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John Martz custom built .45ACP Walther P.38
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Herr Walther
New member
John V. Martz lives in California (of all places). He has made dozens of these conversions using two P.38's cut in half length-wise to widen the slide and frame to accomodate the .45ACP cartridge. The grips are extended about a tenth of an inch to cover the wider frame. The new grips (walnut) and the .45ACP barrels are farmed out elsewhere. The magazine used is a modified BDA/Sig P220 with the Euro-type
heel release.
All of these P.38's are manufactured from pre- and WWII P.38's that are steel-framed.
The slide release, take down lever, decocker, hammer, and trigger are all 24kt gold plated. The polishing and blueing on these pistols rivals that of Walther GmbH.
I have seen prices range from $6500.00 to over $15,000 dollars.
High-end collectors only need apply.
heel release.
All of these P.38's are manufactured from pre- and WWII P.38's that are steel-framed.
The slide release, take down lever, decocker, hammer, and trigger are all 24kt gold plated. The polishing and blueing on these pistols rivals that of Walther GmbH.
I have seen prices range from $6500.00 to over $15,000 dollars.
High-end collectors only need apply.
hksigwalther
New member
Who was/is it that makes the .45ACP Luger? (From two Lugers.)
Mr. Martz did those.
At least, the ones featured in American Handgunner a few years back. Again, the guns were built from two donor guns that were sectioned lengthwise to accomodate the wider .45 ACP cartridge. I've been in John's shop, as he rebarreled my VOPO Luger. Impressive shop, and he had the old barrel out of the barrel extension and the new one screwed in and indexed in no time at all. He opened up a tray in the huge safe behind his workbench, to give me a glimpse of current projects. Wow! The thing that I found really interesting was the outdoor firing range just to the side of his front lawn. (We're talking Lincoln, CA, here, right near Vassar Lake) When he's test-firing a gun he's worked on, he just walks out front towards the fence and shoots towards some targets placed near his satellite dish. I pointed out some of the holes in his satellite dish, and he mentioned having to do something about repositioning the targets...
Here's the rebarreling job he did on my Luger:
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=647681&a=12019370&p=45572976&Sequence=0&res=high
At least, the ones featured in American Handgunner a few years back. Again, the guns were built from two donor guns that were sectioned lengthwise to accomodate the wider .45 ACP cartridge. I've been in John's shop, as he rebarreled my VOPO Luger. Impressive shop, and he had the old barrel out of the barrel extension and the new one screwed in and indexed in no time at all. He opened up a tray in the huge safe behind his workbench, to give me a glimpse of current projects. Wow! The thing that I found really interesting was the outdoor firing range just to the side of his front lawn. (We're talking Lincoln, CA, here, right near Vassar Lake) When he's test-firing a gun he's worked on, he just walks out front towards the fence and shoots towards some targets placed near his satellite dish. I pointed out some of the holes in his satellite dish, and he mentioned having to do something about repositioning the targets...
Here's the rebarreling job he did on my Luger:
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=647681&a=12019370&p=45572976&Sequence=0&res=high