...for a second.

 

[MVDUY]

I have a P38, dated in 1977, with alloy frame. As I know, is not recommended to
use 9mm + P ammo.- Aside of that is a nice gun, like very much his decocking
lever.-