Walther P-38

H

hlpsr

New member
Hi all. I have been giving serious thought to buying a Walther
P-38 in 9mm. Anyone have any comments i.e. how do they shoot, realiability, cost, parts availability, etc.? I like the looks of them and they have history such as the BHP and the 1911. Checked out a few websites that have info which was positive. Seems like the steel receiver is the way to go though. Any feed back is appreciated.
 
I have two. I personally don't really like them. If you are buying one as an historic piece and occasional shooter, great. I don't think they compare to the pistols we have today. I have one of the police trade ins that I think is not technically a P38 and I have a 1944 model with all the Nazi markings. I liked the 1944 model because all the machining marks are present indicating that their manufacturing base was on the skids and they wern't finishing these up to normal standards. I never fired th 1944. The other one shoots ok. It exhibits decent accuracy, about what you would expect out of any standard 9mm handgun. I don't recall having any feeding problems.
 
I have a 60's aluminum frame P1/P38, and it shoots OK, but I prefer more modern handguns. I also have a WW2 Walther, and it shed it's slide cover after two shots, cost me $45 in parts to put it back together! I haven't shot it since, but I'll be taking it to the indoor range next time so I can find the parts! :)
 
A P.38 was my first 9mm pistol and I have a soft spot for them. But as a defense weapon there are more modern pistols today, with better trigger pulls and better sights. The P.38 (a P-38 was a fighter plane) also has weaknesses, the top cover being one of them. A plus is that the magazines seem to have been designed by the guy who designed the Panther tank.

So, regretfully, I would have to recommend against one for serious social purposes, though I would feel far from helpless if that is what I had.

Jim
 
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