Walther P38 - info requested

[Flying Sig]

Hello - a friend of mine is selling a Walther P38 for his Mother in law. His father in law bought it years ago and they are looking for some info on it, and I can?t find anything regarding the serial number range.

The S/N is 087157 and appears to be unfired. The finish on the slide is like a rough parkerizing and the finish doesn?t match the frame. The numbers on the slide match the frame. Any info will be appreciated.


IMG_1712.jpg

IMG_1712.jpg

IMG_1713.jpg

[Rogerbutthead]

I'd post it on the Walther P38 Forum if you wanted some experienced info on what your friend has.

https://p38forum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=12

[Capybara]

Looks to me like a P38 upper on a P1 frame? I had one, there were plenty imported that way. P38 frames are steel, P1 frames are Aluminum. P1 is post war, P38 is WWII or pre-WWII. That lower doesn't have the hex pin so I wouldn't shoot it a lot or with +P or ++P loads.

Looks like a forced number matching, like the slide was engraved with the last three of the frame's s/n? Probably done by the importer, assembling these from a mish mosh of frames and slides? I've seen these referred to as "P1/P38s"? There is no "Bw" on the frame for Bundeswehr, of West German police so this likely wasn't ever a police gun.

Not a particularly valuable pistol, worth about $500 or whatever someone will pay whereas WWII all steel real P38s are selling for $1,000-$1,800 or more depending on arsenal and condition.

I would still post it on a P38 Forum to get the dates, etc. I am not a P38 expert but I own a few P1s. This is one I bought in Oregon last year, notice how the slide is stamped P1 and there a Bw near the frame serial number? Mine also has the hex pin to strengthen the rather flimsy Aluminum frame? This one likely sat in a West German Police Arsenal rack, it's never been fired.

[Rogerbutthead]

Didn't even consider that it was post war - this link would be correct for that - https://p38forum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13

[Flying Sig]

Thanks gents

[Rogerbutthead]

Atlantic seems to be selling pistols akin to your example.

https://atlanticfirearms.com/walther-p38-pistol

[hambam105]

At 3:30, this guy decides to go for a P-38. Who knows, it might be the same pistol.

https://youtu.be/kYxwTuCtQMU?si=AsCwLnnIoQxDHATG

[SVT-40]

Look on the other side of the slide for the production date. Its a West German military P-38 made probably in the 1960's before they started designating them as the "P-1".

The reason for the different finishes is due to the different types of metals used. The frame is alloy, and thus can't be phosphated "parkerized" so it has a anodized finish.

The steel parts including the barrel, slide, slide release Etc are steel so they are phosphate.

It's identical to the types in the above link from Atlantic.

The pistols Atlantic and J& G are selling are shown to be in "good" condition. Your friends pistol looks to be in excellent condition, but It's not unfired as all Walther pistols are test fired before leaving the plant and are also test fired if needed by a German proof house.

J&G Sales has them also, but cheaper at $419.95

https://www.jgsales.com/product/walther-p38-semi-auto-pistol-9mm-post-wwii-blued-alloy-frame-cr-decocker-issue-used/

Walther also produced a limited number of alloy frame commercial P-38 pistols during the same time period. These were imported into the US by Interarms and have the commercial proof marks on the slide and frame, as well as a date code on the frame in front of the trigger guard. In this case "68" for 1968. the antler proof is from the "Ulm" proof house.

The pistol below is what was called their "high polish" model, which were finished to a much higher standard, and had blued steel parts. These commercial pistols also, by law had to have the "Made in West Germany" import stamp. Which all imports at that time were required to have.