WWII German Spreewerke cyq P.38 P-38 P38 9mm Semi-Auto Pistol, MFD 1944 C&R
SOLD FOR: $1062
LSB#: 210419MB32
Make: Spreewerke
Model: P38 cyq Series, 1st Alphabet Run
Serial Number: 1984x
Year of Manufacture: 1944 (See Pg. 138, Vol. 2, “The P.38 Pistol” by Buxton)
Caliber: 9mm Parabellum
Action Type: Single or Double Action Semi-Auto with Removable Magazine. This pistol has a de-cocker lever.
Markings: The left side of the slide is marked “P.38”, “cyq” and “1984 x”. The left side of the frame is marked “1984 x” and an “Eagle / 88” Waffenamt over the trigger guard, frame number “311” is marked under the top of the left grip panel. The left barrel flat is marked with an “Eagle / 88” and “cyq”, the left-rear has eagle clutching swastika. The front barrel flat is marked “1984 / x”. The right barrel flat is marked “B i” and “*”. The bottom of the locking block is marked “984 / x”, the right side is marked with an “Eagle / 88” and the left side is marked with an Eagle clutching Swastika. The right side of the slide is marked with two “Eagle / 88” Waffenamts, with an Eagle clutching Swastika in the center. The frontstrap is import-marked “N.A. RIDGEFIELD, NJ”.
Barrel Length: 5”
Sights / Optics: The pistol is mounted with a flat topped “U” notched rear sight dovetailed into the slide and a blade front sight dovetailed into a band on the front of the barrel.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are serrated AEG production panels. The grips have some scattered light nicks, scratches and handling wear. The serrations are generally well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in about Very Good-plus condition.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright with sharp rifling. There is some scattered light erosion in the bore. There is one spot in the bottom of the bore about 1″ from the muzzle which is either a moderately deep pit or some kind of deep tool mark.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 95% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at some edges, most notable at corners. The action shows minor operational wear. There are scattered minor nicks and handling marks. There is light handling wear in the frontstrap. The screw head is sharp. The markings are generally clear, some of the inspector/acceptance marks are poorly struck (common with Spreewerke production in this serial range). Overall, this pistol appears in about Fine condition but rates Very Good due to the imperfection in the bore.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. It has a decocker safety at the left rear of the slide. 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 black leather holster and a total of two 8-round magazines. The holster is marked “JWa / 4” and “P.38” on the rear, showing scattered light wear and intact stitching, in about Very Good condition. One magazine is marked “P. 38v” on the left and eagle over “359” waffenamt on the spine (Walther production), the other is marked “jvd” on the left and “P38 / U” on the right (Czech production) The magazines have light operational wear, intact feed lips and strong springs, in about Very Good condition.
Our Assessment: Walther’s 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 finally started in 1942 at Mauser and Spreewerke. During the war, the German code for Spreewerke changed from cyq to cvq, and this has sparked much discussion as to whether not there was actually a code change or if the stamp was just worn out, and the tail of the “y” no longer present. This pistol was made in the 1944, but still has a code with a strong tail on the “y”. It shows minor wear, but there is a notable imperfection in the bore. This is a nice find for the P38 collector, and would make a good addition to any collection of WWII P38s. Please see our photos and good luck!