WWII German Walther AC-41 AC41 P.38 P38 P-38 9mm Semi-Auto Pistol, 1941 C&R
SOLD FOR: $1091
LSB#: 210616KB10
Make: Walther
Model: P38
Serial Number: 9271h
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 “9271h”, the right is marked with two eagle over “359” waffenamts and an eagle clutching swastika proof, the top of the firing pin cover has eagle over “359” waffenamts. The left of the frame is marked “9271h” and eagle over “359”.The left of the hammer spur, the trigger bar, the right of the magazine catch, the mainspring guide, trigger, slidestop, and takedown lever each have an eagle over “359” waffenamt. The front face of the barrel assembly is marked “9271 / h”, the left is marked with “8,83” at the front and at the rear with eagle clutching swastika, the right has an eagle over “359” waffenamt, “B” in cirlce and “72”. 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 “271 / h”. The left of the sear has what looks like a hand-scribed eagle over “359”. The magazine body is marked “P.38” on the left and on the spine with two eagle over “359” waffenamts, the floorplate is marked “9271h”. The inside of each grip panel is marked with AEG production codes and with an eagle over “359” waffenamt.
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 AEG two-piece serrated panels. The grips show handling wear with some scattered light nicks, scuffing and handling marks. There is one more notable ding in the rear of the right panel. The serrations are generally well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Very Good condition.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Refinished
Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright with sharp rifling. There is some scattered light erosion in the bore.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 98% of its current metal finish. The finish is strong throughout with only a few scattered minor marks and light operational wear. There is infrequent minor erosion under the finish with the most notable spot on the backstrap above the grips. The screw head is sharp. The markings are generally clear, some of the inspection markings are shallow, but visible. Overall, this pistol is in Fine 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 has little in the way of finish wear but there is scattered light erosion under the finish. The feed lips are intact and the spring is strong, in Very Good condition as refinished.
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 including the magazine with even many of the small parts having proper eagle/359 Walther waffenamts. The pistol has been refinished, so it looks great and it still retains a fairly strong bore. This pistol is a nice piece of history and should still make for a fun shooter, today. Please see our photos and good luck!