• Post War Walther P38 Pistols
• Post War Walther P38 7.65
• Post War Walther P38 Markings
• Walther P38 Markings

During Part I of this article, we discussed in considerable detail the P.38 during World War II, which replaced the svelte, but finicky, P.08 Luger. Total World-War-II production of the P.38 by three manufacturers--Walther, Mauser and Spreewerk--was about 1,190,500.

• RIGHT: The early (up to mid-1942) were marked with the serial number of the gun and these add to the rarity of these Walther Banner P-38's. After the war, most of the ex-Walther machinery ended up in France as war reparations, and many of the post-war P38 pistols were actually built in France, by the Manurhin factory.
• The short lived 480 code was changed to 'ac' in August of 1940 with a serial number range of 7384-9912 it is considered one of the most desirable of P.38 pistols produced during the war because of the long service and limited production.
• P38Guns This website showcases WWII era P38 variations and Axis pistols. Please feel free to e-mail me: mark@p38guns.com if you have any questions about your P38 guns.
• March 3, 2013 [ATARIAN ] Post-war P38 serial number versus date production chart This information is taken only from original, serial number matching pistols.

The Walther P38 (originally written Walther P.38) is a 9 mmsemi-automatic pistol that was developed by Carl Walther GmbH as the service pistol of the Wehrmacht at the beginning of World War II. It was intended to replace the costly Luger P08, the production of which was scheduled to end in 1942.

• 3Variants

Development[edit]

The first designs submitted to the German Army featured a locked breech and a hidden hammer, but the Heer (German Army) requested that it be redesigned with an external hammer.

The P38 concept was accepted by the German military in 1938 but production of actual prototype ('Test') pistols did not begin until late 1939. Walther began manufacture at their plant in Zella-Mehlis and produced three series of 'Test' pistols, designated by a '0' prefix to the serial number. The third series pistols satisfactorily solved the previous problems for the Heer and mass production began in mid-1940, using Walther's military production identification code '480'. After a few thousand pistols the Heer changed all codes from numbers to letters and Walther was given the 'ac' code.^{[citation needed]}

Several experimental versions were later created in .45 ACP, and .38 Super, but these were never mass-produced. In addition to the 9×19mm Parabellum version, some 7.65×21mm Parabellum and some .22 Long Rifle versions were also manufactured and sold.

Design details[edit]

From an engineering perspective the P38 was a semi-automatic pistol design that introduced technical features that are found in other semi-automatic pistols like the Beretta 92 and its M9 sub-variant adopted by the United States military.

The P38 was the first locked-breech pistol to use a double-action/single-action (DA/SA) trigger (the earlier double-action PPK was an unlocked blowback design, but the more powerful 9×19mm Parabellum round used in the P38 mandated a locked breech design). The shooter could chamber a round, use the safety-decocking lever to safely lower the hammer without firing the round, and carry the weapon loaded. This lever can stay down, keeping the pistol 'on safe' or be immediately returned to the straight position, keeping the weapon safely 'ready' with a double-action trigger pull for the first shot. Pulling the trigger cocks the hammer before firing the first shot with double-action operation. The firing mechanism extracts and ejects the first spent round, cocks the hammer, and chambers a fresh round for single-action operation with each subsequent shot – all features found in many modern day handguns. Besides a DA/SA trigger design similar to that of the earlier Walther PPKs the P38 features a visible and tactile loaded chamber indicator in the form of a metal rod that protrudes out of the top rear end of the slide when a round is present in the chamber.^[7]

The moving-barrel design mechanism operates by use of a wedge-shaped falling locking block underneath the breech. When the pistol is fired both the barrel and slide recoil for a short distance together, where the locking block drives down, disengaging the slide and arresting further rearward movement of the barrel. The slide however continues its rearward movement on the frame, ejecting the spent case and cocking the hammer before reaching the end of travel. Two return springs located on either side of the frame and below the slide, having been compressed by the slide's rearward movement, drive the slide forward, stripping a new round from the magazine, driving it into the breech and, in the process, re-engaging the barrel; ending its return travel with a fresh round chambered, hammer cocked and ready to repeat the process. The falling locking block design provides good accuracy due to the in-line travel of the barrel and slide.

Initial production P38 pistols were fitted with walnut grips, but these were later supplanted by Bakelite grips.^[8]Post war P1 grips were made of sheet metal.

Variants[edit]

The Walther P38 was in production from 1939 to 1945.^[9] After the war from 1945-1946, several thousands of pistols were assembled for the French armed forces^[2](frequently dubbed 'grey ghosts' because of parkerized finish and grey sheet metal grips). Only after 1957 was the P38 again produced for the German military. Slowly over time, West Germany desired to rebuild its military so that it could shoulder some of the burden for its own defense. Walther retooled for new P38 production since no military firearms production had occurred in West Germany since the end of the war, knowing that the military would again seek Walther firearms. When the Bundeswehr announced it wanted the P38 for its official service pistol, Walther readily resumed P38 production within just two years, using wartime pistols as models and new engineering drawings and machine tools. The first of the new P38s were delivered to the West German military in June 1957, some 17 years and two months after the pistol had initially seen action in World War II, and from 1957 to 1963 the P38 was again the standard sidearm.

P1[edit]

In late 1963 the postwar military model P1 was adopted for use by the German military, identifiable by the P1 stamping on the slide. The postwar pistols, whether marked as P38 or P1, have an aluminum frame rather than the steel frame of the original design. Starting in June 1975, the aluminum frame was reinforced with a hex bolt above the trigger guard.

During the 1990s the German military started replacing the P1 with the P8 pistol and finally phased out the P1 in 2004.

P4[edit]

An improved version of the P38, the Walther P4, was developed in the late 1970s and was adopted by the police forces of South Africa, Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg.

Users[edit]

• Afghanistan: Afghan National Police received 10,000 P1s after the fall of the Talibans^[10]
• Algeria^[11]
• Argentina (trial purposes)^[12]
• Austria^[13]
• Canada: Used by the prisoner transport services of the Correctional Service Canada until the late 1980's. P1 Variant
• Chad: P1 variant.^[13]
• Chile: Chilean Army.^[14]
• Independent State of Croatia^[15]
• East Germany: Used primarily by police and paramilitary.^[16]
• Finland: Finnish UN peacekeeping forces, P1 variant.^[17]
• France: Replaced by the mid-1950s.^[1]
• Germany: P1 variant.^[13]
• Hungary^[15]
• Italy^[15]
• Iraq: Iraqi Kurdistan received 8,000 P1 pistols in 2014^[18]
• Japan^[15]
• Kazakhstan - at least up to 2007 were used as service pistol in private security companies^[19]
• Lebanon^[13]
• North Macedonia: P1 variant.^[13]
• Mozambique^[13]
• Nazi Germany^[14]
• North Korea^{[citation needed]}
• North Vietnam^[3]
• Norway: Norwegian Armed Forces.^[20] Replaced by the P80 in 1985^[21]
• Pakistan:Used by Pakistan Navy and Pakistan Army Medical Corps. In small numbers purchased from West Germany
• Portugal: Portuguese Army.^[14]
• South Africa: Standard sidearm of SA Police.^[22]
• Sweden: HP variant.^[23]
• West Germany^[14]
• Yugoslav Partisans^[24]

Trivia[edit]

The original design for the Transformers character Megatron allowed him to assume the appearance of the P38. Due to subsequent changes in laws regarding toy replicas of guns, the United States later deemed the toy illegal due to the barrel not having an orange tip, making it hard to differentiate from the actual firearm. Australia also outlaws the toy from import for similar reasons.

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abcBishop, Chris. Guns in Combat. Chartwell Books, Inc (1998). ISBN0-7858-0844-2.
2. ^ ^abc'L'armement français en A.F.N.'Gazette des Armes (in French). No. 220. March 1992. pp. 12–16.
3. ^ ^ab'WWII German weapons during the Vietnam War'. 10 July 2015.
4. ^Weapons of World War II by Alexander Ludeke
5. ^Weapons of World War II by Alexander Ludeke
6. ^Weapons of World War II by Alexander Ludeke
7. ^Military Small Arms of the 20th Century, Ian Hogg, John Weeks
8. ^'P38 - 9mm semi-automatic pistol - history & development of the weapon'. Hellcat Patriots' Rifle Club. Retrieved 2009-04-16.
9. ^'Walther Military P.38 Production Dates'(PDF).
10. ^Bhatia, Michael Vinai; Sedra, Mark (May 2008). Small Arms Survey (ed.). Afghanistan, Arms and Conflict: Armed Groups, Disarmament and Security in a Post-War Society. Routledge. p. 170. ISBN978-0-415-45308-0.
11. ^'World Infantry Weapons: Algeria'. 2015. Archived from the original on 24 November 2016.
12. ^Julio S. Guzmán, Las Armas Modernas de Infantería, Abril de 1953
13. ^ ^abcdefJones, Richard D. Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010. Jane's Information Group; 35 edition (January 27, 2009). ISBN978-0-7106-2869-5.
14. ^ ^abcdDiez, Octavio (2000). Armament and Technology. Lema Publications, S.L. ISBN84-8463-013-7.
15. ^ ^abcdScarlata, Paul (10 March 2013). 'Evolution of the Modern Military Pistol'. Shotgun News.
16. ^http://p-38.info/eg/index.htm
17. ^Hyytinen, Timo (2002). Arma Fennica II Military Weapons. Gummerus Oy, Inc. ISBN951-99887-0-X.
18. ^Small Arms Survey (2015). 'Trade Update: After the 'Arab Spring''(PDF). Small Arms Survey 2015: weapons and the world(PDF). Cambridge University Press. p. 110.
19. ^Постановление Правительства Республики Казахстан № 1305 от 28 декабря 2006 года 'Об утверждении Государственного кадастра гражданского и служебного оружия и патронов к нему на 2007 год'
20. ^Marchington, James (2004). The Encyclopedia of Handheld Weapons. Lewis International, Inc. ISBN1-930983-14-X.
21. ^'P80 - Pistol'. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
22. ^Helmoed-Romer, Heitman (1991). Modern African Wars (3): South-West Africa. Osprey Publishing. ISBN185532122X.
23. ^Reichert, Orv. 'P.38 variations'. Pistole38.nl. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
24. ^Scarlata, Paul (1 October 2017). 'Yugoslav Part II: World War II small arms: an assortment of small arms from friends and foe alike'. Firearms News.

External links[edit]

• Walther P1 article (in German)

WALTHER 06/05/2019

The 0 series of Walther made P.38's were used as troop trials in the field and modifications on the design were done in conjuction with performance reports. This experimental series was made to meet strict German military requirements.

First variation guns are in the 01-035 serial number range and will have the pre-1940 'lazy' c/n proof. Very few examples are known to exist. All small parts are hand fitted and numbered to the gun like the famous German Luger.

O Series 1st variation - 028a

Second variation guns are in the 036-01000 serial number range and are hard to find, they have a concealed extractor. The parts are still hand fitted but not all numbered to the gun. The proof was changed after 1940 the e/s that we see for the rest of the war.

O Series 2nd variation - 0858

Third variation guns are in the 02005-03478 serial number range and will have rectangular firing pins and an exposed extractor for better function.

0 Series 3rd variation with milled slide, matched mag and commercial production parts - 02007

0 Series 3rd variation with milled slide - 02321

0 Series 3rd variation - 02935

0 Series 3rd variation - 03339

Fourth variation guns are in the 03520-013714 serial number range for the final design with changes made on some of the internal parts for better performance.

0 Series 4th variation with half eagle on the slide, very rare. Half eagles are in the 02687-03170 for 3rd variation guns and 03652-03989 for 4th variation pistols - 03652

0 Series 4th variation - 05730

0 Series 4th variation with matched mag - 05731

0 Series 4th variation 'rig'with two matched mags - 06480

0 Series 4th variation with 'a' suffix, military grips and rectangular lanyard loop - 07547a

480 coded guns are in the 1-7374 serial number range and were issued to the military, replacing the Luger.

480 code - 172

480 code - 912

480 code - 5927

The short lived 480 code was changed to 'ac' in August of 1940 with a serial number range of 7384-9912 it is considered one of the most desirable of P.38 pistols produced during the war because of the long service and limited production.

AC no date - 7689

AC no date - 8048

In September of 1940 the order came down to mark the slides with the date so '40' was hand stamped on the slides. The serial number range is 9988-5942a

Two AC 40 added in the AC no date serial number range with one 480 40 added.rare 8263, 9249, 3478

AC 40 added serial number range 9988-5942a. 6,000 produced 145a

AC 40 added with HzA stamp.. extremely rare only three reported 329a

AC 40 added 'Rig' with 2 matched mags with serial numbers stamped on the right side and electricpencilled serial numbers on the left. Very rare varation few known. 4528a

Later in production the ac 40 date was machine stamped on the slide. The serial number range is 5943a-9965b

AC 40 - 182b

AC 40 rework with odd unit marking on slide..unique

In 1941 production started with the number 1. First variation guns will have ac on the trigger guard, under the barrel with matched numbered grips and mags. The serial number range is 1-4833b

AC 41 1st variation 'rig' with two matched mags and Holster - 3744

AC 41 1st variation 'rig' with paper document GI Holster - 5030

AC 41 1st variation with mixed stamps, very rare. Serial range is scattered from 4610a to 7041a - 7041a

Second variation guns will no longer have ac on the trigger guard and barrel. The numbered grips were discontinued for expedience in production and interchangable parts. Two matched numbered mags were still issued and all the small parts will have the e/359 inspection stamps on them. This is the most common of the AC 41 variation guns found. Serial number range is 4833b-4527i with 70,000 produced.

AC 41 2nd variation 'rig' with two matched mags, transitional with e/359 under slide - 14d

AC 41 2nd variation 'rig' with two matched mags, holster and capture papers from the vet who brought it back - 7692d

AC 41 2nd variation 'rig' with two matched mags and holster it has the short lived open sear - 9506h

Third variation guns are the same as second variation guns but have a military finish instead of high polish. Serial number range is 5015i-9973j with 15,000 produced.

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AC 41 3rd variation with matched numbered magazine - 696j

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AC 41 3rd variation with original holster - 3903j

In1942 production will start at serial number 1, for First variation guns, and run through 1806b, they will have matched mags and all e/359 parts with 21,000 produced.

AC 42 1st variation with matched mag and holster - 6673

AC 42 1st variation - 6278a

Second variation guns will no longer have matched mags or all e/359 accepted parts. Some early guns may have a few left over e/359 parts assembled to the gun. Serial number range is 2181b-9197k with 100,000 produced.

AC 42 2nd variation - 1873f

In1943 production will start at serial number 1 and are basically the same as the second variaition AC 42's. Serial numbers run trough the 'g' block and will have the early frame and extractor cut, there is cross over from the first and second variation for these changes about 80,000 produced.

AC 43 1st variation most likely from the first day of producton with orginal holster - 188

AC 43 1st variation with original holster - 6803

AC 43 1st variation with a rare Christof Neuner hard shell holster - 7223a

AC 43 2nd variation serial number range late g block-310m. 50,000 produced

AC 43 3rd variation serial number range 310m-9993n. 20,000 produced

AC 43 3rd variation 'rig'.

AC 44 with original HJ belt, buckle and holster - 116g

AC 44 serial number range 1-9496l. 120,000 produced 'rig' with capture papers and vets story - 4332g

AC 44 with e/140 FN Frame - 5339g

Post War Walther P38 Pistols

AC 44 Trigger Guard Eagle - 6760g

AC 44 with e/140 FN Slide - 9786h

AC 44 with capture papers and docs - 3342i

AC 44 missing the e/s proof - 2286k

AC 44 with capture papers 'rig' - 7183k

AC 44 with WaA76 CZ barrel - 4265l

AC 44 and AC 45 trigger guard eagle guns

AC 45 1st variation 'rig' produced in January 1945, serial number range 1-2789c. 32,000 produced

AC 45 2nd variation serial number range 2572A-7874A

Four AC 45's consecutive serial numbers produced in February 1945

AC 45 'rig' with phosphated parts produced in March of 1945

AC 45 'rig' very similar to the one above, near the end of WWII production.

AC 45 with fnh WaA76 barrel

AC 45 8419b late war, missing the final acceptance stamp

AC 45 9984b missing final stamp

AC 45 'c' block all matching missing test proof parts produced in April 1945 - 258c

AC 45 'c' block all matched - 1678c

Three AC 45's Mismatched, made for American GI's who occupied the Walter plant.

AC 45 with a 'd' block barrel and FN frame - 2270c

AC 45 with 'in the white' hammer and no serial number on the frame

Mod HP frame gun from left over parts at the Walther factory for GI's with rare FN slide - 18376

AC Late frame made from spare parts with byf slide

Post War Walther P38 7.65

AC Late frame made from spare parts with ac 41 slide

DOV slide gun with paperwork from the vet and Warren Buxton

Post War Walther P38 Markings

Nickel plated AC41 with matched mag

Walther P38 Markings