However, the slide and frame and associated parts of the locking mechanism are all complex machinings, the sorts of things one will most likely never see again in handgun production. The barrel of the P38 is a complex unit, being machined (as well as we could tell) out of the same block that held the breech-lock mechanism and the rails in which the slide moved. Most of the visible identifying or manufacturing numbers matched, and the fit of the gun was fairly tight, we thought, for wartime production. The finish was slightly pitted from rusting over time, but it didn’t really harm the overall effect, we thought. Here’s what we found.Īs expected, the machining on this gun was quite rough all over, though the bore looked fairly good. Any decent 9mm for that low of a price could be considered a bargain, but when it has the Walther name on it, as our test pistol did, it’s amazing.īecause of their low asking prices and historical significance, we wondered how these two guns stacked up in a modern testing situation. The P1 was recently priced in several outlets so low as to be a bargain, in the realm of $200 to $250, though we doubt those prices still hold. Recent offerings were made of the P1 by various surplus gun outlets. Our test P38 was made by Mauser in 1944, as noted by the “byf” and “44” markings on the slide. Wartime guns were identified by a letter code.
About a million P38s were made during WWII by Walther, Mauser, FN, Brno, and several other manufacturers.
The P38 was adopted officially in 1938, hence the P38 (for Pistole) designation. Walther developed the P38 out of its PP, one of the very first double-action pistol designs. We just tested a wartime P38 against a later P1, the latter being about the same as the P38 of WWII, but made for the West German army, and having an aluminum-alloy frame instead of the all-steel frame of WWII. Many shooters simply wonder how good they were, and how they stack up against today’s products. Still, we recognize the appeal of famous names and well-known designations, and because so few shooters still alive today had to use these guns in anger, there’s natural curiosity about them. Current manufacturing methods and materials are naturally much advanced over what they were 10, 20, 50 or 100 years ago, so on a quality and consistency basis, today’s guns are usually better picks if actual shooting is in the owner’s plans. Most Spreework pistols seem rougher finished to me.ĬDNN investments frequently has P38/P1 parts at reasonable prices.We remain mildly surprised by the ongoing interest Gun Tests readers have for tests of collectible, relic, or just plain old guns. In WWII pistols, my readings indicate that pre-1943 firearms are preferable, in the following order of better to worse: Walther-Mauser, and then Spreework produced. The factories had to close at the end of the war, and the French seized their stockpile of parts/weapons. The SpreeWork factory came online sometime around 1941/42 also, IIRC. The Mauser plant came online about 1942, as they were finishing their run of P08s. They didn't start mass production until 1939 at the Walther plant. If I were going to keep this for a long time, I'd look into a fat slide to substitute for this one as a daily shooter, and save the original for looks/resale.Īs to wartime guns- well, basically ALL original steel P38s could be called wartime guns. If you intend to keep this for a long time, it might be wise to invest in some replacement small parts for that area. Some have identified issues of the top cover launching at the range, and losing a couple of the small parts held in place by the rear sight- which is held in place by the firing pin top cover.
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But do NOT drift the rear sight- install the correct one. Shoot it carefully from a bench to see if the sights are properly aligned. Minor adjustments were made by drifting the front sight a smidge. The rear sight setup was designed to have three options.Ī standard 'centered' one, and then one marked L and one marked R to refer to the rear notch being offset to one side or the other, to establish 'windage'. Lastly, you do NOT drift the rear sight on these. Remember that the frames are anodized but the slide is parkerized- usually. You identified the issue with ammo- and no +P rounds.Īlso, do NOT use extra-strength recoil springs, as they can slam the slide forward too hard, and cause damage to the frame over time. The walther forum and the p38 forum have excellent information about these pistols. The second 'upgrade' is the hex-bolt reinforcement of the frame, to reduce long term damage to the firearm. They are visually different as the safety lever area in front of the lever is lower than the sides of the slide, while the earlier version are smooth and the same width the entire length of the slide. In the mid/late 1960s, the 'fat slide' was introduced, to help avoid slides cracking where the locking blocks fit.