WWII P38's

H

highpower3006

New member
I am bored to tears today and thought I would post few pictures of my modest little collection of P38's while I wait for various bits and pieces to show up in order to finish up some projects around the house.

While primarily my interest is in US military firearms, I do have some interest in foreign arms and have managed to pick up a few guns from the belligerent powers in the world wars.


Walther-ac 44, Jan/Feb 1944. It has all matching numbers and is in original condition with it's original holster and spare magazine as I got it from the estate of a vet. No capture papers came with this, but it isn't import marked so I figure he either smuggled it back or at least it came into the US prior to GCA68.

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Mauser-byf44, Oct/Nov 1944. Another all matching gun that I acquired with it's original holster and spare magazine. No import stamps, so it also could be a bringback or at least it was imported before GCA68.

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Spreewerk-cyq, Nov, 1944. I paid a bit more than I wanted for this one, but like the others, it was in very nice original condition with no import stamps. It came from the estate of a WWII vet and came with the holster and extra magazine.

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Mauser-byf44, Feb/Mar 1945. Very late production byf P38 that would have been quite valuable except that someone let a holster rot around it and pitted the metal on the barrel and slide. Still, it has an okay bore and is very nearly one of the last P38's made by Mauser before the factory was captured in April 1945. When I first got it, I thought the lanyard loop had been removed, but upon closer inspection it looks like one was never installed.

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I have a '41 bring back. The P38 is about the most enjoyable 9mm I have ever found, very SAA like in feel and begs to be shot one handed.

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A 1941 Walther is a desirable P38, too bad someone chromed it. But on the other hand, since the collector value is gone, it does make a dandy shooter.
 
What kind of accuracy do you get out of your P-38's, High? Over the years, I've had a cpl of Lugers, which were outstanding once you got used to the abominable trigger and used them two-handed. Good ammo that they liked would go into 2" or less at 25 yds. Just wondering how the P-38's do. Best Regards, Rod
 
I am not the best one to judge the accuracy of a handgun as I am in every way an average shooter. I customarily don't shoot my nice matching number guns, so the ones I do shoot are kind of rough. I would say that the P38's I have tested shoot about the same as any other surplus handgun. With good ammo I can generally hold the ten ring with a few shots drifting out side into the nine ring. This is about the same as I do with Lugers and 1911's. I think the most accurate P38 I ever shot was a RC Spreewerk with matching numbers. I should have kept it, but I used it as trade bait for another military surplus gun that interested me.
 
A buddy has a P38 and we shot it after he first got it. Very cool piece of history and I'd like to have one at some point.

His shot fine but the spring rod broke during our session. I was shooting and my buddy tapped me on the shoulder to talk and I engaged the decocker to put the gun on safe and lay it on the bench. As I did so, the gun fired.

Thankfully it was aimed down range but it scared me badly. We striped the gun and found the broken spring rod. Thanks to the power of the interweb, he found a replacement in Poland and within a couple of weeks the gun was back up and running without any issues.

That incident could have been a one in a million fluke, but it was a great reminder to make sure that a gun is always pointed down range.
 
Thanks you for your post

Mauser-byf44, Oct/Nov 1944. Another all matching gun that I acquired with it's original holster and spare magazine. No import stamps, so it also could be a bringback or at least it was imported before GCA68.
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highpower3006
Truly appreciate your post. I routinely do some restoration work on military holsters and lately I encountered one that is similar to the one you have pictured. Doing some research, it appears to be issued to a Waffen-SS. I'm getting a different story from the owner. ……. :confused:

Could you do me a favor and look at the back panel, of the holster and see is you can make out a maker's stamp. The only thing I can make out, is that it was made in Berlin...….. :)

Be Safe !!!
 
Could you do me a favor and look at the back panel, of the holster and see is you can make out a maker's stamp. The only thing I can make out, is that it was made in Berlin.
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The makers code on the holster that came with the pistol is cxb-Joseph Moll, Lederwarenfabrik, Goch, Rhienland
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Thanks for the response, High, as I said, the Luger I shot was down well below 2" at 25 yds from a rest....a 9mm....later I picked up a .30 Luger and worked with that for awhile...still have it, and it too was a tack driver. That bottle necked cartridge was a royal PITA to reload however.

The round headspaced on the case shoulder and the neck was paper thin, limiting the amount of crimp. I found that Hornady's swagged 90 gr LSWC's did well and shot just a little high but leading was a real problem. The trigger like the 9mm before it, had the feel of a breaking rubber band, but two-handed, it was manageable.

Lugers that I handled, all had superb machining, but the trigger mechanism left them, as they were designed, a policeman or soldier's last ditch weapon, definitely not a bullseye target competitor.

Best Regards, Rod
 
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I thank you !!!

The makers code on the holster that came with the pistol is cxb-Joseph Moll, Lederwarenfabrik, Goch, Rhienland
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I truly thank you and appreciate the reference. …… :)

Be Safe !!!
 
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