My P38

Agent006 · 04-22-2006, 11:03 PM

Well, I stuck to my guns once again and got exactly what I set out for! The gunshow came around and I found myself with enough money to once again consider shopping around for something different. It was going to be a fairly simple affair. Either buy several little things here and there and have my hands full of junk, or I'd have a much smaller but more expensive package. Much to my surprise, the later happened and I actually did find a P38 I was pleased with. There was a P-1 I'd looked at and many other pistols but I could tell that I wasn't going to find a reasonably priced WWII vintage gun. The cheapest Luger was $850. But towards the end I saw one laying on a table with the usual assortment of other handguns and I was happy to see that it was a WWII piece! Finally the real deal. The price still seemed a bit high but taking into account the way prices are going up everywhere, with these guns and others, I really couldn't be surprised. But, the guy was nice and knocked of some of the price and I decided to run with it.

It's not one of the highly desireable examples, but certainly not junk either. Right where I wanted it to be. Something historic but not so rare or nice that I can't shoot it. It's a late-war P38, dated 1945 I believe with many of the machine marking quite visable on the side of the side and lower reciever from where these guns were built cheaper towards the end of the war. The cyq marking indicates that's a Spreewerke contract pistol. The finish is in very nice shape and only shows minor wear at some of the sharp edges. It appears mostly if no completely original. I have some reservation that the slide MIGHT have been reblued at some point... as it seems faintly darker under only the brightest of lights. Then again, production towards the end of the war was quickly done and I'm not sure what sort of inconsistancies went on. P-1's after the war come standard with a matte slide on a gloss blue finish which I thought was odd. At $600, this pistol and the one's like it, seem to be bringing well more than my pricing guide suggests, although this is the same book that tells me a 1923 Commercial Luger is worth $500 ( when I find them for $800 ) and that WW2 M-1 Carbines are worth around $600 ( when I saw one today for $900... ) and well... you see the trend.

Overall, it's quite presentable and the thing that caught me the most was how the gun handles. The trigger is very smooth and probably the best I've felt on a military firearm, especially one this age. The tollerances are reasonably loose but there's no excessive play around the barrel and after taking the gun apart, I find that the numbers on the slide, reciever, barrel, and locking block are all matching. The bore is shiney and the rifling appears nearly new! The gun does feel very well-balanced and the slide is pretty easy to operate. The decocker and the trigger are much smoother than the one's on my nearly new Walther PPK/S. Anyways, time for pictures!

http://img100.imageshack.us/my.php?image=nazip383ad.jpg

I'll let my sister shoot this pistol since it's actually a perfect fit for her. She can operate it in every respect, including field stripping! It was my sister who brought me back to my interest in WWII Nazi Germany and she'd liked the Iron Cross medal so I found a decent vintage example of one today, which like the pistol wasn't cheap. However, they they're both handsome and historic items and look nice on display. I'm happy to know that I have an authentic matching numbers pistol. However, I don't know anything about the magazine. There's a number on there but it doesn't seem to be a number that's on the gun. The magazine looks pretty old so I thought it could very well be the original or a magazine of similar vintage.

http://img170.imageshack.us/my.php?i...agazine8ue.jpg

Let me know if anyone has a clue as to what these markings mean!

Anyways, there's the latest addition to my collect. It's a pretty next Nazi German sidearm and I've always wanted one. Anyways, thanks for reading! When we get out to the range again, I'll come back with my take on how she shoots!

Mooseman684 · 04-22-2006, 11:25 PM

Very Nice ! Congrats 006, I think you will be pleased...:cheer:

Rich

Mooseman684 · 04-22-2006, 11:46 PM

CHECK your P M !

Agent006 · 04-29-2006, 09:42 PM

I just ordered one of these fur mein pistole!

http://www.ima-usa.com/product_info....6e8be610142578

It's a reproduction but a pretty nice one with the SS markings! Or well, I got it mainly for my sister but I bought it so yeah! I think she'll really love pulling it out of a holster like this when we go out to shoot. I'll post of pictures of it with the holster once it get's here.

rugermarksman · 04-30-2006, 11:41 AM

Congrats! Welcome to the club. I have a 1959 P-38 and I love it.
I hope you get some quality use out of it!

Agent006 · 05-01-2006, 09:36 PM

The holster got here pretty quick! Took me a little while with the blowdryer to heat up the leather and get it to fit the pistol but it seems to fit nicely and looks great!

http://img314.imageshack.us/my.php?i...erstuff8mz.jpg

Goes nicely with the rest of our Third Reich stuff. And here's the Waffen SS markings though they're not easy to see in pictures.

http://img314.imageshack.us/my.php?i...ermarks1nj.jpg

Overall, it's a really nicely done replica of the WWII P38 hoster. The only difference being the obvious lack of wear and how nice and new it is! This should give the postol a more historic feel when we take it out for it's first trial shooting this weekend.

Shaun · 05-02-2006, 10:30 PM

thats not a P38 this is a P-38

Agent006 · 05-02-2006, 10:40 PM

The P38 Lightening! I keep finding those whenever I do a search for the pistols. I've been wanting to see some WWII aircraft again but they don't bring them out as much as they used to. When I was little, my parents and I got to crawl up inside a B17 Flying Fortess at an airshow. The waistgunner's position had the .50 Browning mounted and I remember trying to aim it at people! lol

don8 · 05-12-2006, 12:44 PM

I have a p1 that shoots pretty good, no problems so far. I plan to retire it since I got a beretta 92 but for what I paid for the walther i guess it's worth keeping.

FutureMarine · 05-12-2006, 01:29 PM

that is some fine equipment you have there!

jerry · 05-12-2006, 02:38 PM

No, THIS is a P-38

04-22-2006, 11:03 PM	#1
Agent006 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: South Carolina Upstate Posts: 179 Images: 10 Blog Entries: 1	My P38 Well, I stuck to my guns once again and got exactly what I set out for! The gunshow came around and I found myself with enough money to once again consider shopping around for something different. It was going to be a fairly simple affair. Either buy several little things here and there and have my hands full of junk, or I'd have a much smaller but more expensive package. Much to my surprise, the later happened and I actually did find a P38 I was pleased with. There was a P-1 I'd looked at and many other pistols but I could tell that I wasn't going to find a reasonably priced WWII vintage gun. The cheapest Luger was $850. But towards the end I saw one laying on a table with the usual assortment of other handguns and I was happy to see that it was a WWII piece! Finally the real deal. The price still seemed a bit high but taking into account the way prices are going up everywhere, with these guns and others, I really couldn't be surprised. But, the guy was nice and knocked of some of the price and I decided to run with it. It's not one of the highly desireable examples, but certainly not junk either. Right where I wanted it to be. Something historic but not so rare or nice that I can't shoot it. It's a late-war P38, dated 1945 I believe with many of the machine marking quite visable on the side of the side and lower reciever from where these guns were built cheaper towards the end of the war. The cyq marking indicates that's a Spreewerke contract pistol. The finish is in very nice shape and only shows minor wear at some of the sharp edges. It appears mostly if no completely original. I have some reservation that the slide MIGHT have been reblued at some point... as it seems faintly darker under only the brightest of lights. Then again, production towards the end of the war was quickly done and I'm not sure what sort of inconsistancies went on. P-1's after the war come standard with a matte slide on a gloss blue finish which I thought was odd. At $600, this pistol and the one's like it, seem to be bringing well more than my pricing guide suggests, although this is the same book that tells me a 1923 Commercial Luger is worth $500 ( when I find them for $800 ) and that WW2 M-1 Carbines are worth around $600 ( when I saw one today for $900... ) and well... you see the trend. Overall, it's quite presentable and the thing that caught me the most was how the gun handles. The trigger is very smooth and probably the best I've felt on a military firearm, especially one this age. The tollerances are reasonably loose but there's no excessive play around the barrel and after taking the gun apart, I find that the numbers on the slide, reciever, barrel, and locking block are all matching. The bore is shiney and the rifling appears nearly new! The gun does feel very well-balanced and the slide is pretty easy to operate. The decocker and the trigger are much smoother than the one's on my nearly new Walther PPK/S. Anyways, time for pictures! http://img100.imageshack.us/my.php?image=nazip383ad.jpg I'll let my sister shoot this pistol since it's actually a perfect fit for her. She can operate it in every respect, including field stripping! It was my sister who brought me back to my interest in WWII Nazi Germany and she'd liked the Iron Cross medal so I found a decent vintage example of one today, which like the pistol wasn't cheap. However, they they're both handsome and historic items and look nice on display. I'm happy to know that I have an authentic matching numbers pistol. However, I don't know anything about the magazine. There's a number on there but it doesn't seem to be a number that's on the gun. The magazine looks pretty old so I thought it could very well be the original or a magazine of similar vintage. http://img170.imageshack.us/my.php?i...agazine8ue.jpg Let me know if anyone has a clue as to what these markings mean! Anyways, there's the latest addition to my collect. It's a pretty next Nazi German sidearm and I've always wanted one. Anyways, thanks for reading! When we get out to the range again, I'll come back with my take on how she shoots!

04-22-2006, 11:25 PM	#2
Mooseman684 Super Moderator Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Alaska Wilderness Posts: 9,638 Images: 2	Very Nice ! Congrats 006, I think you will be pleased...:cheer: Rich __________________ You know you might be facing your doom,when all you get is a click when you're expecting a BOOM!

04-22-2006, 11:46 PM	#3
Mooseman684 Super Moderator Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Alaska Wilderness Posts: 9,638 Images: 2	CHECK your P M ! __________________ You know you might be facing your doom,when all you get is a click when you're expecting a BOOM!

05-02-2006, 10:30 PM	#7
Shaun Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 8,592 Images: 1	thats not a P38 this is a P-38 __________________ "Homeland Security is the responsibility of an armed citizen" ME http://webpages.charter.net/s.s.v/

05-12-2006, 02:38 PM	#11
jerry Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 10,870 Images: 9 Blog Entries: 1	No, THIS is a P-38 __________________ I'm a down home back woods redneck

04-29-2006, 09:42 PM	#4
Agent006 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: South Carolina Upstate Posts: 179 Images: 10 Blog Entries: 1	I just ordered one of these fur mein pistole! http://www.ima-usa.com/product_info....6e8be610142578 It's a reproduction but a pretty nice one with the SS markings! Or well, I got it mainly for my sister but I bought it so yeah! I think she'll really love pulling it out of a holster like this when we go out to shoot. I'll post of pictures of it with the holster once it get's here.

04-30-2006, 11:41 AM	#5
rugermarksman Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Southeastern CT Posts: 57	Congrats! Welcome to the club. I have a 1959 P-38 and I love it. I hope you get some quality use out of it!

05-01-2006, 09:36 PM	#6
Agent006 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: South Carolina Upstate Posts: 179 Images: 10 Blog Entries: 1	The holster got here pretty quick! Took me a little while with the blowdryer to heat up the leather and get it to fit the pistol but it seems to fit nicely and looks great! http://img314.imageshack.us/my.php?i...erstuff8mz.jpg Goes nicely with the rest of our Third Reich stuff. And here's the Waffen SS markings though they're not easy to see in pictures. http://img314.imageshack.us/my.php?i...ermarks1nj.jpg Overall, it's a really nicely done replica of the WWII P38 hoster. The only difference being the obvious lack of wear and how nice and new it is! This should give the postol a more historic feel when we take it out for it's first trial shooting this weekend.

05-02-2006, 10:40 PM	#8
Agent006 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: South Carolina Upstate Posts: 179 Images: 10 Blog Entries: 1	The P38 Lightening! I keep finding those whenever I do a search for the pistols. I've been wanting to see some WWII aircraft again but they don't bring them out as much as they used to. When I was little, my parents and I got to crawl up inside a B17 Flying Fortess at an airshow. The waistgunner's position had the .50 Browning mounted and I remember trying to aim it at people! lol

05-12-2006, 12:44 PM	#9
don8 Registered User Join Date: May 2006 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 3	I have a p1 that shoots pretty good, no problems so far. I plan to retire it since I got a beretta 92 but for what I paid for the walther i guess it's worth keeping.

05-12-2006, 01:29 PM	#10
FutureMarine Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: PRK Posts: 1,946	that is some fine equipment you have there!