WWII German Walther P.38 P-38 ac-41 ac41 9mm Semi-Auto Pistol 1941 C&R
SOLD FOR: $1111
LSB#: 220119JG021
Make: Walther
Model: P.38
Serial Number: 9123e
Year of Manufacture: 1941
Caliber: 9mm Parabellum
Action Type: Single or Double Action Semi-Auto with Removable Magazine. This pistol has a de-cocker safety.
Markings: The left side of the slide is marked “P.38”, “ac / 41”, and “9123e”, the right is marked with two eagle over “359” waffenamts and an eagle clutching swastika proof. The left of the frame is marked “9123e” and eagle over “359”.The left of the hammer spur, the trigger bar, the right of the magazine catch, the mainspring guide, trigger, and slidestop each have an eagle over “359” waffenamt. The front face of the barrel assembly is marked “9123 / e”, the left is marked with “8,82” at the front and at the rear with eagle clutching swastika, the right has an eagle over “359” waffenamt, “B” in circle and “45”. The right of the locking block is marked with eagle over “359” waffenamt, the left with eagle clutching swastika proof and “1”, the bottom with “123 / e”. The backstrap, above the grips, is import marked “NHM. CO / SAC. CA. / 9MM GERMANY”.
Barrel Length: 5”
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade dovetailed to a boss at the front of the barrel. The rear sight is a “U”-notch dovetailed to the rear of the slide.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece black synthetic panels with raised serrations. The interior of the panels have only mold-number markings, likely replacement grips. The grips show light handling wear with some scattered light nicks, scuffing and handling marks. The serrations are well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Very Good condition as likely not original to the gun.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Refinished
Bore Condition: The bore is gray. The rifling shows wear, but is generally well defined. There is scattered light-moderate erosion in the bore.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 87% of its current metal finish. The finish is thinning at most edges. Most of the balance is in handling wear in the grip areas and controls. There is scattered erosion under the finish with less frequent erosion through the finish. There are some scattered light nicks, scuffs and scratches. The action shows operational wear. The screw head is lightly tool marked with a strong slot. Overall, this pistol is in Good-Very Good condition as refinished.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. It has a decocker safety on the left side of the slide. The slide has light play to the frame. We did not fire this pistol. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes with a single 8-round magazine. The magazine is marked “jvd” on the left (Czech production). The magazine has light operational wear, scattered minor oxidation and infrequent erosion with intact feed lips and a strong spring.
Our Assessment: The P38 occupies a significant place in history. It was the first locked breech pistol to have a single action/double action trigger. After the start of WWII, Walther could not keep up with the production required, and production was ordered to commence at both Mauser and Spreewerke in 1940. By the end of the war, Walther had only produced about 580,000 of the 1.2 million produced. This example has all matching serialized parts with many of the small parts having proper eagle/359 Walther waffenamts. The magazine and grips appear to be replacements and the pistol has been refinished, so it still looks good. This pistol is a nice piece of history and should still make for a fun shooter, today. Please see our photos and good luck!