Walther P-38

C

CalmerThanYou

New member
I am thinking of dipping a toe into purchasing my first vintage firearm.

I can get a Walther P-38 AC44 Code 9mm I had limited access to the firearm, but was told the numbers match on the barrel and gun. No mark on the magazine, and don't know about the grips. Described as an arsenal re-blue. Gun looks to be in nice condition. Has import markings. WWII production. I should have gotten the serial # but do not have at the moment.

Looking for some cliff-note type advice as what else I should look for.
Thanks in advance, Jeff
 
From what I read it is ok to shoot regular 9mm, but I figure it will get shot once or twice a year. Mostly as a collectable, is my intent.
 
The P-38 is a 9mm semi-auto handgun used during WW2. The P1 was a post dated example variation of the type, used by the Duetchen Bundeswehr for years. They have an 8-round magazine so are totally obsolete compared to a modern pistol but they are interesting looking. I wouldn't shoot it much, parts are/will be hard to find in the years to come. It is a collector's pistol and as such range use should be small. You do not want to ruin the collector's value. Buy a Glock if you want something to shoot often.
 
Thanks, I get that advice. If I obtain the gun I will likely go on a search for an additional OG marked magazine. I have plenty of other options to shoot, but I perhaps would like to shoot it on a rare occasion. If I end up with it. Any other markings or things I should look for or inquire about? The price is $900 which seems fair for a marked import.
 
I can't comment on the current price as I bought my byf43 for $200 or so when they were being imported.

P38's were manufactured well after WWII, into the 60's I believe and then morphed into the P1. There are variants to be found even today.

The P38 is a fun shooting pistol but there are some things to be aware of like the locking block. There's lots of good reading on it all here:
http://www.p38forum.com/index.htm
http://www.waltherforums.com/forum/classics/
http://pistole38.nl/?page_id=25

As for shooting it, that's up to you. My barrel is in poor condition so I don't shoot it as much as I like so make sure you verify it's condition prior to buying it. Having it in your hands is a must to assess the condition.

WWII mags are going for stupid prices. You can pick up Walther post war P38 and P1 mags for $19 that function perfectly well in a wartime firearm.

Anyways you've got some reading to do

Me? I'll either source a replacement barrel, sleeve it or pick up a post war P38 or P1 for a shooter. Replace the locking block and try to find a thick slide model and just have fun shooting it.
 
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A used toe from Ohio sounds expensive. Funny thing is before getting back into firearms I collected vintage skateboards from the 70's, 80's and 90's I over time, became an expert on them and able to spot a fake pretty easy. Vintage firearms are much more complicated, but oddly enough less costly in most cases.
 
P-38s are neat. Different, but neat.

AC is the code for the Walther factory. 44 is the year of manufacture.
Serial numbers will follow the standard German pattern of repeating 4 digit blocks with a letter suffix, starting at the beginning of the year.

Grips will be bakelite (an early form of plastic) and be either brown or black.
Black grip guns are sometimes called "Black Widows" but that is a American made up term to get a few more $ for a "special variant".

Import markings (name & address of importer) mean the gun was imported into the US for commercial sale after WWII. After 1968 the marking was required, but many guns got marked before that.

SA trigger pull is usually pretty heavy and DA trigger pull makes you wonder if normal humans were actually expected to use it. Very heavy.

DO NOT USE +P AMMO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The gun MAY not feed anything but 115/124gr FMJ ammo.

The Walther safety system can break in "just the right way" so the pistol CAN FIRE when the safety is put ON. It's rare, but it CAN HAPPEN. ALWAYS, ALWAYS point the pistol in a safe direction when putting the safety ON!!!!

One last point, rather unique, and almost never mentioned (it was a surprise to me when I shot my AC42), the P.38 ejects to the LEFT.

Authentic original holsters are expensive, several hundred dollars in their own right. Post war holsters look the same, and are much, much cheaper. SOME
"genuwyne authentic Nazzi holsters" are faked, modern reproduction with fake Nazi markings. If you're looking to get a period correct original holster, and someone has one for sale at collector prices, DO SOME RESEARCH before plunking down the cash.

The Luger is the iconic German military pistol, Used by Imperial Germany in WWI, and Nazi Germany in WWII. Production of the Luger ended in 1942. The P.38 was adopted in 1938, and produced through the end of the war (45), making it, to me the iconic Nazi pistol.

If your gun has been "arsenal refinished" it is likely one of the "Russian capture" guns. The Soviets captured large numbers of German weapons, and refinished many of them, putting them in warehouse storage after refinish, to await some future use. With the fall of Soviet Communism, lots of these guns have been imported into the US. Look closely at all markings, and especially for any sign of electro-pencil engraving of "serial numbers". Many "matching number" guns were created in Soviet workshops, by engraving new matching numbers on parts. This does lower the collector value, compared to an original matching gun.

P.38s are neat guns, the pioneer military DA semi auto pistol, and deserving of a place in any collection that includes the WWII period.

ENJOY!!!
 
Carmady. You're not THIS guy are you???
Click to expand...

LOL. No, I was referring to Walter in The Big Lebowski. In one scene he said, "Calmer than you are, calmer than you are," and in another scene he talked about being able to get a toe. There are clips on youtube, but I didn't include any because of the language.

I thought the OP's username was taken from "Calmer than you are."
 
Thanks 44 AMP I have been doing a lot of reading. Very interesting to learn all the subtle differences\contributors in value. I think I better quit reading and buy. And yes I got the Lebowski reference. And yes my username is based on Walter's epic rant.
 
I'll throw this in..........

The gun should have matching numbers on the left side of the slide, left side of the frame just behind the take-down lever, on the front of the barrel block, and on the locking block.
The locking block will usually have the last three digits.

If the gun was a Russian reblue, usually the locking block and the pin in the barrel block that activates the locking block will both be blued.
Another indication is the red and white safety marks around the safety are missing the paint.

Often the Russian capture and reworked guns will have a larger "X" stamped on the left side of the slide.

Treat the grips carefully. They get brittle with age and can crack or break.

DO NOT install any "extra power" recoil springs.
Stronger springs may help reduce frame battering, but when the slide slams SHUT, the front of the frame can crack through the take-down lever hole.
The stronger springs literally hammer the front of the frame off.

If the springs are old, replace them with factory spec springs.
Springs are replaced by using a small screwdriver with a rounded off end that won't scratch to pull a spring back, leaving the guide rod forward.
Holding the spring back, remove the guide then the spring.
Replace the same way.

Be aware that the top cover on the slide is known to pop off if it's loosing tension of the "fingers" that hold it in place, or if the cover was improperly installed. If it comes off, parts spray everywhere.

When activating the safety, it's best to hold the hammer and ease it down.
If the firing pin or safety are worn or crystallized they can break and the gun will fire and even go full-auto.

DO NOT attempt to move the rear sight for windage. It DOES NOT MOVE.
The Rear sight and the top cover interlock and hold each other in place.
Any windage adjustments are by moving the front sight, and elevation is done by installing a higher or lower front sight.
Earl's Walther Service sells numbered front sights.

Field strip the gun and remove the grips. Give it a good cleaning, it's probably full of dirty old oil and grease.
Fresh lube will make it smoother.

Enjoy, the P-38 is an interesting design and fun to shoot.
 
You didn't mention the price asked.
With an import mark and a reblue, it sounds like a Russian Capture. Possibly not original matching, but Russian forced match. Might be worth $500-600.
 
I don't know calmer, but that sure seems high to me for the gun you described. If you decide to buy, I'd sure suggest checking those locking block cuts in the slide mentioned by Dn for cracks. I have seen a slide cracked in that area....
 
$899?
That is way too much. If this is a refinished, forced match gun that functions correctly I would not go over 450-500.
Or about what one would pay for just about any used handgun because it has little value in the 'Collector's Market'.
 
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