Cleaning up an old P38
- Thread starter jal5
- Start date
the rifleer
New member
Winchester_73
New member
If you think its already been nickled/chromed maybe a refinish is an ok idea. I'm not sure they will be able to duplicate the finish that the gun originally wore, a dull blue. If they can, and you want to enjoy it, fix it up. Post pics of your progress.
yodarkritch
New member
Poor poor P-38
I once owns a P-38
I LOVED it !
It was my DATE gun. I took my dates to shoot with it and it ALWAYS ejected the brass straight back, right down my sweeetie's shirt!
so SAD
Till I saw the poor fellow, in thinking about guns the thought of BONDO and duracoat never occurred simultaneously ;?)
sadly
Yodar
I once owns a P-38
I LOVED it !
It was my DATE gun. I took my dates to shoot with it and it ALWAYS ejected the brass straight back, right down my sweeetie's shirt!
so SAD
Till I saw the poor fellow, in thinking about guns the thought of BONDO and duracoat never occurred simultaneously ;?)
sadly
Yodar
UPDATE
Got all the parts and am able to put the gun all together. It still needs more cleaning and eventually a refinish job. But for now i am looking forward to shooting it at the range. Will reload some light loads using 115gr TMJ by Speers and Unique and see how it does. Will post a report.
Joe
Got all the parts and am able to put the gun all together. It still needs more cleaning and eventually a refinish job. But for now i am looking forward to shooting it at the range. Will reload some light loads using 115gr TMJ by Speers and Unique and see how it does. Will post a report.
Joe
SEMPERJACK
Inactive
Jal's P38
Caught my interest,Good Luck with your project-please post your progress.
Caught my interest,Good Luck with your project-please post your progress.
Will post some pics tonite.
Shot the P38 for the first time using my own reloads. Fired fine for 3 rounds then jammed up several in a row. I think I had 4 out of 10 jam or fail to eject. This was using the low end of the reload specs for the 9mm, 115 gr. projectile with Bullseye. I also found out that one of the springs was bad (on the firing pin) so this may have added to the problem. Have another one on order and will try again. The other factor was that the low end of the reload recipe may not be enough presssure for good slide cycling on this gun. But on the positive side, the gun does work and nothing blew up!
Joe
Shot the P38 for the first time using my own reloads. Fired fine for 3 rounds then jammed up several in a row. I think I had 4 out of 10 jam or fail to eject. This was using the low end of the reload specs for the 9mm, 115 gr. projectile with Bullseye. I also found out that one of the springs was bad (on the firing pin) so this may have added to the problem. Have another one on order and will try again. The other factor was that the low end of the reload recipe may not be enough presssure for good slide cycling on this gun. But on the positive side, the gun does work and nothing blew up!
Joe
SEMPERJACK
Inactive
Jal's P38
Jal, I too have an AC44 Had a bit of a rust problem, the finish of the Walther does'nt compromise got (1) early 229 blue-black grips (heartbreaker) later model w/rough mill'd finish-brown grips .................must be something in the air here in NE Ohio So.of Y-town makes us Saints of lost causes.Good Luck Again-also please post progress
Jal, I too have an AC44 Had a bit of a rust problem, the finish of the Walther does'nt compromise got (1) early 229 blue-black grips (heartbreaker) later model w/rough mill'd finish-brown grips .................must be something in the air here in NE Ohio So.of Y-town makes us Saints of lost causes.Good Luck Again-also please post progress
Saints of lost causes...I like that! I couldn't let it just go to junk since it was my favorite uncle's war remembrance. Here is how it looks now after the work I have done on it. It really doesn't look too bad just the way it is but I plan on getting it professionally refinished sometime later this year.
Joe
Joe
Attachments
jal5,
First of all get one of these: http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=935374
It will solve your functioning problems.
Then, for $220, I would recommend the Ford dull blue complete handgun blueing job (it would look closest to original instead of the high polish). After all, it's a WWII Nazi Walther and even with a PRO refinish, it will be worth it and you'll be MUCH more satisfied with the gun.
And, lastly, take real care of those grips - they're very valuable and in great demand with collectors!
Ron
First of all get one of these: http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=935374
It will solve your functioning problems.
Then, for $220, I would recommend the Ford dull blue complete handgun blueing job (it would look closest to original instead of the high polish). After all, it's a WWII Nazi Walther and even with a PRO refinish, it will be worth it and you'll be MUCH more satisfied with the gun.
And, lastly, take real care of those grips - they're very valuable and in great demand with collectors!
Ron
Quite frankly, although the outside of your P.38 looked pretty grim at first, it actually looks worse than it really is. About 35 years ago I resurrected a Colt 1911A1 (early 50's production) that had been buried in a rag in someone's back yard in south Florida for 6 years. The pitting was so bad on the outside that, from a distance, after a good soak in muriatic acid to remove all the rust, it looked liked it had been engraved.
All the springs had to be replaced, the grips were completely gone, and the mag had to be replaced,
but the gun is still shooting and functions very well to this day, even though it sure ain't pretty to look at. I suspect your P.38, afer you get a few more bugs worked out, will function quite well as a shooter for years to come.
All the springs had to be replaced, the grips were completely gone, and the mag had to be replaced,
but the gun is still shooting and functions very well to this day, even though it sure ain't pretty to look at. I suspect your P.38, afer you get a few more bugs worked out, will function quite well as a shooter for years to come.
Jal, super job on the P.38!
My Walther expert told me, after I brought my own P.38 to him because of cycling issues with 115 gr luger, that I should use 124 gr instead. He made his point by loading 8 of those rounds in my pistol, taking it out back, and ripping off 8 shots in a row as fast as he could pull the trigger. I took it to the range and got 1 or two jams on each mag with 115gr, and zero out of 100 jams with 124 gr
I have also replaced all my springs- even the mag spring. A warped mag spring can influence how the rounds feed
My Walther expert told me, after I brought my own P.38 to him because of cycling issues with 115 gr luger, that I should use 124 gr instead. He made his point by loading 8 of those rounds in my pistol, taking it out back, and ripping off 8 shots in a row as fast as he could pull the trigger. I took it to the range and got 1 or two jams on each mag with 115gr, and zero out of 100 jams with 124 gr
I have also replaced all my springs- even the mag spring. A warped mag spring can influence how the rounds feed
I know I am in the minority here but I would just leave it alone. I personally think that old war relics look better if they actually look like old war relics. I have a number of milsurp guns that look like they have been in a war but they shoot fine. I wouldn't want them to look like a new gun. One is a K98 that has almost no finish on the metal at all. To me, it looks cool as heck.
As was mentioned earlier, if you want a new looking P38 type pistol, there are plenty of them around that you can buy for less than what it would cost you to refinish it.
All that said, what kind of money would it take to get the chrome or nickel removed from a gun like that ? I have a Luger that was chromed. It is also rusting through the chrome. To ME, this is sort of a different can of worms as far as restoration: it doesn't look like a war relic so IMO restoring it isn't as big of a deal. It is a pretty good shooter. I am not willing to pay for real nice Lugers but I have several that are not particularly desireable as Lugers go.
As was mentioned earlier, if you want a new looking P38 type pistol, there are plenty of them around that you can buy for less than what it would cost you to refinish it.
All that said, what kind of money would it take to get the chrome or nickel removed from a gun like that ? I have a Luger that was chromed. It is also rusting through the chrome. To ME, this is sort of a different can of worms as far as restoration: it doesn't look like a war relic so IMO restoring it isn't as big of a deal. It is a pretty good shooter. I am not willing to pay for real nice Lugers but I have several that are not particularly desireable as Lugers go.
ChrisB-
thanks for the tip on the 124 gr. ammo, if it keeps jamming after I replace the firing pin spring I will try that. My spring is broken where the loop is supposed to be continuous up and around the cartridge indicator pin. I have one on the way.
444-
I am guessing around $250 at Ford's. They are supposed to be about the best in refinishing firearms. I need to do something to it as I got most but not all of the rust off of it at this point. If I get any more aggressive with it all the stamps will be gone too.
Joe
thanks for the tip on the 124 gr. ammo, if it keeps jamming after I replace the firing pin spring I will try that. My spring is broken where the loop is supposed to be continuous up and around the cartridge indicator pin. I have one on the way.
444-
I am guessing around $250 at Ford's. They are supposed to be about the best in refinishing firearms. I need to do something to it as I got most but not all of the rust off of it at this point. If I get any more aggressive with it all the stamps will be gone too.
Joe